Suzuki Bandit GSF 1200 - Review, ride and walkaround
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- čas přidán 28. 08. 2024
- www.WhichBike.com staff member, The Rampant Rider, takes out his mate's Suzuki Bandit GSF 1200 with twice the engine size of his usual steed. Check out his thoughts in the video.
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I've got a 97 1200S, dark blue. Bought last fall with under 20k miles. Love it. Everything is so effortless, like he was saying--the engine, the clutch, the gearbox, the brakes--all are very refined, or as he says, "smooth". Suzuki really did a nice job with this one. It's got so much torque I find myself short shifting it all the time. Half the time I shift without the clutch--so easy. Such a gas to ride. Great review.
It is one of those bikes that one never wants to sell. What is the point? What can now beat it for the money it is worth. Always nice to see somebody who loves their bike for the long-term -par of the family! Happy riding.
Ade
Yeah for $2400 I can't imagine getting anything better.
@@doublenickel1000 Absolutely right. I can;t think of anything.
Ade
I am also liking the simplicity of these bikes, especially while doing my own maintenance.
Jimo368
Yeah, fair comment. Some of these new bikes are really complex.
Of course, electronic technology stuff just can;t be fixed by an amateur if it goes wrong.
Can't beat a bandit tbh,bulletproof engine,simple no rider aids
Ultra reliable bike, never had any problems with mine.
Watching this makes me love my mk 1 1200 cc all over again .. when is winter over? ! 😂
Bit old right now but unsalted roads and heated gloves would still get me out.
@@RevMonkey as soon as I’m off and not this horrendous rain We’ve had I’ll be out on her 😁 heated gloves or not 😳😵💫
@@AmandaCope-ed3ky Yep, that's the spirit. Wiith modern all weather tyres it is not that scary, though I did have a bad high-side in the damp once 🤔
@@RevMonkey have to be careful but I can’t cope not going out all
Winter 🤣 even if it means main roads, shorter rides and keeping the speed a bit lower along with looking like Michelin man 😁
|Not Norwich !!!!! live your best life dude !
Ha. no good reason to go there apart from the Lotus factory 😀
Ade
Big and Torquey! A proper motor in stock trim that can be hot rodded to the hilt should one choose to. The old air/oil cooled Gixxer motor is a classic!
Agreed. Old school brilliance. Seeing less and less of these sort of bikes. Modern tech bikes are incredible but one should always have an old-school bike in their garage if possible.
Ade
I have a bandit gsf 1200s on 2005 plate it’s brilliant and looks awesome with the full fairing, don’t be put off by the weight I have to lift the back end round to get it through my garden gate and I manage it by myself
I wouldnt be able to do that with my back! :)
Have a GSF 650 Bandit, not even a Bandit S, still the quickest acceleration possible like a time vortex enhancing bike. A 1200 S, oh lucky luck luck, must be a joy.
I just bought a second-hand 2002 GSF1200S that had been lowered for drag racing. I really like the lowered suspension, being that I'm not as young as I once was, & my lower back is not what it once was, as well. The motorcycle rides/handles well, even in the twisties! The center of gravity/center of mass on my Bandit is so low, it makes for a supremely smooth, stable, manageable ride, at any speed. Loving it!!! Safe Riding...
Ah , nice one. Yeah, great bikes. The experience is still amazing. You don;t need to spend a fortune on a modern bike.
Does it not ground out on our rubbish roads and bumps?
Ade
@@RevMonkey It had drag headers on it, when I bought the bike. They joined together far right-side of the motorcycle & very low. I scraped the pipes three times, during right-hand turns at speed. I put the original factory headers back on, along with a Delkevic 14" exhaust muffler. Much better now! Once I get it going & squared away, I plan on uploading some videos on You Tube. Love the Bandit!
@@shotgunrepublic4673 Souunds good to me! Ride safe
Ade
I'm in South Central Texas. Our roads turn to shit whenever it rains. We get a lot of flash flooding, down here. Potholes, broken pavement/asphalt, dirt & gravel all over the road. Keeps you on your toes, I suppose. The state & interstate highways are in better shape, but not as fun to ride...
@@shotgunrepublic4673 I had no idea! The UK's perception of Texas is that it doesn;t rain at all! :)
We certainly have the same problems and some counties are better than others at keeping the roads in good condition.
Ade
I now have a Bandit 1200 1999. Love it; used to have an SV650, then GSXR's of various sizes but I think the Bandit is the most fun. Nice video mate.
On average, how much should one expect to dish-out for a good bandit 1200 in £?
@@jeyzee691 No idea in the UK. I paid the equivalent of around 2000 pounds here in Cape Town, but I think that was a bit steep
@@jeyzee691 mk1's are going up. A very clean original one, expect 4 grand +. An 06 like mine 3 grand ish. Anything below 2 grand is going to be as bit rough.
Not necessarily, got my 97 B12s 18k miles and perfect £1500. Winter is a good time to buy
Does the Bandit feel a lot faster than the SV?
have one with 80000 km! Love this! Nice Vid cool to see! Thanks
Incredible buike, goes superbly downhill when out of gas.
I have a 650 version I'm quite impressed with it
Yep, you don't really need any more than that to be fair.
Ade
I would not wish to drop that bad boy! Have to get my kids to come and help me lift it back up :)
Which Bike funnily enough I nearly almost dropped in whilst backing into my mate's garage on the day I returned it! But I did manage to save it, but it took some!
The Rampant Rider :) Fooking embarrassing when you drop a bike. I have done it twice, once with my CBR when I first showed off my bike to my best mate and his wife pissed herself laughing :( and the other was with the training school's Yamaha at a petrol station - it was the diesel.. honest.. cough. :)
Which Bike I`m on my second bandit now. first was a 1996. when i bought it it had 25,000 miles and when i sold it it had 75,000.
bought another one around christmas for $1100 with 20,000 miles. the guy wanted $1800 but it wasnt running right. i knew it was carbs needing cleaned and synced. I cleaned and synced them and it runs like a top now.
i dropped the first one doing a wheelie and broke my collar bone.
libertyforamericanow wow that is some fantastic milage! And at least it was only your collar bone..
libertyforamericanow
I havent got the confidence to even attempt a wheelie ! :)
Had so many bikes since the 12 I'd forgotten what it was about
The good thing about a heavier bike is, the wind has a hard time blowing you off the road. I just found 2. A 2000 and a 2002. The 2000 is color maroon with a small fairing for 3000. The 2002 is color silver naked for 3300 American money. They said the Maroon one only has 6000 miles on it. Thats low for a year 2000.
They didn say how many miles on the 2002.
+Jojo Gun Fang
Sounds good.. they will last another decade.
classic zujki - one of their best ever.
I want one even more now ..:)
just bought one.. 20.000km 16 years of age.. :)
I have no problem with that. It's pretty docile until you pile the gas on.
Great review.
It was an old presenter. he did a great job.
Ade
ha, am almost as old as this bike. mean machine. my dad had one like it i think back when i was a kid.
+Nat Jacobs
ha
I see a fair few of these so they must be pretty popular.
Tony Radbrooke I think they simply last well so they stay on the roads. Suzuki clearly got it right with this one.
thats a proper naked bike big bastard :D
gotta to be a heavy old heap tho.
Not really same as a Katana 750 about 460lbs
I like the review very much. I plan on a 2016 Bandit 1250.
The "boike" of course.
Does it have fuel injection?
Not on this one. Fuel Injection came in 2006.
Ade
The only bad thing about that bandit is you have to give it back, I have a 2004 sport model in silver
😂 true
the best bike i owned, it was a 600N but i wanna buy a 1200 :)
+Attila G-C
Can't go wrong with more power. It's a very heavy bike though.
Which Bike I like the weight of mine makes it feel stable in the wind.
I know it's common terminology when Brits say "clocks", but I've never seen
Speedometers that were able to give me the time.
Why then, say clocks? BTW, I have a father to this Bandit 1200 . . . a '93 GSX1100G (with shaft drive).
Tons of low end torque and super reliable.
Ha. Good point. Our expression comes from 'on the clock' as in 'how many miles has it got on the clock?' when asking how many miles it has done. The clock bit refers to the ticking over of the mile wheel which you still see on older bikes and older cars. Of course, everyone is going digital these days and TFTs are becoming normal but the expression will undoubtedly remain.
interesting review, coming from a mk3 bandit 1200 i was surprised you said the tank range was only 130miles i know the mk1 has a 19litre tank vs 20 on mine but i average 180 miles on mine.
the weight does take some getting used to I agree But it is a very stable bike and easy to shuffle along at walking pace in traffic thanks to the general smoothness of the engine :)
once you get used to them you can filter just fine :)
Yep, a super bike, a master of all and really sought after now! Well worth keeping.
Ade
Would be dream bike?, if not for my '05 650 BANDIT, not a Bandit S, better than a Bandit S, more torque. One careful, cautious owner who basically ran it in for 15,000 miles, and it pulls up steep, steep hills like its falling off a cliff, such a JOY. Could never want or need to accelerate faster, top end?, care not a jot. All about the acceleration.
Yep, I hear you. It is NOT about power, it is actually about torque and the delivery characteristics. Makes it more fun.
Ade
is it smooth?
thebanditsix they're extremely smooth. I've had one for 8 years
Hard to find one for 1500 now days if you don't mind very high miles you might do
+supermoto chimps
Yeah, that have reached bottom now like so many other classics. Not a hug maintenance worry either.
Disco Landrover i put 200000k on a 1997 gsf 1200 bandit in newzealand only maintenance oil change every 5000ks tappet adjustment periodically and several chains
I have a 2001 gsf1200 and bought it for 300 bucks, couple little issues, rear fender was busted, brake light didn’t work and the carburetors needed a red build but other than that the bikes been great, only about 17,000 miles on it
As HAPPY AS EVER COULD WITH 2005 GSF 650 BANDIT, NOT EVEN A BANDIT S. BEST BIKE EVER, I SUPPOSE THE 1200 MIGHT BE A IOTA BETTER THAN THE 650 BANDIT, HOW VERY VERY GOOD ARE BANDITS.? THERE GREAT!!!!!
Yep, no need to ever upgrade. That bike is solid!
Ade
How much faster does this feel than the SV?
Mid and tip-end - quite a lot. Down low the SV is more alive and 'feels' faster but there is little in it. Different bikes really. This bandit lends itself to comfy and fun cruising longer distances. The SV leans more towards hop on fun. Both great but one needs to think about the primary use.
Ade
@@RevMonkey thank you for the answer, I have an SV now that I’m gonna convert into a track bike and was thinking about getting a bandit the my Main Street bike, was wondering how big the jump is
@@MrMikey1871 It's a different delivery but so easy to ride you would be fine.
Ade
@@RevMonkey thank you!
Bandit. 1200 feels a lot faster then Sv 1000🔥🤙
Hey there, what kind of windscreen is that do you know? Thanks
Not sure the reviewer comes on here anymore :(
You should be able to spot it on Bandit aftermarket stores.
Still in your youth and enjoy riding sports bikes? Thought you said you had a Suzuki SV? I have a 1997 Bandit 1200 for commuting and a 2006 GSX-R 600 for fun, that’s a sports bike, I don’t see how the SV qualifies? Not hating on you, have you ridden a ‘proper’ sports bike?
Good point, he wants a go on a R1
Or a H2
David Burns what’s the bandit12 like compared to the gsxr6? I had a gsxr6 last year but just about to get a bandit12 now
went 3 years on a ninja 250r to this bike...
Bimey, dont see many of those anymore!
Ade
من عشاق ١٢٠٠ ساسوكي . اكو عرب بلطياره
It's a GSF1200n not GSX
What year is this Bandit? I'm looking at getting a 1200
Ryan Banks 1996 :)
The Rampant Rider Blimey, there are probably motorcyclists on here younger than that! :) Just shows how good these Bandits are.Wow.
Which Bike LOL
1157 cc's
People saying it's a heavy bike lol. Try an intruder or a vn1500-1600, then you'll stop complaining about bandits weight
Ha, true.. My Africa Twin was mad heavy. Dropped it twixw and needed help.
I guess it is also about how ther weight feels whilst riding but the bike has enough power and balance to counter that anyway.
Ade
@@RevMonkey yeah the Africa twin is fat! Bandits are light and maneuverable, I think once you've owned a fair share of bikes no bike will ever feel awkward in any way shape or form, every bike you ride will have it's own feeling and I find that kind of special and enjoyable..but maybe I'm weird.
@@RideToLive102 I always maintain that the lighter the bike is, the more fun it is to ride it is.
@@RevMonkey I suppose depends how you define fun, on a track? Probably, on everyday roads, especially in the UK? Anything will do
Right? My buddy had a Kawasaki Vulcan 2000cc that thing probably weighed 1000lbs on its own!
Who in the right mind would buy 1 1200 mk1 bandit
Ha, well not me but they are obviously super popular. I guess they are a lot of bike for decent second hand prices now.
Ade
Which Bike yes there soon to be worth good money I have only got 6 1200 mk1 bandits left. There better then cash in the bank I remember the days paying £150 -£500 for a decent rd350lc now look at there prices I think the mk1 bandit will become a high value bike. 10 years on ppl will kick there selfs for there bikes or there be worth nothing n I’ll be thinking why did I buy so many and spend so much time and Minh on them lol not many bikes give the smile like a bandit lol
@@imnotahealthandsafetyperso4889 Ha true, I suspect the Hayabusas will be desirable too. There are some stand out bikes and some future classics to be had for good money.
Ade
You need heavy bike on the freeway,bud
True. Definitely helps.