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The 2007 Suzuki Bandit 1250S -The Mega Thread

There are only the two adapter plates, the M5 for the larger Monokey cases (KEY meaning the two keyways used to hold the case is how I remember the difference), and the M5M for the smaller Monolock cases.

I'd try running with the standard setup for a bit before modifing things. The Givi setup is something that grows on you. You get all the negative comments such as it looks big and ugly, spoils the look of the bike, upsets the riding geometry, etc. However once you install it the convience and functionality out weighs the critics.

Good luck with fitting it.
 
Wow Kelsen,
Was re reading about your trip. So reminded me of when I started traveling via motorcycles. Some tuff days and learned so much. '63 Triumph when I got out of the Corps in '66 and roamed all the way to S.Dakota before needing to get back to my car in S. California to get myself to La to serve for a close friends wedding. Then next was the '69 Norton I ran for 3 years using it as my work vehicle when working offshore 7 and 7 with the 260 mile one way trip each week. Learned to much on that one also before I sold the Norton that had broken the frame major like. Then the '72 Honda 750 that took it's place , Wow what a great bike after the English twins. Many trips to Texas,Arkansas, Missouri when had the time. Then a pretty long stint of no travel while racing MX, Flattrack, etc. with a street bike for entertainment locally. Then a hit and run leaving me in a ditch for dead on my XV920RH Yamaha which had seen several trips to Arkansas Ozarks. 6 years later and recovering from Vertigo, A '92 KLR 650 and a few trips to Arkansas to explore. Then all heck broke loose with the purchase of a '95 R11GS BMW. Then a used '97 R11R which was too low to the ground for the roads I was exploring so then came the '02 R1150GS BMW, then a Suzuki DL1000 for about a year and then the '07 Bandit in '08 as a left over. From the R11GS to the present Bandit added around 500K miles of most all of the US and some Canada.
A deer and not paying attention caused a crash in the mountains of W. Texas that ended at trip to California to Washington 6 years ago with a trip to a hospital in W Texas and a drive back in a U=haul carrying my damaged but still rideable 1250S Bandit. Bad separated shoulder and torn ligaments and muscles in the lower back ended my LD Travels. But, once in awhile I can get in a 200 mile day local.
As you know now, experience of the hard times gathers knowledge of what to carry on trips to keep on keeping on.
Then , of all things, I bought a corvette in June of '16 and then sold it and bought my present one for my 74th birthday and bike travel had really taken a back seat. Lovin' that AC and Heat now days.
 
Never forget my 1st trip to Montana and Glacier Park in '97 and then to the Ice Fields of Canada. Just could not believe what my eyes were seeing. And my last trip stopping in West Glacier and an old dude asking me if I had done Beartooth. Told him I had not but had done Chief Joseph a few times. He made a statement that changed my trip plans when I told him I was headed for Washington State. " You been there before? " " Yes , 3 times before " " You know, at our age, we never know when our last ride is gonna be. Go see new things " I thanked him ( turned out we were the same age LOL ) . Changed my mind and headed SE to the start of Beartooth, run it to Yellowstone then Chief Jo to Wyoming some more and visited a friend in Wyo then home. Next year, I had my crash between McDonald Observatory and I-10 on a lonely and lovely mountain road.
 

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Very cool stuff, Andy. This was the third longest ride I ever took off on, and as usual I didn't establish any sort of emergency protocol -- although on most other long rides, I didn't have my very own cell phone, able to at least communicate. I went from Waynesville, MO to Highbridge, NJ and back in '76, not long before I totalled my '73 Suzuki GT550 in a ditch. No cell phone, no tent, no money for motels - but I was 18, and invincible, and I had a great time!

I do want to do more sightseeing on my motorcycle; the country up here is sometimes breathtakingly beautiful!


RFT!!!
Dave Kelsen
--
Love means never having to say, "Put down that chainsaw."
 
Can anyone take a shot of their rear wheel ABS sensor? I can't figure out how the bracket fits in as you thread the two bolts in place.
 
Hmmm. I do not have a garage or the possibility of keeping my motorcycle under cover in winter, when it comes. I am in Bozeman, MT. Anyone have suggestions for a good cover for a Bandit 120 which has the Givi bags (although I could take them off) and will have the Givi topbox as well?

Thanks.


Dave Kelsen
--
“If you ever become a mother, can I have one of the puppies?” -- Charles Pierce
 
Been MIA for 8 months..Since i wrecked my '07 Bandit...Getting back on track physically but will need to wait till around Dec of this year before i have enough funds for another Bandit...but right now i see plenty of nice Bandits with matching hard bags like what i had..and the prices are getting me excited...Cant wait to get back in the saddle..And I saved my RDL saddle from the wrecked bike..it is intact...
 
Hmmm. I do not have a garage or the possibility of keeping my motorcycle under cover in winter, when it comes. I am in Bozeman, MT. Anyone have suggestions for a good cover for a Bandit 120 which has the Givi bags (although I could take them off) and will have the Givi topbox as well?

Thanks.


Dave Kelsen
--
“If you ever become a mother, can I have one of the puppies?” -- Charles Pierce
Winters can be tough and even spring seems goofy up there too...If i wanted to keep my bike out of the weather for a few months but didnt have any other means then i would rent a storage unit..if you can afford that..best thing i could think of...Good luck
 
Kelsen,
I used a cover designed for Kawasaki Concours through my years of travel. It fit the Bandit with large Givi Trunk and bags easily. I used a cover in my travels for a couple reasons. Didn't draw attention to the bike in parking lots, kept the dew and dust off during the night. What kind it was? Been too long ago.
 
Hmmm. I do not have a garage or the possibility of keeping my motorcycle under cover in winter, when it comes. I am in Bozeman, MT. Anyone have suggestions for a good cover for a Bandit 120 which has the Givi bags (although I could take them off) and will have the Givi topbox as well?

I've used a regular car cover from Wally world on one of my Voyagers. Plenty big, just added bungy straps to take up excess. Mine was inside, it was just for a dust cover. And it was big enough that I could wrap it under the bike where possible. Looked like a big mummy! :lol2:
 
So. I use a phone for a GPS, and to listen to music. At one point, I had speakers inside my helmet with my Sena setup, but found that on the highway, the wind was too loud, and with earplugs, the music was too soft. So I went with earphones. It's better, but the earphones (I have tried several brands) don't stay in my ears nearly as well as they should. Sometimes, they don't stay in my ears just putting my helmet on.

I'm looking for suggestions for the best earphones for sealing the ear opening, blocking out wind noise, and for fitting smoothly and snugly in the ear.

I'll hang up and listen... ;-)


RFT!!!
Dave Kelsen
--
Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. -- Samuel Ullman
 
I made some DIY Custom Ear Headphones using a two part kit that I saw on the attached Youtube video. Cheap alternative to the professionally made units.

View attachment 239720


Definitely going to try this; ordered some from Amazon. Thanks, Barry. You have always been very helpful on this forum.


RFT!!!
Dave Kelsen
--
Attila the Nun - a simple girl pledged to a life of violence.
 
So did not like a squeal starting once in awhile on the back brakes today. So, after 95 mile ride on the lift it went and pull the capilar off. Cleaned everything and see there's something missing. Hmmmmmmm a lot missing! Both tin backing plates and the little cardboard inserts that go between the pucks and pistons. Oh, left them on the shelf as I had company and forgot them playing with something else last time I had the wheel off.
So, Put all back together again, Correctly this time.
Did cross the 95,000 mark on the ometer this week. the reading from this morning after my ride was 95095 on the march to 100,000. If I could add that 7% lost it would be well over the 100k mark but I want it showing.
But, lotsa if's. If I would not of got hurt 6 years ago and still can't hang with over 200 miles a day in the saddle, it would of been done several years ago. Oh well, tis what it tis.
Tomorrow, test run. ;-)
 
Definitely going to try this; ordered some from Amazon. Thanks, Barry. You have always been very helpful on this forum.
RFT!!!
Dave Kelsen

I had some made by a custom vender years ago at a BMW rally , with and without ear phones. These were the kind you put a small cotton ball deep in the ear and poured a compound that turned to solid in the shape of your ear canal. Most guys and gals really liked them. Myself and a few other had problems with them not staying put due to us turning our heads too much and they would work their way out of the ear canals. A few of us tried different types with no luck so just went back to foam. But, they had about an 80% of the riders it worked good for. So , you won't know till you tried them.
 
Well Heck! Third time since buying my bike in 2008 and 95K miles on the clock, Suzy was on the ground. At least the two last times it was at a dead stop. This time, stopped at an intersection and looking at coming traffic put my foot down in a hole and down we went. Couple of people stopped and help me get it back on the tires again. Thanked them and back home we went as the tip of the brake lever had broke off. Then the left knee started aching. Seems I tagged something just under the knee cap on the fall. Then came the swelling and very limited use of the knee.
Heat and Ice twice a day and from crutches to cane to hobbling in just 5 days.
Sucks getting old and the healing process so slow. Sucks as you get older, the strength diminishes, balance diminishes. Even more is really being down on yourself for lack to observation of the ground when coming to a stop or just anytime.
Oh well, it's gonna heal, sooner or later. The brake lever replacement will be ordered today. And, life will go on.
And, the march to 100K on the ometer continues. ;-)
241109
 
Sorry to hear this, Andrus. Good to know you continue to be young enough to keep riding, and to keep wanting to!


RFT!!!
Dave Kelsen
--
If we don't protect freedom of speech, how will we know who the *******s are?
 
So. I use a phone for a GPS, and to listen to music. At one point, I had speakers inside my helmet with my Sena setup, but found that on the highway, the wind was too loud, and with earplugs, the music was too soft. So I went with earphones. It's better, but the earphones (I have tried several brands) don't stay in my ears nearly as well as they should. Sometimes, they don't stay in my ears just putting my helmet on.

I'm looking for suggestions for the best earphones for sealing the ear opening, blocking out wind noise, and for fitting smoothly and snugly in the ear.

I'll hang up and listen... ;-)


RFT!!!
Dave Kelsen
--
Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. -- Samuel Ullman
Hi Dave,
I just purchased a set of earplugs from Amazon that seem very promising. They are called BYGZB noice cancelling earplugs (@ $19.) The sound is very rich, and wearing them even without any digital input (music, etc.) really softens the noise levels. Putting the helmet over them is going to take a little practice, but seems very doable. So far, I would say these are a great value.
 
Well Heck! Third time since buying my bike in 2008 and 95K miles on the clock, Suzy was on the ground. At least the two last times it was at a dead stop. This time, stopped at an intersection and looking at coming traffic put my foot down in a hole and down we went. Couple of people stopped and help me get it back on the tires again. Thanked them and back home we went as the tip of the brake lever had broke off. Then the left knee started aching. Seems I tagged something just under the knee cap on the fall. Then came the swelling and very limited use of the knee.
Heat and Ice twice a day and from crutches to cane to hobbling in just 5 days.
Sucks getting old and the healing process so slow. Sucks as you get older, the strength diminishes, balance diminishes. Even more is really being down on yourself for lack to observation of the ground when coming to a stop or just anytime.
Oh well, it's gonna heal, sooner or later. The brake lever replacement will be ordered today. And, life will go on.
And, the march to 100K on the ometer continues. ;-) View attachment 241109
heal well and fast!
 
Hi Dave,
I just purchased a set of earplugs from Amazon that seem very promising. They are called BYGZB noice cancelling earplugs (@ $19.) The sound is very rich, and wearing them even without any digital input (music, etc.) really softens the noise levels. Putting the helmet over them is going to take a little practice, but seems very doable. So far, I would say these are a great value.

By the way, I looked at these and quite a few others some weeks ago. I have stopped riding for the winter, and will make a choice in the spring. Thanks for the tip!


RFT!!!
Dave Kelsen
--
I've reached that age in life when I surreptitiously ogle my co-worker -- a smokin'-hot blonde Russian chick with legs that go on for days - and all I can think is, "Man, I wish I could get her to say, 'Boris! Is Moose and Squirrel!'" -- Allen Lindsey
 
[QUOTE="achesley, post: 1627487,
Well Heck! ---
[/QUOTE]

This isn't a reassuring read for me. After a 28 year hiatus, I purchased a 2009 Bandit this September. It is my sixth bike, and also the biggest, and heaviest. I love how it handles on the road. But, I have tipped it over three times in my driveway (said while rubbing cracked ribs). And this, after my MSF course, and my improved, slow maneuver skills. I've reviewed my mistakes: don't look down while moving, don't use the front brake at slow speeds when the handle bars are turned, and don't even think about parking the bike with the engine running on my driveway. My driveway would over qualify for an advanced MSF course. It is just a steep hill, without a flat spot until you are inside the garage.

I never thought I would be most anxious on a bike when it's not moving. I purchased some Doc Martens after becoming aware that my feet actually slide when stopped on any surface. (Microscopically perhaps, but still ----) My dismay has turned to anger/determination that I'm going to get this thing under control. And I have. But, your post, as I said, is not reassuring. Maybe this bike is just not a good fit? But, when I'm riding it, ----- Oh baby, I could never let you go.
 
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[/QUOTE]

This isn't a reassuring read for me. After a 28 year hiatus, I purchased a 2009 Bandit this September. It is my sixth bike, and also the biggest, and heaviest. I love how it handles on the road. But, I have tipped it over three times in my driveway (said while rubbing cracked ribs). And this, after my MSF course, and my improved, slow maneuver skills. I've reviewed my mistakes: don't look down while moving, don't use the front brake at slow speeds when the handle bars are turned, and don't even think about parking the bike with the engine running on my driveway. My driveway would over qualify for an advanced MSF course. It is just a steep hill, without a flat spot until you are inside the garage.

I never thought I would be most anxious on a bike when it's not moving. I purchased some Doc Martens after becoming aware that my feet actually slide when stopped on any surface. (Microscopically perhaps, but still ----) My dismay has turned to anger/determination that I'm going to get this thing under control. And I have. But, your post, as I said, is not reassuring. Maybe this bike is just not a good fit? But, when I'm riding it, ----- Oh baby, I could never let you go.
[/QUOTE]

I started riding 50 years ago on a cl350 Honda, and have since had over 40 bikes. I tried to teach my wife to ride a few years ago,(her choice,not mine!) but after many close calls, and 5 or 6 drops, she gave it up. She was just a bundle of nerves while riding. Being really nervous made her forget the basics, and do dumb things. She would "freeze" on curves, and literally went off the road at one point. You NEED to relax! Keep your feet down and doggie paddle up the drive if you have to. The Bandit isn't that heavy until you let it get over too far. I've dropped other bikes a few times over the years, it happens. Forget it, and make it your LAST drop ever!! A MSF course is nothing, when compared to experience. I saw a guy test riding a new BMW 1200LT a few years ago. His wife said he had just taken the course. He dropped it at the first stoplight. He called the dealership, and a salesman had to go ride it back. He was scared silly! Experience will serve you well, don't quit!!!!!
 
Hang in there, you'll be fine. I'm 67 years young and 5'6" w/a 28" inseam... I handle my Bandit just fine. :rider:

How about the VStrom? Just sold my Wee, replaced with a '15 650 Versys LT. Dang thing is even taller! I'm 5-7. lol Great ergonomics once mounted, but the Bandit is SO much easier to board! I'll be 65 in a few months.
 
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