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FJR 1300 .vs Bandit 1250 my review

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mikem111

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Passing on this info to anyone of you Bandit owners who might be tempted to “upgrade” to an FJR… DON’T DO IT… I did, and boy do I miss my Bandit. It was done 80% for the wife’s wind issues, 20% for my wind issues. We like to use an intercom system also, which was impossible on highway. Yes the FJR takes care of the wind issues, that is about it.. at the expensive of a ridiculously load whining engine, poor handlebar ergo’s with limited room for adjustment- even after spending $300 on a new triple clamp. My biggest complaint is a totally anemic engine compared to the Bandit and almost 200 lbs. more fat.. ALL this for $5K more.. But there was no cure for the small Bandit windshield. I also tried an ST1300 before the FJR.. Initial impressions were not good, so I went with the FJR..

SO I say to all you out there… think long and hard before spending 5k on a Yamaha or Honda windshield.

PLEASE SUZUKI- PUT A LARGE ADJUSTABLE WINDSHIELD ON THE BANDIT- it is one of the best engines I have EVER RIDDEN.. that is said with 30 years experince and more than 25 bikes owned

Peace

Be nice, spay or Neuter your pets……….
 
Well you have a good point money wise, You do have 40 extra ponys and an 2 extra gallons of fuel, Temp,mpg gauge, more leg room for you and her but still not worth 5k over the Bandit? I understand where your coming from, heck I felt the Bandit was overpriced too for what you get. Ive converted to dual sport and one up these days. SZ.:rider:
 
I'm not sure that I agree with you on this one. It really depends on what you're looking for out of your bike(s). I paid about the same for my FJR as I would have paid for a new B1250. I've ridden both as well. The FJR is waaaaaay more comfy and better equiped for LD trips, if thats what you're into. **** nice in the performance department too (similar to the B-12), with no chain to mess with, a better fairing (full), better instruments, saddle bags, a rack, adjustable wind shield, power outlet, more storage, more gas capacity, better suspension, 24 K valve adjust intervals, better stock seat, great resources on web, tons of aftermarket, yada, yada, yada. :trust:

I concede that the Bandit is maybe better in the handling department, more flickable, but not by much. I'll agree that the Bandit is maybe the best value in motorcycling, with the exception of an SV650, and you get alot for what you pay for. The bandit is a better UJM. The FJR is really in a different class and better in more areas, IMO.
 
though on paper the FJR has more ponies- to me it feels like half. it takes forever to go from 70-8- to triple digits.. on the bandit it was a blink o the eye.. all gears were better- never a need to downshift etc... yes the FJR has a few amenaties the bandit does not- but not 4-5K worth... and not to mention all the extra weight... but as with everything- it's all just my opinion, yours may vary..

ride safe- no matter what you ride
 
When I had my Bandit 07 my co-worker had an FJR 07, We would nail em at the same time{in a safe smooth area} and his FJR would pull away at least 5 lengths before we would both be topping out at around 150, I dont know how much faster the FJR would go beyond 150 but thats where I gave up, I always thought that stock FJR was a beast that sand blasted the front of my Bandit more than once, I just couldnt stand that AGGIE maroon painted FJR color. disclaimer: I am not nor have I ever been in the habit of turning 150 and I only did it once on the Bandit, It is ill advised and dangerous. Thanks SZ.:rider:
 
sz rider said:
When I had my Bandit 07 my co-worker had an FJR 07, We would nail em at the same time{in a safe smooth area} and his FJR would pull away at least 5 lengths before we would both be topping out at around 150, I dont know how much faster the FJR would go beyond 150 but thats where I gave up, I always thought that stock FJR was a beast that sand blasted the front of my Bandit more than once, I just couldnt stand that AGGIE maroon painted FJR color. disclaimer: I am not nor have I ever been in the habit of turning 150 and I only did it once on the Bandit, It is ill advised and dangerous. Thanks SZ.:rider:
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man I must have gotten a dud of an FJR- or my bandit had turbo:lol2:
 
Man, I really do have to ride a 1250 Bandit! I'm sure they are comparable, but I bought the FJR for several things not offered on the Bandit. Integrated hard bags, superior weather protection, adjustable seat, shaft drive and more comprehensive instrumentation. The 26,000 mile valve check was a sweet bonus. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Bandit, and the price difference was hard to ignore, but in the end, the FJR met more of my immediate needs (replacing a Goldwing).
 
kurt said:
Man, I really do have to ride a 1250 Bandit! I'm sure they are comparable, but I bought the FJR for several things not offered on the Bandit. Integrated hard bags, superior weather protection, adjustable seat, shaft drive and more comprehensive instrumentation. The 26,000 mile valve check was a sweet bonus. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Bandit, and the price difference was hard to ignore, but in the end, the FJR met more of my immediate needs (replacing a Goldwing).
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:rider:
 
kurt said:
Man, I really do have to ride a 1250 Bandit! I'm sure they are comparable, but I bought the FJR for several things not offered on the Bandit. Integrated hard bags, superior weather protection, adjustable seat, shaft drive and more comprehensive instrumentation. The 26,000 mile valve check was a sweet bonus. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Bandit, and the price difference was hard to ignore, but in the end, the FJR met more of my immediate needs (replacing a Goldwing).
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Kurt,

You are welcome to ride my 1250 at the pie run in South Texas.

Back to the thread, I too also like the FJR over the Bandit as a whole. The Bandit is a great bike for the money but the FJR moved my soul more. But as some of you know, a Goldwing replaced the FJR for long distance riding and I still have a Bandit for my sport touring fever. ;-)
 
I can see it now. Kurt's new garage is going to have a Bandit for him and an FJR for "Rhonda's Bike".

Hey you need one. You have the F800GS for DSing, the FJR for touring two up, and the Buell to look reproachfully at you from the corner, but nothing for a naked sportbike to eat up the twisties. :trust:
 
Texfire said:
I can see it now. Kurt's new garage is going to have a Bandit for him and an FJR for "Rhonda's Bike".

Hey you need one. You have the F800GS for DSing, the FJR for touring two up, and the Buell to look reproachfully at you from the corner, but nothing for a naked sportbike to eat up the twisties. :trust:
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I can't have another Bandit. I just couldn't behave on the last one. Traffic looked like a rolling slalom course. :rider:
 
I had an 05 FJR, nice bike but very heavy. I bought a 07 FZ6 while I had my FJR for the day to day commute. The FJR was a bit big, heavy and wide to split traffic here in CA for my 35 mile commute. the more I rode the FZ6 the more I disliked the weight and size of the FJR and the more I missed my 03 ZRX, since Kawi no longer made the ZRX the next logical bike was its competition the 1250. I will never go back to a whale of a bike again the 1250 at 560lbs is as heavy as I want to go. One interesting sidenote is that on my FJR I changed the windshield twice trying to get airflow to stop blowing the crap out of my wife on the back and on the 1250 she says its the best since my Valkrie interstate of years ago, it doesnt make much sense but it must be just the right combination for us. They have made lots of changes to the FJR since 05 to deal with air managment and engine heat issues so the new ones will be better than mine in that respect,you cant go wrong with a Yamaha I've had many over the years and will for sure have them in the future, my 1250 is my first Suzuki streetbike and at 9k miles is doing very well and I am encourged by its performance so far.
 
I think much of a bike's "flickability" is determined by the tire. On the FJR I;ve ridden Pirelli Diablo, Bridgestone 021 and am now running Dunlop Roadsmarts. The Dunlop really changed the way the FJR handles. It's not as light as ninjette's Z750, but it made me love my FJR even more.

Having said that, the most important thing is to get a bike you're comfortable on.:sun:
 
yamadavidson said:
I had an 05 FJR, nice bike but very heavy. I bought a 07 FZ6 while I had my FJR for the day to day commute. The FJR was a bit big, heavy and wide to split traffic here in CA for my 35 mile commute. the more I rode the FZ6 the more I disliked the weight and size of the FJR and the more I missed my 03 ZRX, since Kawi no longer made the ZRX the next logical bike was its competition the 1250. I will never go back to a whale of a bike again the 1250 at 560lbs is as heavy as I want to go. One interesting sidenote is that on my FJR I changed the windshield twice trying to get airflow to stop blowing the crap out of my wife on the back and on the 1250 she says its the best since my Valkrie interstate of years ago, it doesnt make much sense but it must be just the right combination for us. They have made lots of changes to the FJR since 05 to deal with air managment and engine heat issues so the new ones will be better than mine in that respect,you cant go wrong with a Yamaha I've had many over the years and will for sure have them in the future, my 1250 is my first Suzuki streetbike and at 9k miles is doing very well and I am encourged by its performance so far.
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I really like the ZRX...You just can't beat a UJM...At least Suzuki is still making something comparable and looks quite nice too...I've thought about going to something more goldwingish but the size and weight is something that always keeps me from thinking further on it...With the Bandit the physical dimensions are quite manageable for the amount of motor you get which is a nice combination...This is my first Suzuki as well, just closing in on 8,700 miles and not one bolt has come lose...Just a nice all around bike.
 
I think the FJR is a beautiful bike and it was on the top of my list before I got my '08 Bandit. I decided to go with the Bandit because it just seemed to be better suited to the commuting / around town stuff and I hoped it would do well as a part time tourer. Now having had it a month or so, adding Motech racks and OEM side bags I am very pleased. I did 400 miles this past Saturday and could have gone more and within 30 seconds, I can have the bags and racks off and have a nice looking, in town sized, flickable, upright scoot. I know it's been said before but it's a great all arounder! :rider:
 
Hey, were half way through March, I better get busy. The local dealers don't have a Bandit on the floor. :-P
 
I'm just a hop, skip, and a jump away down here in N. Austin off McNeil. Shoot me a PM if you really want to ride a Bandit, you're welcome to mine.

trey
 
I'm guessing there are pricing differences stateside, but here in Canada the FJR is almost twice the price of the Bandit (MSRP CA$20,099 vs. CA$11,995 ).
I agree that with the FJR you get 'more', but when you compare the value dollar-for-dollar, the Bandit is an absolute bargain - and a great bike!
 
My take on it is that the FJR is a large sport bike that comes with a full fairing, hard bags, and room enough for a passenger to ride in comfort. There are quite a few first generation FZ1 guys who have since graduated to the Yamaha bagger. And I've done my share of trying to keep up with an FJR through the twisties while we were dragging hard parts..... The FJR is no slouch!

But a VERY cool package deal is NOT available to Americans, you gotta be either Canadian or a European to buy one. A fully faired, bagged w/top box, GPS equipped BANDIT, at a very competitive price. I don't know how the FJR & Bandit compare on paper with regard to torque and horsepower, but the price diffence between the two fully capable machines makes the Bandit a MUCH better value.

If it's a power bagger you want, the FJR is now played out....
you gotta go with the Kawi' Concourse.
 
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