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This is my first purchase of a superbike. And my first post in this forum too :-)
Have been waiting for the GV650 for almost 2 years now, and bought it a month back.
Done 1000 kms so far. Mix of city rides + one long trip of 400kms x 2.
So far the experience has been good. I have owned (and still do) an avenger (180) the last 6+ years, so my comparison notes will be mostly with that.
Below is short summary of my ownership/riding experience :
Riding comfort:
The riding position is very well designed, and is the highlight of this bike i feel. In fact after riding this when i switched back to my Avenger - on which i have done many long trips comfortably - it felt extremely awkward - as if riding a TVS-50 :-) The forward controls are as if they are custom designed for me! (i am 185cm). The handle bars help to maintain an upright body position. The tyre specifications are sporty - due to which the ride is stiffer than i would like it to be. Did not feel the engine heat much in the sitting position, as compared to the Iron 883 that i did test ride. Stability and maneuverability are outstanding. I could zip through in traffic very comfortably, while at the same time enjoy great stability during long rides. Also i feel lot more safer to brake on this, than on my Avenger. Same while taking turns as well. The ground clearance is quite good - speed breakers were never a problem. Except when riding doubles - some of the monster bumps can scrape the bottom. The cramster saddle bags that i bought for my avenger fits on this. Though care must be taken not to scrap the paint.
Looks:
It definitely has a unique styling considering the traditional/classic cruisers - blend of cruiser with sports-styling.
So one does not have to grow big moustaches or paunches to ride this :-)
Not all parts have been chromed - intentionallly not done (vs the ST7) - e.g the radiator - seems like a good idea, as it is likely to get lot of dirt/mud and keeping the chrome shining there would have been painful. However the wheels did not look that great to me and are in fact a turn-off. I wish they still had the 2007 model wheels which looks more beautiful. http://www.bikez.com/pictures/hyosun...%20Hyosung.jpg
Controls:
Definitely hated the digital speedometer, but i guess the blended design could be an excuse for this. This has been stated in the reviews i read as well : the switch controls look very cheap. One has to go through multiple button presses to view/reset the trip meter. In avenger just turn of a knob would reset the trip meter. The indicator switch also very cumbersome to toggle. One more irritant i found is the petrol tank lid. Even to close it, i have to turn the keys - than a simple press to close. The light is very powerful.
Speed:Havent crossed 100kmph so far, due to run-in period. Besides, i am not a big fan of high speed riding. I want very good stability and comfort at 80, max 100.
The bike is extremely smooth with no vibrations until 85. No vibrations in the mirror, or on the foot pegs. I get small vibrations in the footpegs between 85-100. I think beyond 100 may have vibrations more pronounced. Considering its advertised max speed is 195, this is a slight disappointment. However as advertised it has got a very powerful pick up.
Mileage :
The fuel gauge is slightly misleading - one expects it to start blinking when it reaches reserve. But apparently it blinks much earlier than that. The bike takes only >=91 octane petrol. Something to keep in mind during long rides outside metros. Now here i had a tough problem to figure out the octane in various outlets. Each station gave a different answer. The Hyosung service center said BP Speed should be fine. I couldnt get conclusive data for this online either. Only in Shell they gave me a consistent answer across multiple pumps - i.e the regular itself is 91 octane, and Premium is also 91 + some performance additives.
Issues so far :
* Rode to chennai. There was no problem during the ride. As soon as i reached chennai traffic, within 15 minutes engine started heating up. The temperature gauge started blinking (the manual instruction is to stop the bike). I had to stop in the middle of traffic, wait for sometime and restart. This happened 2 more times. Arent liquid cooled engines supposed to handle the heat better?
* The fuel pump sometimes take much longer time to go off, once you turn on the keys. The manual says it should take ~3 seconds - and engine should be started after that. It has happened a few times that the pump kept running for 10-15 seconds as the signal turned green and created a painful situation. I dont see this happen after a cold start ever though.
* Gear shift became a bit hard. After the 1st service this is better.
* The bike manual is not well structured. Even has grammar mistakes :-( Every page is littered with "caution" and "warning" it makes it quite painful to read, and also one gets a feeling there are too many things to watch out !
Will post some photos shortly.
ps: My first post in this forum so please pardon any violation of conventions/formats :-)
Have been waiting for the GV650 for almost 2 years now, and bought it a month back.
Done 1000 kms so far. Mix of city rides + one long trip of 400kms x 2.
So far the experience has been good. I have owned (and still do) an avenger (180) the last 6+ years, so my comparison notes will be mostly with that.
Below is short summary of my ownership/riding experience :
Riding comfort:
The riding position is very well designed, and is the highlight of this bike i feel. In fact after riding this when i switched back to my Avenger - on which i have done many long trips comfortably - it felt extremely awkward - as if riding a TVS-50 :-) The forward controls are as if they are custom designed for me! (i am 185cm). The handle bars help to maintain an upright body position. The tyre specifications are sporty - due to which the ride is stiffer than i would like it to be. Did not feel the engine heat much in the sitting position, as compared to the Iron 883 that i did test ride. Stability and maneuverability are outstanding. I could zip through in traffic very comfortably, while at the same time enjoy great stability during long rides. Also i feel lot more safer to brake on this, than on my Avenger. Same while taking turns as well. The ground clearance is quite good - speed breakers were never a problem. Except when riding doubles - some of the monster bumps can scrape the bottom. The cramster saddle bags that i bought for my avenger fits on this. Though care must be taken not to scrap the paint.
Looks:
It definitely has a unique styling considering the traditional/classic cruisers - blend of cruiser with sports-styling.
So one does not have to grow big moustaches or paunches to ride this :-)
Not all parts have been chromed - intentionallly not done (vs the ST7) - e.g the radiator - seems like a good idea, as it is likely to get lot of dirt/mud and keeping the chrome shining there would have been painful. However the wheels did not look that great to me and are in fact a turn-off. I wish they still had the 2007 model wheels which looks more beautiful. http://www.bikez.com/pictures/hyosun...%20Hyosung.jpg
Controls:
Definitely hated the digital speedometer, but i guess the blended design could be an excuse for this. This has been stated in the reviews i read as well : the switch controls look very cheap. One has to go through multiple button presses to view/reset the trip meter. In avenger just turn of a knob would reset the trip meter. The indicator switch also very cumbersome to toggle. One more irritant i found is the petrol tank lid. Even to close it, i have to turn the keys - than a simple press to close. The light is very powerful.
Speed:Havent crossed 100kmph so far, due to run-in period. Besides, i am not a big fan of high speed riding. I want very good stability and comfort at 80, max 100.
The bike is extremely smooth with no vibrations until 85. No vibrations in the mirror, or on the foot pegs. I get small vibrations in the footpegs between 85-100. I think beyond 100 may have vibrations more pronounced. Considering its advertised max speed is 195, this is a slight disappointment. However as advertised it has got a very powerful pick up.
Mileage :
The fuel gauge is slightly misleading - one expects it to start blinking when it reaches reserve. But apparently it blinks much earlier than that. The bike takes only >=91 octane petrol. Something to keep in mind during long rides outside metros. Now here i had a tough problem to figure out the octane in various outlets. Each station gave a different answer. The Hyosung service center said BP Speed should be fine. I couldnt get conclusive data for this online either. Only in Shell they gave me a consistent answer across multiple pumps - i.e the regular itself is 91 octane, and Premium is also 91 + some performance additives.
Issues so far :
* Rode to chennai. There was no problem during the ride. As soon as i reached chennai traffic, within 15 minutes engine started heating up. The temperature gauge started blinking (the manual instruction is to stop the bike). I had to stop in the middle of traffic, wait for sometime and restart. This happened 2 more times. Arent liquid cooled engines supposed to handle the heat better?
* The fuel pump sometimes take much longer time to go off, once you turn on the keys. The manual says it should take ~3 seconds - and engine should be started after that. It has happened a few times that the pump kept running for 10-15 seconds as the signal turned green and created a painful situation. I dont see this happen after a cold start ever though.
* Gear shift became a bit hard. After the 1st service this is better.
* The bike manual is not well structured. Even has grammar mistakes :-( Every page is littered with "caution" and "warning" it makes it quite painful to read, and also one gets a feeling there are too many things to watch out !
Will post some photos shortly.
ps: My first post in this forum so please pardon any violation of conventions/formats :-)
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