Long term ownership review of Suzuki Gixxer SF

Trend of riding two wheeler have increased tremendously in India. People now have lot of options to choose when it comes to bikes as different bike makers offer different genre of two wheelers to suit ones need.

Now many can afford expensive bikes which were not the case around four or five years back. India has become one of the global markets for biking industry.

Back when I moved to Bangalore, I felt the need of a good bike. I wanted to buy a bike which was good for commuting as well as for weekend rides. My options were AS150, AS200 and Suzuki Gixxer SF as my budget was one lakh. I badly wanted NS200 but it seems, Bajaj had stopped making it as AS series was recently launched.

I test rode Pulsar clan and I did like AS200 but when I rode Gixxer SF, I fell in love with it. This bike is smooth like butter and at a price point of 1.10 lakhs; it was a good deal as it came as full faired bike. I had booked this bike in November 2015 and got in 10 days.

I wanted to take it on rides right from the first day but I was advised to keep the speed limit under 60kms/h till first servicing is done. It's very difficult to control yourself when you know your ride can easily zoom at high speed. I somehow maintained lower speed till first servicing was done.

So far, I have clocked more than 12000 kms over a span of one and a half years including city commuting and short distance touring. I won't go much in the technicality of bike as they are available on the Suzuki's website but I will share my experience with this bike.

Things I hate about Gixxer SF:

1) Stock Mirrors: Mirrors on this bike is little wider than it should be. It becomes very difficult to maneuver the bike in traffic. Most of the time I have to fold the mirrors while riding in city to beat the traffic. Also, the coverage in the mirror is not great.

2) Headlight: Riding when sun goes down is a nightmare with its light output. I am not sure why Suzuki has given 35w bulb when most of the bikes now come with 55w bulb.

3) Gears: This bike is not smooth when it comes to shifting gears. I have to put in little extra effort to change gear. I did inquire with few Gixxer SF riders and they too face the same problem.

4) Missing 6^th Gear: This bike comes with 5 speed gears which is good for city rides but lacks 6^thgear on highways.

5) No metallic tank: Gixxer SF comes with non-metallic tank which means no magnetic tank bag! This can be considered as negative point for rider who is planning to buy this bike for touring.

Things I love about Gixxer SF:

1) Looks: One of the most striking feature of this bike is its looks. This bike is definitely a head turner.

2) Pricing: It is one of the most affordable full faired bike in Indian market at a price point of just above one lakh.

3) Seating position: Gixxer SF has a good seating position. It is not very aggressive which makes it a good bike for long rides. Seating is designed in such a way that the elbow falls in the straight line as knee and you don’t arch your back.

4) Handling: It is one of the lightest full faired bike and is very easy to handle. All thanks to wide handle bars which helps rider in maneuvering the bike easily.

5) Digital Console:  This bike comes with full digital console which displays all the required information to rider which is easily visible both during day and night.

6) Gear position Indicator: This feature makes the life of rider easy. It is very handy and useful for newbie riders.

7) Almost zero vibration: I have rode this bike both at higher and lower seeds and felt vibration post 110kms/h, which for a 155cc bike is commendable.

8) Mileage: Best in class when it comes to mileage. I get around 48kms/l in city and 52kms/l on highways.

Aftermarket stuffs on my bike:

1) Blind view mirror: Since the visibility of the stock mirrors was not good, I had installed blind view mirror for better visibility and I highly recommend it for all riders as it shows the blind spot which normal mirror fails to show.

       Dios 3R Round Shaped Blind Spot Rear Side Mirror

2) Philips Headlight: I have installed  Philips extreme vision plus of 55/60 watt as the stock bulb was useless.

     Philips 12342XVPB1 H4 X-treme Vision Plus

3) Fog Lamps: I have also installed a pair of fog lamps for night touring. They are very handy when you ride in rain or in ghat section.
       

      AllExtreme U7 LED Fog Light

4) USB charger: I have installed USB charger. It is a must if you love touring as you can charge your phone or action camera while riding.

      MagsPearl Shot Bike Mobile Charger 

Verdict:

I am pretty happy with the bike and if you make few changes as I did, you will not regret getting it. Do comment down below if you have any questions related to this bike and I will try to answer it all.
 


Cheers!