Hyosung GT650 FIXED !

With bikes like this Hyosung GT650  lurching the streets for just under 8000,  I imagine alert bells in Japan are ringing - and so they should be.

Introduced late in 03, the GT650 was Korean producer Hyosung's first 'big' bike  released on the Aussie market, and it made quite a splash - even if that splash was more  to do with what the bike represented, rather than what it actually was.For the majority of  the last 50 years the non-Japanese Asian motorcycle producers have been sleeping  giants, but now those giants are starting to wake up.

Also, until recently, these companies had focused on small commuters, providing budget  transport for Asia's considerable masses. With cheap labour and the sheer economies of  scale at work here, the Chinese and the Koreans can now build increasingly sophisticated  products far cheaper than their western counterparts, and when it comes to motorcycles,  that's a problem the Japanese manufacturers in particular are going to find difficult to  combat. Still, enough of the crystal balls - let's get back to the bike that sent me off on  this tangent in the first place.

When we are so used to names like Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki, it's understandable  that the market might be a little cautious of something like the GT650 , given its  country of origin and that super-low price. Only one thing can allay those fears, and  that's a test ride - and you've only got to ride one of these for a short period before  you start dreaming of what you can buy with the cash you've saved through purchasing one of  these over a Japanese competitor. Plenty of people have been snapping up Hyosungs too -  over 2000 were sold last year, covering scooters, roadsters and cruisers, and that  represented over a 100 per cent increase from 2005.

Hyosung GT650

After getting around on a  myself for a couple of weeks, I can see why it's rapidly  gaining in popularity. Admittedly the name doesn't exactly scream 'allure', but this  really does feel like a good, solid machine. The liquid-cooled, eight-valve, 90-degree  V-twin is actually built in Japan, and although not identical shares a very similar design  to that found in Suzuki's popular SV650. This is no coincidence, for historically the two  companies have shared a collaborative understanding that goes back decades.The engine offers  plenty of low and mid-range punch, yet pulls quite powerfully to its indicated 11,500rpm  redline in the majority of its six gear. This zippy performance is aided by a decent  frame, reasonable suspension and brakes that are more than up to the task at hand. In fact  there's even the odd surprise here - like the inverted forks, which come complete with  rebound and compression adjustment, yet strangely no preload adjustment.

The ride position is relatively upright, as you'd expect of a naked like this, and it's  really ideal for nipping through heavy traffic, although its steering range is a little  limited for a bike of this style. At 100km/h in sixth gear you'll be pulling 4000rpm, so  it's relaxed enough for long distance work if you feel up to enduring the wind blast for  extended periods, while if you're really in need of a bit more protection you can always  opt for the GT650S tourer, with screen and upper fairing, or the GT650R sports-bike,  complete with full fairing. Each will set you back an extra $1000 over the naked bike's  $7990 price tag.

The black marks against the GT650  are relatively few. You notice the lack of  electronic fuel injection in it requires a little bit of choke before it's warmed up, but  that's no great problem - it wasn't too many years back that this was the case with every  bike. Its overall finish isn't quite up to the standard of say a Suzuki SV650 - and its  clocks in particular I thought looked a bit cheap and chunky - but it's not too far  behind. And remember, the  is $1900 cheaper than an SV. This paint scheme didn't set  my pulse racing either.

Hyosung GT650

This test bike was classed at being 'Midnight black', but when you looked closely in  strong sunshine it was actually a very deep metallic blue. Still, this is just a decorative  aside, and when it comes to what counts - its handling, its stopping, its engine and its  outright value for money - it's smiley face stamps at every turn.I have a feeling we'll be  seeing increasing numbers of Hyosungs on the road in the coming years, and if the Korean  heavyweight manages its western expansion well, it might not be too outlandish to think  that five or 10 years from now this foreign name will be rolling off the tongue a whole  lot more easily.


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Hyosung GT650