Hyosung Aquila 250 Review, Test Ride

It’s second coming for the Hyosung Aquila 250. But does it have enough oomph to make a case for itself? We did the Hyosung Aquila 250 to find out the answer. 

The average Indian biking consumer only has the Royal Enfield to choose from in the entry-level cruiser segment. At the other end of the spectrum, they have to pay big bucks for premium cruisers from brands like Harley-Davidson, Triumph, and now, Indian. DSK Hyosung intends to change that with the Hyosung Aquila 250 which is priced at `3.15 lakhs, on-road, Delhi. Although it’s far removed from a ‘basic’ entry-level cruiser, it still sits at the lower end of the cruiser segment.

The all-new for India Hyosung Aquila 250 isn’t what you would call a big burly cruiser given its size, but it is a good-looking piece of machinery – and to add to the bling, it’s got so much chrome on it that it can blind you. When I first rode the bike, I was literally blinded because even the instrument cluster is fitted onto a massive piece of chrome that reflected the sunlight right into my eyes. The fuel tank, on the other hand, is nice and big – and that adds to the bike’s muscular look. However, given the overall dimensions and the overstated styling, the Hyosung Aquila 250 is like a short man with big muscles.

During our Hyosung Aquila 250, we found that the bike is pretty low and has a long wheelbase, and the seat is quite comfortable – making for a really good riding position. The legs stretch out in proper cruiser style and your hands sit nicely ahead of your upper abdomen on the handlebars. This riding position, with its proximity to the ground, makes the Hyosung Aquila 250 extremely easy to handle even in congested city streets.And its low weight of just 179 kilograms makes it hassle free when maneuvering through traffic. That’s what makes the Aquila a capable city bike. You can even make sharp U-turns without much effort.

Plus, the power delivery of the Aquila’s engine is perfect for Indian cities – it’s not overpowering by any stretch, but, equally, it’s not underpowered either. The Hyosung Aquila 250 comes with India’s smallest capacity V-twin engine, which is a 75-degree, 249cc oil-cooled unit. I was also quite surprised with the refinement of the engine – and with 26bhp and 21Nm of torque, the bike performs surprisingly well. The throttle response is quite enticing, and the 5-speed manual transmission works well. The clutch is also quite light – another plus for city riding – and the gearshifts are nice and smooth.

In our Hyosung Aquila 250, we also realised that the overall engineering of the Aquila is quite good, and it can be a capable highway cruiser as well. The suspension is slightly on the stiffer side, and although it did function over rough roads quite nicely, it still doesn’t absorb all of the impact and could be a tad softer to improve ride comfort. The brakes could also have been a little better – the front disc is adequate, but our test bike was squealing like it was being tortured. And you do really need to press down hard on the pedal for the rear drum to work to full effect.

As an entry-level cruiser though, the Hyosung Aquila 250 leans towards the premium segment as far as its pricing goes. But, then again, it does have the looks – and the levels of engineering are quite good. The largest issue with the bike, though, is its pricing. So, the main question that remains to be answered is if the Indian consumer is ready for a 250cc cruiser at a premium price?