Zip Past: Suzuki Inazuma

A prime example of a good product taken down by insane pricing.

The first time we heard the name Inazuma, we thought it would be a distant cousin of Hayabusa, imagine the excitement when it turned out that it actually was. So what, if it was a distant one? So what if you would need five Inazuma engines to make a Busa? FHM rode the bike for four days, to pick up the girlfriend from her office, to buy eggs for the wife’s Sunday breakfast and sporadically to work - all with the intention of getting a hoot, a window rolling down at a red light and a bloke looking out of his mid-sized C-Segment sedan at you – ‘the man living the good footloose and fancy free life’. Tragically, none of that happened. The problem lies in the fact that the DNA alleles it shares with the Busa, are limited to things like the brake rotor and parts like its master cylinders. Hardly knicker droppers.

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A good product

Appearances apart, the Inazuma is a fabulous bike to ride. Though, a bit sluggish till 70kmph, it comes into its own once you hit 70 and turns into a proper crotch rocket. The suspension makes it really easy to ride on bad roads, rumble strips and speed breakers, the engine is well-refined so there are no unnecessary noises coming out of the engine, gear shift is as smooth as toast and we dare you to find a flaw with its build quality. It’s both nimble as well as stable around the turns. The ride quality is fabulous even if you ride it for longer distances.

Let down by the pricing

Even though Inazuma is a promising product, there is no justification to why it has been priced at 3.1 lakh when there are more powerful bikes available at much cheaper price? Like KTM 390 Duke ABS, Honda CBR 250R and Royal Enfield Cafe Racer – all different purpose bikes, all cheaper.

“For Inazuma, a lot of parts have been picked straight out of Hayabusa. Like the brake rotor and master cylinders, and it’s a first full length street bike that gives space to the pillion like no one else,” Atul Gupta, Executive VP of SMIL explains. Suzuki is firing off the global successes the Inazuma has seen in other markets. Tragically, when it comes to things on wheels, India is an entirely different ball game isn’t it? As far as a verdict is concerned, we’d suggest skip the Inazuma, increase your budget and buy an H-D Street (review on page 46).

Bike Specs: Inazuma

• Price: ₹3,10,000 (ex Delhi)
• Type: 4-stroke, 2-cylinder, liquid-cooled, SOHC
• Displacement: 250 CC
• Transmission: 6-speed

From the May 2014 issue of FHM India.