Today we’re reigniting the car vs bike battle by pitting two Suzukis against each other. The Suzuki Gixxer 250 is the biggest and quickest of the ‘regular’ Suzuki bikes available in India, with the next jump being all the way up to the V-Strom 650XT. The quarter-litre Gixxer is going up against Maruti Suzuki’s popular and fun little hatchback, the Swift.
On Paper
The Swift in question here is the 1.2-litre petrol with a manual transmission, meaning engine output of 82.94PS and 113Nm. The Gixxer is powered by a 249cc SOHC single-cylinder motor that manages 26.5PS and 22.6Nm (in the BS4 form tested here).
Throw some physics into the picture and we see that the Swift has a power-to-weight ratio of just 93.7PS/ton, while the Gixxer manages a healthy 170PS/ton. Throw the weight of the driver/rider into the equation, though, and things are a lot closer, with the Gixxer only managing 126.2PS/ton. So, what does this mean in the real world?
Also Read: What’s Quicker? A BMW Bike Or Car?
Acceleration
|
Suzuki Gixxer 250 |
Maruti Suzuki Swift |
|
|
0-100kmph |
9.80sec |
12.71sec |
|
Quarter Mile |
16.98sec @ 119kmph |
18.59sec @ 122kmph |
The results on paper reflect out on the dragstrip as well, with the Gixxer completing the dash to 100kmph in a swift (pun intended) 9.80 seconds, while the Swift gets there nearly 3 seconds later. The better power-to-weight ratio helps the bike get off the mark quick and accelerate well through the first few gears.
As speeds rise, though, things become a little more evenly matched. Once aerodynamic drag begins to play a bigger part, the Swift claws back some ground, and at the quarter-mile mark, it’s only 1.61 seconds behind the Gixxer. More importantly, it’s travelling quicker than the bike at this point, meaning if the race was a little longer, it would edge itself into the lead.
Braking
|
Suzuki Gixxer 250 |
Maruti Suzuki Swift |
|
|
100-0kmph |
58.40m |
47.37m |
|
80-0kmph |
36.91m |
30.0m |
This is where the greater stability offered by 4 wheels gives the Swift a distinct advantage. Despite having disc brakes only up front, as compared to the Gixxer which has disc brakes at both ends, the car grinds to a halt a significant 11 metres before the bike when stopping from 100kmph.
This result is unsurprising, since the Gixxer’s brakes lack both bite and feel, and its braking distances are among the worst in class even when compared to other 250cc motorcycles, let alone cars. One has to rely on the dual-channel ABS and jam on the brakes at both ends to bring the bike to a halt quickly.
Conclusion
The bike has a clear advantage in terms of power-to-weight ratio, which translates into quicker acceleration, at least in the low-to-mid reaches of the speedometer. As speeds increase, the car’s aerodynamic advantage means it will catch up and probably go on to a higher top speed than the bike. The brakes are a known Achilles heel on the Gixxer and this causes it to lose out considerably when comparing braking distances.
from ZigWheels https://ift.tt/2KiMIME
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