Suzuki Gixxer Cup race motorcycle review

How quickly perceptions can change. All it needs is one right product, and all’s forgiven. Suzuki Motorcycles, known for dowdy, me-too and visually polarizing motorcycles in India for the longest time, is now the toast of the town. And all because it got one product right.

The Suzuki Gixxer (and of course its faired twin, the Gixxer SF) is simply brilliant. Not just for its class but as a motorcycle overall. It is the best 150cc bike to buy in the country today and though it’s not exactly breathtakingly powerful, it has that special character that gets even the most serious motorcycle enthusiast nodding in appreciation.

Smartly then, Suzuki Motorcycles has decided to give the Gixxer the cloak of desirability by creating a racing version of the motorcycle. Say hello to the Suzuki Gixxer Cup. It is here to give budding racers an affordable platform to go racing, and of course, uplift the image of both Suzuki and the Gixxer brands in the enthusiast circles.

Now, the Gixxer - actually the Gixxer SF – is already a good looking motorcycle. But, with its one piece handlebar, the stepped one piece seat, split grab rails and the long number plate hanger, it looks more like a racy touring machine than an all-out sports bike.

For the Gixxer Cup, Suzuki has thrown almost all of it out. So, the handlebars are now clip-ons set lower than stock, the grab rails have been sawed off and the number plate holder too has been removed and thrown back into the parts tray. The seat though remains but it now gets a rear cowl over it and visually, all of it works making the Gixxer Cup bike look properly sporty and intense.

There are other changes too. The front suspension has been dropped by 20mm, the tyres are now stickier and lower profiled race MRFs, and to get the engine to breathe better, the Gixxer Cup bike also gets freer flowing intake and exhaust. Suzuki is also tinkering with the stock jetting but couldn’t get it all sorted for our ride. Furthermore, for the sake of racier ergonomics and better lean clearance, the footpegs have been raised and moved back as well.

So, how does the Suzuki Gixxer Cup race bike feel to ride? For starters, it sounds brawnier, we will give it that. It also feels sportier to sit on, but thankfully, never cramped. The fuel tank – as is with the stock Gixxer – is beautiful shaped and not just for looks, mind, but to grip on to as well. And once you start rolling and hit the race track, the ease of flickability immediately gets your confidence soaring.

The Gixxer Cup bike doesn’t feel significantly more powerful than the stock bike (and it isn’t) but on a tight, technical and challenging circuit like Kari, it doesn’t matter. What matters is how the bike handles. And with the Gixxer Cup version Suzuki has taken what was already good on both the Gixxer and the Gixxer SF and made it many times better.

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The Suzuki Gixxer Cup bike drops into corners without hesitation. Mid corner, it tells you exactly what the bike’s upto. And surprisingly, it never feels like it is going to run out of grip…even when you get the underside of the motorcycle scrapping wildly. This one here is a true confidence builder; a bike one must get on after having had a spill; it just gets your confidence back up and soaring.

And lest we forget, it’s also tremendous fun. I, for one, can’t wait to go racing on this Suzuki; the unacceptably high numbers for both my age and weight notwithstanding.