Quarter System

A pair of 250s that’ll get you drunk on sane choices

- Kartik Ware

It is surprising how much sense these two motorcycles make. Other than delivering the satisfaction of riding a proper 250cc motorcycle and not a 200, each one offers a balance of performance and efficiency that provokes the question, ‘Really, who needs more?’ Then again, the Suzuki Gixxer 250 and the KTM 250 Duke might share similar-sized pistons, the same tyres and useless rear-view mirrors, but they’re completely different in the way they go about impressing a rider. Why, it’s even apparent in the way they look.

I had some hope that Suzuki would give the Gixxer 250 some bright colours, but the official website only shows two understated shades that look like they were picked out by a colour-blind person. Some call it ‘stealth’, I call it ‘funereal’. I wish manufacturers would leave the stealth to reconnaissance aircraft and use other words like ‘bright’ and ‘yellow’ instead. Motorcycles need to be as visible as possible. The KTM, on the other hand, wears the colour of House Orange with pride. Well, actually, the bike we had was white, but there was enough orange on it. Plus nobody’s going to mistake that shape for anything else but a KTM.

Build quality on both bikes is great, as it should be on machines that romp past 120 kph with ease. However, the KTM just feels a bit more premium than the Suzuki. With its inverted front fork, radially-mounted front caliper, slipper clutch and liquid-cooling, the 250 Duke is certainly the better-specced motorcycle here. Plus that Austrian-origami design is far more eye-catching than the Suzuki which looks like it repurposed Ben Affleck’s Batman suit for its body panels.