Bikes That Were Way Ahead Of Their Time: Suzuki Inazuma

The year is 2014, and the market is obsessed with affordable, small-capacity sport bikes, but Suzuki India thought of doing something completely different and unexpected. It launched the Suzuki Inazuma GW250 — a muscular, twin-cylinder street-naked bike that prioritised refinement, comfort, and smoothness over raw aggression. Priced at around Rs 3.1 lakh (ex-showroom), it was a premium 250cc option when most buyers were chasing 200cc KTMs and 150cc Yamahas.

The Inazuma looked like a miniature version of the B-King, a quirky looking streetfighter that shared its underpinnings with the legendary Hayabusa. The Inazuma packed a 248cc parallel-twin, liquid-cooled engine, making 24PS and 22Nm. While the numbers might not look much on paper, but in reality, this motor was incredibly smooth, and had extremely linear power delivery. It came with a 6-speed gearbox, fuel injection, and excellent build quality that you’d expect from an authentic Japanese motorcycle.

What Made the Inazuma Tick?

The heart of the Inazuma was its parallel-twin, counterbalanced engine, tuned for low and mid-range torque. That meant effortless city rides, super-smooth highway cruising, and no jerks or vibrations all the way till the redline. All these characteristics at that time were unheard of in the small-capacity segment in India. 

The bike wasn’t built to be a speed demon, instead, it delivered a composed and mature riding experience, with good fuel efficiency for its class. The Inzuma had a comfortable riding posture with upright ergonomics, a spacious seat for both the rider and the pillion, a classic analogue-digital instrument console and a 13.5 litre fuel tank capacity. 

Way Ahead of Its Time

Inazuma’s biggest problem? India wasn’t ready for a refined, mature 250cc twin at that price. Back in 2014, bikes like the KTM Duke 200, Yamaha R15, and Honda CBR250R were dominating the performance space. Though they were faster, lighter, and cheaper, they all had one thing in common - a single-cylinder configuration. 

Meanwhile, Suzuki offered a calm, commuter-like twin-cylinder machine that didn't scream performance, yet asked for a really premium price. Its design too wasn’t really conventional in every sense. It looked unique at best and for some, odd at worst. 

What the Inazuma delivered in spades was something intangible - a relaxing riding experience. Unfortunately, the middle-class-dominant Indian market at the time prioritized price to performance ratio, and the Inazuma failed to score on that front. The Indian enthusiast crowd saw it as "underpowered and overpriced." So obviously, the sales were slow. 

Suzuki realised its blunder. Determined to set things right, the bikemaker then not only slashed the price by nearly Rs 1.25 lakh but also refunded the difference amount to customers who bought the bike at the higher price tag. There has not been a single two-wheeler brand in India that has gone to such lengths to right a wrong. Sadly, the damage was already done. The Inazuma disappeared within a year or two, despite being a globally respected model.

A Small-Capacity Japanese Twin That Modern India Never Got

Imagine if Suzuki had stuck with the Inazuma and updated it regularly. It could’ve evolved into a serious 300–400cc twin-cylinder alternative to the Royal Enfield Classic 350 today. As for the design, we envision the bike to come with a retro theme. The SV650 is the perfect palette for this as it comes with a simple roadster design with a circular headlight. 

If Suzuki applied the same formula to the Inazuma, it would’ve been the perfect zen master. Just like the Classic’s ASMR-like riding experience, the Inazuma would’ve been the Japanese version, if you will. Now with parallel twins being all the rage, it would’ve been a great machine for those who want a refined twin-cylinder motorcycle that is not only built like a tank but is also capable of doing both routine commutes and meditative weekend rides with ease.