Suzuki SlingShot Plus Drum Self

Quick Review by Maxabout Team

Initially, Suzuki entered the 125 cc segment of bikes in India with Zeus which proved to be a big failure. Now, Suzuki is ready with another entry level 125cc bike known as Slingshot. Will this bike be able to grab the attention of Indian buyers? Let’s find out.

Suzuki SlingShot Design and Style

Suzuki Slingshot has been designed to please everybody. It’s neither extraordinary nor regular in terms of appearance. It has a stylish headlight with V-shaped body colored cowl. The standard variant of this bike lacks visor but its plus variant features a black colored visor and frankly speaking, the bike looks more acceptable with a visor. It features full size clear lens indicators and regular black colored rear view mirrors. It has a very impressive front fender which features nice lines and cuts on it which can easily catch your attention with unique set of alloy wheels. These black colored alloy wheels are smartly designed and distinct it from others. Its fuel tank resembles a lot to its elder sibling GS150R as it looks neat and attractive with smart graphics. Its engine, muffler and heat protector follows the all black theme. It’s up swept rear cowl and side panel also features graphics. Its grab rail at the back is a let-down as it looks cheap and ruins the rear profile. It has a very small tail light which sits on the top its full size rear fender which features side indicators and number plate.

Suzuki SlingShot Instrument Console

Instrument console of Suzuki Slingshot looks like any 100cc bike. It’s very basic and looks down-market. It has a circular pod for its analogue speedometer and odometer. On the right side of this dial you will notice an analogue fuel gauge and other indicators. Similar to Zeus, Slingshot features gear shift indicators on the top of its instrument console.

Suzuki SlingShot Engine and Gearbox

Suzuki Slingshot gets a mono-cylinder, air-cooled 124cc engine. The power output of this SOHC is 8.5 bhp at 7500 rpm. This engine is mated with a four-speed manual gearbox. It has one gear down and four gears up-shift pattern. The torque production of this engine is of 10 Nm which can be used as early as 3500 rpm.

Suzuki SlingShot Acceleration and Performance

Suzuki Slingshot is quite impressive in this department. The bike musters up enough amount of torque at low rpms which makes it perfect for city usage. It offers an instant throttle response thanks to its class leading torque to weight ratio. The responsiveness of this engine can be seen in any gear which makes it faster than others. It does 0-60km/hr in less than 5.5 seconds. The five speed gearbox needs minimal gear shifts to keep this bike on move. In city traffic, the bike easily picks up from 20-30km/hr in fourth gear. The bike performs best between 3000-6000rpm. It can easily reach the speed of 80km/hr without any effort. The problem starts from here; its high range is disappointing as there is nothing left in this engine after 7000rpm in terms of power delivery. You will find it hard to touch the three digit mark on your speedometer. The bike loses out to almost all competitors at high speeds. However, its engine refinement feels better than many others. It feels less stressed and makes no noise when pushed hard. The gear transitions are also very smooth and this gearbox feels better than other bikes like Discover 125.

Suzuki SlingShot Mileage

Suzuki Slingshot is a winner in this department as it manages to return a fuel efficiency of around 60-62km/ltr in city conditions while its mileage on highways is around 65-68km/ltr.

Comfort while Driving

Suzuki Slingshot is a commuter bike which is designed to hold you comfortably for long hours. Its handle bar is light and wide which can be hold easily with a firm palm grip. Its seat offers optimum space for two adults and also gives nice under thigh support. The knees find strong grip around its fuel tank while your feet rest at its front set foot-pegs. Suzuki offers an engine kill switch in this bike which adds to your comfort while driving in city traffic. The buttons placed on this handlebar are made of high quality plastic and can easily be operated. The fit and finish is best in its class.

Storage Space and Safety Features

Suzuki Slingshot has under seat storage space and comes with basic safety features like pass button, rear saree guard and front leg guard. Its powerful headlight also assures you clear vision of roads at night.

Suzuki SlingShot Suspension and Brakes

Suzuki Slingshot comes equipped with front telescopic forks and coil spring with swing arm suspension at the back. The standard variant of this bike features drum brakes on its both wheels although Suzuki offers an optional front disc brake of 240mm.

Ride and Handling

Suzuki Slingshot has a very light handling which feels perfect for city commuters. The bike can move quickly through traffic and feels stable on highways thanks to its wheelbase of 1265mm. Slingshot gives you a comfortable ride with its capable suspension system which takes most of the bumps easily. Its high ground clearance of 160mm makes it safe on our Indian roads filled with nasty speed breakers. We feel its braking abilities could have been better as its drum brakes need strong effort from you to stop this bike precisely. Its cornering abilities are just acceptable and could have been better with a wider rear tyre.

Suzuki SlingShot Variants

Suzuki slingshot is available in five variants: Drum Self, Disc Self, Plus Drum Kick, Plus Drum Self and Plus Disc Self.

Suzuki SlingShot Colours

Suzuki Slingshot is available in 4 shades: Metallic Mustard Yellow, Metallic Fox Orange, Candy Antares Red and Pearl Nebular Black.

Verdict

Suzuki Slingshot ranges from INR 46K-50K (ex-showroom, Delhi (approx., may vary)). Undoubtedly, Suzuki has priced this bike competitively. It has a very refined engine which offers impressive city performance and mileage. We feel it’s a complete value for money bike but we are only concerned about its poor reputation and low resale value. It’s going to be really hard for Suzuki to convince our Indian buyers to choose Slingshot over other reputed bikes like Bajaj Discover and Hero Glamour.

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