Suzuki has recently cut down on prices of its Inazuma, owing to the strong competition in the Indian market. We pit it against the Kawasaki Ninja 300, the soon-to-launch Kawasaki Z250, Honda CBR250R and KTM 200 Duke, to find out which is a stronger contender on paper.
All five bikes come with a four-stroke and liquid-cooled engine that is mated to a six-speed gearbox. The Kawasaki Ninja 300 is the most powerful of the lot with a bigger 296cc, parallel-twin motor that churns out 38.5bhp. Followed by the upcoming Z250 that showcases a 249cc and parallel-twin motor producing 31.5bhp. The Honda CBR 250R powered by a single-cylinder, 249cc engine and the KTM 200 Duke charged up by a 199.5cc single-cylinder motor, come quite close to each other as the CBR generates 25.8bhp of power, while the Duke pumps out 25bhp. The Suzuki Inazuma gets a 248cc, parallel-twin motor that generates 24bhp of maximum power, which is not only the lowest but also makes it the slowest in the category as it is the heaviest of the lot, weighing in at 183kg.
Split seats are on offer for the rider and pillion on all bikes except for the Inazuma, which gets a long and wide single saddle. All four rivals come equipped with telescopic front forks and a rear monoshock, except for the 200 Duke that gets USD telescopic front forks instead. The CBR 250R is the only one that comes with the option of an ABS system.
When it comes to price, The Suzuki Inazuma now sits rather well among its competition at Rs 2,14,696 (ex-showroom, Pune). The Ninja 300 is the most expensive of the lot, priced at Rs 3.5 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The CBR 250R costs Rs 1,84,523 for the ABS version and Rs 1,56,899 for the standard version (both prices, ex-showroom, Pune), whereas the KTM 200 Duke comes at a significantly lower price of Rs 1,17,000 (ex-showroom, Delhi). The Kawasaki Z250 is expected to be priced at around Rs 2.5 lakh, making it the cheapest motorcycle on offer by the Japanese manufacturer in India.
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
