Long ago but not so long ago, the motorcycle industry in India was going through several rigorous changes. Many motorcycles from the international market were arriving at the Indian shores. That said, it was a crucial time for all the motorcycle brands. This is because 2014 was the era when the motorcycle community was gaining pace. All the manufacturers were on toes; Suzuki was among them. This is when they launched a motorcycle with 2 cylinders, it was the Suzuki Inazuma.
Suzuki Inazuma 250
In 2014, the entry-level motorcycles were selling like hotcakes. For you to know, these types of motorcycles include motorcycles of engine capacity from 200cc to 300cc. Suzuki Inazuma with a parallel-twin engine with liquid-cooling and 250cc displacement sat at the right spot. This 250cc bike took design cues from its bigger brother Hayabusa B-King. For you to know, this naked motorcycle came to our Indian shores right from Japan as a CKD, making it one of the well build motorcycle.
Now the question comes, was Inazuma the right motorcycle for the Indian market? Why did it die? Let’s have a look.
The Twin Cylinder Motor
For sure here in India, a 250cc motorcycle with a single-cylinder motor will sit a notch below a 250cc bike with 2 cylinders. This was the very case with the Suzuki Inazuma as it was more expensive than the Honda CBR250R. But the catch is the Honda was more powerful and lighter than the Inazuma. Sure, Suzuki came with a 250cc parallel-twin engine, it lacked almost everything (Power and Torque).
Engine Specs
|
|||
| Engine | 248cc, twin-cylinder | ||
| Transmission | 6-Speed | ||
| Power | 24hp @ 8500 rpm | ||
| Torque | 22Nm @ 6500 rpm | ||
| Weight | 182 Kgs | ||
Well, the number say for themselves, the engine though having 2 cylinders produces only 24bhp and just 22Nm of peak torque. The only possible good thing about the bike was that it used to get a 6-speed transmission which was a breeze to operate and a boon out on the highway.
Coming to the performance, the motorcycle does what it says on paper. Firstly, it weighs 182kgs which is on the heavier side for the capacity of the motorcycle. This makes the bike difficult to manoeuvre and switch directions, also increasing the power to weight ratio.
Aesthetics
As said earlier, the motorcycle took inspiration from its bigger sibling Hayabusa B-King, it looked a bit out of place. For instance, the mudguard was a bit too large for the tire size, also the tank fairing looked a little too huge, disrupting the overall proportions of the bike.
Just for you to know, this was one of the motorcycles that came with twin-muffler exhaust back then. This is something Indian are still fond of. Besides, Suzuki Inazuma came with sparse colour options, black and red to name a few, limiting the option for customisation.
Download The GoMechanic App Now!
Why Inazuma failed?
Let’s jot down myriad reasons for Inazuma failing.
- The engine was a bit too underpowered for the weight of the motorcycle.
- Suzuki Inazuma 250 was slow when compared to its rivals. For you to know, Honda CBR250 was one of the price rivals of this Suzuki.
- Also, the aesthetics were either hit or miss. Former being the one for most. (Looks being subjective though)
- In the end, it all came down to the price. For you to know, the Suzuki Inazuma back in 2014 was priced at ₹ 3 lakhs (ex-Showroom).
Informative: What Is Engine Redlining And Does It Hurt Your Engine?
Well, going for the motorcycle that was more expensive than it’s rivals and offered a terrible power to weight ratio for 3 Lakhs was not at all justified or was it? Let us know in the comment section below what do you think about the Suzuki Inazuma 250.
Also, read 10 Things To Keep In Mind Before Buying A New Car!
I still have this bike. I suppose there is no issue of power to weight ratio. Pricing was strep back then. However you failed to mention that it was a CKD from Japan. The quality is world class.
Was this a review or a comparison ?
Should have a session with the owners of this motorcycle and you’d get the correct review of this perfectly engineered motorcycle.
Hi Siddharth,
First, we’d like to mention that it was a small trip down the timeline just to remember there was a parallel twin motorcycle in India at that time. Well, the necessary changes in the article have been made, thanks for the heads up. Also, we are really glad to know that you and your Suzuki Inazuma 250 are together and having fun. Being automobile enthusiasts, we would like to interact more with you to know more about the motorcycle and what it really is capable of. We think it’ll be great if we review the Inazuma in person and recite your ownership (if it’s fine by you). Besides, Inazumas are rare in our country and we want more people to know about this Suzuki. It’ll be of great help if you send us photographs of your Suzuki Inazuma and a small simple writeup. Hope to get in touch with you soon. Reach us on gomechanicblog@gomechanic.in.
Hi Utkarsh,
Apologies for the delayed response.
Would love to share some pics and a write up. Do let me know your email address. (same as mentioned?)
Shall email them.
Hey Siddharth,
We would love to do a feature on your Inazuma. Kindly share your ownership experience with some good photos on gomechanicblog@gomechanic.in
I own a Suzuki Inazuma. and its comfort levels, even for 2up riding is just top notch. you cant get that comfort in even in the segment higher. very plush ride and handling is not compromised as well. suzuki eventually reduced the price by 1 lacs to bring it down to 2.56 lacs on road chennai when i bought it.
and i think its very hard to judge motorcycles with just 100 kmph timings. there are many more perspective and many age groups who want their own styling of motorcycle. not every one want a frantic power of Duke 390. And I think the mid range of the motorcycle is good enough to keep you interested and the refinement level even for a two cylinder engine is just butter smooth. so there are a lot going for the motorcycle but what killed the product is the way 250ccs are seen in India. they are seen only for young college goers or someone early in their career. and that might never change. brilliant product but probably in a wrong place.
I have 2015 Red colour Inazuma done around 30K Kms. Bike is having top notch quality levels it is defiantly for ahead in 2014 standards. Ride quality is brilliant and that kind of suspension response has never seen even today with same class motorcycles.
It’s very calm and composed bike for the matured riders and Inazuma owners are very close affection with their bikes when get used to it.
Now only downside is lack of availability of spare parts, it’s quite difficult to get parts. Suzuki India is supporting for service and spares but we have to wait long for the spares and its bit expensive also.
Having clocked 26000 km on this “flop” bike, I can certainly say a few words about its performance.
22kgm torque@6500RPM and 24BHP@8500RPM may seem modest on paper. But this bike blows a hole through the spec sheet that bike reviewers rely on to deliver judgement on performance.
Sample this: 70 kmph come in at 5500 RPM, 80 kmph at 6500 RPM, thereafter, the bike becomes even more smoother and the rate of acceleration increases- 90 kmph at 7500 RPM, 100 kmph at 8000 RPM and 110 kmph at 8500 RPM. I have ridden it to 120kmph at 9000 RPM. Even at that speed and RPM the engine remains vibration free and whistle smooth.
The ergonomic riding stance, wide seat, bike weight (183 kg) and plush suspension all combine to give it a planted ride that few other bikes bikes in that weight category can match. On the move, the bike feels a whole lot bigger and powerful than its 250cc engine seems to indicate. I have ridden this bike non stop for 150 km in 4 hours without any back pain and my backside crying for ointment.
The ride quality is so good that I hunt for bad road simply to enjoy the plush feeling!
This is no sports bike so cannot handle like a KTM390 or a Yamaha R15. Its purpose is to make your commute comfortable and that it does with great aplomb.
Parts is an issue with Suzuki but I get all my spares from abroad (brake pads and chain sprockets so far). The OEM battery (Yuasa) gave up after 5.5 years and I found a matching substitute (Varta).
There is no rust on any steel part or nuts and bolts even after driving sometimes in slush these past 5 years. The bike still feels like new.
My experience is the same as yours. Live my Inazuma.
Dear All…..I own Suzuki Inazuma red color and fund very good experience as rightly said Arunkumar ” brilliant product but probably in a wrong place.” yes it is ….Myself Vijay from Pune contact me if any interest to create Inazuma Club
I agree with you, Indians are meaner than prices, more so, don’t want to know why.
I own and have modified a 2015 Inazuma 250 to look closely like either a bandit or sv650. It weighs less, moves faster and carves up curves now. It even wheelies easily. Its upgraded with better plugs, new sprockets and heavy duty gold chain, major fairings delete, wider 160 rear tyre and retro front headlight. Check it out on live2ridecustoms on Instagram.
You have still this motorcycles
Yes. Loving it, living it.
I also own this bike here in Delhi. The bike is sold in very less number in India. Oddly some 200 bikes in total.
But till date still no twin cylinder bike is available in the price range of 2l in India and definitely this bike is ahead of its times as single cylinder can’t provide the smoothness of twins.
But the major con is the services and spares cost as maintenance is identical to an premium hatchback [Personal experience as maintenance was equivalent to my Hyundai I20 Diesel]
Thanks for sharing such insightful information Vansh. Thanks for being a part of the family.
Hi
I own the Inazuma..2014…done 40k kms….it’s a one of a kind motorcycle and thr is no comparison.
Build quality
Ride quality
Smoothness of the engine
Tractable engine….u can ride it at 40kmph in the 6th gear
Excellent road manners
Overall a fantastic and an Unique bike.
Sai Anand
Chennai
Hi all, I am also a happy owner of GSR250 aka INAZUMA. As of today, I have ridden 68,789 kms in total. Why don’t we all set up a meet sometime. I am from Tamilnadu, living in Bangalore.
Love the twin cylinder note.