[4x4addict]

It's been little over a month and 1000 km odd since I got my Inazuma. Having driven over 1000 kms, guess a an initial assment/review is due.

Let me get the most disgusting/sordid part of the story out of the way first, which is the price of this bike. Here goes.

Ex-Showroom 3,25,000
10% Road Tax in TN 32,500
AAP-Mamool to RTO/Agent 2,500
On The Road Price: 3,60,000
Engine Guard 18,000
Center Stand 6,000
Total Price of Bike+Accessories: 3,84,000/- (If you can call and engine guard and center stand accessories). Mods, I hope you will understand my outflow of emotions regarding the price and excuse this transgression of a few extra emoticons...

I would also like to add that Suzuki should call this model Hara-Kiri like Hayate, cause this is what they plan to do in India !! .Now that I have gotten the crazy part out of the way, let me go on to the good bits.

I was quite excited when the Duke 200 was launched and used my friends bike a couple of times for fairly long distances. I was quite happy about the bike, but couple of things held me back. 1) The seats where very hard and narrow, 2) Orange Wheels (Thankfully there is a more sober option for 200 now), 3) Knees bent back seating position. Of the three things, the third one was a show stopper for me. Then the 390 was launched and it was a no brainer, and I almost put my money down on it. Then I began to ask myself, do I need an affordable bike that doesn't meet my need or should I just cough up and pay more and buy a bike that meets my needs as a comfortable long distance tourer which the duke definitely is not. It is sprinter not a marathon runner.

Finally the choice came down to Triumph Bonnie or Suzuki Inazuma. Japanese reliability, better economy, lower price point & lack of a dealer in Tamil Nadu, made me narrow down on the Inazuma. There will definitely be bonnie down the road sometime.

Getting to Inazuma, these are the positive points, that I can think about the bike.


1) It is an absolutely comfortable tourer. There is plenty of place for rider & pillion or the option of loading it up with plenty of luggage. The suspension is very soft and ride is great over any kind of Indian Terrain (not the jeans).


2) Excellent low and mid range torque. Best rpm range is from 3000 to 7500 rpm. Still riding conservatively as second run in period is 1600 kms with 7500 rpm limit. First run in period is 800 kms with 5,500 rpm limit.

3) Slick gearbox with no false gears. The only problem I found is that if I came to a sudden stand still in 6th gear, it was a pain to downshift all the way to 1st. Best to downshift when bike is moving. Then no problem at all.

4) I really like the instrument cluster, especially the dial rpm gauge. Kind of reminds me of the jap sport bikes of yester year. I am not a fan of full digital lcd screen instrument clusters which seems to be the fad these days.

5) Tyres are IRC make and are reasonably grippy & broad.

6) The twin exhaust looks very meaty and many stopped and asked me if it s 500, cause from the back it does look much more than a 250.

7) Headlamps are reasonably bright. However, plan to upgrade bulbs to PIAA All Weather.

8) It is extremely well put together with no compromise made to meet a lower sale price target. Overall excellent quality. Just park it side by side a 390 and look at the fit and finish of parts like the instrument cluster, etc and you will see what i mean.

9) Has an real oil filter which is about the size of a Maruti 800 oil filter placed a the front of the engine. Engine takes about 2.1 liters of oil, which is only 1 liter odd less than a swift multijet engine.

10)Has a side sand warning/cut off which will cut of the engine if side stand is engaged and bike is in gear.

11)Water cooled engine with radiator fan.

12) You are treated like a king in the service center (or rather the only fool)

Things i don't like about the Inazuma

1) Price and the fact that Suzuki will rip you off 24K for an engine guard & center stand !!
2) Air filter is under the tank which requires you to remove the seats, the fiddly bits at the side of the tank, remove the tank & then replace/clean the air filter. Couldn't they have just found space under the seat especially given our dusty road conditions.
3) Looks like any of the other wannabe superbike commuters like Unicorn, FZ, etc, etc..

Overall, I can say that I am totally enjoying the bike and am slowly recovering from price shock after multiple visits to my shrink and lying on a sofa watching goldfish swim.

For those of us who started using Bullets before Bullets became a fad and have outgrown bullets, I suggest taking a test drive of the Inazuma. This bike is ugly compared to a bullet, but it is something you can tour the length and breath of india, safely, reliably & comfortably without batting an eyelid.

This is all that I can think of now...

[ecosport rules]

Congratulations on your new acquisition.
What are the other bikes you compared to before arriving at the decision.?
Bonny is definitely not a comparison with 867cc of displacement.

[Porschefire]

Congratulations!!!

The bike oozes quality from everywhere and i believe this is a better bet than a 390 for someone who's into long distance touring. After all, reliability is the prime factor that you need from a bike (now, not saying the 390 is not reliable so do not bash me up for this ). I love the console with the big analog tachometer staring at your face. IMO, that is how it should be on all the bikes because it is easier and efficient to shift the gears looking at a tacho rather than the speedo.
Coming to the looks part, i tend to disagree. It is cool to own a 'different looking' automobile (as per my guru, Sir Jeremy Clarkson ). Sure, it could have been styled better but by no means it is an ugly motorcycle. I for sure would give it a second look because it is just too premium to be compared with the "wannabe racers" (a-la FZs, Unicorns, Discovers etc).
Enjoy your time with it and keep this thread updated especially about the service part of it. Happy mile munching!!!

[jkdas]

Enjoyed reading it. You covered almost all the points expect the must ask Indian question

How much did the 1st service cost you at 800kms? Is there an extended warranty or so for this bike?

[Sheel]

I know you are a bit of DIY person, you could have fabricated the engine guard yourself.

I had done something similar with my paddock stand, had increased its width to accommodate beefier CBR's chassis as it was meant for R15.

It is a very good alternate to a Bullet, only if the Bullet guys find that connect. Am completely off as far as cruisers go, so can't comment much.

Keep on munching miles, this monsoon for you will be different

[abhinav.s]

Very well written initial report with some detailed pics. Love the console the best on the bike. I have a thing for analogue tachometers and this one is amazing. Congrats on your acquisition and wishing you lots of happy mile munching.

[dkaile]

Congratulations but..... 4Lacs for this!! This is seriously over priced. A pre-owned 2012 Ninja 650 would have come in that budget and would have been much much more enjoyable.

Anyways, enjoy the exclusivity. This is going to remain a few member club.

[sandeepmohan]

Congratulations on your new motorcycle. I am not sure what part of you felt that this was a value for money purchase but then the money and decision is yours.

Why did you even bother with a center stand and engine guard? I feel this was completely unecessary. Please get rid of that saree guard.

Yes; the Duke's are not cruisers in true sense of it. However; at the asking price, I won't complain too much about some short comings of the motorcycle. The pair are brilliant motorcycles in their own way. I am willing to let go of some fit and finish areas.

With the Suzuki, it is lame that Suzuki managed so little performance from a parallel twin 250 block. I can live with the looks of it and it sure looks comfortable. The performance is a serious downer for me though.

Yes the oil filter unit is visible in the pictures.

As for accessing the air filter, a lot of bikes are like this. Access is not easy.

Enjoy your new ride.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by dkaile

Congratulations but..... 4Lacs for this!! This is seriously over priced. A pre-owned 2012 Ninja 650 would have come in that budget and would have been much much more enjoyable.

Anyways, enjoy the exclusivity. This is going to remain a few member club.

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

Congratulations on your new motorcycle. I am not sure what part of you felt that this was a value for money purchase but then the money and decision is yours.

With the Suzuki, it is lame that Suzuki managed so little performance from a parallel twin 250 block. I can live with the looks of it and it sure looks comfortable. The performance is a serious downer for me though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCbyDn9RV-Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nm9NFMeRnKk

Shumi had some good things to say about the product. (best ride quality/ comfort, stable handling, useable torque, smooth engine and transmission, good if not the best cruiser around for a more seasoned rider, capable of being relaxed even close to its top speed) I am not a huge bike person and even I took one look at the spec sheets, the price, and completely dismissed the product. However even one of my friends who is an avid bike enthusiast, complimented the bike to no end when he test rode the thing just after it was launched. I believe that there is something we can learn here; as educated auto/bike-enthusiasts, we cannot afford to be like the rest of society and begin to judge things on face-value. Our enthusiasm on the subject, ought to prevail

Oh and congratulations to you sir!

[condor]

Congrats, 4x4addict ! Nicely written initial review.

Originally Posted by 4x4addict

3) Looks like any of the other wannabe superbike commuters like Unicorn, FZ, etc, etc..

Spot on ! the looks, at least in pics, are hardly exciting. But your point for Bullet guys was an interesting one.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by 4x4addict

For those of us who started using Bullets before Bullets became a fad and have outgrown bullets, I suggest taking a test drive of the Inazuma. This bike is ugly compared to a bullet, but it is something you can tour the length and breath of india, safely, reliably & comfortably without batting an eyelid.

This is all that I can think of now...

Lovely writeup and please keep us posted on this bike.

IF I ever have to change my bike and I don't think I will any time soon. This one is definately on my checkout list.

[D4D]

First of all, congrats on your purchase. This is the kind of Suzuki bike we need in India. But by not not manufacturing it India, I think Suzuki has missed a trick. They could have offered it at a much lower price and it would be selling like hot cakes. Suzuki, please ask KTM how they have grown in India.
Two questions I have got:

• Does it use a carb or FI?
• Is black the only colour on offer?

Originally Posted by 4x4addict

......but it is something you can tour the length and breath of india, safely, reliably & comfortably without batting an eyelid......

I have a slightly different view here. Yes, Japanese vehicles are reliable and nothing much can go wrong with them. But in the worst case, if something does go wrong, you'll have a hard time finding parts outside metros, especially for a bike that sells in very few numbers. On the flip side, bullets aren't known for their reliability.
Why are they still good tourers? Reason: If you get stuck, there'll be a mechanic in the vicinity who will be able to fix it and get your bike up and running in no time.

[rahul4321]

Great purchase! Believe me, i know decision where the heart does not listen to the mind at all; and i trust you too were facing the same issue. The bike looks good; and i really mean that. I would personally have loved a half-fairing (like in the Pulsar 220) on that bike; that would have made it stand out from all the Unicorns, GS150R's etc. But all in all a great bike. Wish you many happy kilometers with it!

[doctorque]

a Suzuki 250 twin which makes most of its power between 3k rpm and 7500 rpm should be a good city runner. But i see you are emphasizing its highway capabilities. I want to know whats the speed it does at a relaxed rpm in top gear.

Also, i feel comparing the inazuma with the duke 390 will not be right. Both dont seem to have a competitor in India at this point.

[palitrana]

Wow. I envy you for the fact that you can decide to buy a bike that you liked and suited you, even if everybody had written it off and at the price tag it comes. That's what enthusiasm should be and a big Thumbs Up just for that!