Hyosung, the Korean motorbike manufacturer, launched its GT250R sport bike in the country and the Indian bike enthusiasts will have to shell out Rs. 2.75 lacs (ex-showroom New Delhi) from their pockets in order to get their hands behind the attractive bike.
Hyosung operates in India in a Joint Venture (JV) with DSK, which handles the sales and service of the Korean company's products. Currently, the Hyosung DSK JV has sport bikes including GT650R and GT650N (naked) along with a cruiser bike ST7, all of which fetch a price tag of more than Rs. 4 lacs in the Indian bike market. Hence, the alliance contributes to a very small fraction of the total sport bike sales in the country.
The GT250R's competitive pricing will put the bike in a direct competition against the likes of its Japanese counterparts, which currently are the most fawned upon sport bikes in the country. The latest offering from the Korean bike maker appears as a perfect small sister to the GT650R, which is the premium offering from the company in the Indian market.
Reportedly, Hyosung DSK alliance expects to sell 3,000 units of GT250R in its first year in the Indian bike market and are positive that the latest addition will be influential in capturing the imagination of sport bike aficionados of the country.
The powertrain incorporated in the Hyosung GT250R is a 249 cc V twin, which churns out a peak power output of 27.6 bhp at 10,000 rpm and a peak torque of 2 Nm at 8,000 rpm. Indian sport bike lovers have the option of buying the GT250R in three two-tone colours - Silver-red, Black-red and white-red. According to Hyosung, the GT250R sport bike can reach a top speed of 140kmph.
Reportedly, DSK is contemplating the local production of Hyosung products in the country over the next one and a half year, which will significantly lower the cost of sport bikes from the Korean company's stable. However, it will be interesting to see how the GT250R sport bike is received by the Indian audience with its expensive price tag.
