El Bandito Magnifico

EL BANDITO MAGNIFICO

As the power-standard craze shifts into high gear, Suzuki has finally seen fit to bring its much-heralded Bandit 1200S to the U.S. After a successful overseas launch in early 1996, the Bandit will be sold here in two forms: with and without ABS.

A Canadian-spec, non-ABS-equipped Bandit wheelied into the hearts of CW staffers during a test in our August issue. Unlike other Open-class standards, the Bandit stole

across the border smuggling some serious horsepower. The GSX-R1100-based engine makes locomotive-like power, outsteaming even Kawasaki’s ZX-11 in top-gear roll-ons.

The ’97 Bandit will be available in blue or maroon at a retail price of just $7099, while the all-black ABS version will sell for $1500 more.