VOL. 50 ISSUE 47 NOVEMBER 26, 2013
gas stations all that much.
Overall, the motor is solid, but
power is very tame – great for
beginners and newbies, but, not
surprisingly, unimpressive for experienced riders.
Suzuki designed the GW250 to
be comfortable and easy on the
body, and that it is. It has relaxed
ergos, tall handlebars and a level
seat that doesn't having you slid-
ing into the tank all the time. The
30.7-inch seat height is also very
low, which is another huge benefit for the new rider. Being able
to plant your feet on the ground
is a big confidence booster. On
board, the GW also feels narrow
and light, even though it tips the
scales at 403 pounds, according
to Suzuki's scale. That's roughly
30 or so more pounds than the
P57
CBR250R and Ninja 250.
The GW250 handles well. It
corners nicely without requiring much effort by the riders to
get the turning process initiated,
and once leaned over, it has the
tendency to stay put until told
otherwise. The bike feels well
balanced and very stable at both
low and high speeds, which has
a lot to do with its somewhat long
56.3-inch wheelbase.
Braking isn't great but good
enough to get the job done. The
front single-disc, single-piston
brake is strong enough and a
little on the mushy side, which
is probably a good thing for the
learning rider. Inexperience combined with a strong and touchy
front brake is a recipe for disaster. The rear brake is strong
but can easy lock if used solo.
Suzuki chose not to equip the
GW250 with ABS, most likely a
cost-saving decision. You could
argue that ABS might be a good
safety net for the beginner, but
you could also argue that not having ABS is a good way to teach a
new rider how to brake properly
- learn first, add ABS later.
Suspension is quite good for
what it is – pretty basic and non
adjustable, though there is a seven-step preload adjustment on
the single shock in the back. The
ride is fairly smooth but a little
springy when you hit a distinctive
bump in the road.
We were impressed with the
GW's instruments. The dash is
very informative and looks like it
came off a bike twice its price.
