Inazooming- 2500 kms on my Suzuki Inazuma
I wanted to replace my 2 year old Honda Unicorn with something bigger and better and what is better than another Honda right? So I went to the closest Honda showroom to test out the cBR250R. The sales person agreed to a long unaccompanied test drive since I was a known customer. However, a 15 minute ride through crowded roads left me with mixed feelings about the bike. A lean- forward riding position that may be good for the race track was unsuited for city roads. Every time I had to stop the bike at a red light, I had to straighten up to put my foot on the ground and back to crouching again for riding. Riding position wise, I was left with a pain in my neck and shoulders after a mere 15 minute ride, as I had to keep my upper body crouched low and my head a little upright to keep the road and rear view mirrors in my line of vision. The engine was noisy and rough at low rpms but became refined past 5000 rpm. The bike begged you to ride it hard. The chassis and suspension urged you to take sharp turns. Overall, the bike was good and Honda reliability weighed heavily in its favour.
Next stop was the Enfield showroom. Having owned a bullet in the past and gone on several long trips, I expected the fuel injected Classic to be a modern bike. But sadly I was disappointed. The old pushrod engine is the same which means the torque is available only within a narrow RPM band. Ride slowly and the engine knocks, speed up a little and torque flattens out at around 5000 RPM. You need to work the gears often to keep it within the torque range, an exercise made difficult by notchy gearshifts and a tight clutch. The suspension and chassis felt similar to that of the pre-UCE bikes. The Classic 500 crashed into bad roads transmitting all the shock to the spring loaded seat. The vibrations were something else, at speeds over 60 it felt as if I was passing through an earthquake zone. The test bike was leaking oil from the engine head and the kick starter. Needless to say, I was mightily disappointed.
I borrowed a friend’s KTM Duke 390 for an afternoon and found it more uncomfortable than the Honda CBR. The foot pegs are set too far back for the upright position required by the wide handlebars. The narrow and hard seat gives no room to find a comfortable riding position. But the bike itself was a pocket rocket. It was happiest at speeds over 80 and did not like slowing down. The low profile tyres and hard suspension punished you by transmitting shocks and jerks. The engine was noisy at low RPMs and needed to be pushed to 5000 RPM for the fun to begin. Thereafter it was dancing all the way to 130 kmph. The engine is a gem and I only wished the riding ergonomics and suspension were better.
In the meantime, I read in the newspapers that the Suzuki Inazuma had dropped its price by INR 1 lakh and decided to check it out. An Inazuma was not on my radar initially as I had read a few positive and mostly negative reviews and a constant line that the bike was underpowered.
I took a longish test drive and it became apparent that here was a bike that met most of my requirements. The riding position was comfortable- neither too upright nor too sporty, the freely revving engine that took off from very low RPMs, the ease with which the bike went over broken roads and potholes had it growing on me. It built up speed in a linear manner unlike the frenzied hurry of the Duke 390. I found the Inazuma immensely controllable, yet capable of quick turns of direction.
I decided to buy the bike against the advice of my friends who said its price was high as a ratio of its BHP. The upcoming Kawasaki Z250 would a better buy belting out 31 BHP vs 24 BHP of the Inazuma. But after riding the Inazuma for 2500 KMS, I feel there is more to a bike than BHP and torque numbers. The Inauzma might not impress you with it headline numbers, but its scores in features which are not found on the spec sheet. The Inazuma offers a ride quality which is smooth and rock steady on good roads, on bad roads it has a magic carpet ride quality. Unevenly laid roads, speed breakers and small potholes do not seem to bother the Inazuma. It simply glides over them at moderate speeds. Then there is the ultra light clutch and slick gear shifter which makes shifting up or down super easy.
Not that you need to do this often as power is available from 2000RPM onwards which means you can do minimum speeds of 25 kmph in 4rd gear and 30 kmph in 5th . In sixth gear you can ride from 40 kmph and accelerate to 130 kmph. The wide power band enables you ride with in an unstressed manner without the bother of frequent gear shifting.
What further helps cut driving stress is the 183 kg unladen weight which gives it a planted feel. The bike remains unruffled by bad roads and wind blast. The fantastic suspension further works its magic to isolate the rider from shocks. The long wheel base aids in taking sharp turns and you can weave in and out of traffic. And if you want speed up, the torque enables you to get past all the 100-150cc bikes and scooters in a jiffy. In city riding, the Inazuma has the manoeuvrability of a Yamaha FZ (well, nearly so). I once found a madcap in a Suzuki Swift coming at me from around a bend. He was in the wrong lane. I desperately tilted the bike with my left knee kissing the ground and managed to avoid him by a whisker. I was very surprised at the ease at the which I was able to haul the bike back to vertical position.
Post first service, I went on a 600 kms highway trip. The Inazuma’s ride quality and ergonomics were at work again to make my trip an enjoyable affair. You sit upright with your arms stretched which enables the weight of your top body to be distributed over your spine and shoulders and not burden your lower back like in a Bullet. After a 2-3 hour ride, you don’t get off the saddle with a numb feeling in the bottom of your spine. Then there is the ample seat on which you can adjust your position to find that comfortable spot. The engine lets out a mellow but deep growl which is not disturbing even at high speeds. The icing on the cake is the complete lack of vibrations at speeds of upto 120 kmph. You can drive on for hours at speeds of 90-110 without feeling fatigued.
The bike is extremely stable in a straight line and you don’t get unruffled by wind blast and air pockets caused by cars and SUVs passing you by at high speeds.
The Inazuma enables you maintain a higher average speed than many other bikes. You can quickly speed up, even in 6th gear, after slowing down to give way to a car being driven at suicidal speeds. Having clocked hundreds of highway miles on a Bullet, I can say for sure that if you are trying to cover the maximum distance within a given time, it is more important to maintain a consistent speed and take fewer breaks. Riding at 120KMPH plus for short bursts, quickly decelerating and building up speed again fatigues you forcing you take more frequent breaks reduces your average speed.
The more I ride the Inazuma, the more it reminds me of what the Bullet should have evolved into. It is in the same weight category as the Bullet 350 (around 180 kgs), which means the bike rides glued to the road. But unlike a bullet, it does not thud and shake when ridden over road humps and other offerings of the famous ‘Indian road conditions’. Instead, it goes over them causing minimum discomfort to the rider. The linear power delivery from 40 kmph all the way to 120 kmph in top gear is just what the doctor ordered for highway riding. Unlike a bullet which vibrates like crazy when pushed to anything over 80 kmph, the Inazuma is totally vibration free at 100-120 kmph speeds. Rides up curving hill roads are particularly enjoyable. You can tilt the bike to take in that road sweep at sharp angles. The same road I went on my 600 km highway trip, I have been on a Bullet earlier. If I compare the two riding experiences, it is like business class for the Inazuma and economy class for the Bullet.
The bike is extremely well built. Every component looks to be of a high quality. The switch gear is the best I have seen on any bike in India. The wiring is well hidden and barely noticeable. Believe me, instead of a Suzuki badge, if this bike had the moniker of a famous German manufacturer, auto magazines would have written pages and pages praising its build quality. After two months and 2500 kms, there is no loose nut on the bike, the break and clutch lever play is the same as when it was brand new. The tappets do not sound loose and were not even adjusted at the first service. The engine feels much smoother now than when it was new.
The secret to the Inazuma’s engine performance is its long stroke twin cylinder two valve per cylinder engine. This configuration allows it to offer great low and mid-range power besides maintenance–free performance for thousands of kilometres. Unlike a 4 valve per cylinder engine which has 50% more moving parts, a two-valve per cylinder engine loses out on top-end power but gains in low end power and lower maintenance.
I have been a regular biker in my younger days having done Delhi- Leh, Delhi-Jaisalmer and many other trips on a Bullet 350, a bike I immensely love despite its quirks. The Inazuma makes immense sense for the folks who go on leisurely highway rides on Bullets and also use it for their daily commute. Many of the shortcoming of the bullet are addressed by the Inazuma while improving upon its core strengths.
What to like:
- Excellent riding position, no fatigue even after riding for hours.
- Ride quality is fantastic, can go over the worst of roads with no discomfort.
- Smooth engine with linear power delivery. Lots of low and mid-range power.
- Long and well-padded seat which is very comfortable for both rider and pillion.
- High quality components. I rode in water logged roads several times and there is no rust anywhere. Nothing feels loose after clocking 2500 kms. No issues with the engine which starts at the first press of the self-starter.
- Fuel efficiency of around 30-32 kmpl.
What not to like:
- Poorly trained service personnel. My headlight beam was pointing upwards and the guys at Meghdooth Suzuki were trying to force the headlight dome to point downwards. It was my instinct that forced them to stop prevented major damage. I could not imagine that in a bike which has been so well put together would have such a crude system for headlight beam pitch adjustment. I was right. There is a screw behind the headlight dome which does this, just like many cars where there is a knob in the dashboard.
- No Free service. The service manual has coupons only for paid service. Suzuki provides six free services for the Access scooter, but offers not even one for the Inazuma which costs four times as much. The service center did not have the required tool to remove the oil filter.
- No follow up call. I have not received a single call or e-mail from Suzuki asking me how the bike is performing.
- No accessories such as crash guard and luggage carrier. The same are offered by Suzuki in Europe. I had to do a “jugaad” and fit a bullet crash bar. Am working on a luggage carrier as well.
- A rough part in the power band at 5500 RPM which eases out at 6000 RPM. I thought it would go away after the first service but it has not.