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Weight loss

Trade stock exhaust cannon for something not made out of highly polished granite.

Switch to a lower saddle - I put a GSX650F seat on 1250 and the bike feels easier to move around.

It's going to sound flippant - but not coming home with a full tank.

You could also read up on Dale Walker's IGOR if you haven't. I think he did some litenin'. Probably also sells some stuff for the sake of litenin'.

Wait....You need to lose weight at 6'1" and 178?
 
Just removing the stock downpipe, muffler canon and center stand and replacing with a header and smaller muffler nets ~ 30 lb loss. You will be amazed at the difference. Just get a paddock stand and swingarm pins for maintenance and you will never miss the large, heavy, ugly center stand.
 
I love my 1250. She seems heavier each passing year. I would like to know how to get her to lose a little weight.
Well, I'm pretty close to your age, and after a 28 year lay off, I have days when I wonder if the Suzuki Bandit 1250 was my best choice for returning to two wheels. I've never had a bike this heavy, but more importantly, one that it is this top heavy. It doesn't help that I have the driveway from ****. It could be on the final exam of a motorcycle training course. Steep driveway, 90 degree turn into the garage, no level ground until in the garage. V-shaped water gulley in front of the garage. I have to let the bike roll backwards to get it out of the garage. Not entirely surprising, I've had a few tip overs as I learn how to handle this leviathan, each requiring replacement of the front turn signal. To be honest, the only thing that worries me about riding this bike is when it is standing still. I'm not used to having this kind apprehension about a motorcycle.

I love it when it is rolling, and I ride it fairly frequently, but I'm always aware of how easy it is to tip over. Never tipped over a bike until this one. So I've been doing some thinking ----
 
I've dropped my Bandit many times. Several times I've had help since my foot cushioned it's fall and was stuck underneath. The turn signals have been replaced, hand guards mangled, and engine guards scratched. Twice my foot cushioned it's fall and that broke the same fifth lateral metatarsal. Couldn't ride for two months each time since I had a boot on. I think the suspension geometry is set on the sporting side and it leans in easily, especially when stopped and the forks turned in. On the plus side it's seat height is 30" and is great for my 30" inseam. My feet are solidly on the ground. In comparison, my Bandit's weight, seat height and center of gravity are less than that of my Yamaha Tenere. I sold the Tenere. I'm 73 and my legs, especially extended and with only my toes on the ground, aren't that strong anymore. I replaced the Tenere with a Kawasaki Ninja 650. It has a wet weight of 424 pounds, a seat height of 30", and it's suspension geometry seems to be neutral. It's a night and day difference in ease of controlling when stopped or moving slowly. On the down side, it's a wimp compared to the Bandit.
 
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To me the Bandit is a breeze. I started riding in 1978 at the age of 9 on a Honda Z50 mini bike. Coming recently from 2 Harleys and 2 Honda Goldwings that weighed ~ 850 lbs wet, the Bandit seems light at 550 wet. One of the lightest big bore bikes. What is to be saved by going to a smaller bike - ~ 75 lbs? As I stated before, replacing the full exhaust and losing the center stand drops ~ 30 lbs. if not using luggage, remove them. I just have a top box carrier and only install the top box when needed. Comparable big bore bikes like Kawasaki Z14 and Yamaha FJR1300 are both heavier than the Bandit by over 100 lbs.
 
To me the Bandit is a breeze. I started riding in 1978 at the age of 9 on a Honda Z50 mini bike. Coming recently from 2 Harleys and 2 Honda Goldwings that weighed ~ 850 lbs wet, the Bandit seems light at 550 wet. One of the lightest big bore bikes. What is to be saved by going to a smaller bike - ~ 75 lbs? As I stated before, replacing the full exhaust and losing the center stand drops ~ 30 lbs. if not using luggage, remove them. I just have a top box carrier and only install the top box when needed. Comparable big bore bikes like Kawasaki Z14 and Yamaha FJR1300 are both heavier than the Bandit by over 100 lbs.
I'm book marking this page. Would you have examples of recommended mufflers? I don't see any weight statistics. For that matter, I don't know the weight of the stock model either.
 
I bought my used Bandit for the sound of it's Holeshot muffler. Started it up in the dealer's showroom and the walls revervarated. Everytime I ride it, the torque and raspy sound are wonderful. Weight savings, in my book, are secondary.
 
I'm book marking this page. Would you have examples of recommended mufflers? I don't see any weight statistics. For that matter, I don't know the weight of the stock model either.
Just take off your muffler and weigh it. Most aftermarket companies list their muffler’s weights. Most lose ~ 10 lbs from silencer replacement and another ~10 lbs from a downpipe replacement. So full exhaust would lose ~ 20 lbs. Removing the ugly heavy centerstand nets another ~ 10 lbs. So that is ~ 30 lbs so far. GSX650 1 piece seat nets ~ 2 lbs loss and the OEM front and rear foot pegs with weights replaced nets ~ 2 lbs too. Rear grab handle is heavy as well as the bar ends weights. So wet weight can be reduced from ~ 560 to 525 easily. Remember wet weight includes all fluids and full tank of fuel. Dry weight stock is ~ 506 lbs, so after a few mods dry weight would be 475 lbs.
 
I bought my used Bandit for the sound of it's Holeshot muffler. Started it up in the dealer's showroom and the walls revervarated. Everytime I ride it, the torque and raspy sound are wonderful. Weight savings, in my book, are secondary.
Remember the easiest way to improve handling and performance is weight loss. Now combine weight loss with improved performance by means of a less restrictive intake, less restrictive exhaust and a fuel tuner / ecm remap and you have a winning combination.
 
Remember the easiest way to improve handling and performance is weight loss. Now combine weight loss with improved performance by means of a less restrictive intake, less restrictive exhaust and a fuel tuner / ecm remap and you have a winning combination.
You are very persuasive. I'm sure if I had driven a Harley, or one of those motorized Lazy Boy's, I would have a different outlook on the Bandit. The truth is, it's not the weight so much as the top heavy balance. On my previous bikes I could rock it side to side (if I was feeling frisky) while stopped. Wouldn't do that with this one, however.
 
Just to show that I have had great fun with the 1250 Bandit.


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You are very persuasive. I'm sure if I had driven a Harley, or one of those motorized Lazy Boy's, I would have a different outlook on the Bandit. The truth is, it's not the weight so much as the top heavy balance. On my previous bikes I could rock it side to side (if I was feeling frisky) while stopped. Wouldn't do that with this one, however.
Late to the party here but I'd highly recommend a slip on exhaust to reduce weight and to remove the centerstand. I also got the lowering links from Holeshot (called adjustable lowering struts) which lower the bike by an inch and make a big difference to help with managing the bike and stability..no change in my ride.
 
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