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| That seat. The X4's seat is one of the comfiest motorcycle seats I've ever put my bony behind on |
You may have even seen my blog post from December running over the bikes basic specs from what I learnt when I attended the official launch at Hyosung HQ on Barrys Point Road in Auckland. You can read that blog here.
But finally swinging a leg over the thing. That was totally worth the wait.
It started when the boss, after I assume seeing the blog post from December, asked me to organise and review the X4 for the magazine. Shit yeah I can do that! was the thought in my head.
So on the phone to Beau at Hyosung and 3 weeks later here I am. Finally sitting snug on the incredibly comfortable seat of the X4.
The reason for the wait I can gather, is the tremendous pressure the test bike has been under. The entire first shipment of the X4 sold out before I even got to have a go in the six weeks that the bikes have been in country.
This is my initial thoughts on the bike. The full version will eventually find its way to the Magazine along with the much better pics Driven photographer Ted snapped.
Swinging a leg over the bike, it feels physically smaller than the GT650 Hyosung that I have as my daily, and that's not surprising considering it's down a cylinder and drops about 60kg on my bike, weighing in at 135kg dry. In comparison to say, the GT250 which has held the flag high for Hyosung in the learner market in NZ for so long, it's dry weight is roughly the same as the new X4's fully fuelled weight. It doesn't sound like much but it makes a huge difference when it comes to handling.
The height of the X4 is perfect for my 5ft 9in frame, with my feet easily planting themselves flat on the pavement and the bikes ergonomics are incredibly comfortable. The wide tapered bars fall easily to hand and on long journeys - like the 4hours I spent on the X4 in one sitting - the combination of seat, seating position, and those brilliant wide bars really make for a comfortable ride.
The heart of the X4 is a brand new water-cooled 250cc single which seems to follow the current trend of bike manufacturers ditching multi-cylinder bikes for the benefits of the single.
The little engine is really quite refined, with essentially no vibration until you reach either high RPMs or highway speeds, that's probably thanks to the counterbalance shaft hidden within and again, those brilliant bars.
Power delivery is incredibly linear from the 21KW and 26Nm the engine puts out. I did catch myself comparing it to an electric motor on multiple occasions and if not for the sweet hum coming from the underslung exhaust it really could've fooled me at times.
That linear power delivery I think would really make this bike perfect for beginners who are yet to master the art of throttle control, its just so predictable and not intimidating at all.
The construction of the X4 (and all the new range of Hyosung bikes for that matter) follows the trend set by Korean car manufacturers, it just keeps getting better and I couldn't spot one blemish on the new bike. The materials are also impressive, especially the two piece alloy swingarm which is the best looking swingarm Hyosung have put out to date.
Stopping the X4 up front is the same 4piston caliper found on my GT650, this time mated with a petal shaped brake disk with braided steel brake lines as standard. This bike definitely doesn't need any more braking up front than this seriously good package. The rear mimics the front with a 2piston caliper (of the newer design found starting in 2013 models) petal shaped disk and braided brake line. If the weather wasn't so iffy during my time with the X4 I'm sure I would've been able to achieve some pretty sweet stoppies with this setup if I really tried.
If I had to pick a favourite feature off the X4 it would have to be the new digital dash. It's got everything you could want out of an entry level bike, Digital Tachometer, big easy to read speedometer, clock and best of all, a gear indicator, something that riders have been hoping for for years. I really wish I could retrofit it to my bike along with those brilliant handlebars - yes I know I've said this a lot, but I'm really digging the motocross style wide tapered bars too.
A full range of accessories should be arriving with the next shipment, including some pretty sweet carbon fibre (whether it's genuine or just a carbon look replacement I'm not 100% sure) panels
With an price of just $5,995 +ORC the X4 is the pick of the bunch if you're looking for a first time bike or commuter from the Hyosung brand, and if you're thinking "a 250cc won't be enough power for me" rumour has it that Hyosung are developing a 400cc plus bike on the same chassis as the X4. We can only hope that one makes production as well because a little added power in this chassis would be a world beater.
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