Motorcycle.com Bandit 1250 review

I read that one a while ago, good article, but they think it's "bland." Maybe they should ride Dale's.

Frito Bandito said:

I read that one a while ago, good article, but they think it's "bland." Maybe they should ride Dale's.

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To be accurate, he loved the motor, and thought the styling was bland. If not for finding a deal I couldn't refuse, I wouldn't have gotten one, simply because of the styling. But, I was pleasantly surprised by the engine's torque! But I STILL wish it looked more like the 2nd gen. FZ1.

Yeah they really gave it a good review in the article...

I got off my '05 Bonneville to ride a buddy's first generation FZ1 one day. After my brief ride I commented that it had a very neutral feel to it, that it did everything I wanted effortlessly, was easy to ride, had all the power one could want, and it stopped quite well. I also said that it was more like an appliance rather than a motorcycle, absent any drama, and that it was "boring". Then with a big smile I said, "I gots ta git me one-a-these!"

40,000 miles later I sold it.....
5 months later I replaced it with yet another "appliance".

My '08 1255cc Bandit is every bit the same bike as my FZ1, just with more torque.... and even MORE neutral feeling (the brakes could benefit from some after-market pads though).

It's a GREAT motorcycle, and MINE will be equipped with some hard luggage some day. It's the engine that makes this bike. And were it not for the swoopy doopy fairing, it would be a standard straight from out of the 80's.... but with 25 years of refinement.

Is it just me, or was that a thoroughly torturous read? Tor Sagen needs to take a writing class.

One of many examples: "I expect this Suzuki engine to be talked about as one of the most reliable motorcycle engines built in the future."

They built the 1250's engine in the future? Wow. Einstein would certainly be proud. Perhaps Suzuki will build in the past next time so he can be included.

All he did was forget a comma in his statement. I took the article to the fire station and let 4 people read it and asked them if they understood what he met. They said the same thing I thought. In the future, this engine will be considered as one of the most reliable engines suzuki built. Not build it in the future.

As for riding Dale's bikes. Then it's not what you buy off the floor it is? That's what they are referring to.

I love my 1250S Bandit as well or better than most bikes I've had in the last 50 years. That engine is what sold it to me. After the DL1000 I rode for 14 months and put on 16000 miles, it was heaven sent. Now trying to make a good, comfortable long distance sport touring bike out of it for an older rider with lots of miles under his belt. ..

"The five-gallon fuel tank could have been bigger. I can’t see that it would have made a huge impact neither for the weight nor aesthetics to add a 6.5-gallon fuel tank that would have added to the practical nature of the rest of the motorcycle."

I agree...however...it's my only complaint to date. Dale's stage 2 certainly didn't help in this area! (OK...I admit it's my fault...you gotta love that torque!)

People don't realize it, but our gas tank will get us 200 miles down the road before it's empty. When the icon first starts flashing, a guy can continue another 50 miles down the road before BOTH icons start flashing. AND then you can continue to drive yet ANOTHER 20 miles before you run out of gas! I performed this test at (an indicated) 74 mph, accelerating onto a couple freeway on-ramps, and a couple hard accelerations in 6th to pass cars in traffic.

And then there is my mounting concern with Dale mods.....
A couple days ago I went on a 250 road trip ripping over some goat trails, (very) high speed two lane country roads, dragging knees on some back-roads, essentially driving quite aggressively. My unmodified 1255cc's returned me 38 mpg, when normally I might get 40 mpg, and the BEST I've ever seen was 45 mpg. With a Holeshot muffler and Ivan's jetting on my FZ1, my gas mileage went from a best of 53 mpg to 38-42 mpg.
-- I really don't know what I'm gonna do with regard to future mods --
I'd like to maintain what little economy I already have, and I know how much I like to hear the music out of a healthy 4-1......
I'm thinking/wondering, what Dale's upcoming 4-1 header, matched to his street version can, DB reducer, and simple K&N might do with regard to maintaining some of my current mileage(?).

You can't really compare the FZ1 and the Bandit in this respect - the Yam had carbs for which the method of tuning (changing the jets) is quite crude and will tend to err on the generous (rich) side, compared to a modern injected system on the Bandit which can be re-mapped in tiny increments. Sure, a modified, re-mapped Bandit will use a little more fuel than a stock one but the difference won't be anywhere as much as it was on your FZ.

With all the mods I have (which are pretty much all that are possible without going inside the engine) I reckon I'm using around 5% more fuel than stock which is an acceptable compromise in my eyes. That's with a highly-baffled Yoshi can - I can probably get most of that 5% back with the new (unbaffled) can that I've got ready to go on.

- sproggy -

Thanks, fuel injection -vs- carbs..... that's right!
May I ask what kind of gas mileage you get when you ride the **** outa the bike, your commuting average, and your best?

I'll go ahead and find a converter on-line to understand via our 'miles' per gallon....

That's reassuring, as I would really like to release the beast that lies within my box stock torque monster. I love the torque, but would like for it to respond to my throttle input between 7,000 rpm and red-line.

And then there is my mounting concern with [I said:

Dale mods[/I].....
A couple days ago I went on a 250 road trip ripping over some goat trails, (very) high speed two lane country roads, dragging knees on some back-roads, essentially driving quite aggressively. My unmodified 1255cc's returned me 38 mpg, when normally I might get 40 mpg, and the BEST I've ever seen was 45 mpg. With a Holeshot muffler and Ivan's jetting on my FZ1, my gas mileage went from a best of 53 mpg to 38-42 mpg.
-- I really don't know what I'm gonna do with regard to future mods --
I'd like to maintain what little economy I already have, and I know how much I like to hear the music out of a healthy 4-1......
I'm thinking/wondering, what Dale's upcoming 4-1 header, matched to his street version can, DB reducer, and simple K&N might do with regard to maintaining some of my current mileage(?).

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I'm more than happy to live with the loss of mileage from Dales mods. It's well worth the trade off for me...it has improved the personality of the 1250 tremendously! More satisfying and fun to ride aggressively.

Just for the record my lowest mileage to date with Dale's stage 2 mods riding aggressively is 32 - 33mpg, and the best high I seemed to be getting now is 41 - 42mpg. I suspect that the addition of the header won't affect the mileage much if any under cruise conditions.

My mileage would probably improve by 10% or so if I didn't have to run that **** ethanol required in the socialist state of Oregon now, not to mention a probable equal loss of hp.

By contrast my buddie's '07 FZ1 (fuel injected) gets a low of 31mpg and his high never brakes into the 40's...he has a smaller tank yet.

Fittysom'n said:

May I ask what kind of gas mileage you get when you ride the **** outa the bike, your commuting average, and your best?

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It's a long time since I rode the bike, and even longer since I got the chance to ride it hard, but commuting (45 mile round trip, two-up into London in heavy traffic) was giving around 42mpg (34mpUSg) with the mods compared to 45mpg stock. I'd get the same emptying a tankful two-up with panniers and top box at an average of around 85mph, but with a very strong head wind coming back from Amsterdam once it dropped to 32mpg (26mpUSg) I nearly ran out that time - I didn't believe the fuel gauge..... That's the worst I've ever got from the Bandit.

I don't do many solo miles, but best fuel usage was a long solo trip in the rain (so speeds kept below 70mph and gentle throttle use) where I got about 50mpg (40mpUSg).

For me, the big difference between the FZ (2nd gen), and the Bandit, is styling.
It amazes me that after the spacey looking, over-the-top, B-King, Suzuki stayed so plain with the new Bandit. That, is weird!

The Bandit actually looks like the FIRST gen. FZ, except plainer. The 2nd gen. FZ is a thing of beauty!!! Absolutely NO comparison on looks!

But, as I said earlier, I DO like the Bandit's engine,and, it's a great bike, it just doesn't excite my eyeballs, even tho' I have THEEE best color! (red!!)

To be fair, I've never rode a 2nd gen FZ, but I had a 1st gen, an 04 Skunk (silver/black),
and it's one of the few bikes I really miss!

I kinda' miss my 1k V-Strom too.....I hated the feel of the v-twin pulses, but **** was that thing comfortable!!

OMG, a V-Strom with a Bandit engine??......grrrrrr!!! THAT, would be AWESOME!!

hmmm, lotsa food fer thought. Really interesting, thanks for your candid responses.

Oh my God, you had a FZ "Skunk"?!? A thing of beauty, that skunk! Mine was the Bee, black & retro Yamaha yellow. I find it ironic that I never lusted for more torque with my first generation FZ1.... as the power alone was ORGASMIC, especially when the EXUP valve opened. But with every passing ride on the Bandit, torque is where it's AT.... in real world, everyday riding.

Fittysom'n said:

hmmm, lotsa food fer thought. Really interesting, thanks for your candid responses.

Oh my God, you had a FZ "Skunk"?!? A thing of beauty, that skunk! Mine was the Bee, black & retro Yamaha yellow. I find it ironic that I never lusted for more torque with my first generation FZ1.... as the power alone was ORGASMIC, especially when the EXUP valve opened. But with every passing ride on the Bandit, torque is where it's AT.... in real world, everyday riding.

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I also considered a Bee, but never found the right "deal". I actually liked the FZ's midrange, mostly because I knew what was coming immediately after!!! Mine was jetted/piped/ign.advanced/.....1st few times I rode it, I thought " This is WAY too fast for a guy that's 50! By the end of the summer, I wanted MORE!

Sold my skunk on Ebay, the buyer paid to ship it from here (Ohio), to California. He had one before, and just HAD to get back on one!

But I soon found out exactly how he felt.....I spent most of the winter looking for a used 2nd gen.FZ