Suzuki Bandit 600s
SUZUKI BANDIT 600S
CYCLE WORLD TEST
Restyled, re-dialed and ready to roll
HUMAN BEINGS, ON THE WHOLE, ARE A FICKLE lot. Always wanting what we can’t have. Desiring something bigger, something better, something other than what had kept us quite content up until now. And when, by chance, we do get that which we covet, we are by nature suspicious. So when Suzuki launched what it claimed was a better Bandit 600S for 2000, skeptical eyebrows were raised all around.
Because if the PR hype turned out to be stuff of substance, then Suzuki would have successfully satisfied our jones for a new-style Universal Japanese Motorcycle, not once but twice. And with the same model, no less. When the smaller-displacement Bandit was first introduced in 1995, we fell Shoei-overSidis, naming it to our Ten Best Bikes list. “A satisfying and valuable tool with which to explore the joys of motorcycling,” we gushed. And now they’ve restyled it and endowed it with performance-oriented upgrades? Be still our beating hearts.
Reason for the re-do is that Euro-sales were slipping a bit. Traditionally a strong model abroad (in 1998 it was the best-selling motorcycle in Europe, with the only two-wheeler doing better a Piaggio scooter, so says Suzuki), it was beginning to feel heat from the competition. Meetings were taken, focus groups convened and, several conceptual drawings later, we have the surgically enhanced Bandit splayed out here.
Most prominent of the new features is the sleek and nasty-looking snout. Although the original Bandit wasn’t without fairing, its plastic piece was tacked on after the bike was complete. It seems that American Suzuki feared for the first bike’s U.S. success without it. This new Bandit’s fairing, then, was a design consideration from the get-go, and therefore flows with the bike more than the old one did.
Nestled within the redone cockpit is a just-as-redone instrument cluster. Like the Hayabusa’s, the compact setup is powered by a step-motor that eliminates pesky cables. Speedo and tach are now accompanied by a digital odometer, two tripmeters and a clock.
The double-cradle steel frame was also on the receiving end of some touchups, including the incorporation of straight top tubes that complement the contoured fuel tank, as well as the reduction of rake by .6 degrees and trail by .4 inch. The wheelbase was said to have been lengthened from 57.2 to 57.6 inches, but our ’00 testbike measured 56.8 inches between axles, a discrepancy possibly due to differences in chain adjustment. At the dragstrip, performances were almost parallel, though the nod goes to the older model. Our 2000 testbike posted top-gear roll-on times of 4.4 seconds from 40-60 mph, and 4.8 seconds from 60-80 mph. The ’95 model? Try 4.3 from 40-60, and 4.7 from 60-80. In the quarter-mile, double-naught trotted through in 12.35 seconds at 107.3 mph, while the original Bandito had an 11.97-
Nice touches are the centerstand, reconfigured for better leverage, and passenger footpeg brackets that are bolted to the frame instead of welded. Now, a minor tip-over that trashes the peg mounts doesn’t mean a costly repair job.
Unlike the revamped chassis, the Bandit’s 16-valve, dohc, 599cc inline-Four benefits mostly from minor nips and tucks. Modifications include rings claimed to seal better and create less friction, larger piston-cooling oil jets and increased lubrication for the wristpins. A redesigned oil pump to improve flow throughout the engine was fitted, as was a higher-capacity alternator.
Although the air/oil-cooled motor still breathes through a quartet of 32mm Keihin mixers, these are equipped with Suzuki’s increasingly familiar Throttle Position Sensor. Other additions are mostly emissions-pleasers, such as a filter at the petcock, reshaped airbox with lighter-weight element and the use of an air-injection system to help prevent excess unbumed fuel from escaping the 4-into-l stainlesssteel exhaust. This last item, Suzuki insists, doesn’t impair engine output whatsoever.
Because the bike’s power source remains largely unchanged, the new Bandit’s performance numbers are very similar to those of the original. Trussed up on the CW dyno, it made 70 rear-wheel horsepower at 10,500 rpm, and 37 foot-pounds of torque at 9250 rpm. In comparison, its ancestor made 71 bhp at 10,000 rpm, and 38 ft.-lbs. of torque at 9000 rpm.
second showing at 111.7 mph.
How does the new Bandit fare against the competition? Quite well. Have a look at Kawasaki’s similarly styled but larger-displacement ZR-7. Granted, the fairingless ZR has 9 ft.-lbs. of torque on the new Suzuki, but horsepower is identical. And while the Kawi’s 4.1and 4.2-second roll-on times prevail, its quarter-mile performance is a tad off: 12.4 seconds at 105 mph.
From afar, the bike’s new styling cues are rather subtle. Up close, however, they become more perceptible. Like the improved fairing. Not only does it give an aging model a snotty new lease on life, it actually works. With a ventilation system cut into the base of the screen to reduce helmet buffeting, it blocks the wind as intended for riders tall and small.
Combine this calm view of the world with an upright seating position, well-padded saddle and easy-to-reach handlebar and footpegs, and the result is an enjoyable ride. The Bandit, then, is a solid, comfortable mount that lends itself magnificently to both backroad exploration and daily freeway commutes. In the canyons, it conquers quick-order rightand lefthanders with minimal effort at the bar.
Admittedly, the Bandit isn’t a superbike, however, the 41mm fork soaks up the road’s bumps and bruises painlessly. When more spirited riding is desired, the rear shock can be easily adjusted for spring preload and rebound damping. The latter is a seven-way ramped gig, while the former makes do with four clicks. Sag set and rebound dialed-in, simply seek out a winding ribbon of tarmac; the Bandit hunkers down and happily hugs the road.
Freeway speeds are matter-of-fact for the Suzuki, too. In the past, we’ve complained that this engine can feel a bit buzzy. That’s still true, and at speeds of around 70 mph, the handgrips, footpegs and mirrors are alive with vibes. Options are to snick down a gear on the smooth-shifting, six-speed transmission and rev it higher, where it’s smoother, or simply speed up. Umm, we tended to opt for the latter.
Braking is competently handled in the front by two 290mm rotors grasped by twin-piston calipers. The rear setup, identical to that of the 1300cc Hayabusa, is a single 240mm disc, also held by a twin-piston caliper. Firm and progressive-feeling, the Tokico system slows the bike so quickly and easily that even less experienced riders will feel comfortable pushing the bike in tighter going.
So with all these tasty attributes (and we didn’t even get to the convenient helmet lock and bungee hooks), you'd think that Suzuki would be charging an arm and a leg for this bike. Think again, Bucky. Suggested retail price is a mere $5799. That’s just $100 more than Kawasaki's ZR-7.
Hold on, this is starting to sound suspicious. A little too good to be true, ya know? After all, the Bandit’s restyling brings it into Y2K with a bang, not a whimper. It’s a hoot to ride on mountain roads, and it makes daily drudgery adventuresome. Plus, it’s so damn comfy that strapping on bags and going sport-touring is a viable option. And it’s inexpensive?
Scary though it may seem, Suzuki seems to be giving us exactly what we want. Oh, the humanity...
EDITORS' NOTES
IF I WERE REALLY CHEESY, I’D SAY THAT Suzuki’s Bandit 600 stole my heart. Fortunately, I ain’t that cheesy. I am, however, intrigued. In spite of its hip, corporate redesign, the new Bandit doesn’t put on any airs. Let me expound. After commuting daily-through inattentive beach-city traffic, no less-I decided the 600 was a good utility bike. Surefooted, reliable and solid. Then I took it
out to play. And while it didn’t pretend to be some ultra-performance macho machine, it was more fun in the twisties than any “standard” had a right to be. Utility, schmootility, this thing scoots.
But when you get down to the real nitty-gritty, here’s what I like best about Suzuki’s Bandit 600: In almost any situation, I can ride the wheels off of it in spite of the fact that I’m no Don Canet. Heck, I’m not even a Matthew Miles (sorry, Matt). But the Bandit makes me feel, well, macho. Not that I’m putting on airs... -Wendy F. Black, Associate Editor
CONTRARY TO THE MEDIA FERVOR OVER computer hard-drive crack-ups and bank money-machine freeze-outs, Y2K is shaping up pretty well. Consider, for example, the veritable plethora of bargain bikes. Surprised? Don’t be. After all, many of the machines that topped comparison tests just a few years ago have now been relegated to second-rung status-often at fire-sale prices. For exam-
ple, Yamaha’s ultra-comfy YZF600R, our pick for Best 600cc Streetbike in 1996, now costs $400 less than when it debuted.
Other wallet-openers include all-new models like Suzuki’s SV650 and Kawasaki’s ZR-7. Then there are revised machines, such as the mid-weight Bandit tested here. Selling for $1200 less than the Yammie, the 600S certainly qualifies as a bargain. Its performance-particularly its effortless steering-belies that ranking, though. Somewhat buzzy engine aside, this is a solid all-rounder, a motorcycle that, despite its entry-level displacement, deserves big-bike status. Smells like the makings of a shootout, eh?
Matthew Miles, Managing Editor
I’VE GOT TO ADMIT I WASN’T TOO thrilled about riding the Bandit 600 after sampling all the “Forza Italia” exotica in this issue. An entry-level sportbike? I haven’t been in the market for one of those since 1983.
But you know what? This Bandit works really well, particularly for someone who’s just starting out. For example, while it's tempting to poke
fun at the engine’s lackluster power output (“They forgot to install the torque,” cracked one wise-ass), the delivery is so exacting and smooth that you can get on the gas really early exiting comers. And if you enter a turn going too fast, the predictable brakes coupled with light, neutral steering let you make mid-comer corrections without winding up in the ditch. The entire bike just feels “right,” without a single negative point to divert your attention from the matter at hand-whether that’s perfecting the art of cornering or just surviving your commute to work.
-Brian Catterson, Executive Editor
SUZUKI
BANDIT 600
SPECIFICATIONS
$5799
