Hysoung GD250N vs KTM Duke 390 vs Royal Enfield Continental GT vs Suzuki Inazuma

Hyosung GD250N vs KTM Duke 390 vs Royal Enfield Continental GT vs Suzuki Inazuma

The Naked Bike shootout 

Hyosung GD250N vs KTM Duke 390 vs Royal Enfield Continental GT vs Suzuki Inazuma

 This is a comparison between four bikes with different characters but all being naked performance bikes, the comparison was inevitable. Hyosung GD250N and Duke 390 are similar with their sporty razor sharp design but their power-plants are entirely different. The 390 is way too powerful than GD250N but GD250N really stands out and it certainly looks apart. The Continental GT is the most expensive and most powerful Enfield out in the markets today. The Inazuma is a very comfortable performance commuter but is not performance oriented as the rest the bikes.

Hyosung GD250N

GD250N is Hyosung's third third 250cc rival in India. The bike has sporty street-fighter looks and a new 250cc single cylinder engine. The trellis frame,37mm upside down forks in the front, rear mono-shocks and aluminium swing arm at the rear lets you throw the bike into corners seamlessly. The bike is very light and nimble. The design elements of this bike are worth mentioning. Everything except the wheels on this bike are sharp and edgy. 

HYOSUNG GD250N

The bike is stable and comfortable at high speeds. The engine is a powerful four-stroke, single cylinder, liquid cooled, fuel-injected DOHC with four valves and is mated to a six-speed gearbox. The 300mm front and 230mm rear petal brakes provide good braking performance. The bike is to be launched by the middle of 2014 and is expected to be priced at around 2 lacks.

KTM Duke 390

The KTM Duke 390 is the best performing bike in the segment. It is a game changing bike in the Indian markets. It has brought performance motorcycling in India to a new level. The 390 is the only KTM that is made in India for the rest of the world. The entire bike weighs only 139 kgs dry. It has very high power-to-weight ratio which means that it can make a big smile on your face every time you crack the throttle open.

The bike does 

0 to 60 in 2.8 secs

0 to 100 in 5.5 secs

0 to 81 in 2nd gear

KTM Duke 390

The bike comes handy with a Bosch 9M ABS system developed in collaboration with Brembo as standard.The ABS  can be turned on or off as well. The 300mm front and 230mm rear brakes combined with ABS gives the 390 an immense stopping power. One of the most outstanding things about the 390 is its Metzeler Sportec M5 tires which are the stickiest tires an Indian motorcycle has ever had. The 390 is one the safest bike to go fast in India. Though the 390 and 200 looks similar, the seats on the 390 is a 10mm lower and the tank is a bit wider too. The equipments on this bikes are mind-blowing. This is a bike to live with and there is almost nothing that is impossible in this bike. With an on-road price of around 2.1 lacks, the bike is also the best value for money choice too.

Royal Enfield Continental GT

The Continental GT is the lightest fastest and most powerful Royal Enfield in production. The Continental GT is based on RE's legendary cafe racer of the 60's of the same name.

Royal Enfield Continental GT

The GT is the most equipped Royal Enfield ever and is unlike any Royal Enfields build in India ever before. The Continental GT is a thoroughbred Cafe racer with aggressive stance and but is unlike those in many sports bikes out there which breaks your back. It is a starting point of a new International Royal Enfield. Speaking International, the bike comes equipped with Pirelli Sport demon tires, Brembo brakes and Paioli gas filled shocks in rear. This points to the ability to take this bike around corners and to the ease with which it handles. The custom tuned twin downtube cradle frame chassis is made by Harris performance in UK. The brakes are worth mentioning as they give you room for committing an error and correcting it too. The bike is tall with narrow long tanks with Monza styled fuel caps, sporty slim humpback seats, alloy spoke wheels and many other Cafe racer touches. Apart from the looks, the bike fits modern standards as well. The paint finish is above normal RE standards. Attention to details is what this bike stands for. The build quality and the fit and finish levels have been raised to a whole new level as well. The bike does impress and it is an attention grabber.

Monza Styled fuel cap and the Continental GT logo

The engine is a bored out out 500cc RE engine, now displacing 535cc. But this engine feels like all new. This is because the lowered crank weight and the remapped ECU. This bike reaches 100 kmph in third gear and can be cruised comfortably at that speed in the fifth gear at just 3500 rpm. The bike is capable of going past 140 kmph. The bike is capable but is not meant for high speed runs. Beyond  100 kmph, you can feel the vibrations cluttering the handle bars. But lets not forget that chasing top speeds is not what the GT is all about, its about the spirit of cafe racing and the bike does the job very well.

For the on-road price of around 2.1 lacks, the bike feels like a great bargain. This bike is a brilliant package. 

Suzuki Inazuma

The Inazuma is Suzuki's ever first quarter liter bike in India. It is the only parallel twin cylinder engine in this comparison. The Inazuma is a large bike with plenty of presence – bold looking with smoothened lines.

Suzuki Inazuma

The Inazuma isn't a sporty faired performance machine. It is a naked muscular commuter for the streets. The bike resembles its 1300cc elder sibling - The B-King. But the styling when applied on the smaller Inazuma, seems outdated and a bit out of proportions. The front mudguard looks too big and bulky. As do the tank-scoops and the tail section. 

Suzuki B-King

But, every part that looks dull proves to be functional and are designed purposely. In the front, the Inazuma comes with a bright headlight, supported by two pilot lamps. There’s a smart, legible instrument cluster with an analogue tachometer, amber-backlit digital speedometer, gear indicator, odometer and twin trip meters, and other usual warning icons. Build quality is quite solid and everything feels well put together. Overall, the design feels dated and a bit awkward. This bike is not everybody's cup of tea.

Inazuma GW250

Speaking about performance, the bike has a 248cc parallel twin engine which is fuel injected and liquid cooled. But the engine makes 24bhp and 22Nm torque which is very disappointing for an engine with this configuration. Many single cylinder bikes with smaller engines makes better power than the Inazuma. And to complicate things the bike weighs 183 kilos which is just 1 kilo short of the continental GT. So, performance is not what an Inazuma is for. But there are things in which he Inazuma really stands out.
Indian bikes are yet to experience such a smooth and refined engine. The parallel twin motor is creamy smooth. The clutch is very lite and the engine is vibration free from idle all the way to its red-line. Cruising through the highways at speeds higher than 100kmph seems very relaxed in the Inazuma. The power delivery makes it very easy and relaxing to use. The slightly long stroke motor offers decent responsiveness low down in the rev-range. The bike is very comfortable for long distance touring and the seats are long and supple. The ride quality is unbelievably good. The telescopic front forks and the mono-shock rear are extremely comfortable in Indian road conditions. The shocks soak in bumps so beautifully. The bike is also stable in high speeds. The seating position is so upright and suits commuting and touring as well. The bike is impressive in winding roads as well.

Verdict

The Hyosung GD250N is the sportiest looking bike in this lot. It is lite and has razor sharp and minimalistic bodyworks,  The bike performs well too. The bike is fairly priced but the lack of dealerships is a serious problem about this Hyosung. The KTM Duke 390 is the best performing and it is also the best value for money bike in this comparison. It is the most affordable performance bike in India, The Continental GT is all about looks and attention to detail. It is the best performing Royal Enfield out there and is also equipped with many features like Brembo brakes, Paioli shocks, Pirelli tires, etc... The Inazuma's smoothness, refinement and ride quality are truly impressive.But it is underpowered and the looks are not too pleasing as well. The bike comes to India as CKD from china and costs around 3 lacks. But how can Suzuki justify the Inazuma for such a price ??? 

Hope this helps... Stay updated...