James Deuce
27th January 2007, 08:40
There's something to be said for "friendly & accommodating", as opposed to "exclusive & expensive". Tyra Banks for instance is turning into somewhat of a Diva Model (if there is such a thing), and you can see the effort that goes into keeping her looking good, especially in comparison to some of the late teens airheads being thrust into the spotlight on "The Next Supermodel".
Where an object of desire slowly loses its desirability as it ages, collects stone chips and expensive service bills, and even that add on stuff starts to sag a bit, the old girl on "10 Years Younger", can only be improved, plus she has the benefit of being a little bit interesting, having shed those shallow pretensions over the years.
Thus it is with Hyosung's GT650R. This is a sportsbike how they used to be. Sit-in ergonomics, a great engine, suspension that can be fiddled with, and a questionable quality of finish that gathered cred with each scuff instead of depreciation.
I've been lucky enough to play with not one, but two GT650Rs over the last couple of weeks and I reckon they deserve better than the utter contempt that seems to be dished out by people with motorcycles that cost 50-100% more with little in the way of any real world performance benefit.
The first one I got to play with was a bog stock bike with 700kms on the clock. I was surprised to find that I felt no pain from knee or neck joints and the while the riding position is a bit "wristy" it isn't so extreme that it can't be countered with a bit of ab work. It was quiet though, the brakes were as wooden as I'd expected from reading tests in the print media, but it wasn't bad! Kind of like a combination of mid-'90s Suzuki ergos and finish, and a mid-'90s Honda gearbox.
Commuting didn't present any issues, unlike my '04 R6 which caused a diaphragmatic hernia! I know it's age related, but you do get to a point where race ergonomics on the street start to reduce your enjoyment of motorcycling. The GT650R is a sportsbike that "old" (If you regard 41 as old) people can ride and enjoy a day in the saddle without looking for excuses to stop every 80 kms or so. Some of this is down to the adjustable rearsets (why can't the rest of the sportsbike universe be fitted with these as standard - why leave a Korean newcomer to shame you into it, Italy, Japan, and Great Britain?), the cracking seat which is comfy and supportive without being grippy, and the superbly light and positive handling.
What is it with the fixation on wide tyres? The GT650R sports a 160 rear tyre, rather than the de rigeur 180 or 190 rear, and holds a line like a Ducati, while flicking in like a Suzuki. Much of the focus of discussion on Hyosung's flagship has been bound up in comparisons with the Suzuki SV650, but the Hyosung is by far the better handling bike, and with one simple mod has the better engine.
Just like the old days when real bikes had big carbs (like the GT650) and fuel injection was for foppish BMW drivers, an end can makes a whopping difference. The next GT650R I kept for a week had a Scorpion end can, a smoked screen, and braided brake lines all round. This example had the better part of 5000kms on the clock and was a different animal altogether. The end can releases a glorious noise that almost becomes a howl at the top end of the rev range, while the braided lines improve feel and power front and rear, though I wasn't a fan of the amount of travel in the front lever. Speaking of that, how come the the GT250R gets adjustable levers and the 650 doesn't?
The engine characteristics were transformed by the Scorpion can. The stock can leaves the engine a bit breathless, where the Scorpion can turns this into a willing, revvy V-Twin that just gets stronger all the way to redline. The smoked screen fixes the only real complaint I had about the GT650R - the dash. With the stock screen in place there is too much light in the cockpit to be able to read the 90s retro LED dash. Even the analogue tach is hard to read with the reflections. The smoked screen means that the dash can be read in the brightest sunlight.
The Hyosung GT650R is a combination of what you expect from a startup manufacturer. Budget in places, quirky in ways you don't expect, but with a sense of striving to gain market acceptance. Everyone has a Hyosung tale to tell: the mate of a mate who had his gearbox replaced under warranty - Hang on! How is that a bad thing? The quality control issues with paint and fit - what about the nitride coating that flakes off GSXR1000 forks after a couple of years?
I think people are far too tough on Hyosung. Far from being a dog, the GT650R is a bike I could live with for sunny days and forays onto the track. I'd change stuff on it, but then I like to do that. I enjoy owning a bike that I can make my own with a few common sense changes. I've illustrated some of the changes that can be made without going over the top in the attached photos. The paint looks fantastic in a couple of them too. It just needs frequent elbow grease, like all black paint. I think they look great too, and that headlight not only looks good it works really well too.
All in all, Hyosung have probably made the best fist of becoming a manufacturer in their own right since Hinckley Triumph launched their modular concept in the early '90s. Try one before jumping on the criticism bandwagon.
Many thanks to TSS Motorcycles for trusting me with not one, but two GT650Rs.
Where an object of desire slowly loses its desirability as it ages, collects stone chips and expensive service bills, and even that add on stuff starts to sag a bit, the old girl on "10 Years Younger", can only be improved, plus she has the benefit of being a little bit interesting, having shed those shallow pretensions over the years.
Thus it is with Hyosung's GT650R. This is a sportsbike how they used to be. Sit-in ergonomics, a great engine, suspension that can be fiddled with, and a questionable quality of finish that gathered cred with each scuff instead of depreciation.
I've been lucky enough to play with not one, but two GT650Rs over the last couple of weeks and I reckon they deserve better than the utter contempt that seems to be dished out by people with motorcycles that cost 50-100% more with little in the way of any real world performance benefit.
The first one I got to play with was a bog stock bike with 700kms on the clock. I was surprised to find that I felt no pain from knee or neck joints and the while the riding position is a bit "wristy" it isn't so extreme that it can't be countered with a bit of ab work. It was quiet though, the brakes were as wooden as I'd expected from reading tests in the print media, but it wasn't bad! Kind of like a combination of mid-'90s Suzuki ergos and finish, and a mid-'90s Honda gearbox.
Commuting didn't present any issues, unlike my '04 R6 which caused a diaphragmatic hernia! I know it's age related, but you do get to a point where race ergonomics on the street start to reduce your enjoyment of motorcycling. The GT650R is a sportsbike that "old" (If you regard 41 as old) people can ride and enjoy a day in the saddle without looking for excuses to stop every 80 kms or so. Some of this is down to the adjustable rearsets (why can't the rest of the sportsbike universe be fitted with these as standard - why leave a Korean newcomer to shame you into it, Italy, Japan, and Great Britain?), the cracking seat which is comfy and supportive without being grippy, and the superbly light and positive handling.
What is it with the fixation on wide tyres? The GT650R sports a 160 rear tyre, rather than the de rigeur 180 or 190 rear, and holds a line like a Ducati, while flicking in like a Suzuki. Much of the focus of discussion on Hyosung's flagship has been bound up in comparisons with the Suzuki SV650, but the Hyosung is by far the better handling bike, and with one simple mod has the better engine.
Just like the old days when real bikes had big carbs (like the GT650) and fuel injection was for foppish BMW drivers, an end can makes a whopping difference. The next GT650R I kept for a week had a Scorpion end can, a smoked screen, and braided brake lines all round. This example had the better part of 5000kms on the clock and was a different animal altogether. The end can releases a glorious noise that almost becomes a howl at the top end of the rev range, while the braided lines improve feel and power front and rear, though I wasn't a fan of the amount of travel in the front lever. Speaking of that, how come the the GT250R gets adjustable levers and the 650 doesn't?
The engine characteristics were transformed by the Scorpion can. The stock can leaves the engine a bit breathless, where the Scorpion can turns this into a willing, revvy V-Twin that just gets stronger all the way to redline. The smoked screen fixes the only real complaint I had about the GT650R - the dash. With the stock screen in place there is too much light in the cockpit to be able to read the 90s retro LED dash. Even the analogue tach is hard to read with the reflections. The smoked screen means that the dash can be read in the brightest sunlight.
The Hyosung GT650R is a combination of what you expect from a startup manufacturer. Budget in places, quirky in ways you don't expect, but with a sense of striving to gain market acceptance. Everyone has a Hyosung tale to tell: the mate of a mate who had his gearbox replaced under warranty - Hang on! How is that a bad thing? The quality control issues with paint and fit - what about the nitride coating that flakes off GSXR1000 forks after a couple of years?
I think people are far too tough on Hyosung. Far from being a dog, the GT650R is a bike I could live with for sunny days and forays onto the track. I'd change stuff on it, but then I like to do that. I enjoy owning a bike that I can make my own with a few common sense changes. I've illustrated some of the changes that can be made without going over the top in the attached photos. The paint looks fantastic in a couple of them too. It just needs frequent elbow grease, like all black paint. I think they look great too, and that headlight not only looks good it works really well too.
All in all, Hyosung have probably made the best fist of becoming a manufacturer in their own right since Hinckley Triumph launched their modular concept in the early '90s. Try one before jumping on the criticism bandwagon.
Many thanks to TSS Motorcycles for trusting me with not one, but two GT650Rs.