Ok, so... I test rode the Alpha Sport (Hyosung) GT250S Comet yesterday.
It's a nice bike but I'm not trading in my 1990 Honda VTR250.
Overall, riding the Comet is very pleasant. It's a tractable bike, forgiving, and very comfortable for a motorcycle that makes a stab at sportiness. It doesn't feel like a sportbike, though--whether you consider that good or bad. The seat height and the seating position feel a lot like an enduro or touring bike and the seat is comfortable and wide. The feel of the bike is very "tall" and the center of gravity is moderately high. The pegs are low on the frame, putting your foot and leg in a comfortable position without a lot of knee flex.
The action on the clutch is perfect. The brakes are very easy and responsive without being overly "grabby." The engine gives the impression of plenty of low- and mid-band power and agreeable throttle response. Throttle control is not overly "twitchy", but does come on quickly and with an easy hand--no need to strangle the grips or twist like you're trying to wring a chicken's neck. There is a kick-stand/Neutral safety which disables the engine if the kickstand is down or you're trying to start with the engine in gear.
The suspension is strong and just a touch stiff, but not overly so, giving a very supportive ride without too much jolting and no bottoming out--though it might strain a bit if loaded to the manufacturer's maximum rating of 750 pounds. The bike has a heavy mono-spring mounted on the swingarm base for the rear suspension and inverted front forks--both very nice aesthetically and in terms of ride. A large, fat rear tire gives a smooth, stable feel in curves while the smaller front wheel and moderate front rake angle keep the bike tracking with very good response.
The big tank is well-designed and comfortably out of the way. The instrument panel is simple and clear with indicators for Neutral, as well as Left and Right blinker, and a High beam indicator and an Oil light. Unfortunately, the indicators are located on the center bar of the handle bars, which forces you to look down a bit to see them and they are frequently washed out by bright sunlight, since they have no protection from a fairing of any kind on this naked bike. Other controls are all standard and well-designed, well-placed near the grips with easy-to-see glyphs, including push-to-cancel turn signals and a European-style Pass signal.
The Comet also offers a separate, flat pillion seat, and bungie spools on the sides of the tail piece for easy tie-down of any cargo or bags you may choose to carry. The bike I rode sported a small, after market windshield which improved the bike's looks and reduced wind nicely as well as cutting a little of the glare off the main instrument panel, though it wasn't enough to make the indicators easily visible in sunlight.
On the other hand: the bike I tested had a very heavy shifter. This may be because it was new and had only 70km on it, but getting it into second was a struggle which I, at first, couldn't manage. Up-shifting remained a work-out throughout the ride, while down shifting was a little easier. The transition up from First to Second remained the hardest struggle, with Second through Fifth being accessible and positive, though a bit slow due to the stiffness of the shifter. This should wear off in time, but the struggle up from First does give me pause to wonder just how much that gear change will improve.
I found the bike rather tall. Though I'm 5'7" with a 32" inseam, my feet were barely flat on the ground at a full stop. I can flat-foot my VTR and stand up with a couple of inches between me and the seat and have very good clearance of the seat when I stand on the pegs. The Comet didn't give me a lot of seat clearance when standing on the pegs and none when I had my feet on the ground. Not much of a problem most of the time, but a hard jolt in the road would have been a bit uncomfortable--good thing I'm not a man, eh? I suspect this is partially because the seat is a touch wider in front, but you can really feel the difference that 1" makes.
With its high ground clearance and with the engine placed very high in the tubular frame, the center of gravity is quite a bit higher on the Comet than on my VTR. It's not bad, but that, plus the slightly longer apparent wheelbase, makes the bike a little slower and less "flickable" in turns, though it tracks very well and gave me no cause to complain even in a very unpleasant hard-left turn, downhill, with gravel on the road. The Comet is solid and stable and uncomplaining. But it's not as much fun as the old VTR, in spite of offering suspension and engine which feel more powerful than the aging Honda. The higher CoG also makes the bike feel heavier in low-speed maneuvers, like parking and bringing it up off the stand.
Though I never did bring the bike anywhere near its 11,000 RPM redline, I did notice the lack of a sixth gear, wanting to pop the bike up into overdrive on my one foray over 50 MPH, but having no such option. The Comet feels stable and comfortable so far as I took it (about 8k RPM) and was certainly in no danger of redlining at 50 MPH, but with the power hinted at by the engine in lower gears, it's obvious the bike is capable of breaking speed limits handily and would cruise quite comfortably at 50-60MPH for a tankful of miles.
The finish and general build of the bike is nice, though it's not particularly stylish or sleek. In photos, the Comet resembles the naked Suzuki SV650, but in person it's more akin to Suzuki's smaller entry-level sportbike the GS500 in looks, size and style--it even comes in a similar shade of yellow called "yellow cream" and has a subtle gold metallic undercoat. The 250 Comet does not offer any fairing options, although the salesman did tell me a beefier 650 version is already shipping to the US and comes with half- or full-fairings and more color options.
Leaving aside the fact that I think it's overpriced at $3800 (or that's what the dealer in my area was asking before set-up and tax) when Kawasaki offers the well-established and damn-near bulletproof EX250 (Ninja 250R) for $2999, it's not a bad entry-level bike in the new-bike market. I'm annoyed that the best I can say about this bike, most of the time is "nice"--I really want to love it. There's nothing wrong with it, it feels good, reliable, solid, and safe. But it never really surpasses "nice." In my opinion, the biggest challenges for this bike will be carving a piece out of Kawi's hold on the 250 sport/standard market and fessing up to the bike's real place as a standard, rather than trying to spin it as a baby sportbike.
It's a bit unfair of me to compare the Comet to the VTR as it really is not a sportbike, but a standard, upright, built for a comfortable ride. It would be a killer commuter bike and even good on a long trip, with its comfortable seat, upright position and that big tank with an estimated 60MPG city and closer to 70 on the highway. But if you like it a bit whippier, stick to the Ninja or the VTR (if you can find one).
Personally, I'd love to see a 250 shoot-out between this bike, the Ninja and the modern VTR. They're similar enough in spec for the details to be the telling factor.
Here is the spec basis for comparison:
VTR Dry weight: 331 lbs
Comet Dry weight: 307 lbs
VTR length: 80"
Comet length: 82"
VTR overall height: 44.9"
Comet overall height: 44.1"
VTR seat height: 29.9"
Comet seat height: 30.7"
VTR engine: water-cooled 4-stroke V-Twin
Comet engine: air- and oil-cooled 4-stroke V-twin
VTR displacement: 249cc
Comet displacement: 249cc
VTR drive: chain
Comet drive: chain
VTR brakes: front disc, rear drum
Comet brakes: front and rear disc
VTR fuel capacity: 3.4 gallons US
Comet fuel capacity: 4.5 gallons US
VTR ground clearance: 5.5"
Comet ground clearance: 7"
Note: the Dry weight for the Comet is from Hyosung's American website, but another website gave the dry weight of the Comet at 341 lbs and the seat height at 31".
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