KIWI RIDER 09 2018 VOL.1 | Page 40

aving been a while since I’d ridden a ‘sporty’ looking bike, I was looking forward to testing out the new Suzuki GSX250R on my daily commute and for those purposes it didn’t disappoint. Its low centre of gravity, light and nimble handling, and good bottom end make it the perfect bike for whizzing to and from the office in traffic. Take away the traffic though, and if you’re an experienced rider who’d try to ride this as their only bike and I think you’d feel a touch let down. While the bottom end is decent enough, once the digital tacho gets to the mid-range the bike just feels a bit flat and you have to reach fifth gear pretty quickly in order to plod along with the speed of the motorway traffic. However, it’s agile, light and the riding position is super comfortable for me at 170cm (5’ 7”). The clip-on bars are in a comfortable position (not too low) and the foot pegs are at a good height, so much so that I think this would suit riders of various heights. If a commuter bike is what you’re after then I wouldn’t hesitate for a moment to recom- mend the GSX250R to any rider, it feels like a natural in a busy urban environment and with reasonably narrow bars and mirrors, it’s so easy to just whip in between the cars in heavy traffic. It’s definitely a no drama, fun bike to ride to work, and on that note… I’d better get going. - EVE LAWRENCE