Hyosung Aquilla 650GV 30th Anniversary Edition 2008

by Stephany
(Ottawa, Canada)

While the Honda Shadow seems to be one of the most popular bike among women for it's size and comfort, women would do themselves a favour to take note of a new comer to the North American Market. Hyosung, a South Korean brand has been producing high quality sport bikes and cruisers for over 30 years, for price, comfort, performance and value, they are hard to beat.

I spent a over a year looking for my first motorbike, like most women wanting to be sure I had the right fit for my style and comfort. I stopped into to check out a local Hyosung/Victory dealer out of curiosity. From the moment I sat on this unique motorbike I knew it was the one and bought it without even a test drive. I felt so strongly I ignored the "Sold" sign and argued my way into snatching it away from another buyer who had secured it two months prior.

The Hyosung Aquilla 650GV 30th Anniversary Special Edition is the perfect combination of sport style and cruiser comfort. With utterly exhilarating power from its 80hp V-twin engine it offers 67Nm of torque. Okay, I confess, as a first time motorbike enthusiast I had no idea what that really meant, I just knew when I cracked the throttle, it went like lightening. I just loved the look and feel of this sexy beast, especially that it was so "Special". Hyosung only made 1000 of this model(it was numbered 0442 of 1000) and there were only 200 in the US and 20 in Canada. Although I had some trepidation buying a foreign brand I'd never even heard of, I read online bike reviews and testimonials from other women. I figured if Hyosung had been making these amazing bikes for over 30 years, they must be doing something right.

Once I rode it over 3000kilometers I did some digging and comparisons and realized just how special this bike really is. They say this bike is a sister to the Harley Davidson V-Rod, because they look almost identical side by side. When I went riding with a girlfriend who has a silver Harley V-Rod, my Hyosung Special got more head-turning attention and WOW'ed people as they discovered it wasn't the latest Harley Model after all. I was even more gratified when I realized, the 650GV had more power, more nimble performance, less weight, and best of all came without the Harley price tag or the outrageous insurance quote.

With a tank that slenders at the thigh and perfect controls/handle positions, it's fits a lady's frame. This sexy looking bike seems practically made for women and has a seat that cradles any sized assets. It's the perfect medley of comfort for long rides, and fun in the city.

This year I contemplated trading up to similar looking but much heavier Kawasaki 1600 Mean Streak Special. I thought perhaps a heavier bike might be a little better for long highways rides. The only downside to having a lighter bike is driving in heavy wind/rain on long 400 highways over 100km/h is a little stressful. In the end though after a couple test rides, the other heavier bikes could not match the comfort factor and spirited performance of this Hyosung cruiser. I found myself contemplating customized mods to bikes I hadn't even bought yet to have the same seat, position controls, and a custom windscreen. I laboured the decision for two weeks, weighted pro's and cons and in the end I just couldn't give up my Hyosung.

The 2008 Hyosung 650GV 30th Anniversary Special Edition cruiser is truly special, and if your one of the lucky women who can get their hands on one of a thousand, I bet you won't want to give up feeling like one in a million either.

http://www.topspeed.com/motorcycles/motorcycle-news/hyosung-gv650-anniversary-model-at-the-nec-bike-show-ar47659.html