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The 2007 Suzuki Bandit 1250S -The Mega Thread

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whitesands said:
Are you going for an 09' ? What color ?
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I think 2008. I love the 2009 Black/gray scheme. You have to see these bikes in person as the website doesn't do them justice. The 2009 colors are very sophisticated, less flashy. They sort of look like a BMW car or something. But there is about a $2K premium on the 09 - that's a lot of beans for a paint job. The Blue/gold was my favorite 08 color and there are still plenty around that are brand new and the dealers will deal on.
 
Gas mileage:

I have an '08, stock, with the exception of a recent slip-on muffler. My low-fuel light comes on consistently at 120 miles, that gives me another 50 miles before both fuel icons are blinking, 20 miles later I'll run out of gas. What that translates into is about 40 mpg..... adding the slip-on can has actually increased my gas mileage, as I have now seen the light go on as late as 130 miles and as early as 123 miles.

* It was advised by the owner's manual to synch' the throttle bodies at the 600 mile check.... I never bothered to.

* I ride a bit on the spirited side of "legal" ( ;-) )

* I frequently ride at sea level and ascend to maybe a couple thousand feet.

* I run regular low grade gas.

* I never ride for less than 30 minutes.

* I never allow my engine to "warm up" idling in the driveway, and I never wind her out until she's warmed up.

I plan (someday) to buy Dale's Stage 1 TFI, K&N, and do the simple modification to my lid. I'm only doing this to be assured of the right air/fuel ratio, as the bike is running GREAT with this MIVV slip-on. If I ever feel the need to quiet down the noise, it's a simple matter of inserting the baffle and tightening it in place.
 
on a totally new note. I know most of you have already done something to this extent but I put the bikemaster handlebars on yesterday with some new protaper grips. Awsome mod for 30 dollors and highly recommended to anhone who hasen't done it yet.
 
Just got back from REI. I pulled out all of my tents last night and realized that I dont have any that will fit in my saddlebags/trunk. Naturally, I had to buy one that did so I went and measured the bags then hopped online to see what I could find. 20" was the maximum packed length that would fit in the trunk so I listed a number of tents that fit the bill and narrowed it down to 4 today. After making the poor employees at 3 different stores go out and measure the pole lengths of those tents, and doing some more figuring, I decided I'd go and check out the Mountain Hardwear Light Wedge 3 Tent. Made it out there this evening, convinced that to let me take it out to the bike and see if it fit ("no ma'am, I don't plan on stealing it") I found that it did fit.. barely. Hmm.. there were one or two that were 1/2" shorter packed, but the one I'd picked was a three man, and while I cant fit 3 people on my bike (havent tried anyway) I liked the idea of the extra room.

I wandered around the store for a bit thinking and eventually came upon their clearance section. Found 2 tents in there, 3 man, about the same weight, about 1/2 inch shorter. I took it out to the middle of the floor and started putting it together so I could see it first hand as I hadnt done any research on it. Walls seems a bit thin, but I liked that it had zip-up windows, 2 doors and two vestibules. Went up easy, seemed quite sturdy so I ended up buying that one instead, for $154, Alps Extreme 3. Thats over $100 cheaper than the other one!

I also picked up a light weight balaclava. They didnt have any more of the really cold weather ones around (seasonal store) but this one was made for bikers (pedal-powered) and fits really nicely under helmet. I was surprised that it worked as well as it did though for being as then as it is. Good for me, hopefully my face wont freeze off on those 30 degree mornings.
 
I recieved my feebay seat. Just missing two bolts for front of the rear seat.

Mods planned:
CUSHION for those longer rides.
Heating pad for those cold rides (gotta plan ahead for next year).
Custom upholstery - might do local or this:


ebay Item number: 370134350658
TYPE 1 :
"In stock" version in black SEL003, with front strip and borders in a common material of your choice.
The two seats are trimmed with 1 inch needlework matched with the colour of material chosen for the front strip and borders.

What do ya'll think ???
or
Does anyone know anything about feebay seller euro-motards ?
 

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Ga-Bandit said:
I recieved my feebay seat. Just missing two bolts for front of the rear seat.

Mods planned:
CUSHION for those longer rides.
Heating pad for those cold rides (gotta plan ahead for next year).
Custom upholstery - might do local or this:


ebay Item number: 370134350658
TYPE 1 :
"In stock" version in black SEL003, with front strip and borders in a common material of your choice.
The two seats are trimmed with 1 inch needlework matched with the colour of material chosen for the front strip and borders.

What do ya'll think ???
or
Does anyone know anything about feebay seller euro-motards ?
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I have heard of them from an ST rider. He has a tank cover, well built, looks good on his bike.

That seat cover looks good. Do you have to send them your seat to have the foam cut?
Looks like they take 4-8 weeks to ship out. :eek2:

Speaking for myself, the heated seat pad is a great option. I added it to my suzuki gel seat last year to keep the back seat happy and ended up really enjoying it. Those cold rides are now much more enjoyable because of it.
 
Just got through figuring out my route for this weekend. Looks like I'll be hitting some rain, perhaps freezing temps, for a few days of the trip. Good thing I have that thermometer in my mirror :P Anyway, for those interested, here's what I've come up with so far.

Route Link
 
Terizius said:
Just got through figuring out my route for this weekend. Looks like I'll be hitting some rain, perhaps freezing temps, for a few days of the trip. Good thing I have that thermometer in my mirror :P Anyway, for those interested, here's what I've come up with so far.

Route Link
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I always wondered what you do if you are riding around freezing. Isn't ice a real problem? I put the bike away at 40 degrees:giveup:
 
Terizius said:
Just got through figuring out my route for this weekend. Looks like I'll be hitting some rain, perhaps freezing temps, for a few days of the trip. Good thing I have that thermometer in my mirror :P Anyway, for those interested, here's what I've come up with so far.

Route Link
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Looks like a fun trip T. You're going to freeze to death up in UT and be bored out of your mind East of I-25. That section through TX, OK, and KS is going to be really dull; been there, done that.

That said, I don't see an easy way around it if you need to get to Joplin, MO without making your trip a lot longer...

ps- Did you say this weekend? 3,600mi in 3 days or what am I missing here...?

Have fun,

trey
 
Terizius said:
Just got through figuring out my route for this weekend. Looks like I'll be hitting some rain, perhaps freezing temps, for a few days of the trip. Good thing I have that thermometer in my mirror :P Anyway, for those interested, here's what I've come up with so far.

Route Link
Click to expand...

Have you rechecked thr weather buddy? I live south of oklahoma city and the weathermen here are all abuzz about a late blizzard , maybe a foot of snow saturday in the nortern part of the state
 
crazyarch said:
I always wondered what you do if you are riding around freezing. Isn't ice a real problem? I put the bike away at 40 degrees:giveup:
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40F is warm. I do not get worried untill I see wet roads and temp is under 10F
(I am not serious). I have ridden well under 40F. My 4-2-1 vid was shot at about 18F. If it is dry the bike runs very well under 20F. Just let the sun come up first and dry any frost off the roads.

Mark
 
Temp was 37 this morn. Coldest I've ridden was right at freezing but I dont have the luxury of putting the bike away. Its not only my toy, its also my only means of transportation (wife drives the car). I'm not too worried about the temps. This morn at 37 degrees was fine and I was just wearing my uniform, jacket with liner and riding pants without liner. Gloves and neck warmer too. I'll be wearing all of that, plus my new lightweight balaclava, liner in pants, glove liners and thermal underwear on the trip to cope with the mix of cold temps + long hours. So, cold isnt an issue to me, just that rain. As I mentioned, the thermometer will help out quite a bit for keeping track of the possibility of ice.

Trey - I tried to convince my buddy to head up Hwy 70 instead. Temps are a bit colder, but not below freezing at any point on the way out. Its such a nicer ride. I have done hwy's 20 and 40, both are b-o-r-i-n-g... but like you said, no real way around it and the goal on this trip is to get him out there, not sightseeing. sigh...

Gun, I checked the weather this afternoon for all of the points listed on the map. That was the temp given for each place at the time I would be there. Haven't heard anything about a snowstorm but have a friend in Tulsa that is going to call me tomorrow and tell me how to avoid the tolls so I'll ask about the weather then. We may need to alter our trip a bit if we come across a blizzard.. never ridden in the snow and would rather not.

Also, sorry if I wasnt clear. I'm leaving saturday morn, plan to be in Joplin or close to it by Sunday night. Leave Monday morn and plan to be in Logan, UT by Tuesday night. Stay there a few days and I'll make the trip from Logan to home in one day, probably Saturday.
 
Cajuns have been know to start malfunctioning at 60°F and Sieze up at 40°F :-).
 
sproggy said:
That's exactly how I felt.



Yes, this forum (and this thread in particular) has a lot to answer for!



I left the secondaries out which still gives a better throttle response than stock and gets rid of that effect where you close the throttle slightly and the secondaries shut completely - on/off throttle it's far smoother than stock although it still can't compete with carbs. I still have my O2 bypass fitted too (I may try without it, but don't expect I'll like the way it runs......) and the PAIR is still plugged mainly because I couldn't be bothered to take the plug out, not because I thought it needed to still be in. Other than that exhaust and induction are stock.



From what you've said you'll like it stock as much as I do now. Maybe you have to do all the mods to appreciate the bike for what it was stock.......? For me it was a very expensive experiment, although I did enjoy the tinkering involved.
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Found the threads concerning Sproggy changing his bike back more or less to stock interesting. I have always modded most of my bikes and have not always been completely happy with the finished results.
So far for engine mods I have only added an Akrapovic can. This was as much for looks and weight savings (9 lbs) as any extra performance. I like the Akrapovic because with the baffle in it is not much louder than stock and with it removed, still not all that loud, but a little more throaty.

I will probably add a few more bits to the bike, but I think engine wise, I'm going to leave the Bandit stock (except for my Exhaust)

My last bike was a ZX-14 which was fun for a couple of years, but to be honest I don't really miss the top end hit it had all that much. The Bandit really has a good power band for (sane) street use.
 
Brass said:
I have heard of them from an ST rider. He has a tank cover, well built, looks good on his bike.

That seat cover looks good. Do you have to send them your seat to have the foam cut?
Looks like they take 4-8 weeks to ship out. :eek2:

Speaking for myself, the heated seat pad is a great option. I added it to my suzuki gel seat last year to keep the back seat happy and ended up really enjoying it. Those cold rides are now much more enjoyable because of it.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. I wasn't gonna buy it unless I heard something positive.

The seller only sells a cover. I got to find the foam myself and recover it and I like that look of that cover alot!

Actual time is < 4 weeks but with feebay being what it is now a seller MUST tell people a longer wait (and required by law if over 30 days) in order not to get a negative.
 
I have ridden almost every day since getting my bike except for the three days of snow/ice and two high windy days (+ 35MPH gusts/ 10mph sustianed).

12 degree isn't anything if you're aclaMENted to it., well that plus some heated gear and frogg toggs:)
 
ZREXER said:
My last bike was a ZX-14 which was fun for a couple of years, but to be honest I don't really miss the top end hit it had all that much. The Bandit really has a good power band for (sane) street use.
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Interesting, my last bike was a ZX-14 that I had for about a year and a half. While I loved the 14, I really haven't missed it. The Bandit is really as much fun or more to ride on the street and more comfortable plus I like the hard bags I added. As far as leaving it stock, I will definitely be leaving things alone. Other than the hard luggage for touring, I don't modify the bike. I even like the quiet exhaust and I don't mind what a lot of people call a bazooka for exhaust. (The 14 had 2 of them anyway so now I have one less):lol2:
 
weather update for terizius..

Possible record breaking snowstorm for nw oklahoma sw kansas and southern colorado is developing. Western kansas and colorado are looking at at one to two FEET of snow. Watching the news right now; denver airport is already cancelling flights

Has your buddy looked into shipping his bike? :giveup:
 
haha. he'll be fine. he's still got clear weather cause we're staying south. Me on the other hand.. well.. do they make snow chains for motorcycle tires?
 
Terizius said:
haha. he'll be fine. he's still got clear weather cause we're staying south. Me on the other hand.. well.. do they make snow chains for motorcycle tires?
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Looks like you're going to need them!

Issued by The National Weather Service
Oklahoma City, OK
11:15 am CDT, Fri., Mar. 27, 2009
... WINTER STORM WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM CDT SATURDAY...
THE WINTER STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM CDT SATURDAY.
SNOW IS FORECAST TO BEGIN FALLING OVER SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA BY LATE MORNING AND SPREAD EASTWARD INTO PORTIONS OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA THIS AFTERNOON. THE SNOW MAY BE HEAVY AT TIMES WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF THUNDERSNOW. SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO FALL FRIDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY SATURDAY BEFORE ENDING. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS GREATER THAN 4 INCHES ARE EXPECTED.
A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.
&&
More Information

... MAJOR WINTER STORM TO AFFECT OKLAHOMA AND PORTIONS OF WESTERN NORTH TEXAS...
.A POWERFUL STORM SYSTEM WILL IMPACT MOST OF OKLAHOMA AND NORTH TEXAS THROUGH SATURDAY. HEAVY SNOW IS EXPECTED TO FALL OVER PARTS OF NORTHERN... WESTERN... AND CENTRAL OKLAHOMA... AND STRONG WINDS WILL CREATE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS IN SOME AREAS. STORM-TOTAL SNOWFALL COULD REACH UNPRECEDENTED LEVELS FOR EARLY SPRING. BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL MAKE TRAVEL EXTREMELY DIFFICULT IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE... ESPECIALLY OVER NORTHWEST PORTIONS OF OKLAHOMA.
 
well... just watched the national weekend news. Looks like we'll be chasing that storm the whole way. Today it'll be dropping snow and rain, quite a bit of it, directly where we are going to be heading but during the times that we/I will be in the area, its actually better. Most of the rain that I was going to hit is now listed as being partly cloudy. So, basically, its a trade off for cold vs rain. I'll take the cold. I need to look today at places to camp though. Hotels are too much $$


Route Map
 
A question many of you can answer better than I can. As mentioned in that weather broadcast, the snow stops on saturday. I wont be heading through until sunday. Can I expect that the roads will be plowed/cleared by that time?
 
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