Suzuki Inazuma to return?

SUZUKI may be planning to bring a retro street bike back to its range and reviving the “Inazuma” name that graced a retro-styled Bandit derivative in the late 90s and early 2000s.

The firm has been without a true retro-styled naked bike since the demise of the GSX1400 back in 2007, and while it has plenty to offer in terms of naked machines they're all relatively modern looking bikes rather than classic, round-headlamp retros.

Now the company has registered a trademark for the “Inazuma” name once again, which translates as “Lightning”. The original Inazuma machines, available as 400cc and 1200cc models, were based on the Bandit platform but given traditional, 1970s-style muscle-bike bodywork. Now, with the Bandit looking more modern since its 2010 facelift, there's scope for a retro-styled Inazuma version machine to make its return, adding to the Suzuki line-up with minimal extra development costs.