Bandit good idea?

[ducatilover]

does anyone know anything about bandit 600s'? i really want to get one when i get my full lisence. how reliable are they or is there any similar alternative bikes? :devil2:

[Two Smoker]

does anyone know anything about bandit 600s'? i really want to get one when i get my full lisence. how reliable are they or is there any similar alternative bikes? :devil2:

Slower than all supersport 600's... Alternative would be a CB600 (But being a good guy you will stick to Suzuki :niceone: ) Good step up i reckon...

[SixPackBack]

does anyone know anything about bandit 600s'? i really want to get one when i get my full lisence. how reliable are they or is there any similar alternative bikes? :devil2:

Kwaka z750 is a great bike, owned one for 15k and also had a duc monster 750 for 30k......the kwaka was much better bike but :yes:

[Morepower]

Should be bullet proof and they look like good value , you could do a lot worse, Consider an SV650 also they are supposed to be pretty good.

Dave

[loosebruce]

bandit 600s'? any similar alternative bikes? :devil2:

Bandit 1200 :yes: , older one though, the newer ones got boring.

[Lou Girardin]

Bandit 1200 :yes: , older one though, the newer ones got boring.
1200's are good, but so boring. Mine's only got 5 - 10 more hp than a TL and more torque. So slow too. :bleh:

[R6_kid]

funny you should mention this, im seriously looking at getting one as my stepup from the ZXR250. If i get one or atleast test ride i'll tell you what i think.

[Trow]

what's with all the bandit bashing!! the 1200's are great fun :yes: I loved my old one, plenty of power, heaps of fun and reliable as buggery!!

Can't comment on the new shape ones but give me a couple of weeks an al have one...

[Lou Girardin]

Quite a few of the Bandit bashers are the sportbike riders that hang off trying to get a knee down and the bike's only got 10 degrees of lean on.

[keza]

if the 1200 bandit is anything to go by a friend has 150000kms on one in 4 years!
and it has just had the rocker cover off to check the timing chain put it back didn't need replaced
get a 600 thay are boring bland and reliable which is great when you want to do the miles excellent engineering

[rogson]

does anyone know anything about bandit 600s'? .........is there any similar alternative bikes? :devil2:

What about the GSX750Y? They are a naked with a sit-up riding position, are no heavier and have a lower seat height than the bandit 600. They also have a bit more power - in fact, plenty of power for highway/touring. Suzuki sold a few in NZ in 2000 - 2001 but stopped bringing them in when the GSX1200Y was discontinued.

[R6_kid]

i've been told the 600 is highly under rated. Sure its puting out 80hp when hte 750Y has 92 or so, but we're talking a step up bike here, not a go hard tourer. Personally i think that a top end over 240kmh is more than enough, and apparently the 600 is quite torquey for its size aswell.

[ducatilover]

the bandit is definitly good on paper, suppose ill have2 test 1 4 myself, eh? the other 600ish bikes with more power seem 2 have a lower more cramped looking position, then again test ride. the bandits i have been looking @ are the naked ones i am not keen on the faired ones[ they weigh 2 much]. would the hyosung 650 be a good alternative? they are also very cheap. any more help would be good. also i want to scrap the gpz, any ideas of good scrapers/scrap collecting dudes or any one that will give me money, in the palmeston north or masterton areas [im in between in pahiatua/eketahuna] thanx 4 all the help guys!!! :Punk: how much hp in a hyosung gt650?[and are they very tourqythis is what my gpz400 ninja should have looked like. it really looks nothing like it cos there is almost no fairing on it

[banditboy]

Hey i got a 98 bandit 600 as my first bike on my full, after a good tune we had 90bhp and im just doing exhaust and airfilter on it at the moment, I chose it because i love naked bikes, wanted to be able to insure it and have a bike that would still entertain me in a year or so. Great bike and oh so comfy after an FZR250. call out if you are in welly and want a test ride(not selling it tho).

[Jantar]

The Bandit is a very good step up bike. It may not be quite as quick as a pure sports bike, but then again, its isn't a pure sports bike, its a sports/tourer. The Bandit is a bike you can sit on all day, and cover large distances in comfort and safety.

Try out the Bandit, but also try a Hornet and the Hyosung, and one or two others. See which one you feel most comfortable on, and That's the one to buy. :ride:

[ducatilover]

theres quite a list of bikes i wanna try.....eg....m600/m620, zzr600/zxr600, sv650, hyosung gt650, bandit600 etc etc, i wanna work out weather i want a v-twin or not cos the hyosung has more torque than a zzr or a m620......... :ride:

[Horrible Henry]

I think the original poster has the right idea. Sure a GSXR or CBRR will carve the corners better and go faster but... To be honest, the bandit goes around bends in a respectable fashion and where in Gods own can you use the horsepower.

I ride a GSX1200Y and it does just fine over the Rimatakas or over Paekakariki hill. It has too much horsepower for the number of cops on the road and rarely gets to see more than 5,000rpm due to the over policing and excessively PC road rules etc.

Soooo, IMHO, unless you want to risk your wareenty with frequent track days (yeah, try and explain the rippled tyres come service time!), then the bandit is the sane choice.

[DemonWolf]

Welcome to KB Horrible Henry. Some good points ya got there. Got anymore pic's of your bike?

[Pumba]

I got a 1998 600 Bandit about two years ago and there a great bike, sure there not going to be able to stick with a GSX, ZZR, or simular 600 on the tight and twisties, but it is more of a sports tourer than a a pure sports bike.

As for reliability mine has never missed a beat.

One thing I have noticed latly as I start to push the bike a bit harder is that im starting to scrape boots and pegs more often, so might be looking at an upgrade, but it has really been a great bike:Punk:

[Edbear]

The Bandit is basically an uprated or newer version of the GSX-F and is a bit more comfortable for longer trips, though I can't complain about mine. Like most of the older design Suzuki engines you can't kill them with a big stick! Mine's only done 39k and runs like new with plenty of grunt for me. Honestly, the biggest difference in power between bikes is down to rider ability, if you've got 80hp like mine or 120 on a R6, on the road a good rider will make up more than the difference. Mine gets to 200k pretty damn quick, thankyou and is more comfortable than an R at the speeds you'll be riding at most. On a track, yeah, there's a big difference but not on the road. The 750Y is a great bike, too but it really comes down to what you feel comfortable on and like the sound of. I love the sound of mine when it's on cam and pulling hard through the gears, but others love the V-twin beat. We really are spoiled for choice and I'm sure you'll be very happy with whatever you buy.:niceone:

[HenryDorsetCase]

It isnt on your list, but value for money wise, and grins per dollar, you could get an '05 CB900F (Hornet 900) for eleven grand:brand spankers..

[babyB]

hay ya welcom to kb

agrees with Edbear.
i aint complaining bout my '97 B6. had her 5yrs done 29999mile, steering bearings are about the only thing been done to her (normal servising too) still runs like a dream....B6 can be very forgiving & very easy to ride. i brought her for her versatility in touring & street ride

thinks the SV is simular.
B6 is heavy (202dry),top end heavy.....lack of fuel can result in extreme physical discomfort as 25 a day lungs try to cope with cardio-vascular torture of pushing dead bike a km with Legs that havent seen excercise since the Pogo went out of fashion may also turn to consistency of jelly, to accompany bright red sweaty face and asthmatic wheezing.Nearly bloody killed me. :pinch: :rofl:

IMHO;basically, a sport bike is less forgiving, you can push them & they will take it- you just get faster But this is when new riders find the bike is better than them & it usally hurts.

base ya decision on what you want the bike for, how it fits you & your comfort zone (so you feel more confident on them). No good havin a machine if it leaves ya terrifed.
There are alot of good bikes out there to choose from. good luck

[Edbear]

B6 is heavy (202dry),top end heavy.....lack of fuel can result in extreme physical discomfort as 25 a day lungs try to cope with cardio-vascular torture of pushing dead bike a km with Legs that havent seen excercise since the Pogo went out of fashion may also turn to consistency of jelly, to accompany bright red sweaty face and asthmatic wheezing.Nearly bloody killed me. :pinch: :rofl:


LOL!!!!!!!! I'm so far out of condition, I'm paranoid about it and don't trust the fuel guage too far! But I've joined the gym so look forward to getting (a little bit) of my youth back! Don't know if I can get back the last 30years, though!

[terbang]

Had a 1200 bandit for 8 years, did 40000 ks on it with only normal servicing and steering head bearings. I had an absolute ball on a very forgiving and versatile bike across Europe, Australia and NZ. Replaced it just recently with a Busa which is also a hell of a bike though the bandit is truly a very hard act to follow.

[moko]

Thousands of 600 Bandits about in Britain,bit dated now compared to other similar stuff but still a decent enough bike,massively popular and loads of modded ones around,usually loud pipes and Renthal off-road bars.
If you`re thinking about new there`s a 650 model out now,quite a bit torquier and comes with adjustable seat and an ABS option,faired and un-faired like the 600(here at least).They were alongside the GSX here,didnt replace it.
Hornet and Fazer do everything about 10% better than the Bandit but you didnt get the original Fazer in N.Z. anyway,which is baffling as it`s ideal for your roads,basically Yam`s equivalent of the Bandit with R1 brakes and the YZF600 motor.Couple of things to watch with the Bandit,the early ones had the rear footpeg hangers welded to the frame and a minor spill can bend your frame,here they rot,shouldn`t be a problem in N.Z. and the chains dont last long either if you dont keep them maintained properly.600 is still for sale here as Suzi clear stocks,if you dont mind an old model there are some brilliant deals around,list price was already about £1000 ($2800-ish)below the Hornet and new Fazer,now you`ll get a bigger discount.New or used Bandit is a decent buy,motors are bullet-proof and they can take massive abuse if you take care of the basics,personally I dont think the Hornet is worth the expense of running the thing if it came to a choice.SV650 is worth considering,great fun bike if you dont want or need brute power,handles way better than the Bandit.How about the CB750 Honda? Bland image but good bikes that`ll nkock up high mileages,might be called a Nighthawk in N.Z.,the one with the CBX motor.

[Bonez]

.How about the CB750 Honda? Bland image but good bikes that`ll nkock up high mileages,might be called a Nighthawk in N.Z.,the one with the CBX motor.Not being bought in new to NZ, I think. A few nice looking secondhand Jap market ones around though.

[babyB]

LOL!!!!!!!! I'm so far out of condition, I'm paranoid about it and don't trust the fuel guage too far! But I've joined the gym so look forward to getting (a little bit) of my youth back! Don't know if I can get back the last 30years, though!
you've got a fuel guage:gob: dam i gotta rember the miles (hates petrol price increases):(

[babyB]

.......Couple of things to watch with the Bandit,the early ones had the rear footpeg hangers welded to the frame and a minor spill can bend your frame,here they rot,shouldn't be a problem in N.Z. . hmm had'nt even concidered possible frame bend scenario:slap:

[Tricky Dicky]

It really comes down to how you are going to ride the bike most often - if you have the misfortune to spend half your time stuck in the city then you can't really beat a Bandit for the balance between performance and it's total ease of day-to-day riding. Totally stoked with mine.

[Roj]

As a bike to step up from they a good, more forgiving to ride than a pure sports bike, can ride all day and not be sore,
My lady went from a zxr400 to her bandit 600, she did miss the get up and go of the 400, but the problem was she couldn't ride for more than an hour without getting a sore back on the 400.

It comes down to what you expect to be able to do with it and how long you plan to be riding:scooter:

[rocketman1]

Bandits are a damn good bike, the 1200 has heaps of power just where you need it ie. 50-120km/h, and will easily top 200+ without trouble, plus when all you guys on other bikes are spending money on repairs, guess what bike just keeps on keeping on, you guessed it