Old Steve
28th July 2011, 22:28
I ride a six year old Hyosung GV250, her name is GLORIA. I've ridden just under 20,000 km on her in the last 16 months. Today I left her in the bike shop having heated handgrips fitted, and rode the 2011 Hyosung Aquila GV250 EFI for the day. So, what do I think of the latest model GV250? What has changed in the six years since GLORIA was shipped from the factory?
Once I sat on it, fired up the engine, and rode off, there was so much that felt familiar. The new GV250 is still a comfortable bike. The seat is low, which is convenient for someone as challenged in the inside leg measurement as I am. The foot pegs are comfortably forward, the bars are not too wide, but the mirrors are wide enough and positioned so you get a good view behind, the seating position is upright. I've ridden of up to 390 km in a trip on GLORIA with no discomfort, and I know that this latest model would be just as comfortable on a longer trip as GLORIA is.
Once underway, the new model felt just as nimble as my older version. I have a favourite “long way home” which takes me through eleven roundabouts. If there is no traffic coming then I get thirty-three lefts, rights, and left agains. So I took the new bike up the same route, it felt just like riding my own older bike. The Hyosung GV250 cruiser is an easily handled learner bike and a ideal commuter.
But there are some changes to the new bike. The EFI brings a smoothness to the engine and the two into one muffler makes the bike much quieter. Well, much quieter than a 2005 GV250 with the baffles removed from the mufflers. The EFI fuel tank doesn't have a reserve in it, however I found that when the tank is low on fuel the engine seems to stutter once it reaches around 6,000 rpm. Sure this gives you an indication that the fuel tank is getting low (the digital fuel gauge mounted on the bars showed a couple of divisions when this started). But if you're only 10 or 20 km from the next fuel, then you can't get there at a comfortable speed or use your acceleration to get out of trouble.
The speedo and tachometer on top of the headlight have new layouts. While its great to see that Hyosung have retained the easy to read tachometer, the speedo has a disconcerting design. The numbers sit between bars around the outside of the dial. The numbers are easily sighted, but the bars denote 5 km/hr above and below the number. If the needle is on one of the bars, you're uncertain if you're riding at say 90, 95 or 100 km/hr. Maybe that would give you a chance of getting off a speeding ticket. But somehow I don't really think that saying, “Sorry Officer, the speedo is so difficult to read that I didn't know what speed I was doing,” would work.
However, the most noticeable change on the new bike is to the gearbox and drive train. GLORIA has a “can't-find-neutral-when-the-engine-is-running” glitch. The new bike has a very positive neutral position and a very smooth gear change, it's very easy to find neutral at an intersection or traffic signal. That's very welcome. To park their bike in neutral, riders of older Hyosung GV250s (and Suzuki Intruders too) come to a halt, drop the gearbox down to first, turn the engine off, turn the ignition on again, lift the gear change lever up with the engine stopped until the neutral light comes on, then turn the ignition off and park the bike. What a difference an easily engaged neutral makes.
Along with the smoother gearbox comes what seems to be a taller gearing. GLORIA shows 7,500 rpm at 100 km/hr. The new GV250 shows around 6,500 rpm at the same speed. Acceleration may be imperceptably slower, but this would suggest that a top speed of 130 km/hr or higher might be attainable (children, do not try this at home!). This means a rider on this learner cruiser should be able to keep up with larger bikes at open road cruising speeds.
So, would I buy a new Hyosung Aquila GV250? No. I've got my full license now so my next bike when I buy one will be something bigger. But should a learner buy one and will they enjoy riding it? If you're looking for a learner cruiser, yes. I've found my GLORIA to be an economical, reliable, comfortable bike with good performance for it's size. I love riding her, even now when I've had my full license for four months. And the EFI version has just a little more to offer. However, apart from the gearbox, the major difference I found between GLORIA (2005 GV250) and the new 2011 Aquila GV250 EFI was that GLORIA cackles, chuckles and burbles while the new bike seems to just efficiently whir. If I owned one, I would be looking at the tail end of the new bike's muffler, there must be a way to give it just a little bit more noise.
And the best news is that I've got the bike overnight. So I'll be able to ride it back to the shop tomorrow morning. Mmmm, thirty-three lefts, rights, and left agains. Maybe I'll leave early and go around twice.
Once I sat on it, fired up the engine, and rode off, there was so much that felt familiar. The new GV250 is still a comfortable bike. The seat is low, which is convenient for someone as challenged in the inside leg measurement as I am. The foot pegs are comfortably forward, the bars are not too wide, but the mirrors are wide enough and positioned so you get a good view behind, the seating position is upright. I've ridden of up to 390 km in a trip on GLORIA with no discomfort, and I know that this latest model would be just as comfortable on a longer trip as GLORIA is.
Once underway, the new model felt just as nimble as my older version. I have a favourite “long way home” which takes me through eleven roundabouts. If there is no traffic coming then I get thirty-three lefts, rights, and left agains. So I took the new bike up the same route, it felt just like riding my own older bike. The Hyosung GV250 cruiser is an easily handled learner bike and a ideal commuter.
But there are some changes to the new bike. The EFI brings a smoothness to the engine and the two into one muffler makes the bike much quieter. Well, much quieter than a 2005 GV250 with the baffles removed from the mufflers. The EFI fuel tank doesn't have a reserve in it, however I found that when the tank is low on fuel the engine seems to stutter once it reaches around 6,000 rpm. Sure this gives you an indication that the fuel tank is getting low (the digital fuel gauge mounted on the bars showed a couple of divisions when this started). But if you're only 10 or 20 km from the next fuel, then you can't get there at a comfortable speed or use your acceleration to get out of trouble.
The speedo and tachometer on top of the headlight have new layouts. While its great to see that Hyosung have retained the easy to read tachometer, the speedo has a disconcerting design. The numbers sit between bars around the outside of the dial. The numbers are easily sighted, but the bars denote 5 km/hr above and below the number. If the needle is on one of the bars, you're uncertain if you're riding at say 90, 95 or 100 km/hr. Maybe that would give you a chance of getting off a speeding ticket. But somehow I don't really think that saying, “Sorry Officer, the speedo is so difficult to read that I didn't know what speed I was doing,” would work.
However, the most noticeable change on the new bike is to the gearbox and drive train. GLORIA has a “can't-find-neutral-when-the-engine-is-running” glitch. The new bike has a very positive neutral position and a very smooth gear change, it's very easy to find neutral at an intersection or traffic signal. That's very welcome. To park their bike in neutral, riders of older Hyosung GV250s (and Suzuki Intruders too) come to a halt, drop the gearbox down to first, turn the engine off, turn the ignition on again, lift the gear change lever up with the engine stopped until the neutral light comes on, then turn the ignition off and park the bike. What a difference an easily engaged neutral makes.
Along with the smoother gearbox comes what seems to be a taller gearing. GLORIA shows 7,500 rpm at 100 km/hr. The new GV250 shows around 6,500 rpm at the same speed. Acceleration may be imperceptably slower, but this would suggest that a top speed of 130 km/hr or higher might be attainable (children, do not try this at home!). This means a rider on this learner cruiser should be able to keep up with larger bikes at open road cruising speeds.
So, would I buy a new Hyosung Aquila GV250? No. I've got my full license now so my next bike when I buy one will be something bigger. But should a learner buy one and will they enjoy riding it? If you're looking for a learner cruiser, yes. I've found my GLORIA to be an economical, reliable, comfortable bike with good performance for it's size. I love riding her, even now when I've had my full license for four months. And the EFI version has just a little more to offer. However, apart from the gearbox, the major difference I found between GLORIA (2005 GV250) and the new 2011 Aquila GV250 EFI was that GLORIA cackles, chuckles and burbles while the new bike seems to just efficiently whir. If I owned one, I would be looking at the tail end of the new bike's muffler, there must be a way to give it just a little bit more noise.
And the best news is that I've got the bike overnight. So I'll be able to ride it back to the shop tomorrow morning. Mmmm, thirty-three lefts, rights, and left agains. Maybe I'll leave early and go around twice.