Can Suzuki Inazuma take on Ninja 250R, Honda CBR250R?

The Suzuki Inazuma is a comfortable motorcycle with long distance capabilities, writes Faisal Ali Khan of MotorBeam.com

The 250cc segment is seeing a lot of action the world over. Demand in this segment is also increasing in India with the first offering in this category coming in the form of the Kawasaki Ninja 250R in 2008.

Honda followed up with the CBR250R in 2011 while Hyosung and KTM also entered the same space with the GT250R and Duke 200 respectively.

Now Suzuki has launched the Inazuma, which is a very practical motorcycle.

Let's see how good is the Suzuki's latest 250cc sensation!

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The styling of the Inazuma is inspired from the B-King but this motorcycle isn't striking at first glance but does grow on you with time.

The design is quite hefty and the panels are meaty.

The stand out elements are the twin exhausts, 3-spoke alloy wheels and long tank shrouds.

While it might not appeal to the younger generation, mature riders will definitely find this Suzuki an imposing machine.

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The instrument cluster has a simple layout with a large tachometer right in the center. The tell tale lights are placed on the left of the chrome surrounded tacho while the right has a LCD screen which displays the speed, trip and odo meters along with the clock and service reminder.

Switch gear is similar to other bikes and quality of the buttons is extremely good, lending a feel of solidity.

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The Suzuki Inazuma is powered by a 248cc, parallel-twin engine which uses liquid-cooling and produces 24 HP of power with the torque output being 22 Nm.

This motor is paired to a 6-speed gearbox. Performance from the Inazuma is excellent as the mill has good go all throughout the rev band. The powerplant revs very quickly and the NVH levels are excellent too.

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What really puts the Inazuma apart is the refinement levels of the 250cc engine; it's super smooth and sounds good at high revs too.

The gearing is on the taller side but at any speed, there is always eagerness from the motor to get going.

The 6-speed gearbox offers smooth shifts and the clutch is well weighed too.

The Inazuma redlines at 11,000 RPM and can reach a top speed of just under 140 km/hr.

The bike returns a mileage of 30 km/l in regular riding conditions.

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The Suzuki Inazuma is underpinned by a semi-double cradle frame.

The front uses telescopic forks while the rear gets a monoshock suspension.

The bike feels front heavy but once you get to pushing it, it can take sweepers at speed with confidence.

However the Inazuma weighs quite a lot at 183 kgs, which coupled with the long wheelbase makes sharp turns not its forte.

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The higher weight does have its positives as the Inazuma is extremely stable at speed. What is even more exceptional is the ride quality, the Suzuki absorbing everything in its path without a hitch.

In fact the ride quality is so good that the Inazuma can easily munch miles on Indian roads without letting the rider get any fatigue. The brakes offer decent stopping performance but aren't excellent.

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The Suzuki Inazuma is an expensive bike for the kind of engine size it carries. Priced at Rs 3.46 lakh (on-road, Mumbai), you can get faster bikes for cheaper.

Suzuki is bringing in the Inazuma via the CKD route and that could be blamed for the higher price. However when you factor in the comfort it offers and the smoothness from the motor, the Inazuma makes a strong case for itself in the eyes of those who want a relaxed motorcycle which can effortlessly munch miles.