Steel steed for budget-conscious
It has the most in-yourface exhaust outlets of any car
Save cash and chrome with the Hyosung GV650 cruiser, the cheapest by $2000 among the established two-wheeled players in Australia, but it doesn’t look or perform like it. If riding the bike is more important than being looked at, this is the machine.
STYLING
VALUE
At $8790 GV650 owners will be laughing. Build quality on the GV650 isn’t far off Suzuki sophistication.
TECHNOLOGY
The inverted front forks are a modern touch but it still uses a five-speed gearbox, fairly basic brakes and not much in the way of switchgear.
The 2012 Sport model has a bobber-style rear end. The Classic model is still on sale for another $200, and has the fully extended rear fender for those who want the traditional look. In either case, an LED taillight is now standard.
RIDING
With 20mm more ground clearance than its rivals, the Hyosung can be tipped in harder than a regular cruiser. When it does touch down, it is the footpegs that scrape first, rather than the big chrome exhaust that extends up the right side of the bike. The Bridgestone Battlax rubber handled the constant showers without a squirm and the brakes are better than average in the cruiser class.
VERDICT
The best value-for-money middleweight iser going around. Genuinely fun to ride.
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