"Inazuma" - Means "Lightning in a Thunder Storm"
The Japanese Motorcycle manufacturer Suzuki had given the Indians, Motorcycles with extreme characteristics ranging from Hayate to GS150R - For Commuters AND Intruder to Hyabusa - For Sport Enthusiasts.
The Hondas, Yamahas, KTMs & Kawasakis have started leveraging the gap( the 150+ to 1000cc segment) . Even the Indian Bike makers like Hero, Bajaj & TVS have got some decent line up in the range. Seems Suzuki has given way:)
Suzuki has now entered as a lightning in this market thunderstorm with the INAZUMA - The motorcycle on its own. Its a Hybrid of Commuting+ Sport. The Inazuma is also called as the GW250. When you ponder over an excellent Hybrid with a great deal of affordability, no doubt that Inazuma will be in your consideration set.
The Vehicle Concept:
The B-King concept was showcased in 2001 by Suzuki. The Inazuma has borrowed its concept from its big bother, the B-King. When the concept was showcased in the year 2001, it had received a great number of "oohs" and "aaahhs" for Suzuki. But, what actually came out in the first production bike by 2007 was obvious and anticipated design changes for real time production and honestly, the bike lack aesthetic appeal( Rajeev_Vermacially the half fairing version - Facepalm!).
Looks
This is just another bike, certainly doesn’t look so special that it contains a 250CC parallel twin liquid and oil cooled engine with EFI. The headlamp is the one that exactly resembles the B-King( Not 100% though) . Though the front tires, mudguard and, tank looks bulky and meaty the rear half of the Inazuma is completely mundane with the GS150R+ Silngshot semblance.
Front half is the best and biggest looking in the bike. Though it has a twin exhaust, the rear looks thin Rajeev_Vermacially the tail lamp - so normal.
Overall, the Inazuma is HUGE( 1430 mm wheelbase and 780 mm seat height) & Heavy( 187 Kg) but doesn’t look like one. If Suzuki has done something wrong with the bike against competition, it is certainly the looks.
Engine & Performance
248 CC, 4-Stroke, Parallel Twin Cylinder, Liquid-Cooled, SOHC delivering 26 HP @ 8500 rpm with a 22 Nm of torque @ 7000 rpm powers the Inazuma. The figures of torque and power are indicative that the bike will lack in low and mid range acceleration but its a Cruiser King with a very smooth top-end acceleration & top speed. A very high compression ratio of 11.5: 1 shows that this is a pretty powerful bike and can do any distance with solace.
The throttle response is linear & far accurate than the other 250s - thanks to the electronic fuel injection. Having said that, one could expect a smooth city ride. The twin cylinder doesn’t really stays comfortable propelling the heavy bike at slow speeds. Once the bike crosses 60 Kmph which happens at the 5000 rpm mark, this accelerates like a beast(I now recall the GS 150R - It also has the same character) . The top speed on road in the bike is around 145 - 150 Kmpl.
The clutch is very light and the shift depends on whether the bike is running at the "Eco" or "Power" mode. No juddering whatsoever. The gear indicator on the dashboard is cool & helpful. Twin Cylinder, Twin Exhausts and, Twin Silencers makes the bike sound like nice and angry on nimble urban roads.
Fuel efficiency wouldn’t be a problem. Rumors say the Inazuma might deliver max up to 60 Kmpl but indicative tech specs shows that you must be getting around 35 - 40 Kmpl.
Riding Position
The bike is quite tall with a 780 mm Saddle height which means that only average / tall riders can really place their feet firmly on the ground. Given the attributes of the bike, it is quite a deal for short riders to maneuver in heavy traffic. With wide and high handle bars, the rider could feel confident. The pillion though is much higher to the rider.
The bike is very heavy for a 250 CC, making it feel like a 650 CC with a 187 Kg Kerb weight.
Comfort
The telescopic 120 mm front fork dampens bumps on the road giving the rider comfortable arms and shoulder. The rear suspension is a mono shock coil spring adjustable with a travel length of 125 mm delivering a soft suspension. This means that, this is not a off road bike but on the road one may not feel a thing.
Both front and rear suspensions are oil damped. Thus you can expect a very comfortable & majestic ride provided the weight of the bike.
Safety
The riding position coupled with the weight and aerodynamics of the bike gives the rider a stable, agile & smooth ride even at very high speeds. The deceleration of the bike is aided by ventilated discs on the front and the rear giving the rider confidence at any speeds. The front break is adjustable on the fluid pressure.
Overall
The bike is a City bike+ Cruiser. This is certainly not a sport bike and Suzuki has intelligently positioned this as a powerful commuter. The best thing about the bike is its engine and the worst thing is looks.
You take your choice. Best looking bike with worst in class engine( a competition 250 cc bike I wouldn’t like to mention) or THIS Mediocre looking bike with best in class engine.
Take a call between Engine and Looks if you want to own the Inazuma - the Time Machine.
That’s all Folks! Let discuss any further in the comments section. P.S. I would like to mention that the display image is the B-King and not the Inazuma. Please refer to the images I have uploaded for the original Inazuma images.