Suzuki Bandit 1200s
Suzuki Bandit 1200S
Take the long way home
DON CANET
I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT I'M BEGINNING TO FEEL the inevitable onslaught of age. I've been in denial for some time now, but the early indications have begun to manifest. "When did you color your hair gray?" friends have asked. My daughter hasn't been the only one calling me "Pops" lately, either.
Worse yet, just the other day I caught myself eyeing the more sensible, “real-world” bikes parked amid the likes of an Aprilia RSV Mille and Suzuki GSX-R750 in the Cycle World moto-pool. Which was to be expected, because the last time I said, “Let’s ride faster, we’ll get there sooner,” during a group ride, what I really meant was, “My back aches and my knees are beginning to cramp.”
It’s not just extreme sportbikes that have been putting the hurt on me, either. Enduring the laidback, butt-busting, La-Z-Boy posture imposed by an overcooked custom cruiser also had me uttering, “How soon ’til the next saloon?”
Don’t read me wrong here: I’m not suggesting it’s time for this 38-year-old hard-charger to settle into the creature comforts of an “Aspirin-cade” or “Excedrin-Glide.” But I have to admit that the current crop of sporty standards is making a favorable impression on me these days.
Since its U.S. debut in 1997, Suzuki’s Bandit 1200S has been one of the best bikes in this category. Already a well-rounded package with its blend of high performance, comfort and value, the “Big Bandito” has gotten even better for 2001.
Before setting to work upgrading the 1200, Suzuki polled current owners to identify areas on which to focus its efforts. Larger fuel capacity topped the survey, with a better seat, increased wind protection and more miserly fuel consumption completing the list. Engineers also sought to enhance the bike’s engine performance, handling and ride quality. A few convenience features, such as relocated bungee hooks, a larger underseat storage compartment and a higher-leverage centerstand also were thrown in for good measure.
CYCLE WORLD TEST
SUPER Standards
A new look was also on the bill. “We wanted updated styling while keeping it recognizable as a Bandit,” says Suzuki’s Mark Reese. The makeover has given the new 1200 the same distinctive good looks as its
smaller sibling, the Bandit 600. The new half-fairing provides a more finished appearance than its bikini-faired predecessor, which began life as a naked bike in the Japanese domestic market. Look for an unfaired version to arrive here in early 2001, costing $400 less than the $7399 S model.
I had an opportunity to get reacquainted with the 1200’s broad usability and high fun factor while riding home from Monterey, California, following the World
Superbike weekend. While a southerly drone down the 101 Freeway would have put me back in Orange County in time for supper, I set out on a zig-zag course, sampling a variety of premium backroads along the way.
I didn’t even get out of town before developing a liking for the Bandit’s engine-an air/oil-cooled inline-Four derived from the early-generation GSX-R1100 sportbikes. In its latest incarnation, the Bandit’s 1157cc mill has received revised cam timing, and its bank of 36mm Mikuni carbs has sprouted a throttle-position sensor (allowing 3-D ignition-
timing maps), which together result in even greater low-tomidrange torque. The cold-blooded nature of the last Bandit 1200 we tested seemed improved upon, as well.
While a heavier diaphragm clutch spring is now used, an increase in the diameter of the slave-cylinder piston has maintained average lever pull effort. The clutch engages with a nice progressive feel, and the five-speed gearbox is buttery smooth in action.
Throttle response is crisp and clean right off idle, without a stumble, surge or glitch anywhere in the rev range. While peak horsepower rang in just a tick shy of 100 on the CW dyno, the towering 70 foot-pound torque peak is achieved early on at 3800 rpm. Revving the engine much past 7000 rpm is pretty pointless, unless you simply like the sound of rapid-fire combustion.
Suzuki has also enhanced the Bandit’s stability and cornering capability. The steel double-cradle frame has been given slightly quicker steering geometry this year, and recalibrated suspension has improved comfort and handling.
Heading south from Hollister on Highway 25 provided a mix of flowing medium-speed sweepers leading into a stretch of tighter curves carved into the rolling terrain. Blessed with neutral steering and plenty of leverage through the tubular Superbike-bend handlebar, the Bandit worked into and out of comers in a fluid manner that was poetry in motion. Very little drivetrain lash exists, and there’s an equally small amount of fore-aft chassis pitching to upset handling.
Further south, I ventured onto Indian Valley Road, a narrow and bumpy bit of botched pavement. Even here, the Bandit’s chassis provided a sense of stability I found easy to trust. On gnarly roads such as this, the Bandit’s upright riding position pays dividends over that of bikes with lowmounted clip-ons. The road’s washboard surface made for a lively and exhilarating experience, but did little to unravel
the bike’s composure or rattle my nerves.
A few stops along the way to fiddle with suspension settings showed the range of adjustment to be useful, but not so broad as to allow one to get lost in left field. A ramped preload adjuster and four-position rebound-damping knob make rear-suspension adjustments a snap. The fork offers preload adjustment only, but now has much better resistance to bottoming under braking.
Back on the superslab, my attention shifted to ergonomics. The seat has undergone a welcomed improvement, and is now wider, flatter and more generously padded. The old saddle
was a ball-buster when you sat forward near the tank. Little engine vibration seeps through the grips and pegs at freeway speeds, but the fairing-mounted mirrors tend to blur-even at idle-and are susceptible to road-surface jolts and vibration. An air slot at the base of the windscreen effectively reduces turbulence at helmet level, and eases the task of cleaning the inside of the screen.
Comfort was such that I could have remained on the freeway for hours on end, but the nearby hills were beckoning. Exit 101, and head east on the triple-digit sweepers of Highway 166 to let the Bandit breathe. Effortless flow from one curve to the next with plenty of cornering clearance on tap-“Honey, I won’t be making it home tonight.”
A change of heading to the south led to Foxen Canyon Road for another rigorous stint of suspension evaluation. The Michelin Macadam radiais maintained contact with the choppy road surface, even after jacking the spring and damping rates near their maximum settings just to sample the effect.
Parked curbside for the night in upscale Santa Barbara, the Bandit seemed to suit its surroundings well. Overall fit and finish have been improved considerably-even the inner fairing bears a nice coat of paint rather than the overspray look. The bike has an element of quality that sets it above many others in its price range. We’re talking value, not cheap transportation here.
I’ll always have a deep-seated passion for extreme sportbikes, but sensible “real-world” performers like the Bandit 1200S have gotten under my skin. Ride one, and you too will find yourself taking the long way home. □
EDITORS' NOTES
AFTER THE SUCCESSION OF EXOTIC AND expensive motorcycles we’ve had through here over the past few months, the Bandit S seemed about as inspiring as a plain bean burrito-easy to chew and certainly not unpleasant, but not particularly stimulating, either. But that’s actually a testament to how well done this motorcycle is. Its function is essentially seamless.
Does that make it bland? Is bland actually a detriment on a do-it-all standard motorcycle?
Maybe, maybe not. But I’ll tell you what, interpreting high function and comfort as bland in the big Bandit’s case is a big mistake. The beauty here, friends, is if you want a quadruple-jalapeño shot of spice, just whack the throttle on El Bandito’s honking four-banger. Order up! A clean, instant, unerring surge of quality accelerative stimulation. The nimble-yet-stable chassis is totally up to the task of dealing with it, too.
Mmmm, tasty combo. I’ll take one to go.
-Mark Hoyer, Sports Editor
HAS THE BANDIT 1200S REALLY STOLEN my heart away from hard-edged sportbikes? Not a chance, but it does offer proof that big fun comes in all shapes and sizes.
As a daily commuter or sport-tourer, the Bandit’s combination of comfort and kick-butt performance puts it among the top bikes in that role. Factor in how much you’re getting for your
buck and it could very well be the best buy of the season.
Blessed with usable power and solid handling, there’s no reason the Bandit can’t steal the thunder away from some of the canyon-carving clip-on crowd, either. Sure, it’s no GSXR750 in terms of speed and cornering capability, but neither is the Angeles Crest-or roads like it-a racetrack. Sport-standards are getting better, so much so that I’m changing the way I think when selecting a bike to ride on a daily basis. Never mind that there’s hardly a good curve between my home and the office. -Don Canet, Road Test Editor
REPENT YE SPORTBIKE SINNERS! RISE AND ride free ye cruiser codgers. Cast aside thy cup-holders, ye of the Gold Wing clan! It is time to see the light!
But seriously, this new Bandit 1200S might just be the last bike you ever need. Twice the horsepower of the average V-Twin mega-cruiser. Extra bhp as close as your bedside stack of mail-order catalogs. On backroad flogs, as long as
the going doesn’t get too cut-and-thrusty (it does weigh 500 pounds after all), the Bandit can do serious damage to a sportbiker’s buffed-alloy ego. Enough comfort for piece-o-cake 600-mile days, too-and just try that on your 996 or your windscreen-less Road Star. Not a lot of fun. Now if we can just convince Suzuki-and everybody else except BMW, damn it!—to make hard saddlebags a design priority, you’re lookin’ at the bargain sport-tourer of all time.
Anyway, 2001 is shaping up to be the Year of the Super Standard. Welcome to it. This is gonna be fun.
-David Edwards, Editor-in-Chief
SUZUKI BANDIT 1200S
$7399
