Chris Cantle

Suzuki GSX-R150 And GSX-R150 Roadrace Concept First Look

This tiny Gixxer might be the AIMExpo’s unsung hero

October 16, 2018

Suzuki's diminutive GSX-R150 is so lithe it's easy to breeze past on the expanse of the AIMExpo floor. That'd be a mistake. Suzuki's tiny four-stroke has been tried and proven all over the world. In Europe, as the GSX-R125, it's an accomplished entry-level machine, prowling the crowded streets of Paris and the twisting suburbs outside London. In southeast Asia, the little Gixxer is a ubiquitous runabout—and one of the larger machines on the road. It's a righteous little machine, and one that has never been sold on the American market.

And that’s a shame. Entry-level bikes are getting better every year, but they’re getting bigger too. What was once a struggling 250cc sportbike class has expanded to 300s, 320s, and 400s. Entry-level bikes have never been better, or faster. It was only a matter of time before their upward movement created room for a new entry-level displacement in the US.

The Suzuki GSX-R150 is said to manage freeway speeds. Even in short stints, that would give the smallest Gixxer an edge over the current crop of 125cc machines.Chris Cantle

So we’re pumped Suzuki is finally considering bringing the GSX-R150 to the United States. According to the company’s PR reps, this appearance in Las Vegas is a test case. If the response at the show is strong enough, Suzuki will bring the baby Gixxer stateside.

Small-bike racing opens up kart tracks and parking lots for motorcycle use, making roadracing all the more accessible. This GSX-R150 concept, which Suzuki brought to AIMExpo to gauge consumer interest, would make a perfect candidate.Chris Cantle

A test is a test. While Suzuki seems happy to follow the market, it’s also happy to hedge its bets, so it’s showing a GSX-R150 roadracer concept next to the street-going machine. And teasing us with a little racer? That’s outright cheating.

The fork and brakes look small, but they’re managing a machine that weighs just under 300 pounds. A 17-inch front wheel can mount absurdly sticky rubber.Chris Cantle

Decked out in factory livery, Suzuki’s little Gixxer racer concept shows what could happen to a GSX-R150 with a little investment. Suzuki kept things simple. The bike keeps the steel backbone frame, and the fuel-injected four-stroke stays stock, as do the (startlingly tiny) 290mm front disc and dual-piston caliper and the spindly conventional fork. The bodywork gets a makeover, with a racing tailsection and that fancy livery. The bike also benefits from a Yoshimura pipe, which Suzuki’s staff credit with a discernible bump in horsepower, as well as for making a satisfying motocross-like racket.

At a glance, Suzuki’s petite racer looks like any pedestrian 250. The details give away the goods.Chris Cantle

Road legal and ready to go, the GSX-R150 weighs less than 300 pounds. Stripped of niceties and spinning grown-up-grade rubber on its 17-inch wheels, this little 150cc roadracer would be a dream on a tight, technical track. So, Suzuki, consider us interested.