Bigger Bandit On the Way
BIGGER BANDIT ON THE WAY
OUR PREDICTION FOR most likely Suzuki soon to be in showrooms? You’re lookin’ at it. Unveiled at the Paris Show in the shadow of the all-new GSX-R750, the Bandit 1200S didn’t get much attention, but expect to see it in the U.S. for 1996, probably as an early-release ’97 model.
A non-faired version debuted in Europe in 1995 to mostly rave reviews. In the U.S., the Bandit 600S has been a showroom success and recently was named Best Standard of 1995 by Cycle World's editors. A bigger Bandit would give Suzuki a strong 1-2 punch in a standard-bike market that has been largely abandoned by other Japanese bike-makers in their rush to jump on the retrocruiser bandwagon.
Powered by an 1157cc ver-
sion of Suzuki’s long-running, air-and-oil-cooled inline-Four, the 1200S should crank out an easy 100 horsepower, with almost unlimited tuning potential from various aftermarket sources. A single-shock rear suspension and 43mm cartridge-style fork are in charge of bump-dispersion duties;
twin four-piston front calipers putting the pinch on 12.4-inch rotors take care of the majority of stopping chores. Wheels are 17-inchers at both ends, the rear shod with a suitably meaty 180/55 tire. Suzuki claims a dry weight of 471 pounds, spread out over a 57.4-inch wheelbase.
