Suzuki Intruder 150 Review: Suzuki Gixxer Experience in a Cruiser Body

Suzuki Intruder was launched in Nepal in hopes to fill the void in the cruiser segment left by Suzuki Enticer.

That was two years ago.

Right now, we only see a handful of Suzuki Intruders, compared to other Suzuki motorcycles. It is unfortunate, especially since, the Intruder seems like a good package deal, at least on paper.

It offers muscular design, perky performance, and killer features. All that, for the price of just Rs. 3,29,900!

In this review, we will try to explore the Suzuki Intruder; uncut and unfiltered.

Suzuki Intruder 150 Review

Muscular Design (x10)

Let’s start with the design.

Suzuki Intruder 150 is inspired by Suzuki Intruder M1800R. It is perhaps the first time the heavy design makes its entry into the 150cc segment.

The bulky design is interesting, to say the least. Plus, simply calling it a “muscular cruiser” would be an understatement. It would be more befitting to call it a “muscular x 10” design.

I mean, just look at it!

Body Design

Just a heads up, I will be using “bulky” a lot to describe the Suzuki cruiser.

Starting on the front, it gets a giant triangle-shaped headlamp with a dual-tone finish. Moreover, the headlamp gets a yellow halogen bulb right alongside the white circular DRL underneath.

The headlamp is slightly tilted towards a slightly lower, resulting in a weird front number plate placement. While it might seem the large headlamp is fixed in its position, it’s not. It moves along with the handlebar.

On top of the handlebar, it gets a sort-of stylized single-handlebar design over a traditional visor.

You can see the bulbed side-indicators right on the side.

Compared to the massive head and stylized visor, the side-indicators feels misplaced and brings down the style of the vehicle.

Speaking of bringing down the style, the entire Intruder body is based on hard plastic. While it does reduce weight considerably, it takes points off the premium appeal.

I’ll let this one pass since the entire point of Intruder is to break tradition. I guess this is one of the ways to do it.

The same goes for the side profile as well. It does not feature a traditional design, rather a bulky and intimating look. It started from the headlamp, continuing all the way to the fuel tank.

The fuel tank is futuristic, with multiple body elements giving off killer aesthetics. Compared to the other bikes we have reviewed so far, this has to be the most muscular one.

It’s not just that.

The Suzuki cruiser proudly showcases its futuristic si-fi-inspired design, resulting in great road presence. Since the Nepali market has never seen anything like this before, people will stop and admire it.

Anyway, let’s continue with the side profile.

It gets a large grille-type dual-port exhaust, giving Intruder a unique look. The exterior design of the exhaust features a white matte finishing.

The Suzuki Intruder is more lenient towards a Matte finish. Honestly, it could have looked more premium with a Glossy finish.

Similarly, the rear section follows a curvy design, inspired by Suzuki Hayabusa. Moreover, it features a multiple LED rear light. Yet again, the side-indicator placement looks off.

Unlike the side and front profile, the rear portion is relatively simple.

Our review unit did not have a pillion rest. However, it is available as an add on.

Suzuki Intruder is available in three different colors: Matt Black with Candy Red and Sparkly Black with Titanium Silver.

Suzuki Intruder Design Highlights

• Iconic Intruder Style Headlamp
• Muscular Body
• Circular LED DRL
• LED Tail Lamp
• Matt Finish
• Sharp Twin Exhaust

Gixxer Performance

This is where the originality of Suzuki Intruder ends. Besides the design, almost everything else has been shared from the Suzuki Gixxer.

Suzuki Intruder is powered by the same engine as the Suzuki Gixxer.

It gets a 155cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled, carburetor engine which can generate a max power of 14.6PS at 8000rpm and 14Nm at 6000rpm. Furthermore, it is mated to a 5-speed transmission with an 11-liter fuel tank.

ALSO READ: Suzuki Gixxer 155 Review: An Underrated Masterpiece!

On a side note, it is still a BS4-compliant engine, exactly matching with the one in old Gixxer.

Suzuki didn’t even attempt to retuned or modified the engine in the slightest. Even the chassis is the same exact one, with slight modification.

Suzuki Intruder Engine Highlights

• 155cc Air-Cooled Engine with Torque Heavy Feel
• Suzuki Eco Performance (SEP)
• Best Low-End and Mid-Range Performance
• Performance Similarities with Suzuki Gixxer 150

Features

Suzuki Intruder comes with a decent list of features.

I call it decent because we have already seen most of them in the previous Gixxer models.

Interestingly, the features might not seem like much today. But back in 2018, it was a truly revolutionary motorcycle, offering a completely different cruiser experience.

Unfortunately, it was ahead of its time.

So, most of us failed to appreciate the true beauty and genius of Suzuki Intruder.

Braking Performance

Suzuki Intruder 150 features a 270mm front disc and a 240mm rear disc.

Yes, it comes with dual-disc brakes!

Furthermore, the front Single-Channel ABS adds considerable improvement to the braking performance.

Suzuki always offers excellent braking performance. It was true for Suzuki Gixxer, and I am happy to report that it is also true for the Suzuki Intruder.

Interestingly, Suzuki Intruder came with a single-channel ABS as standard as early as 2018, at a time many weren’t even familiar with the concept.

While it might not seem like a wow factor now, it was at that time.

Tyres

Moving on to the tyres, it gets the same tyres present in the Suzuki Gixxer.

It comes with a 100/80 front tyre and 140/60 rear tyre. Interestingly, both 17-inch tubeless tyres, but only the rear tyre is Radial.

This is the part I’m slightly unhappy about two things.

Firstly, the included tyres feel ridiculously small compared to the giant body structure. Surely, the front tyre size is passable. But the rear tyre feels thinner, which brings down the aggressive look of the cruiser.

I think the look could have improved with a fatter 15-inch tyre, like the one in Bajaj Avenger 160 ABS.

Suspension

Suzuki Intruder 150 features a standard front telescopic and rear monoshock suspension setup.

Like I have said, again and again, the suspension is also borrowed from the Gixxer.

The suspension feel is relatively smooth for the rider, absorbing the usual bumps and potholes with ease. However, it is a different story for the pillion passenger.

Despite being a monoshock suspension, the rear suspension travel feels less. The bumps are more easily felt by a rear passenger.

Thus, the rear suspension isn’t as soft or comfortable as the front suspension, resulting in a jumpy experience.

Fuel Tank Capacity and Mileage

Suzuki Intruder gets an 11-liter fuel tank.

We did put it to a mileage test, trying to see if the Intruder body might have a hand in reducing the mileage.

As it happens, it does not.

Suzuki claims a mileage of 40Kmpl. We got an average of 35-38Kmph which is pretty satisfying for the bike of this caliber.

Seat Position and Comfort

Both the seat position and comfort depends on where you actually sit.

The rider position feels the most comfortable, with a well-cushioned seat. The seat is wide enough, so both long and short rides feel comfortable.

As expected, the gearshift and rear brake controls are front set. However, it feels more extended to the front, making it slightly uncomfortable for short riders.

So, you have to adjust or move to the front to reach the footpegs. I’d say, Suzuki Intruder is more perfect for tall individuals looking for a cruiser.

Talking about the pillion seat, it is wide enough to sit comfortably. However, the experience isn’t as nice as the rider seat. It is doable in short rides. However, be prepared for backaches in long rides.

Quite frankly, the rear grab bar isn’t that practical. So, I highly recommend riders to add the pillion backrest option.

Other Features

Let’s start with the all digital-instrument console.

It’s the same console previously seen in the old Suzuki Gixxer. Furthermore, it comes with adequate information on offer like Clock, Odo, Gear Position Indicator, Trip Meter, ABS indicator.

The digital cluster provides good enough information but it seems smaller when compared with the body.

Let’s move on to weight, seat height, and ground clearance.

Suzuki Intruder weighs about 152kg with 740mm seat height and 170mm ground clearance. As a reference, Bajaj Avenger 160 ABS weighs about 154kg with 737mm seat height and 169mm ground clearance.

Compared to the Avenger 160, Intruder feels 2Kg lighter and 3mm taller. However, the Suzuki Intruder is much wider in retrospect.

Suzuki Intruder 150 Feature Highlight

• Dual Disc Brakes
• Single-Channel ABS
• Telescopic Front Forks and Rear Monoshock Suspension
• Wider and Comfortable Seats
• Front-Set Footpegs
• Digital Instrument Console
• Perfect for Tall Riders

My Experience with Suzuki Intruder 150

Torque Heavy Pick Up

Starting with the pickup, the Suzuki Intruder comes with the most exhilarating pickup feel.

The pickup kicks in under 3000rpm, and it is almost instantaneous.

The initial torque experience is damn-near perfect, with enough low-grunt that makes the entire experience more enjoyable.

We recently reviewed the Suzuki Gixxer 155, and I have to say, the pickup experience feels so much like that one.

Engine Performance

The Suzuki engine feels so refined and well-tuned out. It was already perfect in the Gixxer, then Intruder should be no different.

I can see why Suzuki opted to use the same engine, rather than retune it.

In any case, the performance experience is also repeated here.

The engine feels super refined under the 7000rpm. Moreover, it has enough torque and power feel that most of us will probably never push past that rpm limit. However, the Intruder can still be pushed past 10000rpm if needed.

If you do move past 7000rpm, minor vibrations kick in the footpegs and handlebar. Interestingly, the vibrations are more prominent while deaccelerating than accelerating.

Let’s move on to the gear shift.

The clutch was light in the Gixxer but it is heavy in the Intruder. The transmission interval between the gears is good enough, leaving enough room for a good cruising experience.

Interestingly, Gear-1&2 comes across as torque heavy with Gear-4&5 coming across as power heavy.

Whereas, Gear 3 features the best of both world experience, with well-balanced torque and power.

Based on the experience, I constantly kept coming back to the Gear-3 in almost every situation. However, I only used the Gear-5 on the highway.

Practical Experience

Suzuki Intruder isn’t very practical.

If you take a quick look at the cruiser, you’d understand it too.

The bulky design and wide-body limit its practical use in real-world scenarios. There were one too many time where I kept second-guessing if the Intruder can fit into the narrow roads of Asan or cut tight corners.

It shouldn’t be considered as a total disadvantage since Intruder is mostly a highway focused bike.

Unsurprisingly, Suzuki Intruder shines on the highway. The bike feels comfortable on a straight road, with high stability even at high speeds.

If you play the gears and throttle just right, it truly feels majestic!

Riding with Pillion

The power of positivity continues while riding with the pillion.

You don’t really feel the pillion tampering with your mojo, especially with the long seat.

Moreover, the 155cc feels good enough to tackle long rides with perfect ease. The power isn’t hampered even if there is a considerable payload in the pillion seat.

Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for the pillion passengers. The rear suspension feels low on suspension travel, so a rough road ends up feeling too jumpy.

Compared to the Bajaj Avenger 160 ABS, the rear seat is wider. However, both cruisers isn’t very pillion friendly.

Battle with the Competition

Cruisers are fairly popular in Nepal. However, it isn’t popular enough for big brands like Honda, TVS, and Yamaha to invest in the 150cc cruiser.

So, there is only Suzuki Intruder and Bajaj Avenger offering a decent cruiser. Sure, there are other cruisers from different brands but not from a mainstream brand.

That’s why we will only compare the Suzuki Intruder 150 with the Bajaj Avenger 160 ABS.

Suzuki Intruder 150 vs Bajaj Avenger 160 ABS

There are night-day differences between the Suzuki Intruder and Bajaj Avenger.

The ride quality feels different, the riding position feels different, and almost everything feels entirely different.

Bajaj Avenger feels more premium with the metal finish, relatively easy handling, and sporty design. However, it lacks torque, falling flat in city riding conditions. Furthermore, the rear brake comes with ridiculously lackluster performance.

In contrast, there are considerable improvements in Suzuki Intruder.

ALSO READ: Bajaj Avenger 160 ABS Street Review: Stellar Design But Mediocre Performance!

Firstly, the engine feels more punchy and torque heavy, making the ride feel more alive and enjoyable. Secondly, the dual-disc brakes are god-send!

Suzuki still nails the performance of the brakes, with extra bite in the rear tyre. Plus, the added single-channel ABS is the cherry on the top!

Still, I wish Suzuki could’ve done more here.

Dissatisfaction

This brings me to the negative aspects of the Suzuki Intruder.

Honestly, I love the Suzuki Intruder… only if my friends own it and not me.

It’s cool to appreciate the bulky design, punchy performance, and constant attention. However, it sacrifices most of the practicality to do so.

If you ride it a few times, it is justifiable to sacrifice the practicality.

But…

If you are constantly on the move, you lose the appeal pretty fast.

Adding to that, Suzuki Intruder should not belong in the 150cc category. Suzuki has done a lot of cost-cutting to bring the bike down for the 150cc riders.

I think Suzuki should ditch the cruiser entirely, and bring the Suzuki Intruder with a 250cc engine.

No cost-cutting, bigger tyres, and premium features. Only then, Suzuki Intruder can justify its own existence in the Nepali market.

Conclusion

As you might have guessed, the review is pretty mixed.

I love the Suzuki Intruder 150, with its performance and mammoth design. However, I can’t bring myself to sacrifice handling and maneuvering to do so.

If you were looking to buy the Suzuki Intruder, you should consider two things.

How will you ride it? Why do you want it?

Suzuki Intruder is great for street or highway riding, so if your commute is limited to that kind of road, then great!

Likewise, if you want a cruiser with a more modern design and flashy appearance, then great!

If, and only if, you consider those two factors carefully, I’d recommend you go for the Suzuki Intruder.