'95 Bandit 250 long trips

[joshy28]

My last bike was a 98 250 Bandit and I took it down to Rotorua and Whakatane from Auckland on a regular basis, its not an easy trip without fairings and it feels like you are pushing the bike a bit but it will get you there without issue.

I would recommend taking regular breaks however, even on my CBR with full fairings and a bit more power the wind can get tiering.

cheers...are there fairings for a bandit?? i really cant wait to test her for the long trips. i am enjoying the bandit thus far, cant wait for a bandit upgrade

[DMCD]

cheers...are there fairings for a bandit?? i really cant wait to test her for the long trips. i am enjoying the bandit thus far, cant wait for a bandit upgrade

You can get a front fairing for them goes around the headlight and has a windscreen.

Also the 1200 Bandit's are a good bike i hear and look nice too.

[joshy28]

how many kms would i expect?? i have noticed differences in kms/tank. When i 1st bought it, i noticced 210-230km/tank, but now after 2 weeks, it changes to 170 ish, i dont get it...Am i using more trottle, no but it is more windy, or is it my 110kg wieght????.......can anyone share their Bandit experences

[DMCD]

To be honest I don’t even take note of how much fuel im consuming on my 250, its so little compared to my cage I barely even notice.

I have a feeling that the Bandit was a bit more efficient than the CBR tho but we are talking like $1 or $2 a week in total difference if any.

[joshy28]

im finding that its a minimal difference between my Bandit and a cage.. about 20 bux to fill per week... i was spending that on my Cage

[Harvd]

hmm 170ks must be a bit dissapointing, i get ~ 220 to a tank before hitting reserve. Im interested to see how your trip goes, thats a biggie for a 250 in one day.

[DMCD]

im finding that its a minimal difference between my Bandit and a cage.. about 20 bux to fill per week... i was spending that on my Cage

Ouch thats no good then.

I spend about $7 a week going to Takapuna from Parnell and back everyday, and riding around a bit on the weekends.

I was spending about $7 a day in my Audi 2.5l and a bit less in my Alfa 2.0l doing the same thing.

[Subike]

Any modern bike should last for touring.
geeze guys, there are plenty of old school 125's, 200's, 250 even some 50's that have traveled the length of NZ many a time.
Imagine going from Auckland to ChCh on a BSA Bantam!
Or from Invercargill to Nelson on a 90cc Suzuki twin.
Your modern bikes are the pillars of relyability compared with yester yaers bikes.
ANd cheaper on fuel by far.
Just get out on the road and do it mate!

[joshy28]

i will, but i suspect there is a problem with my bike, however i will do the trip in a week or 2, will let you now how i get on.. ill make sure i check my plugs etc...

[joshy28]

hmm 170ks must be a bit dissapointing, i get ~ 220 to a tank before hitting reserve. Im interested to see how your trip goes, thats a biggie for a 250 in one day.

Is that on a CBR?? there must be something wrong with me bike...

[Harvd]

Is that on a CBR?? there must be something wrong with me bike...

Nope, a '96 bandit 250. And im not easy on the wee thing. I could probably get 270 if i was nice to it...or maybe not

[joshy28]

thats no good

[DarkLord]

Auckland to Wellington? That's a big ride, dude. How long have you been riding for, and are you going with other riders?

Are you an AA member and do you have a good set of necessary tools and gear you can bring with you (screwdrivers, allan keys, chain lube, puncture repair kit)?

Make sure you get lots of sleep before you go and stop regularly for food and water. I attempted this ride just over a year ago rather unprepared and lacking in sleep and ended up writing my bike off in a crash..... Be careful. There's a lot that can go wrong on a ride like this, I hope you are prepared.

[3L4NS1R]

+1 for carrying the tools. Make sure you have someone experienced with bikes have a look over it to make sure it's good to go. Saying that, in New Zealand you're never really that far from help.

Should be no problem with your bike making the distance. Just keep it easy, don't be in too much of a rush to get there. Enjoy the ride.

Did a lap of NZ with my mate, he was on a gn250, me on a klx250. Nothing wrong with doing long distances on a 250, they are perfectly capable bikes. Comfortable? now thats another question entirely. We stopped every 100-120 kms, partially because my fuel tank only gets that far, but also because we had to stretch and fresh up.

[DarkLord]

Didn't mean to sound totally negative or anything dude. Big ass 250 trips are fun as. I did 820 k's in one day on my Hyo last year - from Palmerston North to Stratford, then Taumarunui via the Forgotten World Highway, then up to Hamilton and finally back to the North Shore.

I needed an oil change and new front brakepads after that, but it was worth it!