The Suzuki Inazuma is one hell of a motorcycle. The 248cc 4-stroke, two-cylinder engine on the Inazuma packs loads of torque throughout the RPM range. Put the motorcycle in fourth gear and you get access to a wide speed range starting from 30kph all the way to 100kph! The upright riding stance, clubbed with a seat that is as big as a couch, provides comfort even on long journey. The 13.3 litre fuel tank provides a long range. The Inazuma is targeted at people who appreciate function over form, people who do not buy motorcycles for the sole purpose of posing next to. You can park your Inazuma in a parking lot without a worry in the world, as it’s too inconspicuous to grab unwarranted attention.
One can argue that the KTM 390 Duke is a better motorcycle for the price it is sold for, but then it fails to provide comfort on long highway journeys. Also, all the power is placed in the top end band of the RPM range which is not a touring friendly attribute. The Kawasaki Ninja provides for the twin-cylinder fun but is absurdly priced at close to Rs 4 lakh. The Karizma R and ZMR are too low on power and seriously need some muscle upgrade if they even want to present themselves as serious contenders. Which brings the CBR250R into the picture which is the closest competitor to the Inazuma. But the single cylinder setup makes the Honda look rather lacklustre as compared to twin pot Inazuma. RE’s? Well, let’s not get there.
So, despite being such a great product, why did the Inazuma fail so miserably?
The Suzuki Inazuma was declared dead on arrival by the industry experts as soon as it was launched, thanks to the high price tag of Rs 3.61 lakh (on-road Mumbai). For that price, tag you could have bought a KTM 390 Duke or a CBR250R and still have saved tens of thousands of rupees which you could have invested in safety gear and fuel for years to come. The absence of premium features like LED tail lights and turn indicators, upside down forks and maybe a windshield for wind protection didn’t quite help the motorcycle’s cause much either.
The Japanese term ‘Inazuma’ means lightening. Unfortunately, the motorcycle from Suzuki didn’t quite stand true to its name in terms of sales. In fact, the Inazuma seems to have been stuck by lightening, if the sales numbers are anything to go by. The Suzuki Inazuma was bashed by many in the motorcycle community because of its old school looks and high pricing. But, in the times of almost non-existing pillion seats and absolute lack of engines with a solid low and mid-range grunt, the Suzuki did, for once present itself as a strong option. Alas, the top honchos at Suzuki couldn’t see the opportunity.
As a corrective measure, Suzuki chopped the price of the Inazuma by about a lakh of rupees bringing it down to a more affordable Rs 2.61 lakh (on-road Mumbai). Unfortunately, even with all the strengths of the product, it was too little, too late. Introducing the Inazuma in the Rs 2 lakh to 2.5 lakh (on-road Mumbai) price zone at the very outset may have changed the picture for Suzuki altogether. However, for a price sensitive market like India, pricing a product high during its introduction gets the coffin nailed without any questions asked. It is sad, really, to see such a great product die a quiet death.
This is our opinion and you can have different thoughts. Share them with us. Write down your opinions about the Inazuma through comments below. Stay tuned to Motoroids for all the updates from the world of auto.
i am very much interested in inazuma and plan to buy next year. i too think of the situation what u mentioned in the last paragraph…
Suzuki can think of changing the design of head light, front mudgurad, tank scoops, and tail lights…it will get a decent sales numbers. 80% Indian young riders are posers and they want fairing for a bike even cost 70K…they are happy and they will get noticed. but inazuma is meant for relaxed,matured,comfy ride. but in India very few youngsters have that mindset and very few matured people here can think of paying 2.5L for a bike(for them…its only a bike, they will say we can get a car for this price.. 🙂
I live in sikkim and have been planning to buy this bike ever since the prices was slashed however having no suzuki showrooms here in my small state i had to enquire in west bengal , bihar , and when i was i pune i even went to a couple of showrooms but none of them were selling the bike , they said that suzuki hasnt given them the bike till now. I especially got to know that suzuki hasnt supplied the bike to the eastern states. Most shocking part was that most sales persons in many suzuki showrooms didnt know what inazuma was…. really sad suzuki, for you ere hopeless in motogp and hopeless in any thing except selling small 150 cc bikes. Next time when u do launch a product
et it be available through the length and breadth of the country….
Absolutely spot on!
As with almost all Suzuki bikes, this one is extremely underrated and discarded by many by what can be termed as “judging the book by its cover”. And it has been single handedly murdered by poor or rather lack of any marketing.
The bike as been lauded in ALL yes ALL reviews for its
1. Amazing build quality – What has been termed as THE BEST available in the country, even better than bikes a few segments above it!
2. The refinement – Hands down THE MOST REFINED engine even when redlined.
3. Ride comfort – Again nothing comes close. Especially for pillon.
4. “Good handling” – Even for its weight of 183Kgs and a longish wheelbase.
Apart from that it comes with Suzuki reliability, a PROPER oil filter, lots of space for loading accesories/travel gear and an engine that doesn’t make kalmi kebab out of your thighs.
It’s like a perfect Royal Enfield 😀
Can even do 130-140 all day which is more than enough for touring on our roads.
And as the cheapest twin it does make sense but then, too little too late. And still no television ads, no hoardings, nothing!
I plan to buy a bike in that price range in coming months and the brochure of inazuma has been on my desktop since the prices were slashed. But still I have concerns about aftersales, parts availability, service centers for this one and biggest fear of all – What if Suzuki sells of remaining stock and pulls the plug on this one :\
Wonder what exactly is going on in Suzuki??
Hi Suvil,
Loved the way the article was written. It was wonderful to see someone sharing the same thoughts that I had. It is a extremely stable and comfortable bike and something that even bikes as expensive at 10 Lakhs would die to provide. Yes, the styling is outdated but Suzuki got the whole selling ideology wrong from the start. Even advertising for such a product was greatly lacking.
It is sad to see such a great product be smothered slowly and this also discourages future products from being brought in through the CBU & CKD route.
Once again, a good write-up.
Kind regards,
Ab9