Hyosung GT 250 Comet
Hyosung GT 250 Comet
.Review
The recipe for a beginner’s bike is pretty simple really. It needs enough of anengine to get you up to highway speeds, handling that’s good enough to get youthrough the corners without trauma, and brakes that handle what traffic throwsat you – like a bus – all sandwiched in by a capable chassis to hold it alltogether. The Hyosung GT250 meets all the requirements of this recipe, butoffers a little bit more.So here I am, at 12,500 RPM I’m well into the 11,000 marked red line, andexpecting the rev limiter to cut me off at any moment. The special sauce here isthe super-abundance of smooth revs, the tiny 249cc twin’s enthusiastic demeanorand polished feel which leaves thoughts of “cheap” and “Korean” out of mind. Ifyou were looking for cheese, then move along. There’s a joy here, it’s pureessence of riding, no garnish… The GT250 is divested of any of the fatuous brandattributes or lifestyle marketing messages wrapping other marks. It’s abeginner’s bike, most definitely, but the little GT is also good enough andfrisky enough to make even an experienced rider grin.True, the track sees me flipping upwards through the ratios quickly to keep the28hp (claimed at the crank) air-oil cooled twin in its preferred powerdeveloping range past 7500RPM. That’s the fun of a small bike though; thrashingit soundly to make it go. The pull, 15ft.lbs, seems inconsistent to the meagerdisplacement, there’s enough oomph here to commute and even have a few giggles.When it comes to lever dancing through the 5-gear transmission, the shifts areslick, smooth and easy, though not precise feeling. This is beginner’s fare andit need not make any apologies for feeling soft or comfortable. Thecable-actuated clutch has a relatively light feel, a good thing given the bike’sminimalist output. A bit of clutch-slipping is needed to spin the engine up toits power range and pull off the line with any swiftness. That light feel willpay off in traffic, where this will be a common maneuver.Progress up to 100kph is sedate though, and the name of the game is keepingspeed up through the corners. Indeed, such tactics let you saddle up to the115kph top end with a bit of work. The relatively low power of the GT250 may notbe a bad thing; the stomping power of latest crop of 600cc sport-bikes being toa new rider what the gift of a shotgun is to a toddler.Casting back to my first bike, a superannuated and ill cared for Maxim 400, I’dhave taken the GT-250 any day; the Maxim was temperamental and the throttlestuck the first day’s riding, resulting in damage to a curb, a rose bush, afence and myself. By contrast, the GT250’s throttle control is linear and wellmeasured, completely without shock or surprise – a sign of user-friendlycarburetion. That alone would have been enough of an argument to have me savingmy first bike shekels for an offering such as this had I known back then what Ido now. By offering up a two-year warranty for Canada, Hyosung appears confidentin the GT250’s solid-feeling mechanicals. None of the Japanese manufacturersstand by their offspring for this long… yet.Other merits come into play of course. Handling-wise the little 250 is planted,with a chassis suspiciously similar to the much more expensive Suzuki GS500wrapping the twin. The bike itself carries about the same mass as a gnat, andhas the same turn-in; especially with the wide comfortable bars providingleverage and the minimalist interpretation of tire widths (110/70 front, 150/70rear) keeping things nimble. Then there are the inverted forks up front, whichlook suspiciously Showa. Even un-dialed-in on the track they did the duty overbumps and ruts, once again soft but still capable. It’s actually reasonablytight and clean.Braking is likewise new rider friendly, no touchy grab or violence here. Just awell-sorted, confident deceleration with a progressive amount of feel providedby the 300mm disk, clamped down be twin-calipers out front, and the 230mm ourback. It’s not very aggressive, and if I project back to my formative ridingyears it would have felt a good match for my skills of the time and the bike.Even for the urban commuter the binders are more than enough to handle emergencystops in traffic without drama.The upright seating position is actually quite spacious for a 250, small andcompact, but not tight or cramped. This is thanks to three-position adjustablepegs available on the Canadian model, and a seat height of 795mm (31.25 in.)that is vaguely considerate to the vertically challenged. Originally Hyosung hadintended this chassis to house both the 250 and 650cc engines for its bikes; aplan since abandoned so 250 owners may proceed in comfort. However, a loweringkit might be needed for those in the small ladies learner market. The seatedposture gives you great visibility both of your domain and the gauges. These areshared with the GT-650 and offer a clear display of fuel level, velocity andRPM, with clean black lettering against a white backdrop. The mirrors are wellpositioned and usable, with no concessions to design getting in the way ofvisibility.It’s all held together by tidy welds and well-finished castings. It’s good fitand finish, with a lot of the switchgear and components looking suspiciouslySuzuki. The GT250 is all very practical, thought out and straightforward. Thereis a bit of room under the pillion seat for storage, and several bungee pointsto keep the commuting crowd happy. As a first bike one could easily be happywith the GT-250 for a couple years or more.Wrapping up my second set of laps on the GT-250, the first set was fun enough tomerit a second, and again I pull up grinning. The bike is fun and carries withit some extra spirit I wasn’t expecting. Part of that spirit may be the sound; atune box balances outflow of the cylinders at lower RPMs. The idea is toincrease torque in these ranges, and it may, but the result is a bigger than249cc sound – think bastard love child of a buzz saw and a Ducati. It sounds,well… nice.It leaves me with the thought of a GT 250 Cup or similar race series; it couldbe hugely entertaining running near stock bikes – a contest that comes down toskill and the ability to hold one’s speed in the turns. That may just be thetrack here talking. Back on the road practical consideration of finances maydrive this bike’s sales as much as anything else; in addition to its lower costof entry, “small”, “compact” and “tight” are words that could be used todescribe the budget needed for insurance for the GT250 in most Provinces. Basedon the displacement game they play, smaller is definitely better.The Hyosung GT250 is a cheap, solid, basic bike and it’s perfectly ok, and Iwasn’t expecting more than that… so I was surprised to be confronted with somuch fun and feel. New riders, urban commuters and motorcycle “charm” schoolsnow have a solid choice in an under-served niche of the Canadian motorcycleecology - one that doesn’t break the bank with cost of entry, or the price ofinsurance. It’s a cracking good little bike – for cheap. It’s like ordering aham and cheese and getting a steak sandwich by mistake, you almost feel like youshould tell someone – but you don’t.