BANDIT Owners - I need ur input!

[Mick]

In a few weeks, I?ll be putting the last in a series of three ST1100?s I?ve owned up for sale. I?ve had three of these great machines over the last ten years.... not a more rock solid reliable or more stable ride on the planet. I truly believe it will come to be considered one of the best bikes Honda ever built. Having said that, I feel it?s time to move on to something else, especially something lighter.

I actually have a couple of options available. I currently own a 2000 VFR in cherry condition that I use for weekend and short duration touring around Texas. I could conceivably give it the additional task of long distance duty currently performed by my ST but I?m not sure I want to do that. That would leave me with just one bike to do it all. One of the other options would be to replace the ST with something smaller and lighter like a Suzuki Bandit 1250sa. Soooo....... here come the questions for you Bandit owners:

1. Forums ? is there a forum dedicated to the Bandit that is similar in quality to ST-O for gathering reliable info on the bike?

2. Charging System ? what?s the alternator output? I looked at the specifications on the Suzuki site and nothing is listed. If I want to use it for touring, it?s needs to be able to handle the electrical demand of my Gerbings in addition to demands of the bike itself.

3. Gas Mileage ? if you?re on a tour doing the speed limit (yeah right, like that?s gonna happen : ), what sort of MPG do you get?

4. Stability ? How stable is it on the highway with panniers & top box loaded up?

5. Tip over protection ? even though the bike is a standard and there is isn?t a lot of ex$pensive plastic relative to our ST?s, I?d still like to protect the bike as much as I could. On the Nighthawk I once had, I had an engine guard that protected the engine case from scratches in case of a drop or low side. Is something similar sold for the Bandit? If not, would frame sliders do just as good a job of keeping damage to a minimum in the event of a parking lot drop?

6. Maintenance ? valve interval ?, difficulty of doing it yourself, etc. (ST1100 is quick and easy).

7. Tires ? I know the Bandit has a reputation for being a torque laden stump puller, but if one were to ride in a sane fashion, what kind of mileage could you expect from a set of tires, especially the rear.

8. Comfort ? I?m 5? 8 ??. If you are about my size, do you find the Bandit?s ergonomics comfortable?

 

[the Ferret]

I don't own a Bandit although it was on my very short list when I bought my ST1300. If the Bandit had had shft drive, there would be one in the garage right now instead of the ST. I still think about getting one every now and then.

There is an excellent source of Bandit info right in your home state. Two Wheel Texans have a sub forum just on the Bandit 1250. When I was gathering info here's what I learned about Bandits. Excellent motors, strong and reliable. Plenty of torque, although not as much HP as an ST. Up to 7000 rpm they are strong. Like ST's ( and most other bikes) main complaints center around the uuncomfortable seat and the height/width of the non adjustable windshield.Also the handlebars have a weird kink at the end that a lot of people don't like.

The factory luggage is made by Givi and you can just go to discount Givi dealers like Toursport in Cincinnati to outfit your bike,

Nobody likes the size of the stock exhaust can.

You can pick up an ABS equipped model for just over half the price of an ST.

Like the ST it's hard to find a dealer who stocks a Bandit. Being that they are not cruisers or crotch rockets, they have never been good sellers traditionally for Suzuki.

You can google Bandit 1250 and find lots of info and see and hear them running on You-tube videos.There are usually a lot listed on EBAY new from dealers as well.

 

[1129VLD]

http://www.maximum-suzuki.com/forums/index.php

You have to register. It is a one stop resource for the Bandit.

 

[the Ferret]

Here's the TWT site

http://www.twtex.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=-1&f=94

 

[Kempo-STer]

My older 'brother' from another mother and our very own Carl_T has a Bandit 1200...and he has it all set up 2 up style...

Someone ever wants to learn how to ride...follow that old fart through some lines....:bow1:

He loves his Bandit..and that enough endorsemet for me...
Although he say any shortcomings or stuff he would change, they addressed with the 1250S...

I am sure he will chime in...(dont say I did not warn you LOL...) Get you reading glass and your cup of Red Buill ready for the Novel....LOL

 

[Carl_T]

Thanks Todd, heading to bed, going on vacation in the AM, can't chime in long wise, except to say, Russell seat huge, big massive, insistent, thumbs up. Looks like H**l feels like your most comfortable chair at home. The 1250 has a 6 speed instead of a 5, which is all to the better. I do my own valves no problem on the 1200 they are a good bit easier to do than a Ninja 250 and Todd did those, not sure about the 1250. They are a much better bike than most think they are. I've kept this one for longer than I keep most bikes because it fits if you want to tour or play. The weight it perfect. 3 drops (stopped or pushing around) on my ST1300, no drops (knock on wood) on the Bandit due to lighter push around weight. Very solid on the road. Nice and nimble with Pilot Road2 tires on. Mine has aftermarket front fork springs. The new ones aren't supposed to really need them. LIke I said anything I'd carp about they went and altered on the 1250. I'll run a bike shaft or chain, makes no never mind.

 

[Spotthegerbil]

I had a 600 bandit if that helps. Valve check was at 4000 miles, although you didn't need shims as there was an adjuster bolt on the end of the rockers. Never had it two up, and never had much luggage on it. Generally it was a good bike, although I've no experience of the new water cooled variety.

 

[BigTom]

I'm not a 1250 guy, but a big fan of the old 1200.

1. NO. There are a couple of forums around, but nothing like this

Dale Walker. Know the name. Holeshot Inc.
http://www.holeshot.com/

He knows all things bandit. All.

 

[Mick]

Thanks to everyone for their replies to my plea for input.

I made an early morning trip to the local Suzuki dealer today and looked @ an '09 Bandit.... sat on it, looked it over, etc. It actually seemed to be a bit tallish (I'm 5' 8 1/2"). I could flat-foot it but there was not a lot of room left. The seat felt like your rear would be screaming for relief after about an hour in the saddle. Not good news given that more comfortable, aftermarket saddles are usually wider and splay your legs out quite a bit making it more difficult to flat-foot the bike. Guess I need to find a used one somewhere and actually ride it. Other than the height and seat, I absolutely loved the looks of it (midnight blue) and the thought of having a minimalist standard REALLY appeals to me.

The salesman that was hovering near me as I looked the bike over was your typical salesman... couldn't answer one question I had that was not covered in the sales brochure even though he was the sales manager. Example: Valve Check interval for the 1250?... got nothing but a vague answer the that *most* modern motorcycles have an 18k mile interval. He also had the personality of a rock. Could not get him engaged at all in discussing the bike. The only time he spoke was to give vague, obviously poor answers to my specific questions. I'm always amazed that obviously poor salesmen end up doing it for a living.

 

[Spotthegerbil]

If the seat is anything like the old version, you can get an inch or so taken out of it. You can also lower the bike by about an inch.

 

[ST Sweeney]

Hi Mick

I'm on to my second Bandit both bought from new.
I had an 2005 air cooled 1200s fitted with a top box and found no problems with stability while on a high speed criuse or having a bit of fun around the quiet twisty roads of Scotland.
I am around the same height as yourself and I have to say have had no problems getting my feet on the deck when needed.

One thing I would say is that the new water cooled 1250 Bandit is a better built machine all round. I just feels tighter and smoother than the old one. That said, I found the saddle slightly less comfortable, even though it has a 3 position height adjustment.
I treated myself to an aftermarket custom gel filled saddle (www.motorbikeseats.com) and it made things much better. I have the GT version which came spec'd with SatNav and a full set of luggage. Again no problems with stability with all the boxes on board while giving it of a blast.

I've always had my bike dealer serviced at the recommended 4000mls or yearly interval and I can say that I've never had to visit in between apart from tyres!
I've tried run a few types, I changed to original Dunlop Sportmax tyres to Continental Road Attacks. They were superb in the dry, but scary in the wet, and in Scotland we get a lot of the latter. I only got 2,500mls out of the rear, where the Dunlops got me nearly 4,000. I switched to Michelin Pilot Road 2's on the recommendation of the guys at my local Suzuki dealership who personally has had several Bandits over the years. He rekons I'll get 6000 miles from the Pilots and they are THE best tyre for the 1250 Bandit. He wasn't wrong, loads of grip wet or dry but at the same time seem to absorb bumps and ridges well for a smoother ride. I know there is always a feel good factor with a new tyre, but these are genuinely the most noticeable and best set of new rubber I've ever had.

The bandit is a fairly beefy bike, a bit like its owner, and as such not great on fuel if you are doing a lot of start stop riding. I commute to work every day on my Bandit which is mostly start stop city driving. I filter traffic to get to the front of the Q at traffic lights and accelerate off when they change, so I'm not exactly MrEco, but all that said I still get around 140-150 miles from a full tank (average fill up takes 18 litres or so and costs about ?19) which works out around 35-40mpg. I'll get more on a run and eek out 170-180 from a tank.

We're currently paying ?114.9 per litre for fuel in Scotland, so what's that...about $8 or $9 per gallon. Am I going to get a fright when I pick up my ST1300? What kind of MPG should I expect?

Hope that helps

 

[Mick]

I found the saddle slightly less comfortable, even though it has a 3 position height adjustment.

Good to know Sweeny. I'll have to check that out the next time I go to a dealer. That's just one of the many things the "salesman" didn't mention. Come to think of it, he didn't mention a blasted thing. Sort of vegetable like personality.

I treated myself to an aftermarket custom gel filled saddle (www.motorbikeseats.com)

Can you still flat foot the bike?

The bandit is a fairly beefy bike, a bit like its owner,

Heh, I'm no lightweight myself!

I'm not exactly MrEco, but all that said I still get around 140-150 miles from a full tank <snip> which works out around 35-40mpg.

Doesn't sound too bad for commuting.

Hope that helps

It does, thanks.

 

[1129VLD]

If you peruse around the Maximum-Suzuki forum you'll see that a lot of those guys have their seat Spencerized .. seems to be the best way to go.

 

[atonic]

1. Two wheeled texans is as good as it gets, nothing near as good as here. Bandit alley died.

2. I haven't been able to find out the total charging power.

3. I'm heavy on the throttle and get ~43.

4. No panniers, never been on the highway, so I can't say. Feels stable to me at ~100.

5. There is a cage you can get for the lower engine. Most seem to use frame sliders.

6. Can't say anything about the maintenance, mine isn't due yet.

7. Eats the stock first set in 3-5k. But they say you can get 10k out of aftermarket tires.

8. I think you'll be good here. I'm actually cramped in the leg, atm trying to get used to some buell pegs. I have a 32" inseam.

I have a short-range butt. Done a couple 200+ days on the bandit, no real issues.

Adding a lower fairing looks good, but brings the engine heat back and dumps it on the underside of your thighs.

You can come test ride mine if you like...but you can probably do that closer to home.

 

[ST Sweeney]

Hi Mick,

No worries on flatfooting the bandit. The aftermarket saddle is slightly lower and the top surface is rounded, so much better for start stop riding around town than the flatter,wider original. The filling is softer and kinder to the bahooky (pronounced bah-hook-eh, a good Scottish word for ones arse)!

Cheers,

Mark Sweeney

 

[Hondafan]

I had a 1200S model, one bike I should have kept. I used to frequent a site called:

BanditAlley

I don't think you could go wrong with 1250.

 

[DsrtRngr]

Www.twtex.com

two wheeled texans site has gigantic bandit sub-forum. Also have mega
-thread just about bandit tires.

 

[STreaker]

I had an '03 Bandit 1200 for 3 years then traded it for my '03 ST1300. The Bandit had awesome steam hammer power and snap after I did a Stage II mod. The acceleration actually stetched my arms and could do 0-75 in first. Probably 90% of my torque was available by 3,500 rpms. The seat was quite comfortable, but the handlebars tortured my shoulders. I added risers and pullbacks, but could never make a sport touring bike out of it.

I realize the 1200 is not quite the same as the newer 1250, but the engine is probably the same block: extremely reliable and efficient. I was sorry to see my Bandit go, but outside of the BMW 1200 RT, there is no more comfortable sport tourer than the ST (IMHO).