EARLIER this month we said Suzuki was scheming a 250cc sports bike derived from the Inazuma 250. Well, this appears to be exactly that machine and it’s set to go on sale in Asia and India as the Gixxer 250.
It will join the existing 155cc single-cylinder Gixxer that’s sold in developing markets, but could also make sense as a cheap, entry-level sports bike for Europe, especially if reports are true that it’s derived from the Inazuma, which already meets the required emissions standards.
While the pics – which seem to have been taken in a production or storage facility, perhaps in China where the Inazuma is built – are very low resolution, the bolt positions and casing shape on the left-hand side of the engine appear to match those of the Inazuma, suggesting it has exactly the same 24hp, 248cc parallel twin engine. That puts the machine at the lower end of the performance scale for this class of sports bikes, despite the fact it has two cylinders rather than the single-cylinder of rivals like Honda’s 30hp CBR300R. Higher-end twin-cylinder models like the Yamaha R3, which makes 42hp, or the Kawasaki Ninja 300, with 39hp, are in a different league.
Power might be down, but this bike – should it be offered here – would also be likely to undercut its opposition on price.
Style-wise, it’s clearly a Suzuki, with the distinctive headlight shape shared by several GSX-R models and a prominent ‘S’ badge on the side. The chassis appears to be similar to the Inazuma’s steel frame, with a box-section swing-arm and simple, right-way-up forks.
We’re expecting the bike to be officially revealed in January or February, at which time Suzuki’s plans as to where it will be sold should become clearer.
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