Bandit 1250

**Puddlejumper** · 16th May 2007, 21:41

When I joined the forums cpl days ago Smoky asked about my new bike. ( thanks to all for the warm welcome btw. ) Thought I'd post as I ride it for any who are interested.
First impressions. 250k on clock. Its MUCH smoother than the old bandit - 2005 model I had from new and loved for all round ability. Still keeping it under 5k but it feels lots stronger all round. Riding position feels more sit up than before. Fuel system just seems to work. (Goodbye choke ) Seat is CRAP. very hard and will be the first to go along with the exhaust. This thing is so quiet you can hear yourself fart.
Handling, it feels very light for a bulky machine, and more precise in the corners. I haven't got into any scratching yet so don't know about clearance. It is obviously not a sports bike chassis but I think it'll do my limited ability fine.
DON'T ride at night with stock lights. On full beam at 130k ( ahem I mean 100k of course ) you will be outriding your visibility and on dip its much worse. Still and all, I'm glad I made the trade. If it's like the old bandit it will be a much better bike after run in and some 5000k and already it is a nicer ride. Will post again after some decent k's if ppl are interested.

**Pussy** · 17th May 2007, 20:46

They are getting good press in every write-up I've read. I look forward to hearing more about the 1250 from an owner's perspective

**98tls** · 17th May 2007, 20:59

Cheers and good post..........best mate has an 05 and loves it but is lusting after the new one.................

**YellowDog** · 21st May 2007, 21:05

Sat on one today for the first time. Looks great. Love the upright position, Fuel Injection, and the ABS as standard. 'Getting real' about this, it is much to good an upgrade from my Freewind. Very (dangerously) quiet and smooth. Absolute seduction. My wife says NO. She should no better...........

**MSTRS:Me** · 22nd May 2007, 09:07

Canarlee has one. Loves it, but is having a possible issue with front end stepping out...and not at silly speeds either. Goes in for it's first service tomorrow, so no doubt he will report any findings.

**zadok** · 28th May 2007, 17:08

I'm very impressed with this bike. The price here in Aus is incredible! How much there?

http://www.suzukimotorcycles.com.au/...?intBikeID=151

**Puddlejumper** · 29th May 2007, 20:09

Bought mine for $13500 plus on road. It is the non abs model as I didn't want abs. With abs it was about 14000 plus on road.

Getting close to my first service now, 800km on the clock. A few other things I have noticed.
Centrestand - MAGIC. Sooo easy to use.
Round town it is very smooth and slips between lanes nicely. It seems better balanced than the 1200 and can change direction easily although obviously its no 250. At very low revs it seems a little jerky on the throttle. Not too badly but nevertheless noticeable. I'm putting this down to the fact it is new and probably needs tweaking but it is certainly something I'll watch.
It is quite a different bike to ride than the old bandit. Less hurried and yet it gets to illegal speeds without any fuss. Seat of the pants, it doesn't seem to accelerate as well but the speedo tells a different story. Can't wait to have it properly run in and use the whole rev range.
Been on a couple of out of town rides. She tips into corners more easily than the 1200 and sits on line well. Can't tell you yet about lean angles and harder cornering cos , once again, I'm running it in and taking it easy.
The fairing works quite well although I definitely feel more head wind than I did with my Givi fairing. I'm still unhappy with lighting and seat.
Next week she gets her first service and if Sportzone have managed to get it in by then I'm having a slip on exhaust added. Also a better air filter and getting it remapped. Hopefully this will give it a better sound and should also unleash some more beast in the motor. Will also get a better bulb in the headlight. Then I'm off to Murchison for the weekend. I'll post as to what difference the slipon makes and also talk about petrol consumption and Yahoo, what she is like at slightly higher revs. I'll also have made up my mind by then whether the seat stays or not. The shop tells me it just needs a bit of time to contour. My ass ain't so sure.....

**Pwalo** · 30th May 2007, 10:37

Nice bike, and a really good deal. As has been said the new 1250 has been getting some good write ups. (As has been the 650).

**zadok** · 21st June 2007, 18:19

Went and had a look at one today while my bike was getting brake pads fitted. Very nice. My only criticism, is the exposed wires on the l.h side of the bike. I think they have something to do with the fuel injection. IMO they would be very susceptible to becoming dislodged, either by accident or sabotage.

**stag21** · 21st June 2007, 20:20

I sold a vzr 1800 and got a 1250 I have done 2000km and it is starting to free up. Was not to impressed with power at first so fitted a leovinci race can with removable baffle happy as now.The standed can would be better suited to a truck the cat/con is in muffler and it is heavy

**Puddlejumper** · 14th August 2007, 22:57

Ok. Was going to post after my trip to Murchison but the computer decided to melt down. Finally getting round to it : )
Still haven't changed the can on the bike as I can't afford the nearly 1000 smackers for a yoshi. Still waiting for a Micron to arrive in shop. ( But that Yoshi does look sweet...) I ride this bike EVERY day.All weather. Commute involves motorway and city, weekends I like to go further.
Anyways, close to 5k on the bike now and some initial impressions have firmed up. First, this IS a sweet engine. This engine is much more tractable than the old 1200. It pulls nicely in top from about 2000 rpm and just keeps pulling. Not v twin stuff, but a nice strong pull, no faltering that builds speed almost without you noticing. This makes it a very easy bike to ride anywhere sealed. However, the best part is when I hit the twisties and hills. Using the gears and keeping it over 5000 rpm the nature of the bike changes. It seems to feel lighter and is definitely very responsive in comparison to the bandit 1200. At 6 - 7 grand it just leaps out of corners. She also zips past cars when overtaking. You can do it no sweat in top when travelling at about 110kph but I prefer dropping 2 gears to 4th and then whoosh.
A word of warning here. This is a QUIET bike. Passing my brother ( Triumph Sprint) at speed on a very long straight road in central Canterbury freaked him out. He had no idea I was coming whereas the old bike used to announce itself.
Petrol economy is also better than the 1200. The fuel gauge is plain stupid. It runs through the indicator bars very quickly and then shows one bar for ever ( supposedly reserve) I'm getting about 300km per tank.
The front brakes are great and haul the bike up quickly despite it's weight. The back brakes.... um they are ok. I use them at speed and they seem to help hold the bike more balanced. At lower speeds however I find them unresponsive and do not provide much feedback.I find it too easy to put too much pressure and have the back end chattering at me.
Handling, a great improvement over the older bandit which used to sledge a bit in tighter corners. This bike feels lighter ( but isn't) and easy to change direction mid corner. Pushing hard through the gorges I occasionally stepped the back out a bit but it was a nice gentle drift which was easy to control with throttle and pressure on the handlebar. I once had the front end slip on me in a very tight corner when I encountered a bit of damper road but again, a gentle tweak of countersteer and she regained her line nicely. I also find the bike narrow and nimble enough to lane split in city traffic.
In gravel it also seems more stable than the 1200 but I am not going to recommend it as an adventure bike. The wide handle bars help a bit but I don't want to travel far on gravel on this bike at all.
The fairing is adequate to keep the wind off but don't expect any weather protection.I don't feel any buffeting at speed. I have wondered how much better it would be with lower bars though. At a constant throttle opening I can increase my speed by about 15kph in a very short time just by ducking my head down behind it.
The old Bandit had the best gearbox of any bike I have owned. This one is not as nice. At lower speeds changing ( especially down) can be quite a clunk affair. It also tends to snatch a bit in first and second, meaning that the clutch needs a bit of feathering to be smooth. Don't get me wrong, It's not terrible, just not the silkyiness I had got used to.
Chain tension is vital to get right and it needs to be tensioned more often than the other.
The lights were crap but I had the bulbs replaced with after market ones and what a difference. Hammering through the Kaikoura gorge at night with a faint drizzle and I could see all the road I needed.
The seat was also a worry initially. I found it to give me a slightly numb butt but as it has worn in it has become more comfortable. ( or me buttocks have become calloused... but I'm not looking in a mirror to find out. Some things just should not be seen!)
On my trip I swapped bikes with my Brother and rode his Sprint for about an hour. Now, I like his bike but it is 2 years old. I found it less stable in the corners ( it wallowed a bit ) and without the jump out of them that the 1250 had. In its defence, it was carrying more weight and definitely needed the suspension to be firmed up. The point I am making is that the difference in price is about $10,000 and I am sure that my Bandit would not find itself disgraced as an all round bike even in comparison with a new Sprint. ( I do have to admit that his bike looks great, and it seems to attract elderly gentlemen every time it is parked outside the supermarket lol )
So, in summary I believe the Bandit to be a great all round bike. It does everything well, is easy to ride in a lazy manner and fun to ride with some higher revs. As Stag21 mentions, the exhaust is far too heavy and restrictive, I am really looking forward to being able to afford the slipon, airfilter, remap and seeing what a difference it makes.
Cheers everyone. I hope this gives a bit of a picture of my experience with the 1250 and will help you decide if it is a suitable bike for you.
PuddleJumper

**canarlee** · 14th August 2007, 23:07

jayzuz mate can ya shorten that a wee bit please???

i have a bandit 1250 too, i find it a heavy but damn good ride! i just did over 2000 ks on it in the last 8 days! yes you are right, the seat is crap!!!

the "stepping out" issue i had with it has cleared up, i ride with 32 psi in the front and its just fine and dandy!

i have just had fitted a two brothers muffler and oh boy what a difference! looks and sound have improved 100000000000000000000000000000% well worth the money spent with crasherfromwayback at wellington motorcycles!

you mention the clutch and gearing? well that is a typical suzuki thing so im told?! i have well over 5000 ks on the clock on mine and it does seem to have eased a little, or i have got used to it?

will i be getting rid of it soon? no chance, its too much fun!

**Puddlejumper** · 14th August 2007, 23:59

Heh, looked back at post and it was a bit long. Blame it on forum deprivation from the comp dying.
Good to hear that the exhaust change is going to make a real difference. Unfortunately I aint got nothing to sell to raise the readies. I'd stand on a street corner but $1000 will take a long time at 50c a pop.

**canarlee** · 15th August 2007, 00:03

mate, call wellimgton motorcycles and ask for pete (crasherfromwayback) mention KB and ask him what he can do for you! will prolly find you a better deal somewhere!