First Ride: Hyosung GT650R EFi

Its one of my favourite set of twisty roads and the notorious left corner infamous for scaring many a bikers is approaching rather quickly than my reflexes are used to. It is an uphill section and apart from the motorcycle I am on, all other settings are more or less same. The Hyosung GT650R that I am riding is climbing fast and is taking corners with a ferocious attitude and there is nothing subtle about its power delivery. It is what you would call, umm… raw or maybe even a little bit rowdy. But for someone who likes pure no-nonsense thrill and excitement, the GT650R brings a lot to the table.

As the tightening corner looms up ahead, I brake hard and expect something dramatic to occur, but the Hyosung GT650R shows no signs of upsetting behaviour or jittery nature. The 41mm upside-down front forks with adjustable damping and compression (but no preload setting) promptly take charge of the sudden weight transfer and the twin disc rotors fitted upfront on the GT650R drop speed with phenomenal efficiency. I soon realize that now I am under-speeding for the corner. Damn!

It is the first time that I am riding a 650cc v-twin engine on this stretch of curvy tarmac and the experience is novel and extremely gratifying. The power delivery is smooth and casual till upto the 5,500rpm mark coupled with a rather sweet and smooth exhaust note playing in the background as the bike effortlessly crosses the 100km/h mark without batting an eyelid. But once the rev-counter needle whizzes past the 6000rpm mark, the V-Twin growl turns loud, raspy and angry like a rumble from a battle-tank.

There is a lot of potential and performance lurking inside the Hyosung’s fuel-injected 649cc V-Twin engine, which apparently is identical to the motor that powers the super-popular Suzuki SV650. Hyosung started with making motorcycles for the South Korean market under license from Suzuki and the V-twin engine configuration of the GT650R seems quite similar to that of the cult-followed Suzuki SV650. None of the two bike-makers have confirmed if the two models share common parts but on paper it’s quite telling. Regardless of whether it’s the same engine or not, one thing Hyosung needs to really look into is the fuelling system of the GT650R. The throttle response is awfully jerky with an on/off feel even with slightest variation on the throttle grip. And as the speed increases, the jerkiness due to the fuelling stops being just a twinge and grows to be a major quandary playing havoc with your lines, judgement and hence, safety.

Overlooking the fuelling glitch, the liquid cooled DOHC 8-valve 90-degree v-twin motor of the GT650R seems like an extremely potent package throwing oodles of horsepower and torque for a middleweight motorcycle. It produces best-in-class horsepower figure of 72PS at 9,000rpm and 61Nm of torque peaking at 7,250rpm, which is distributed evenly through the rev-range for good rideability and solid in-gear acceleration. Good in-gear acceleration means strong exits out of the corners and swift overtaking maneuvers through traffic on road without having to go through the six-speed gearbox of the GT650R each time you want to pass a vehicle. The twisty roads are long gone and I am over this open arrow-straight highway doing about 50km/h in sixth gear. I open the throttle with a little more urgency than usual and the GT650R lurches forward with great enthusiasm – just like you would expect a middleweight sports model to perform and nothing short of its Japanese or European V-twin rivals.

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But as the power surges and the tachometer needle climbs closer towards its redline, vibrations on the handlebars and footpegs get that more annoying. The blokes at the Hyosung R&D really need to find a way to curb the vibrations from reaching to the rider, which notably disrupt the riding feel once at speed. Dynamically there is nothing wrong with the Hyosung, – barring a little too stiff suspension tune for our Indian road conditions. The rear monoshock with preload adjustment settings is fixed on to the frame via a linkage and although I found it a little too stiff for our roads, it was extremely adept at handling the mid-corner bumps and the rapid weight transfers. The tubular chassis is rigid and competent to handle stress and the tall geometry of the bike makes it extremely corner-friendly, which shows up especially when dealing with switchback corners. Picking it up and performing the quick flick through a series of turns is extremely enjoyable and uncomplicated.

Where the Hyosung GT650R’s shine wavers is when it comes to parts quality and detailing on the finished product especially when one takes into consideration its competition from the Japanese and European bike-makers. For instance, although the switchgear components work perfectly fine without any issues, the quality on them feels lacking and similarly the welding seams around the frame and the swingarm require more finesse to bring the GT650R up to the level of current modern day sport machines with regards to fit-and-finish and overall build quality. The electricals on the GT650R too are not exactly kept hidden as one can clearly spot wiring harnesses sticking out near the headstock and the frame. But, this could also be a case of poor assembling as the bikes are coming as CKD units and getting assembled in India and our test bike too was one of the first few bikes to be assembled here. Being aware of the conviction (and resources) put in by the Garware group in their latest venture, Garware Motors, who are responsible for bringing Hyosung to India this time, we expect the assembly niggles to be ironed out before the bikes hit the Garware Motor/Hyosung dealerships by April 2011.

If one can look past these minor niggles, as a motorcycle, the Hyosung has everything going for it. With well-sorted dynamic ability and balance, powerful and rev-happy engine as well as fantastic equipment in its class, the Hyosung GT650R is a clear indication that after conquering automobiles (Hyundai) and electronics (Samsung, LG), it’s time for the motorcycle world to sit up and take notice of the Koreans. They have arrived. The GT650 not only packs in good performance but also has fine details which make it a great value proposition. For instance, the bungee hooks on the rear pegs and the small loops attached to the pillion seat hint at the GT650R’s sport touring capabilities. There is the under-seat storage enough to stack a water bottle and other small accessories along with the usual documents and the tool kit. The saddle offers excellent cushioning as well as superb grip to the rider without compromising pillion comfort.

One thing than can be improved here is the riding position, which might be suitable for average Indian physique but once you put a rather hefty rider on-board you can see him struggling to get in terms with the riding posture on the GT650R. Though, the GT650R does come with 4-way adjustable foot-pegs for more rider comfort, the large 17-litre tank certainly restricts riders of all sizes to be comfortable astride the motorcycle. So if you are on the heavier side with more bulk, I suggest you wait till the company brings the street version (with flat handlebars and without the full race-fairing), the GT650 to India, which will also be slightly cheaper than the GT650R. Not that the GT650R is going to be sinfully expensive like the current crop of superbikes sold in the country.

With competition revving up and big timers like Harley-Davidson as well as Ducati vying to get attention of the Indian bikers, the prices of these superbikes are bound to get more competitive in times to come. And Garware Motors too does not want to mess it up by asking for a hefty premium and they are well aware of the fact that the Hyosung brand name still needs some nurturing and care in the Indian two-wheeler space before the market recognizes its value and products. This means that the pricing for the Hyosung GT650R is going to be extremely competitive and the company is going to pull all stops to make sure they crack the value-for-money code and bail Indian bikers out of their misery who have been waiting (and saving) in anguish to lay their hands on an affordable multi-cylinder performance motorcycle. Yes that’s quite a demand from Indian bikers, but isn’t that a challenge good enough for the world players or the wannabe world players like Hyosung?

Garware Motors along with Hyosung together are already up for the challenge and seem determined to deliver with an exceptionally competitive costing for the GT650R that could be somewhere around Rs. 5 lakh on road! This is pure guesswork based on the information from our sources but it is quite reliable as we all will soon find out once the bookings and deliveries for the Hyosung motorcycles commence from April 2011. Though the sports offering from Hyosung, the GT650R may lose a few grades for its lack of fit-and-finish, it is well put-together, sturdy and a reliable product that is sold in several Asian markets, US, North Europe as well as Australia. It has good performance and decent handling for weekend blasts as well as good enough comfort to be your daily commute machine. It can very well be a competent sports tourer too but the vibes at higher-revs need to be taken care off before one sets out on the open road. The GT650R can be many things to many riders.