The big brother Intruder is a well-received motorcycle in several parts of the world. Sadly, the younger 150cc sibling failed to make a name for itself in India
2006 was the year when Suzuki gifted the world its premium V-Twin cruiser Boulevard M109R. In certain parts of the world, it was sold as the Intruder M1800R and, for reasons unknown, the Intruder moniker became more famous than the Boulevard tag. For years, the motorcycle continued to rule the streets because of its performance, comfort and design language.
However, given the hefty price-tag, the motorcycle was not welcomed by countries with price-sensitive markets. Therefore, the Japanese brand launched the Suzuki Intruder 150, a downtrodden Intruder with a sporty-commuter tuned engine dressed as a cruiser.
In 2017, when the motorcycle was launched in India, Indian moto-enthusiasts were happy to receive a new cruiser because, back then, Indians only had the Bajaj Avenger 160 in the 100-160cc segment. However, the Intruder never managed to become a household name and a few days ago, Suzuki de-listed the motorcycle from their Indian website.
An eyesore
The design of the Suzuki Intruder 150 was embraced by several motorcycle enthusiasts. However, to a majority of riders, the design quickly turned into an eyesore because of how disproportionate the motorcycle looked.
For example, the body panels of the motorcycle gave the Intruder a big-bike look. However, the slim tyre set of the cruiser simply did not play well with the overall body language. Other factors such as paint schemes, lack of chrome parts and weirdly-designed headlight unit also turned the Intruder into an eyesore.
Sales figures
The sales figures of the Intruder were never brilliant, which also led to the demise of the motorcycle. Until 2021, the company sold several Intruders in the nation, but in the past six months, Suzuki did not sell a single Intruder. Therefore, Suzuki finally pulled the plug on the Intruder.
Apart from sales figures, the motorcycle’s engine, which was in the same state of tune as the Gixxer 155, also did not work in the Intruder’s favour. Not to forget, the stiff ride quality was also an issue for several riders, which means the motorcycle did not serve the purpose of an ideal cruiser.
Last but not the least, Suzuki was planning to launch an Intruder 250 but given how the Intruder 155 has faced a downfall, the Intruder 250 is unlikely to be launched by the giant Jap.
