Just a few days ago, we, along with many Suzuki motorcycle fans speculated that Suzuki Philippines could be launching a capable dual-sport motorcycle that can go head-to-head with the Honda CRF 150L, Kawasaki KLX 150 and Yamaha XTZ 125. We all thought that they'd bring in the DR 150 or the DRX that are offered in select South American markets. Nonetheless, what we got was still a pleasant surprise.
Last night, Suzuki Philippines cleared all the speculations and finally unveiled the newest addition to their stable of motorcycles – the Raider J Crossover.
Suzuki boasts that this new motorcycle was designed in Japan and built specifically for the Philippine roads, particularly those in the far-flung areas where the definition of a “road” is simply a compacted dirt pathway. This new motorcycle, like the Raider J, is powered by a 113 cc four-stroke, EFI air-cooled engine with a 4-speed semi-automatic transmission. Claimed fuel economy by Suzuki for the new Raider J Crossover is 66 kilometers per liter and it can reach a top speed of 102 kilometers per hour.
The Raider J Crossover is equipped with a petal disc brake for the front, and drum for the rear. It rides on front forks with boot protection. In the rear are larger shocks and coilsprings. The wire spoke wheels are fitted with semi-knobby tires.
Many of Suzuki's fans expecting the DR may be disappointed with last night's launch. But, we also have to understand where Suzuki Philippines is coming from. From a pricing standpoint, for example, Yamaha's XTZ 125 already retails at PhP84,900. Honda's CRF 150L retails at PhP134,900 and Kawasaki's KLX 150 retails at PhP130,000.
The 2020 Suzuki Raider J Crossover retails for only PhP 63,900 versus the Honda XRM's PhP 66,900 pricetag. With this model, Suzuki may have a better chance at grabbing sales and market share, especially for the price-driven buyers outside of Metro Manila. While we can't really call this a dirt bike (Suzuki never claimed it was), it has potential to be a practical replacement or competitor for the aging XRM.
The Raider J Crossover is available in red, blue, black, and this special yellow and blue livery and can be reserved at any authorized Suzuki dealer.
