2011 Hyosung GT650N Launched

While the fully-faired race-spec Hyosung GT650R is a fantastic product for the hardcore race-replica patrons, the GT650 trumps its race-spec sibling by miles on grounds of practicality and, wait for it, on excitement too. Swing a leg over this Korean-made motorcycle and the first thing one notices is the ultra-friendly riding posture that allows one to not only be confident and feel in control but also extremely comfortable for spending long hours in the saddle of the GT650.

Streetfighter/naked motorcycles offer impressive sport performance only in a more manageable package with the comfortable riding stance and friendlier power delivery that if exploited correctly, can change untrained hands into artists of speed in a lot safer and forgiving manner. And that is precisely what the new Hyosung GT650 does with aplomb and conviction with its welcoming stance and comforting feel from the raised handlebars, lowered height of 1100mm (35mm lower than the GT650R) as well as moving the rider footpegs ahead for an unperturbed riding experience.

The Hyosung GT650 is a one-size-fits-all package with age-no-bar, despite the fact that the motor has a quite wild and gut-wrenching power delivery in tune with the bike’s streetfighter temperament. As distant as the two things seem, they gel perfectly well in the GT650’s gorgeous looking trellis frame which adds so much to the bike’s overall design. A few may find the bulk of the motorcycle fairly intimidating but it’s only till one takes this Hyosung for a spin.

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Rolling down the streets, the kind of attention the GT650 draws is truly humbling, destroying the myth that only the faired motorcycles draw eyeballs. The hulk-like presence of the GT650 barely escapes any eyes on the road, not to forget the rumble of the powerful liquid-cooled DOHC 90-degree 647cc V-twin motor humming in the background, leaving no stone unturned to grab complete attention.

The fantastic new front cowl on the 2012 model houses an MV Agusta Brutale inspired headlight that adds a lot of chutzpah to the naked GT650, highlighting the attention-to-detail on the GT650. The idea to keep the front wheel mudguard black only exercises the manufacturer’s line of thought for a good looking motorcycle and it certainly excels at its job as it underplays its presence diverting the attention onto the smart new headlight cowl.

The clever play of colour does more than just bring attention to detail but also plays its part in hiding the bike’s lack of fairing but proudly showing off the massive black V-twin motor and the chunky frame along with the stylishly large exhaust unit. There is certainly not a shadow of doubt in our minds about the GT650’s gorgeous design and head-turning abilities.

The boffins at Hyosung confirmed that the GT650 employs the same mill from the GT650R without any changes whatsoever, our doubts were quick to turn into excitement, as a whopping 72PS of power on tap let loose from 9,000rpm and 60.9Nm of torque peaking at 7,500rpm are certainly very impressive numbers for a middleweight V-twin powered motorcycle.

And impressive it is, but a bit too much as the docile feel of the GT650’s power delivery at lower revs quickly turns into brutal aggression when the rev needle climbs up the 5k mark on the tachometer, leaving everything in sight go blurring past, while the speedometer dial mischievously flaunts 207km/h! The high from the acceleration is radical and convincingly mad enough like one would expect from a powerful 650cc naked motorcycle, with the GT650 posting a sub-6 second 0-100km/h time!

But as the rush settles down, the arms are quick to whimper about the vibrations coming from the engine that they have to deal with. With the identical engine powering both the motorcycles, similar to the GT650R, the GT650’s ride experience too gets notably damaged by the vibrations from the V-twin engine reaching the handlebars especially as the revs climb upward of 5,500rpm.

The ergonomics share the credit for the GT650’s composure with the superbly competent trellis frame that provides an incredible amount of feel and feedback thanks to a fine mix of flex and rigidity. And joining the frame’s efforts is an equally skilled set of suspension bits consisting of 41mm upside down telescopic forks adjustable for rebound damping and compression on the front while the damping duties on the rear are handled by a 5-way adjustable for preload monoshock. The set-up works exceedingly well on our roads no matter where you take the GT650 – be it the pothole-filled roads in the cities or the snaking roads in the hills.

The GT650 can take everything in its stride, all the while rewarding the rider with a thrilling experience. The lighter front end extends even more support to the overall handling, with the GT650 turning in smoothly into corners demanding minimal efforts from the rider.

This is definitely one of the most gorgeous looking tail-ends out of the motorcycles sold in India. The grab-rails too are functional helping the pillion to hold onto with comfort as well as helping the rider to move around the bike while parking in tight spots.

The GT650 can take everything in its stride, all the while rewarding the rider with a thrilling experience. The lighter front end extends even more support to the overall handling, with the GT650 turning in smoothly into corners demanding minimal efforts from the rider.

Never does the GT650 show its 208kg bulk instead maintaining its comppsure at any given time. We doubt we can say the same about the GT650R, which though equally adept at handling, certainly demands a lot more focus from the rider with its sharp reactions to the inputs. While the GT650 lets the rider enjoy his time astride it, demanding very little and allowing him to revel and soak up the ride experience.

Isn’t that what a motorcycle is supposed to do? At least on the streets? Let you enjoy the saddle time to its fullest without scaring you silly, unless you are one of those who are looking for it? That is what makes the naked motorcycles like the Hyosung GT650 so much more fun and enjoyable to a larger audience than their race-crazy counterparts,  which posses zero practicality for real world use and require a race track to truly shine on.