Suzuki AX4

The entry level commuter segment generally put the aspect of looks and design on the back-seat and that is why Suzuki seems to have paid the least amount of attention on the design of the AX4. The AX4 looks too basic in our opinion, which might not appeal to the young hearts.

At the front, the Suzuki AX4 does get a smart looking headlamp assembly with sharp upper edges and pilot lamps on upper corners making the front pleasant to look at. The headlamp does get a short tinted black visor above it.

The side profile of the Suzuki AX4 is bland in terms of design as the fuel tank, as well as side body cowls, are devoid of body graphics or decals. Nevertheless, the curvy fuel tank has got ergonomic knee recesses for even taller riders. The side body panels are quite large in size, thus, giving the motorcycle something to boast about designing.

The grey color theme for the engine makes it look like a motorcycle from the nineties. Even the almost flat single piece seat, spoke wheels and the unnecessarily big tubular grab rail at the back make it look even more basic, but at the same time, make it practical to use on a daily basis. The bike gets very simply styled tail lamp and rear fender. However, the long chrome cover over the single exhaust pipe manages to add some bling to the otherwise paired down design.

The fully analog instrument console also goes well with the overall basic appeal of the AX4. The panel has dials for speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, odometer and a trip meter along with taillamps at the bottom. In terms of features, the Suzuki AX4 gets an electric starter, and that’s it.

Like the design, Suzuki has followed a basic approach in the mechanical department of the AX4. The motorcycle gets very basic telescopic forks at the front and a 5-step adjustable coil spring suspension at the rear. The suspension setup is on a softer side for a plush and smooth ride quality at city speeds. The motorcycle gets drum brakes and skinny tyres over 18-inch spoke wheels at both the ends.

The Suzuki AX4 comes built with one of the smallest engines Suzuki makes for the Philippine market. The four-stroke single cylinder air cooled 149.5 cc engine on the AX4 is good enough to produce a decent power of 11.1 PS and 11.5 Nm of peak torque. Mated to a 5-speed gearbox, the engine has sufficient low-end grunt and midrange to suit its commuter-oriented performance.

The Suzuki AX4 is an entry-level commuter motorcycle, which makes it difficult to feature sophisticated safety features like ABS. In the name of safety, the AX4 comes with handlebar balancer at both the ends in case the bike faces a fall-down condition. The bike even misses out on a disc brake setup, which is a pity.

The Suzuki AX4 might not be a desirable motorcycle to own but is a rugged and reliable machine for one’s daily heavy duty-usage. The AX4’s overall design might be bland to look at, and the lack of cosmetic as well as safety features makes it even more bare-bones machine. However, for your infinite basic commuting, the strong engine performance and chassis components make it a very reliable machine at a very cheap price point at which it is being offered.