The “Suzuki Gixxer” name screams fun and excitement. I have experience riding the Suzuki Gixxer 155 (first generation) for about 5 years and now I own the Suzuki Gixxer Fi ABS.

I believe my experience riding both bikes allow me to make a comparison between the two. In this article I will be sharing my opinions about the two bikes. 

I bought the Suzuki Gixxer 155 in 2017. I had the Yamaha FZs V2 in my shortlist, but after riding the bike, I realized that it was bit less aggressive compared to the Suzuki Gixxer 155. 

Build quality and look:

In both bikes, the Suzuki Gixxer 155 and the Suzuki Gixxer FI ABS, the paint quality is not up to the mark. However, the Suzuki Gixxer FI ABS is much worse compared to the Suzuki Gixxer 155, because I faced rusting issue on a bare metal area. 

I found a significant improvement in the switch gear quality of the new Suzuki Gixxer FI ABS. I also found that the fuel cap is better than the previous version. 

In comparison to the Suzuki Gixxer 155, the Suzuki Gixxer FI ABS has a more modern design. The Suzuki Gixxer 155’s design is fine for when it was released, however, like all mechanical things, it hasn’t aged like fine wine. The build quality of both the bikes are quite good.              

Engine and performance:   

You already know the specifications of both the Suzuki Gixxer 155 and Suzuki Gixxer FI ABS from BikeBD’s webpage. But in my opinion, the Suzuki Gixxer 155 has adequate amount of torque, which allows for a very fast acceleration.

The Suzuki Gixxer FI ABS has a very responsive engine as well, however, compared to the previous version, the new one is much smoother. My top speed with the Suzuki Gixxer 155 monotone was about 121 KMPH on the Sylhet-Gopalganj bypass. 

I had the experience of riding the new Yamaha FZs V3. The engine of the aforementioned bike is also smooth but compared to the Suzuki Gixxer 155, the bike has much less torque and power, which can easily be felt during the ride.  

I braked the bike from 96 KMPH at Sylhet Airport Road under rainy conditions to test the ABS of the Suzuki Gixxer FI ABS. The response was phenomenal. I also tested the Suzuki Gixxer 155 under similar conditions by braking from 60 KMPH, and the result was adequate. 

I found the Suzuki Gixxer FI ABS has much less torque than the old Suzuki Gixxer 155, which is quite understandable when you ride it. When you accelerate the new Suzuki Gixxer FI ABS from a lower speed in high gear, the acceleration is quite smooth. However, it misses the bite that the previous version of the bike used to provide. 

I am using Motul mineral and RX octane booster in combination of both bikes feel so smooth if you cruise it in 5^th gear it will feel you are riding a boat in a calm river.

Braking and balance:   

Gixxer monotone has a decent braking when first it launched in Bangladesh which has only single disc variant and rear drum but trust me It produces one of the good braking feel and feedback from any 150 segment bike in Bangladesh. Front disc has good bite and feedback and rear drum has enough feel and stopping power which gave the bike very predictable braking performance.

During a ride, I experienced that the rear brake would slide quite a bit during emergency braking situation. During this incident, while I pressed the front brake, I also pressed the rear brake quite hard, which made the bike skid. Hence, I am more cautious now about the rear brake.  

Short tour experience:

I have visited Gopalganj from Sylhet quite a few times over the past few years. I have had the experience of riding to Gopalganj in both the old and the new Suzuki Gixxer. I had the experience of riding along the Bajaj Pulsar NS 160. Regardless of the fact that the Bajaj Pulsar NS 160 is more powerful than the Suzuki Gixxer 155, I was still able to keep up with the Pulsar.

After riding the Suzuki Gixxer FI ABS on the Sylhet-Gopalganj trip, I realized that the new bike is much smoother than the older one. I also got to understand that the new bike more stable due to its increased weight and stiffer suspension. However, the stiffer suspension in the new version is a bit of a pain as it is unable to damp bumps. However, the stiffer suspension allows for better cornering and passing small bumps at high speed.

Verdict:

Gixxer 155 is well known reliable bike. First generation of this bike made a good impression and took good market share from once known lord of the street Yamaha FZs. The second-generation Suzuki Gixxer FI ABS is more refined and upgraded wisely. Gixxer made such a good reputation I heard lots of praises from die-hard Yamaha fans. In my old gixxer I clocked 21000km in last 5 years where I haven’t found any issue regarding the bike engine and chassis. But I kept up with the regular maintenance and it gave back to me the same respect.

If you wants to know more about Suzuki Motorcycles, you can visit your nearest Suzuki Motorcycles Showroom. Thank you. 

Written By: Tayear Chowdhury