aaaah my bad... somehow the mind automatically doesn't think of scooters

I was coming from a purely motorcycle stand point... but yeah... I would say, from a purely "two-wheeler" point of view, the Access has turned out to be Suzuki's bread and butter for the domestic market. Wonder if Salman would agree to endorse that (being a Busa owner himslef)!!

Whom are you kidding man....the package is all there. Suzuki = VFM and more.

Its the prescence that is lacking. Their marketing team sucks balls, coming up with stupid names like slingshot and swish and all manner of dumb ads and taglines.

@aargee: You should have a peek at the number of access scooters on the roads before saying that only the SBKs are pulling suzuki's weight.

But yeah, the addition of some 'affordable premium segment' products would definitely up the visibility and desirability of suzuki more than any endorsement from salman khan. Would be nice to have a 'R15 buster' drop from suzuki blue skies. Maybe bring in the rmx250z\rmx450z or atleast a dr200\drz400 before anyone else gets such a bright idea....man, that would be the cake.

hiring brand ambassadors works for products like ... may be ... fairness creams, not for bikes.

they should have spent the money in creating better TV ads, rather then hiring brand ambassadors, remember pulsar ads- no brand ambassadors, still made its mark.

I didn't say that or even meant close to it; I only said, Suzuki India has more products to offer in premium (or extra premium ) segment than their entry level...which ideally should not be the case in a country like ours. I didn't mean anything to sales because I don't know how much they sell.

to be honest Suzuki doesn't have a portfolio in India on which a biker will drool or even look at so I wonder how much of their sales will go up after having Salman as a brand ambassador.Not very sensible move in my opinion.They should have added better products or enhance their service department to increase their sales.

i think if want more recognition in our market, they should start with their already established GS 150R, should rebored it to GS 180R with better carb to handle 180cc and decent enough power, like Bajaj did to P150 was up sized to P180. Their GS 150R has established itself in the market with decent enough numbers if not the best. But you can say that GS150R is a good bike, so they readily have the platform to take it from here on.
They even have an added advantage of 6th gear for crusing on highway.

So, as an example of lack of complete package of it's segment, compare the Honda Dazzler, TVS Apache RTR 160, Yamaha FZ 160, Bajaj Pulsar 150/135 with the Suzuki GS150R. I would say, even with a gem of an engine and gear box, the Suzuki GS150R failed to live upto the mark as a complete package, because it tried to do all too many things at the same time and ending up doing nothing. For example, it boasted of a first in the segment 6 speed gear box (obviously, here we were not considering the likes of Yamaha R15), then, it didn't had the perfomance numbers to complement the buttor smooth six speed gear box. The so called GSX-R inspired looks proved to be simple plain and bland and didn't excite the masses at all. I won't like to say much about the build quality, but then again, consider this, the build quality of the Pulsars were all over the place when they were first launched, but still they carved a niche so deep into the Indian motorcycle sphere that it's a cult today (please don't take this as a fanboy statement, but that's a true fact).

Being VFM is one thing, but at the same time, a product should be able to tickle the thought of it's target customer. As you mentioned, the marketing is at big time flaw here, but both the Suzuki Sling Shot and the Suzuki GS150R failed to do what say Discover and Pulsar did for Bajaj, FZ and R15 did for Yamaha, the Unicorn (Dazzler) and Shine did for Honda.

It's quite amusing how a fellow can get drunk, get behind the wheel of an SUV, then proceed to mow a bunch of people down, walk away scott free and then become a brand ambassador for Suzuki, only in India can people get away with murder.

Get over it buddy... thats years ago. Time goes by and people change..

I wonder would i judge you according to the worst mistake you ever did, same goes here.

Good move here, the actor likes bikes and stuff.

First, let me say that I've owned a gs150r for the past 1.5 years and havent been easy on it at all. Let me also say that Im no suzuki or GS fanboy, I call a spade a spade.

Im not sure what you mean by 'complete package' here. To me, the gs is a complete package and more. I get a feeling that the 'completeness' you're referring to has more to do with modern day looks than anything else. Looks are subjective, so I havent anything to say about it, except that I find its proportions fine to my tastes.

The gs is not behind in any comparison test. As you said, the GS is a jack of all. Granted that its not the best at anything (except for that nice looking console), but it doesnt "end up doing nothing". It holds its own against everything in its class....you name it.

Performance figs might not warrant the 6th gear on the bike, but the application as a jack of all calls for it. In this case, the 6th gear is an overdrive....meant for unstressed cruising. It makes life easy on the highway as much as on city roads. I think that the prejudice that 6th gear should equal more power was the cause for disappointment in this case.

Performance wise, its sedate at the bottom and makes the most power up high....you need to rev it up to squeeze the fun from it. That might be not tickle people used to good power right from idle in the other 150s. Frankly, I love revving high and the bike reciprocates my throttle input with enthusiasm at high revs....so, it tickles me in all the right places. The sedate bottom to mid also makes it easy for beginners and relaxed riders to ride the bike.

It handles and tracks the road without much effort as well, to top it off. Ive no qualms with it.

You cant ask for too much more from a jack of all commuter roadbike at this price point and there is no better jack of all commuter roadbike in india than this bike here. So, no question marks about package completeness....package is complete only....well thought out and practical. Only thing missing is a gift wrap and a pink bowtie in the form of looks that match contemporaries. That is not a complaint in my books though.

On paper, it might all appear as bullshit in comparison, but suzuki bikes usually turn out to be leagues better in real life than whats on paper.

Anywho, thats the case with most suzuki bikes here....right biek, wrong time\market\marketing. And I dont give a goddamn what salman khan or suzuki does to change things, as long as suzuki is keepin' it real with the bikes.

My Take: The reason for the GS150R not blazing the sales is because the GS150R was/is not too different from whatever that was/is available in the market. In fact if looked at casually, the GS150R looks like a Pulsar.

On the other take the classic case of the "Yamaha FZ-16/S" that was launched after the GS150R. Mechanically the FZ is not too different from the GS150R (maybe except that monoshock). Like the GS150R, the FZ has a similar frame (diamond), 150 cc, 2 valve air cooled engine.

There is no need to elaborate that due to very smart packaging and very good styling job (stubby silencer, puffed up body work, fat rear tyre,), the FZ looked totally different from whatever was available in the market at that time. The FZ simply commanded "second glances" and now has made its own place in the market.


Moral of the story: If you are late for the party, make sure you wear something which looks very different from what the other's are wearing (i.e Something Original).. or else not many will notice your presence.

very well said & summarized..

Apologize to fans...but I love you just for the above post!!!

+1; well said; probably that's the reason they're trying to enter with S.K's presence.

For a guy who doesnt give two cents about "Safety" and is probably allergic to the word "Helmet", He is by far the worst person to endorse Suzuki given his past reputation with respect to public.

Also to justify the former part of my above statement, this is what i mean SUPERSTAR SALMAN KHAN ON HIS HAYABUSA BIKE IN MUMBAI - YouTube

brand ambassador

these things make very little difference in sales of products.suzuki motorcycle is not bring any new 150cc and above powerful bike.there is gap in 250cc bike segment of naked bikes.honda and yamaha have their bikes with lots of plastics.in india they are marketing look wise bigger bikes and in usa i have not seen bikes with this much plastics.these companies must change their mind set.