It may have been a while since you heard anything about Korean bike maker Hyosung in India. The manufacturer has been operating in the country in a tie-up with Motowheels for a while now but has not seen a lot of action lately. Nevertheless, Hyosung continues to retail quarter-litre and middleweight capacity motorcycles in India and has now updated the GT250R and Aquila Pro 650 cruiser with Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS). While Hyosung is yet to officially announce the ABS models, dealers have confirmed the development and are accepting bookings for the bikes at a token amount of Rs. 25,000.
(Dealers have started accepting bookings for the Hyosung GT250R ABS)
The bikes continue to be sold via Hyosung's independent retail network and receive no changes. The motorcycles are expected to see a marginal price hike and will most likely replace the non-ABS models currently on sale. Both the GT250R and Aquila Pro are the company's popular selling models in India and it makes sense that they get ABS first. The manufacturer is yet to introduce ABS on the GT650R.
Hyosung was one of the first players in the quarter-litre segment with the Hyosung GT250R that competed with the Kawasaki Ninja 250R then. Over the years, the GT250R has received basic updates, but nothing comprehensive even though the segment has matured to 300+ cc engines. The full-faired offering uses a 249 cc V-Twin, oil-cooled motor that churns out 27 bhp at 10,000 rpm and 22 Nm of peak torque at 8000 rpm. The motor comes mated to a 5-speed gearbox.
(The Hyosung Aquila Pro too gets no changes save for ABS)On the other hand, the Hyosung Aquila Pro uses a 647 cc V-twin, water-cooled producing 73 bhp at 9000 rpm and peak torque of 62 Nm at 7500 rpm. This engine also comes mated to a 5-speed transmission. Presently, the Hyosung GT250R is priced at Rs. 3.45 lakh while the Hyosung Aquila Pro is priced at Rs. 5.63 lakh (all-prices, ex-showroom Delhi).
The Indian government has already announced that bikes with engines over 125 cc will have ABS as mandatory starting from April 2019 for existing two-wheelers. While several manufacturers are waiting until next year to introduce the feature, a few manufacturers have already started introducing the same.
