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A few Questions

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TLRam1

TLRam1

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Riding home North on hwy 75 through Plano and saw a guy on a red bike. looked good, sporty and looking at his riding position it didn't look too bad, natural like one of my standard vintage models.

I pulled up beside him and it was a Bandit 1200S or S1200? I have always ridden what you see in my sig, and like the cruiser/standard style because they are comfortable to me.

The guy had on T-shirt, shorts, looked comfortable and I could see myself maybe riding one of these because of the position. Leaning way over on a sport bike would probably tire my arms out but probably try one of those for fun also one day.

Can you expound on what I see as riding position and comfort.

How fast are these, top speed -1/4 mile times?

V-4's? or inline 4's?

Power band - torque?

Can you distance ride on these as in a weekend trip easily or mainly short rides?

Is their a 1200 and a 1200S, whats the difference?
 
Somebody with a little more technical savy than me will chime in with some performance specs, but I can tell you for certain that the seating position is extremely comfortable. I'm 46 and I've ridden cruisers for most of my life, but did buy a 750 Katana a few years back. I had it for about 6 months and had to get rid of it because of my back and it created crinks in my neck from looking up all the time - very uncomfortable. The Bandit presents none of these issues for me. It's a very comfortable, slight lean forward toward the bars, and creates very little if any stress on the lower back. I just did a 750 mile ride a month ago and the only complaint I had at the end was severe Monkey butt (the stock seat). But you'll hear differing opinions on the stock seat from the great folks here. Most bikes nowadays come with suckish stock seats :doh:

As for power and smoothness, there is no equal to the Bandit in this price range. The torque of this in-line four banger is shocking (from down low in the rpm band, which is very unusual for a 4 cylinder engine). With a six speed transmission in sixth gear on the freeway, rpms are really low too. Grab that throttle to pass on the freeway starting at 65 and prepare to have your arms pulled out of their sockets if you're not careful. It really is an amazingly powerful and smooth machine. I've owned probably 7 or 8 bikes over the years, and I've found my dream machine. That is, until I'm old enough to buy the rolling lounge chair of a motorcycle - a Goldwing.
 
etcthorne said:
Somebody with a little more technical savy than me will chime in with some performance specs, but I can tell you for certain that the seating position is extremely comfortable. I'm 46 and I've ridden cruisers for most of my life, but did buy a 750 Katana a few years back. I had it for about 6 months and had to get rid of it because of my back and it created crinks in my neck from looking up all the time - very uncomfortable. The Bandit presents none of these issues for me. It's a very comfortable, slight lean forward toward the bars, and creates very little if any stress on the lower back. I just did a 750 mile ride a month ago and the only complaint I had at the end was severe Monkey butt (the stock seat). But you'll hear differing opinions on the stock seat from the great folks here. Most bikes nowadays come with suckish stock seats :doh:

As for power and smoothness, there is no equal to the Bandit in this price range. The torque of this in-line four banger is shocking (from down low in the rpm band, which is very unusual for a 4 cylinder engine). With a six speed transmission in sixth gear on the freeway, rpms are really low too. Grab that throttle to pass on the freeway starting at 65 and prepare to have your arms pulled out of their sockets if you're not careful. It really is an amazingly powerful and smooth machine. I've owned probably 7 or 8 bikes over the years, and I've found my dream machine. That is, until I'm old enough to buy the rolling lounge chair of a motorcycle - a Goldwing.
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He's asking about a 1200, not a 1250 - although the riding position is similar the engine characteristics and performance probably aren't so I'm just pointing this out so he doesn't go and buy a 1200 expecting it to be like a 1250......

The 1200 is naked, the 1200S has a half fairing. Both were replaced in 2007 by the water-cooled 1250 version (the 1200 used a development of the oil/air cooled GSXR1100 engine). Technical specs and performance figures for the 1250 are on the Suzuki website and you'll find figures from various independent tests for both 1200 and 1250 if you do a web search.

You can ride any distance on any bike but I've done a couple of 1000+mile weekends and the 1250S (faired version) is fine for that but it's not a Goldwing and everyone's expectations are different so the best advice is to get on one and try it.
 
Thanks Sproggy. My post did sound a bit like an advertisement for the 1250S - it is an amazing bike. I never rode a 1200 Bandit (or any other Bandit), so you're correct. I've seen pictures of them and the seating position seems similar though.
 
I don’t personally know anything about the 1200 but have been told the riding position is very similar to the 1250, here is a pic of my wife and I riding the 1250s on our way to Canyon Lake, we were around 65mph when the picture was taken.


CanyonLakeRide.jpg
 
I will do some research when able but some research will not fill me in of the differences, of course I didn't know about the 1250....this guy looked more upright than your pic above, maybe not.

I didn't know these 1200's were aircooled, six speed to boot. I think I would prefer the S over the nekkid.

They are a good looking bike and would be fun!
 
TLRam1 said:
I will do some research when able but some research will not fill me in of the differences, of course I didn't know about the 1250....this guy looked more upright than your pic above, maybe not.
Click to expand...

Different people, different arm lengths, different body height, possibly even different bars - they're easy to change on a Bandit. You can't put much on the appearance of a riding position. Mine, for example, is much more leant-forward than a lot of others because I fitted low Renthal bars - other people raise the standard one. It's a very tailorable riding position on either 1200 or 1250.

TLRam1 said:
I didn't know these 1200's were aircooled, six speed to boot. I think I would prefer the S over the nekkid. .
Click to expand...

I'm 99% sure the 1200 was 5-speed - etcthorne was talking about the 1250 when he mentioned the 6-speed box.

TLRam1 said:
They are a good looking bike and would be fun!
Click to expand...

You won't get much argument about that on here :rider:
 
Kurt had a 1200S. An awesome blue one, IIRC. Perhaps he can offer some insight.

A good friend of mine has either a '96 or '97 Bandit 1200, but it's all souped-up and makes more horsepower and torque than stock:

MemorialDay2008008.jpg
 
FDM said:
I don’t personally know anything about the 1200 but have been told the riding position is very similar to the 1250, here is a pic of my wife and I riding the 1250s on our way to Canyon Lake, we were around 65mph when the picture was taken.


CanyonLakeRide.jpg
Click to expand...



That blue looks really nice!
 
The 1200 is a very good bike...I don't know if there is a better all around bike for the money. Owners report very good reliability too...I'd go for a 2003 or later.
 
TLRAM1, i got a '72 kettle! J&R chambers, most all other stock.

i dont think anyone will argue the benefits of the bandit of this forum, the newer the better. dont ride one.

nothing like riding a new bike, to make you want one.
 
You have photos of your 72? Did you do any porting for the chambers? Nothing like that sweet 2-cycle sound on a street bike! and the exhaust, man that smells good!
 
I will probably sell the CB750Four, too many bikes for the garage, had to put 3 in the house. Once I sell the CB750 I can open a spot up or if I had to I guess I could put another in the house.
 
I was riding a Honda ST1100, now i ride a 2008 1250 Bandit ABS. The Bandit riding position is just as good as the Honda, torque is smoother, the bike a lot better. I have a bit of arthritis, so the loss of over 70kg in bike weight was a great help. Much easier to ride. The only thing not as good is the wind protection the fairings of the Honda offered. Have to dress a bit warmer for the winter now, but that is a small price to pay for a much better bike.

The photo was taken on the way to an overnight trip in South Australia's mid north, 2 up with gear. My daughter is on the back. We were doing about 110km/hr or 70mph.

Bandit-Burra.jpg
 
Did you change your bars or move them back? That's what I remember seeing!

I test drove a new Honda ST. Steering felt heavy at low speeds but maybe thats the way these are.
 
TLRam1 said:
I test drove a new Honda ST. Steering felt heavy at low speeds but maybe thats the way these are.
Click to expand...

Agree, very heavy at slow speeds but good once out cruising the highways. Fell off it twice whilst not even moving :doh: Once it got to a certain tilt, there was no way i could hold it up. Hated moving it to park it and if the slope was going the wrong way, usually had to get help to move it backwards. Well, that's all over now i have my beautiful Bandit :-P
 
The 1200S (faired) and the 1250 have almost identical ergonomics. My 2002 1200S was a 5-speed air cooled bike. It was the best do it all bike I have ever owned. It was capable of long days in the saddle, had reasonable sporting abilities with a few suspension tweaks. I owned it for two years and put 20,000 miles on it although it wasn't really stock. I added race cams, a stage 2 kit and a full header/exhaust system boosting output by 30%.

It wasn't without its faults though. The headlights sucked and the bars buzzed at 4500-5500 rpms. The mirrors were useless. I recently found myself looking at the 1250 to compliment the Wing, but just couldn't do it. I've become spoiled by superior wieather protection and hard cases. I know you can get those for the new Bandits, but I've always seemed to gravitate to some thing new and different.

For basic transportation the 1200 can't be beat. Maintenance is simple and the bike is dead-reliable.

Recent.jpg
 
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The Bandit represents one of the best values in the bike market - it pretty much does everything you'd like. I've carved corners, toured, drag raced and basically done a ton of fun filled riding. Used Bandits are a bargain as they tend to not hold their re-sale value - bad for the seller but very good for the buyer.

The air-cooled Bandit has a long history and lots of aftermarket parts to choose from. The are generally cheap to insure and last a long time with very simple maintenance procedures. There are some weak points such as the stock suspension (not for portly folks) and 2 model years of notorious oil consumption (2001 and part of 2002 - all addressed by VIN number).

For a real in-depth look at the Bandit's legacy I recommend this....

Bandit Wiki - Good Stuff

If your serious about learning more on the Bandit series of bikes in general I'd like to suggest the following forums....

Bandit Alley
Maximum Suzuki

As others have said... the new 2007 model Bandit took some of the technology out of the dark ages but the older Bandits are work horses that will treat you very well for very little money. I sure do like mine.
 
I checked some reviews last night, actually a pretty good review comparing to Honda, BMW and Yamaha.

Your real world comments are what is missed in reviews. I would be buying a used model, thanks for the heads up on oil consumption, as you can see by my number of bikes I like quantity verses the latest and greatest you pay for on a new model.

I went by my local Suzuki dealer in Plano and they are out of Bandits, all Scooters, Kawak Elimnator 125's, V-Strom 650 and Ninja 250's.
 
whitesands said:
That blue looks really nice!
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Thanks Whitesands!

TLRam1
I am about 5’ 10 1/2” and don’t have very long arms that may be some of the reason it looks like the 1250 is a little more lean forward to you.

I have heard the same thing about the 1200 being great bikes, really the only complaint I ever heard was they are a little buzzy, ride a 1250 also if you get the chance they are a very impressive bike.
 
How often do you have to adjust the valves?
 
Book sys 14,500 miles. Has anyone hit this mark yet and adjusted valves? Has anyone gone past 14500 and not adjusted valves?
 
davidy61 said:
The only thing not as good is the wind protection the fairings of the Honda offered. Have to dress a bit warmer for the winter now, but that is a small price to pay for a much better bike.

Bandit-Burra.jpg
Click to expand...

I see from the picture that you still have the standard screen - no wonder you don't think the protection is as good - the screen is rubbish! There are several alternatives available (including Suzuki's own touring screen) all of which improve protection to a greater or lesser degree.
 
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