It goes without saying that cruisers play a big role when it comes to the culture surrounding motorcycling. A lot of us were captivated by the cruiser scene growing up, with Hogs and their low-slung choppers turning heads everywhere they went. These days, cruisers are still very much a part of moto culture, and interestingly, a lot of manufacturers are making them more approachable to beginner riders.
I’m not just talking about the likes of the Honda Rebel 300 or the Kawasaki Eliminator 400. Indeed, there are even smaller displacement cruisers targeted specifically at first-timers particularly in Europe and Asia. Take, for example, the new GV125R from South Korean motorcycle brand Hyosung. The Hyosung brand has been around for quite some time now, and was even available in the US market at some point. These days, it continues to have a presence in the European and Asian markets, rolling out new models every now and then.
The Hyosung GV125R is powered by American Cruiser-inspired underpinnings. Yes, it has a V-twin engine, albeit one with a tenth of the capacity of the likes of the Harley-Davidson Sportster. The GV125R is powered by a 125cc V-twin engine with a max output of 13.3 horsepower and 10.2 Newton-meters (about 7 pound-feet) of torque. This results in a surprisingly lightweight machine, too, at just 182 kilograms with a full tank of gas. Power is sent to the rear wheel via a five-speed manual transmission.
As for its running gear, the Hyosung GV125R gets 35-millimeter inverted front forks with 120 millimeters of suspension travel. A double-sided steel swingarm with a centrally mounted monoshock provides a tiny 38 millimeters of suspension travel. As for the brakes, the beginner-friendly cruiser comes to a stop with a 270-millimeter rotor up front clamped onto by a dual-piston, radially mounted caliper, and a 250-millimeter disc at the rear. Dual-channel ABS is standard.
In terms of its design, it’s clear that Hyosung has gone for the muscle cruiser look, as the GV125R is ocmplete with faux intakes on the side of the tank, a headlight cowl with a windscreen, and even brake-cooling ducts integrated into the front fender’s design. It gets a floating passenger saddle that gives the bike a sporty, cropped tail, and of course, LED headlights and a digital instrument cluster come as standard. There’s even a handy USB charging port, too.
Beneath its muscular design, however, the GV125R retains its thoroughly approachable dimensions. It has a very low seat height of just 730 millimeters, as well as a surprisingly light weight of just 182 kilograms when its 13-liter fuel tank is filled up. It has a similarly affordable price tag in Europe or just 4,799 Euros, translating to approximately $5,100 USD.
