sorry for the long reply only trying to help
I had just bought the GS last month after the same stuff u are doing rite now maybe even more.(u can find my post in What bike? section too)

i was really pumped up when i booked my GS after reading the ownership thread and review.
i did not consider mileage at all as a criteria,all i wanted was good power and comfort.
i test rode pretty much all bikes under 150-180 category i found the GS most comfortable,smooth and joyful(yess its a technical term ). Then later i started thinking maybe its because i rode it before test riding dazzler or FZ etc.So the 1st impression stuck and i bought it.
i still have the confusion of did i buy the right bike i still have to ride FZ and compare them both post buying the bike.

i have ridden unicorn and pulsar 180.GS is better than Uni but less torqueir than P180.

so my advice to u is GS is heavy and hard to handle in traffic so if ur less than say 5'11 don't buy it and the gearbox may give u some problems (mine is new so i guess its cos of that so u may not consider this point)
rear tires are bad (zapper y),slow pickup up to 20kmph
but
it is robust,a head turner mainly because its an uncommon bike(own exp)
uber smooth,great mileage (55kmpl),over takes pretty much all bikes from BEHIND ...of course(cos of less low end power)

since u have a car for highways i suggest not buying the GS and rather going for DAZZLER(black color since it is not flashy at all),CBZ/hunk,pulsar150/180(cheap components could be a prob on the long haul) or ur choice the SZR which is quite good for city rides.
and test ride the bike which u like FIRST then go on to others--- personal advice

my very early opinion and could be new bike jitters ...could change after a while...so don't completely rely on it

OT: love at first sight went wrong eh ? lol , if you think too much from ur head you will end up buying some bike suggested by others based on mileage as primary deciding factor. if its ur first bike buy one that you love , you will love it even if a GS1XXXR zips past you. else set your priorities properly , comfort/mileage or performance . btw i was about to buy GS but then bought apache :P

i own a Yamaha SZ-X and it's a very good bike in terms of power as well as comfort, i've touched a top speed of 110kmph which is quite reasonable for a 12bhp bike !!!!

SZ= More fun, good ride quality, good fuel efficiency, better low and mid range torque, and slick gearbox, quickish handling, but a very weak top end, and a weakish headlamp.
GS150r= Better styled, more stable, better brakes, better refinement (somewhat), bigger bike, and six gears whcih means it is much more relaxed than the frenzied SZ, plus i havent seen many (or any) GS's on the roads and that should make you look different from the rest of the pack!
that was my unbaised opinion!

Hi Guys,

I'm on the look out for a commuter bike, and TDed the SZ-R, Unicorn and GS150R a few weeks back. Overall, I liked the GS150R more than the other two. However, the dealer told me that a new version of this bike [mostly cosmetic changes] is on the cards in a couple of months, hence Suzuki have reduced production of the current version. Even if I do book it now, it'll easily take more than a month for delivery [no bikes available in stock]. I got this same answer from all the 3 dealers that I visited in Pune.

Does anyone have any idea if this is true, or is Suzuki just focusing more on the SlingShot instead?

EDIT: I also sent this question via an email to the id given on the Suzuki India website, but haven't heard from them yet.

Cheers,
Vikram

It's worth waiting for the new one to come and then take a call rather than selecting something and then repenting (it's fact that you have liked GSR over the other two).
I don't think Suzuki is focusing only on slingshot, GSR is an important product in their portfolio.

Yamaha szr or suzuki gs 150

Simly go for szr
a perfect bike from yamaha stable.

Go for Suzuki GS 150

I liked its performance and looks.. but if you wanna be cruel in traffic and prefer yamaha then go for FZ or TVS apache!!

i have ridden both GS 150 and SZ-R extensively both in city and for long rides.
If long rides and highways GS 150 feel more planted and easy to cruise due to heavy weight and 6 gears . It is very stable and can touch 110 occasionally .Will give you above 50 mileage under normal riding.Overall it is a very good bike even though more heavy and bigger in size for a person having small size .On road price is around 69K-70K.

On the other hand Yamaha SZ-R is smaller and lighter comparing to GS150 and more easy to use in city . The low end torque of this bike is mind blowing. Belive me i own a karisma and still i was impressed by the low end torque of this bike (may be partly because i underestimated it on hearing detuned FZ) . This bike is a pleasure to drive in city as well as highway
the acceleration is really thrill you .The acceleration "feel" is better than Fz to be honest . On road price is 63K .Mileage around 48-50 .Will touch 105 in highways and is really comfortable and felt stable also.
Got bybre brakes . Pillion seat is not very high unlike GS 150 .
Felt like pillion seat is really comfortable .
Complete value for money . I will suggest you to go for this if you have a
smaller build . If you are more than 6 feet / 80 Kg go for GS 150 as SZ-R will be too small for you .

Both bikes are really good and you wont regret anyway. All the best.

Thanks for your replies, everyone.

@Jithu, bilalans - I am just 5'9'' and 72 kgs, but the reason I am leaning towards the GS150R is because my daily commute is of 45 kms to & fro, and the seating and handlebar position of this bike allowed me to maintain an upright and comfortable posture when I TDed it. The Unicorn also ticked this box, but felt too plain jane to me otherwise. I agree that the SZ-R is more peppy and easier to handle in the city, but try as I might, I somehow wasn't able to find a comfortable riding position while TDing it.

@vipin_s - That's just what I intend to do. I've used my Splendor for almost 12 years; might as well eke out a few more months from her!
I just hope that Suzuki after sales service, spares availability and cost of ownership isn't too bad in Pune.

Cheers,
Vikram

Hey Vikram...
yes indeed there's a cosmetic changed version of GS coming as well as a 150cc version of slingshot....with more power.........Suzuki is doing what honda did to uni and derived Dazzler....they are tuning the engine for more power.....

Dear I think there are 3 option in your hand at this point of time as below.

1.Suzuki GS150R(Tasted in one of my friend's bike)(Rating 6/10)

For: Free F;ow engine,Gentle Pick up.Steady Frame.
Against: Poor Millage,Up Right sitting,Heavy Traffic maneuver is very poor.

2. Yamaha SZ -R(Own by My younger Brother)

For. Frugal, Good sitting posture. Best pillion comfort,Millage is good,Good styling.
Against:Build quality is not up to the mark.Lack of power,No fun driving at all,Lack of power,No Kick

You may check with the NEW CBZ-Extreme 2011 version.

3.CBZ Extreme(My friend Have 2010 Model but engine is untouched in

For: Smooth & refined engine,Modern age looks, comfort(Not check in new version),City friendly.,Road presence.good Service Back up, Reliable.
Against:Low Millage,No Kick in 2011 version,Size looks bigger than it actually it is.

It is souly my opinion to you now it is your choise to chose your animal...Enjoy n hppy riding.

2 things might concern u with GS150

GS 150R is the best bike that suits everyone except that pillon thing. It's lil difficult for the pillon(Especially ladies) to get on the bike and they may feel little scary even when there is a slightest jerk in the bike

And for the City rides, though acceleration is not swift like other bikes, it's still fast. If u are pretty strong, u can make some twist and turns with the bike


Rest of ur requirements, its checked when it comes to GS 150R.

Anyways, Get a test drive before buying the bike.

All the best and have a safe biking

Gs150r weighs just 3 kg more than Unicorn, CBZ, hunk, and Pulsar. But those extra 3 kg in Gs150r is not just extra weight, it has extra gear and extra engine balancer. Those are functional parts, not dead weight. So, between the above bikes, weight is not a differentiating factor. In fact, new CBZ is same weight as Gs150r.

Also, Hunk and CBZ have no kicker now.

Also, only Pulsar and SZ-R have a lower pillion seat. Unicorn, Hunk, CBZ, and Gs150r all have high pillion seat, not much difference there too.

If you want a lighter bike for city riding, presently it is only Apache, Dazzler, Fz, and Sz-R. But Dazzler have no kicker. SZ-R comes with kicker now.

But Apache, Dazzler, Hunk and CBZ have rear disk brake. Among these, only Apache has kicker. Among Apache 160 and 180, go for 180, as it is smoother and better value, but Apache is not for calm slow riding.

But dazzler lacks kicker, and Honda does not provide any kind of warranty on the selfstart mechanism. I had seen a customer bring a dazzler to a service center recently, and the customer was unwilling to switch it off, as it may not start again. There are other issues like poor, thin front shocks in dazzler. The only plus point of dazzler seems to be rear disc brake.

The other lighter bikes are SZ-R, FZ, and Apache.

Fz for style and to enjoy bike riding, but mileage is bad.

For pure city riding, the light SZ-R is best. It has no digital speedo, but now SZ-R is coming with kicker too.

Apache is not for those who ride slowly. Riding Apache slowly requires lots of clutch usage.

Among the heavier bikes, they all have almost same weight, so weight is not a criteria to choose between them. So, Gs150r seems technically the best and has nice torque for city riding, though initial accleration is slow.

The only reason to choose Hunk/CBZ over Gs150r would be rear disc brake. If you are not opting for rear disc brake, then Gs150r is a better bike and offers a lot more.

Unicorn is outdated and has no digital speedo. Only advantage with unicorn is rear monoshock that helps handle better. Otherwise, Gs150r is a better bike than unicorn.

Pulsar i wont suggest as a new one is going to be launched soon.