Suzuki GSX R250, V-Strom 250 India launch unlikely

The newly unveiled Suzuki GSX R250 and V-Strom 250, which were made official at the 14th China International Motorcycle Trade Exhibition are not going to be launched in India. Suzuki has conveyed that they have no plans of launching the motorcycles in India anytime soon.

After the success of the Gixxer twins, the motorcycle maker was expected to move a segment up and launch a product in the 250-300cc segment which is currently being intensely contested. Developments for same were also confirmed but Suzuki has stepped backwards. The company officials now claim that they want to focus on volumes only.

Instead, the company is expected to launch the 2017 Suzuki GSX R1000 in India soon after its international launch. The 250cc twins come powered by the same Inazuma engine putting out 24.7 HP of power and 23.3 Nm of torque. While the GSX R250 is a full-faired motorcycle with aggressive styling, the V-Strom 250’s design is inspired by the the V-Strom 1000. It comes with 790 mm of seat height and 15-litres of fuel tank capacity.

The GSX R250 is the heaviest and least powerful in its class. But it is high on the style quotient. Both the motorcycles are suspended by telescopic forks at the front and a monoshock at the rear. Braking duties are handled by 290 mm front single disc with two-piston caliper and a single 240 mm disc at the rear. The quarter litre offerings have clip-on handlebars, tall windscreen, digital instrument cluster borrowed from the Indian Gixxer and split seats.

Suzuki seems to refrain from launching the motorcycles in India after the failure of the Inazuma. The Inazuma was a good product but could not keep up with the other competitors in the segment. Probably, Suzuki cannot undercut rivals like the KTM 390 twins on the basis of price as the motorcycles are not manufactured in India.