2016–2017 · Supersport · Buyer's Guide
Light, Cheap, Stays Running
Suzuki built this one around a 248 cc liquid-cooled parallel twin making 24 hp at 8,500 rpm and 16 lb-ft at 6,500 rpm, hung in a steel tube frame and wrapped in a full fairing. There is no electronics package here: no ABS, no traction control, no ride modes. What you get instead is a six-speed quarter-liter bike engineered to be cheap, honest, and easy to live with, returning 54 mpg from a 3.5 gal (13.3 L) tank. That is the Suzuki pattern in miniature. Less noise before the ride, more substance once you are on it.
On the road it rewards riders who want a machine that simply works. Running costs stay low, the mechanicals are straightforward, and the 30.7 in (780 mm) seat plus light controls keep it approachable for anyone still building confidence. It suits commuters, budget-minded weekend riders, and anyone who wants a faired bike without a payment plan attached. The caveat is plain. At 401 lb (182 kg) wet with 24 hp and an 85 mph (137 km/h) ceiling, it does not answer the throttle the way a bigger machine does, and there is nothing electronic standing behind you.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 24 hp (18 kW) @ 8,500 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 16 lb-ft (22 Nm) @ 6,500 rpm |
| Displacement | 248 cc |
| Engine | Parallel twin |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Fork | Telescopic |
| Front tire | 110/80-17 |
| Rear tire | 140/70-17 |
| Wheelbase | 56.3 in (1430 mm) |
| Seat height | 30.7 in (780 mm) |
| Wet weight | 401 lb (182 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 3.5 gal (13.3 L) |
| Top speed | 85 mph (137 km/h) |
| Fuel economy | 54 mpg (US) |
Equipment check
Chassis
What follows isn't my own test ride. It's what I've collected over the years from paddock conversations, club nights, owner chats, and the messages riders send me directly. On this one the chatter is unusually consistent: people enjoy living with it, and they wish it had more to give when they ask.
Comfort comes up more than anything else. Owners report the padded seat, the wide bars, and the neutral stance staying pleasant well past the end of a commute, with longer runs no harder on them. The twin earns the same kind of credit: smooth-running, low on vibration, easy to meter out rather than something you have to manage. Plenty of riders also describe it as feeling like a bigger machine than it is, planted and substantial enough that confidence builds quickly.
The engine draws the loudest single complaint in the whole pile. Riders describe it running out of reach once the pace climbs, with little in hand when they want past a car, and they compare that unfavorably with bigger machines. Behind that sits a smaller but steady gripe about the front brake: one disc, two pistons, a firm pull at the lever, and a feel owners call vague, more so the faster you are going.
Rear brake light switch recall
A faulty brake light switch can cause the brake light to remain on, increasing the risk of a rear-end collision. Suzuki issued a safety recall to replace the switch on certain 2013, 2015, and 2017 GW250/Inazuma models.
Where this Suzuki Inazuma 250F pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Top speed
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Inazuma 250F is actually built for.
Tight, technical East Coast roads suit a light-throttle bike, and low running costs make repeat weekends painless. The long interstate haul to get there is the slow part.
Made for Back of the Dragon · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
If your canyon days are about carrying speed with a quick group, 24 hp will not keep you in the conversation. Ride it for line practice and cheap seat time and it makes sense.
Made for Angeles Crest Highway · Coronado Trail / US 191 · Highway 1 / Big Sur
Relaxed Hill Country loops fit it well, and 54 mpg keeps the weekend cheap. On the long Texas transits between them, an 85 mph (137 km/h) ceiling leaves little in reserve.
Made for Austin / Texas Hill Country · Twisted Sisters · Austin / Handbuilt Motorcycle Show
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
