Suzuki Gt250
SUZUKI GT250
A Commuter Special With Incredible Abiity On The Open Road.
Cycle World Road Test
WHEN IT COMES right down to it, Suzuki just doesn't build your average two-stroke road bike. Instead of designing an ultimate performer that is temperamental in one aspect or another, they favor totally reliable, sedate machines that you can ride day after day after day. They're exceptional for commuting.
A perfect example of this is the GT 250 Twin. It’s a rangy motorcycle that weighs in at a substantial 331 lb. with a half tank of fuel. The tank is rather bulbous, sort of like those found on larger touring machines and there is a generously padded seat to match.
Acceleration is just what you’d expect-brisk but not spectacular. But the real beauty lies in the fact that the GT 250 is as fuss and maintenance free as anything you could hope for. Depress the choke, prod the kick starter one or two times, and the Twin comes to life. You can actually walk away and attend to your riding gear during warm-up. The plugs will not foul.
After a couple of minutes, flip the choke off and ease out into traffic. The transmission is six-speed and the ratios get progressively close together as top gear is approached. Sixth is actually like an overdrive, as it keeps the engine down to a mere 5700 rpm on expressways.
Clutch lever pressure is light and gear box action is positive with a desirably short shift lever throw. Consequently, the frequent shifting a 15-cu. in. engine requires around town or when pulling hills never becomes bothersome.
Handling in the city is light. Nimble. Threading ones way through traffic and making time through city streets is deceptively easy—much easier in fact than driving a compact car. Like we said, the GT 250 is an excellent choice for commuting.
Practically speaking, the worth of most 250s stops right here. Commuting is about it. But the Suzuki has one additional facet. Because of its generous bulk per displacement ratio, and because of that sixth cog in the gearbox, the GT 250 is a passable touring machine as well. Especially for those trans-state weekend junkets.
There are only a couple of minor annoyances. As 5500 rpm is approached, and from there on up to the 8000 rpm red-line, there is a slight tingle in the bars. It’s not anything that will put your hands to sleep, but it’s there and it is bothersome.
Secondly, the suspension is on the taut side. Cracks in concrete highways transmit enough of a jolt to cause rider fatigue. Front end action could be helped by substituting a less viscous oil in the forks. At the rear, lighter weight springs for the damper assemblies are one solution. Better yet, replace the stock damper units with Konis or Girlings which have far superior damping.
Lastly, there isn’t much room to strap on luggage and this is directly related to the short, 52-in. wheelbase. Any 250, however, suffers from this problem and we must admit that it is less acute on the Suzuki than on most.
On the turnpike, handling is not as predictable as in town. The impression you get depends largely on the condition of the road. On smoother asphalt highways, straight line stability, right up to top speed, is excellent. And in sweeping turns, the GT can be leaned over until the center stand drags with absolutely no protest at all. Incidentally, modifying the centerstand stop where it contacts the exhaust pipes is all that’s necessary to eliminate the dragging.
Rain grooves, however, present problems. On these, the
bike wanders constantly and until you get used to it, is a bit disconcerting. Perhaps lack of a steering damper is the cause.
In spite of this peculiarity, though, the GT 250 Suzuki can hold its own, especially as the miles pile up. It will run over 100 miles at 70 plus mph between fuel stops. Oil capacity is sufficient for over 600 miles. Chain stretch is absolutely nil. And brakes (there is a disc up front) are superb in every respect!
If the above doesn’t impress you, the following will. The GT 250 powerplant is bulletproof. Its heritage goes way back to the X-6, circa 1965, and from that point on, refinement of the two-stroke Twin has been continual.
One of the most significant improvements, and the most obvious, is the addition of a ram air system—just like on the 380 and 550 Triples. This consists of a shroud that fits over the individual cylinder heads and directs air through the cooling fins. The result is a cooler running engine which not only means longer engine life, but greater power output on long runs as well.
Ram air is so simple, it is easy to view it with skepticism. But it does work. We made several top speed runs during performance testing and the machine reached the same speed on the final attempt as it did on the first. Usually, the first or second run is best with a two-stroke. After that, power loss due to heat build-up lessens performance.
Cooler running has also enabled Suzuki engineers to reduce piston to cylinder wall clearance slightly. This not only benefits performance but also reduces mechanical engine noise a little.
Other than the closer tolerances, the major components have not changed much. Each cylinder has an individual barrel and head of aluminum alloy and the cylinder barrels feature pressed in iron liners. Iron liners are popular because they exhibit good wear characteristics, yet are easy to hone or bore when mileage necessitates a rebuild.
One-piece connecting rods feature needle bearings at both the piston pin and big end. The crankshaft itself rides on three ball bearing mains. The outer two main bearings are pressure fed lubricating oil by the injection system. The center bearing is lubricated by transmission oil.
A relatively silent helical gear primary links up the crankshaft with a wet, multi-disc clutch and six-speed transmission. All of the transmission gears are indirect, which means that there is an identical amount of power loss due to friction and wear, regardless of the gear selected. On more conventional transmissions with a 1:1 top gear, both friction loss and wear are considerably greater in any gear other than top.
Major components haven’t changed all that much but one thing has. Noise level. Part of the reduction is a result of improved muffler design. And, of course, there are rubber blocks between the cooling fins. But, the major noise loss can be attributed to the intake system.
In order to lessen intake roar, Suzuki has installed slides, 6mm longer than normal, in each of the 26mm Mikuni
carburetors. This prevents the Twin from ever being run flat out, as the longer slides cannot be totally retracted from the air intake passage. At best, this is a stopgap measure, as it puts a ceiling on performance that is well below the potential of the engine.
What the Twin lacks in power, however, it makes up in minimal vibration. This has enabled the factory to eliminate the rubber engine mounts found on the Threes and bolt the engine directly to the frame.
The frame is double-cradle with substantial gusseting in the steering head area. Instead of using a single, large diameter toptube, the GT 250 has three smaller tubes, triangulated for additional strength. The lower pair of this triangulated structure passes to the rear of the machine and forms support for the rear fender and seat.
Curiously, the seat is not hinged for access to the battery and other electrics. Some of the electrics, and the air cleaner, can be exposed by removing the left side cover. Access to the right side is blocked by the oil injection tank, however, so unbolting the seat assembly and removing it will be necessary from time to time.
Quality of welds on the black frame are crude, but the red and white paint scheme on tank and side panels is flawless. Chromed and polished surfaces are abundant, although tasteful, but the fake louvers on the side panels are a bit much.
Instrumentation, like everything mechanical on the GT 250, is conservative, yet well executed. Both tachometer and speedometer are easily read both day and night and the speedometer contains a resettable odometer.
Practical. Well executed. Quiet. Economical. That’s the Suzuki GT 250. If you’re not caught up in the displacement race, and if you ride very day, you’ll be hard put to find a better machine.
SUZUKI
GT250
$810
