BANDIT - love them.l
I have a 650 (2005 - carbed oil-cooled) for daily transport and a 1250 for the weekends (2009 liquid cooled, injected) ... I've put more than 50thou ks on each bike ... (My dailty commute for the last 20 years has been all open road, except for the last two or three ks into town ...)
Bandits are hugely reliable, they a fucking fun without being totally aggressive ...
Either a used a GSF650 naked or faired or a new one - the GSX650F or the 1250 ... (or even the older 1200s if that's your price range - a mate had/has one - he had 130,000klicks on the clock last time I saw him ...)
I've done Wellington to Whakatāne, stopping only for gas in Shannon and then Turangi - felt great for a straight run through .... I've done more than 1,000klicks in one day - and had no worries.
The 650 feels a little light long distance - the front end can bounce around a little where the 1250 is completely stable (across the Napier-Taupo road for instance) ...
The standard factory settings on the front forks of the 650 are too light - the bike is better if the front suspension is tightened up a little ...
They will scare the hell out of many sports bike riders who think they are shit hot .. but aren't ... I've seen 213 klicks indicated on the speedo of the 650 .. and the 1250 was still accelerating at 245klicks (indicated) when I shut it down because the corner was coming fast ... (I say indicated on the speedo because it is unreliable and can be dead on or up to 10% out ... and errattic with it)
They both have grunt - the 650 runs at high revs and is more like a sports 600, using the gears more produces good results .. while the 1250 is low down power .. they are NOT the same to ride .. (an oil-cooled 1200 may be similar to the 650) .. the 650 motor is very responsive and I can balance it in the corners on the throttle with a little counter-steering ... an injected 650 would be even more responsive ... (I've opened the throttle on the 1250 and had to grab the bars as the acceleration nearly tossed me over the back .. lesson learnt)
I've heard people complain that their Bandit wallowed in corners .. but they never changed down - Bandits corner best at higher revs ...
I run Conti Road Attacks on the 650 because they are fun and the bike is quite flickable .. and PR3s on the 1250 .. because they suit that bike better .. (I had road attacks on the 1250 but it masde trhe bike turn much quicker than I was used too and I was forever lifting it up in corners ...) I don't throw the 1250 around like I do the 650 ...
So all in all, I wouldn't go passed a Bandit - find one and go for a ride ... I'll bet you won't want to get off it ..
They are not hugely expensive as bikes go .. the equivalent in other makes will cost you more than a Bandit ...
"So if you meet me, have some sympathy, have some courtesy, have some taste ..."
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