2014 ET ZigWheels Awards Executive Bike of the year: Suzuki Gixxer

The executive segment is a stepping-stone in the world of performance motorcycles for the masses. 2014 was a very eventful year for buyers in this segment as it was among the categories that witnessed the most action. The battle for the executive bike of the year was fought among the Bajaj Discover 150S/F, Yamaha FZ FI V2.0, Suzuki Gixxer and Hero Xtreme. Despite the six nominations, the real clash was between the Yamaha FZ FI V2.0 and the Suzuki Gixxer. The Yamaha offering has been among the most successful motorcycles in the segment and finally in 2014 received an update in the form of a new powerplant and tweaked styling. The Suzuki Gixxer on the other hand has been clearly inspired from the Yamaha FZ which is quite evident in its chiselled and muscular styling. But the winner was obviously the Gixxer as it takes all the positives that the Yamaha FZ FI has on offer while taking it a notch higher. The Gixxer has been a revelation for Suzuki Motorcycle India and finally Japanese two-wheeler giant has a product that a consumer would aspire to own after walking into the showroom. Also the Gixxer can be the product that could make Suzuki to focus on its Indian operations with gusto and hopefully we would see many new offering from Suzuki India in 2015.

The Suzuki Gixxer is a fantastically engineered motorcycle with a punchy powerplant that has been aided beautifully by the lively handling chassis. Additionally, it has a great ride quality, near perfect riding posture and a decently fuel efficient heart alongwith good pricing to become a worthy winner.