Honest answers on comparison

[DingoZ]

Right, coming up to new bike time.....:)

Looking at two different ones at this stage. Would like some honest no bullshit thoughts on the below two bikes.

Ie. Handling - perfomance - Mechanical reliability, you know all the usual stuff.

And both of these will be brand new, not second handy, so a lot of things taken out of the equation already....

1. Honda VFR800

2. GSF1250SATK8 Bandit Tourer

.
Main reason for these two is looking for something that will do Commutes/Solo rides around the place/Two up touring, on occassions...:)

[MSTRS]

You will have more fun on the VFR.

[Big Dave]

If you and the mrs are on the maximum payload side - the bigger bike is better. That's a general rule - not specific to these two.
Otherwise test ride - choose the one that speaks to you loudest and the dealer/brand you like best.
Both excellent machines.

[ynot slow]

Very similar situation to me,can get a new bandit for $12600 ish or VFR $14995 ish,or second hand VFR when you find them for say$12500 for 02 30000km,the second hand bandits should be a bit cheaper due to competitive new prices and with Suzuki fest promotion on at moment.

I still am unsure to what even looked at a GSX650F $11600 new or the good ol Katana for $9900 ish,bloody good range depends on what is required lol.

[DingoZ]

If you and the mrs are on the maximum payload side - the bigger bike is better. That's a general rule - not specific to these two.
Otherwise test ride - choose the one that speaks to you loudest and the dealer/brand you like best.
Both excellent machines.

:).....Gawd would get shot if I said the Mrs was on the maximum payload size. :2guns:.. On the light side of the scales is she....

As for the dealer/brand, have not had a lot to do with either of them. Have read lots of things about just about all brands of bikes so far. These two are standing out for price and matching criteria wise.

Will be test riding both of them naturally. Was hoping to hear from some owners of both brands of bikes, not necessarily the same models, but from brand riders in relation to pro's and con's with each particular brand.

Every brand has pro's and con's, anyone know of any issues with either that stand out......

[beyond]

Suzukis are very reliable, great value for money.

You other arf will be much more comfortable on the Bandit on longer rides.
More seat to footrest clearance helps here a lot.

The latest ones have improved a lot on the earlier model and they can get down and "boogie" in the tight stuff if you want. More torque for road riding is always better too. Don't think they are too big for commuting. The odd time I took my GSX1400 into Orks it filters well and has no trouble in the tight stuff so the bandit should be no different.

There is no substitute for cubes :)

[rocketman1]

I like both these bikes, have owned a Bandit 1200 for a number of years and have ridden a VFR. Personally I liked the larger physical size and low down grunt that the Bandit has, Bandits have torque to burn, you will have to work the Honda harder, but in saying that the Honda motor is a great one too, very free revving and plenty of go and a good cruising bike.
I personally dont like the linked brakes on the VFR, I prefer to control braking front & rear myself, as I think sometimes is good have rear brake without front.
If I was elderly, or a female I think I would definitely go for the smaller VFR.
The Larger Bandit is more a guys bike, turn the throttle in any gear, very useable powerful motor.
Test ride them both and make decision, I believe they are both reliable bikes, the Bandit would be cheaper in the long run to service, a far more simple motor, but that shouldn't put you off if your buy new.

VFR's are sometimes criticized by test riders for be bland and having no character, i can sort of see what they mean, the best thing is to test ride them both, and you decide.

[vifferman]

If I was elderly, or a female I think I would definitely go for the smaller VFR.

Or ghey.
You forgot to mention that the VFR is a Honda.:crazy:

The Suzuki would be more reliable, probably cheaper to service, but would use more gas.
I've ridden an older model 1200, and several VFRs, and of course I preferred the VFR (well duh! I yam the Vifferman, after all), but it doesn't mean I'd recommend it. I deliberately didn't choose the latest model VFR, and I'm not blind to their faults.
But you really need to test-ride both and decide for yourself. I didn't like the Bandit 1200 I rode, but that's just me.

[DingoZ]

Or ghey.
You forgot to mention that the VFR is a Honda.:crazy:

The Suzuki would be more reliable, probably cheaper to service, but would use more gas.
I've ridden an older model 1200, and several VFRs, and of course I preferred the VFR (well duh! I yam the Vifferman, after all), but it doesn't mean I'd recommend it. I deliberately didn't choose the latest model VFR, and I'm not blind to their faults.
But you really need to test-ride both and decide for yourself. I didn't like the Bandit 1200 I rode, but that's just me.

Could you perhaps list what you consider as "faults", so that I may be better informed. Any particular reason you didn't like the newer model VFR's or indeed the Bandit....?? ( And test rides will be conducted ) just doing some research and info gathering

[Crasherfromwayback]

Right, coming up to new bike time.....:)

Looking at two different ones at this stage. Would like some honest no bullshit thoughts on the below two bikes.

Ie. Handling - perfomance - Mechanical reliability, you know all the usual stuff.

And both of these will be brand new, not second handy, so a lot of things taken out of the equation already....

1. Honda VFR800

2. GSF1250SATK8 Bandit Tourer

.
Main reason for these two is looking for something that will do Commutes/Solo rides around the place/Two up touring, on occassions...:)

Both are fantastic bikes. Neither will give you any trouble mechanically (unless they were assembled after a lunch time saki session).

I'd never slag a VFR Honda off (you'd be full of shit to try)...but a GSF1250 will be cheaper to maintain.

I've got one you can ride too!

Pete

[geoffm]

I have been going through this exercise, until lack of funds stopped play.
The Binned-it is much cheaper and comes with luggage, which is a $1500 accessory for the VFR for the Givi PLx racks and V35 bags. Honda bags (made by givi) are $2k and colourmatched.
VFR is lighter, looks better, handles better and are nicely built. Get an 07+ one as they retweaked the Vtec to be a bit smoother.
I would expect maintenance to be cheaper on the Bandit - the Vtec adds to the maintenance costs on an already crowded engine at the 20000km major service. The bandit is also a bit better for pillions being a bit bigger. The finishing on them is cheap though, and I stand to be corrected, but I wonder how well it will last. Suspension is pretty basic on both, with the Bandit being cheaper again.
Bandit is great value for money, but I preferred the VFR.
Another alternative might be a second hand Triumph Sprint, although the ones with bags are still up in price. The depreciation on them from new ($21k) to 2 years old ($14k) is pretty savage.

[RantyDave]

Any particular reason you didn't like the newer model VFR's or indeed the Bandit....??
The newer VFR's do something with going from 8 to 16 valves at (I think) about 8k RPM. It was apparently really ropey when they first made it - quite a nasty bump, unless you were looking forward to it of course.

If you're buying new ... there's a lot of options for the money...

Dave

[nico]

id go the vfr in red of course cuz red is just faster...
but i am mabie a bit biasist:shifty:

[Grub]

I have a totally uninformed bias towards the VFR. It's a Honda, they spend more on R&D than any other manufacturer and their engineering is the best in class. As I've said, I think the VFR is my next bike.

I'm a sucker for the sports bike look, nakeds just don't do it for me. As for cubes ... how many do people really need? With 110hp surely that's enough.

I also prefer the forward body lean for touring, the Bandit is way too upright and the body too exposed for long trips. the riding position of the VFR is the same as my '00 CBR, that was before they went to the RR with clipons.

Comes down to personal choice and wow factor when you test ride doesn't it ... and dammit, I just like Hondas.

[quallman1234]

... and dammit, I just like Hondas.

Well, Not for the first two weeks ;).

Im with the VFR on this one. Much nicer looking bike and the Bandit is a TYPICAL bike. Obviously Typical bikes must be good bikes. But be a bit different :).
Obviously a RG500 would be on the top of my list.

[no-coast-punk]

+1 for the VFR.

I think they're the best sport tourer around unless you are pushing "fat kid" territory.

[NZsarge]

And again for the VFR I reckon.

[Static]

id go for the vfr too its comfortable but can keep up with most sports

[vifferman]

Could you perhaps list what you consider as "faults", so that I may be better informed. Any particular reason you didn't like the newer model VFR's or indeed the Bandit....?? ( And test rides will be conducted ) just doing some research and info gathering
Firstly, the Bandit I rode was a couple of models back, and I didn't like the ergos nor the engine, which felt buzzy and less grunty than I'd expected for a 1200. I'd disregard my opinion on this, as it was short ride, a few years back now, and not a current model.
As for the VFR, I don't like the Vtec engine. The Vtec is not a true Vtec as on the cars, so it adds nothing to the bike's performance. It was introduced solely to reduce nosie and emissions, and the engine is more complicated as a result, and actually has less torque and power in the mid-range as a result. It does have more power at the top end, by virtue of revving a little higher than the previous model (the one I've got).
The cost of servicing the engine is high, as it requires a pretty substantial dismantling to get at the valve shims: the fairings, tank, airbox, fuel rails, etc all have to come off. Then the cams have to be taken out twice (!) - the first time to put some pins in the Vtec-operated valves, and the second time to take them out again. It's not a trivial job, but thankfully, VFRs virutally never need new shims after the first check at 16,000 km, so you can safely ignore valve clearance checks.
That said, the rest of the bike is good, with better suspension and handling than the previous model. Whether you like the looks is subjective - personally, I don't.
There have been a number of recalls for dodgy parts - kind of unusual for a Honda. I don't know if these have been fixed now - one would hope so. There were two for the charging system (dodgy stators and wiring), on for the brakes (seals or summat in the proprtioning valve - I can't recall exactly). Lastly, there have been very common problems with the wiring loom near the headstock crapping out and needing to be replaced.
Also, the change to camchains (previous model had gear-driven cams) was for noise reasons (the gears are really loud), and has resulted in a lot of faulty camchain tensioners, especially the front one, and resulting camchain noise. That on it's own was enough to put me off - every Honda I've owned excpet three (two cam-geared VFRs and a two-smoke) have ended up with noisy camchains - it's a Honda weakness that hasn't really been addressed in the last 40 or so years.

Another Honda thing is the gearbox - expect missed gearchanges and false neutrals as the bike ages. Yoiu can circumvent this if you fit a Factory Pro Evo Star shifter kit from new (around $350, but well worth it).

It's not as bad as it sounds, but you did ask. :laugh:
Apart from these things, it's a very reliable bike, and lovely to ride. Not as fast as comparable-sized bikes from the other manufacturers (it's only ~105 hp and around 210kg dry), but a very good all-round sport-tourer, which up until recently came top over all in most comparitive tests. It's only because it's about 6 years overdue for a proper update that's let it down. It's got a bit of character with the V4 engine, which offers some of the flat torque characteristics of a v-twin, and a pleasant engine vibe, but it's smoother than a v-twin and not as buzzy or busy-sounding as an IL4.

[vgcspares]

You could aways spend a bit more and get a Sprint ST - the bike most mags reckon outclassed the VFR in all respects since 2005

[vifferman]

You could aways spend a bit more and get a Sprint ST - the bike most mags reckon outclassed the VFR in all respects since 2005
Mostly. Well... for power/torque and performance, at least.
Quality of manufacture's not quite as good (alloy corrodes more rapidly, and the fittings look cheap); the brakes have "issues", and from what I've heard, the handling's almsot but not quite as good. Oh - and then there's the heat that radiates off the engine and zorsts, and bakes your thighs...

But I'd have one - they've got character, good looks (as long as you don't look TOO closely), and more... hmmm.... cachet than the VFR.

[Static]

You could aways spend a bit more and get a Sprint ST - the bike most mags reckon outclassed the VFR in all respects since 2005

i agree that as a bike the ST is better handling and a lot more power but its too much top end power and is allot more un usable in nz if you like your licence

[DingoZ]

Wow, thank you so much to the people that have contributed a point of view so far.

All valuable info for me.

Keep it coming....:)

[Gizzit]

Just to throw another idea into the mix .... if you are considering the Bandit 1250 .... why not check out the Honda CB1300 ? I did a back to back comparison between the 1250 and the 1300, and much preferred the handling of the Honda .... in that I found it to be neutral in handling. Also the honda had more torque. They are absolute torque monsters, which is great for two up touring.
I ended up buying an 07 CB1300S model and was very impressed with it. However, a shoulder injury meant it had to go, and I got a much lighter bike, a DR650SE ... so very different. However the DR wasn't my cup of tea for touring, and I now have a really nice CB900. I have ridden two up and it goes fine. My wife finds it comfortable, and I use it to commute on ... so another possibility for you to consider ?
Good luck with you decision!
Cheers,
Grant.

[DingoZ]

Cheers once aganin to those that have contributed to this.

Some really good points have been brought up that I had not considered before, but will now definetly be taking into account when I test ride some bikes....

:niceone:

[Big Dave]

Did 250km though the Waikato on a new Bandit 1250 during the week.

If you are talking new one disregard what Vifferman said. Might indeed be word perfect for the ones he rode. New one is a new beast.

Quick as, not buzzy.

[madbikeboy]

Well, Not for the first two weeks ;).

Im with the VFR on this one. Much nicer looking bike and the Bandit is a TYPICAL bike. Obviously Typical bikes must be good bikes. But be a bit different :).
Obviously a RG500 would be on the top of my list.

RG500 = the most beautiful bitch mistress who fucks and sucks like a wanton hussy, and when the money runs out, so does she, leaving you heartbroken and jaded...

I'd take the VFR. Actually, I'd go buy a GSXR, but out of the Bland it and the VFR, the VFR is the better bike IMHO. The Bandit is very reasonably priced, and it comes with loads of kit, but the Honda isn't that expensive given the engineering and build quality. Or, you could buy a BMW tourer and some sensible shoes, a tweed jacket, and one of those beret thingees (and hand your balls across because you won't need them anymore).

[madbikeboy]

i agree that as a bike the ST is better handling and a lot more power but its too much top end power and is allot more un usable in nz if you like your licence

But it's a triumph. You'll get loads of boring old fuckers wearing tweed jackets and stupid berets talking about the one they owned after the war. Plus you'll always have that nagging doubt about when it was going to implode (note, when, not if).

Disclaimer: This advice is not reflective of any opinion of MBB, it just popped out and I couldn't pull it back. I blame my Tourettes (which has a habit of making me say the truth at the most inappropriate moments...).

[DingoZ]

Okay so, a bike has been taken out of the equation. The 1250 has been replaced by the Suzuki GSX650F. Went and checked one out today. Test ride is going to have to wait as 6F is being sat on the 8th Dec, but from talking to CFWB, for about an hour re the 650F, it has tipped the balance from the VFR to it's bad self...:)

Thoughts opinions from anyone that has a suzuki or even indeed a 650F...:)

[Gizzit]

I test rode a new GSX650F before I bought my new Honda Hornet 900. IMHO the Suzi didn't compare at all to the Honda. I felt it more cramped in the legs, and I'm only 180cm tall. For me .. it lacked something ... can't quite put my finger on it, and I know they have had rave write ups. I have ridden a VFR too, and they are a very nice bike! For me though ... and I know I have mentioned the CB1300 as an option, but the new 1250 Bandit is a very good all rounder. I would see it as being better value for money ... or even the new GSX1400 with a Yoshi pipe for about $13000 ...
Good luck mate. But honestly .... you can't go wrong with any of your choices. It's just about trying them out, and going with what feels right to you.These days they are all very reliable and good to ride.

[BM-GS]

Based on what I've read (written by those who are paid to have an authoritative opinion) I'd go with the Bandit. Wasn't the 1250 a BOTY contender recently (this year? time goes fast)?

I'd not heard a bad word about VFRs for about a decade, then I rode one (late model 750) and I wondered what the fuss was about - it was like my ZZR-600 only buzzier, though the race can sounded nice (in the sticks, it was plain embarassing near houses). Less comfy than the ZZR too. Since then, the world has moved on, but not the VFR & now it's past it. Even mags slag the VFR off now, and I reckon the Bandit would be more fun. How could 500cc more not be?

Maybe I'm getting old (Yes, I've sold the Beemer. No, the VFR I rode won't be mentioned in the same sentence.) but cubes are good, complexity is bad, and fun biking is what Bandits were originally for - but I've never heard anyone call a VFR fun. "Competent", "the complete all-rounder"; "do-anything", yes - but never fun.

Ask 100 people you'll get buried in opinions (like this one).

Ask for a test ride & check both bikes for yourself. Remember that the shop's response is also important - if they say no ride, you give your cash to a different shop.

Test the bun-toasting factor on those high VFR pipes, too...

My $0.02...

[BM-GS]

Buggrit, just read the post on the 650. Sorry for wasting time.

Still do the test rides tho.

[cheshirecat]

I've got a 94 vfr so can't really comment on the new ones.
It's used everyday come rain or shine and wouldn't have any other bike.
Do all the minor maintenance myself, like fluids and run it on cheapo Shinkos which I find surprisingly good in the wet and provide reasonable millage. Cheap to maintain and run, 320k per tankfull, 17 liters ish. Does all week in the rain faffing about in town and then Auck and back. Takes the 'friend' and her dog as well. Excellant build quality.
This us not to say Suzie's are bad. Bikes are very personal, everyone to their own.

[ynot slow]

Ridden both the gsx650 and gsf1250,650 was new demo,bloody nice handling,comfy(10min spin),took 1250,chalk and cheese as to expect.

Was worried about 2 up on 650,but opinions vary on the ability to pillion without using the gears,handling,braking etc.

The bandit 1250 was impressive and ticked most boxes I required,reasonable to ride 2 up and heaps of torque/grunt lowdown,100km sitting on 3200rpm vs 5000rpm on most 650's.

Not an easy choice as before I took the bandit 1250 for a run,I was 80% 650 to buy.

[shafty]

Dingo, I'm a Honda man from way back, and love the look of the VFR but when I ride one, find the cockpit too cramped for a Guy my size. I think the test ride process will quickly sort the men out from the boys.

A CB1300 as prev suggested would be worth a ride, and the 1250 is sure great bang for the buck.

Have fun and keep us posted. We like being posted.

[koba]

I have owned a few suzukis and two hondas.

As a general trend between the brands the suzukis are better in initial price and the honda's better in every other way.

If it was my money I would spend it on the VFR, after a test ride of each just to make sure but I have had a reasonable look at both close up and the VFR is HEAPS better built and the resale value is heaps higher, kind of a bummer coz I have eyes for a good second hand VFR750 or 800 in the future..