Step-up bike - z1000, Bandit 1250?

[yachtie10]

Just have to say if the bandit 1250 is on your list the issue would be weight ride one and see if it is an issue
The power is there but its very smooth (even compared with bandit 1200) and you have to twist the throttle hard to get into trouble (assuming you know how to ride)

[mtroskill]

....I keep going in circles!

If the Street triple was 2.5k cheaper....
If the er6n wasn't so ugly...
If the z750s suspension wasnt shit....
If the 600s weren't so cramped...
Maybe the 1250 isn't so bad... upright riding position usable and controllable torque, competitive price... maybe a bit big for commuting but good fuel economy.

All speculation until October anyway

[DarkLord]

The bandit's are reliable. My mate's one has done about 75,000 k's now and it keeps going strong. However, they are quite pricey in terms of tyres, chains and sprockets - much dearer than your Ninja in that regard.

They usually get between 250 and 300 k's to the tank.

[zeocen]

ER6 boring, it is not.

That is all.

[Gubb]

ER6 boring, it is not.

That is all.

Agreed. It's not a thing of beauty either.

[DingoZ]

Looked at a Bandit 1250s as well when stepping up.

Went with a Suzuki GSX650F.....Check em out.... I'm glad I did

[short-circuit]

....I keep going in circles!

If the Street triple was 2.5k cheaper....
If the er6n wasn't so ugly...
If the z750s suspension wasnt **censored**....
If the 600s weren't so cramped...
Maybe the 1250 isn't so bad... upright riding position usable and controllable torque, competitive price... maybe a bit big for commuting but good fuel economy.

All speculation until October anyway

Ya get what ya pay for - Although with the Striple IMHO you get way more than ya pay for

[YellowDog]

For what it's worth and from my experience: The Bandit 1250 is a great value bike and with the SAT kit, it looks the part too.

It is a very dosile and easy ride. It's 98BHP only come alive at higher revs. A very easy bike to ride slowly until you find your feet (wheels).

So long as you don't do anything stupid, this is abike you could easily learn big bike skills on.

[nallac]

For what it's worth and from my experience: The Bandit 1250 is a great value bike and with the SAT kit, it looks the part too.

It is a very dosile and easy ride. It's 98BHP only come alive at higher revs. A very easy bike to ride slowly until you find your feet (wheels).

So long as you don't do anything stupid, this is abike you could easily learn big bike skills on.

the same could be said of a CB900

[ynot slow]

Bandit 1250 needs decent seat 2 up according to the wife,and I agree as well,after 100-150km arse gets sore,height is good,economy seems ok about 250-300km at average 100-120km even 2 up.Has shit loads of torque,but if solo riding try a 600-750.

[Kirill357]

Nah, go and try zx14, you will be surprised, nothing stands in comparison

[Edbear]

Just have to say if the bandit 1250 is on your list the issue would be weight ride one and see if it is an issue
The power is there but its very smooth (even compared with bandit 1200) and you have to twist the throttle hard to get into trouble (assuming you know how to ride)

What planet are you on..? If you're coming off a GixxerThou or a Busa, you COULD say that, but from someone who's been riding since the age of 12 and had a "off and on break" before "returning" in '03 on a GSX600F, I was not coming off a 250, but an XS750 Special, and the 600F had more than enough grunt to get me into trouble!

"Twist the throttle hard" on a 1250 Bandit and you're gonna be in the morgue before your brain has caught up! Yes, I've ridden one along with an M109R and have posted a ride report on KB.

....I keep going in circles!

If the Street triple was 2.5k cheaper....
If the er6n wasn't so ugly...
If the z750s suspension wasnt shit....
If the 600s weren't so cramped...
Maybe the 1250 isn't so bad... upright riding position usable and controllable torque, competitive price... maybe a bit big for commuting but good fuel economy.

All speculation until October anyway

Looked at a Bandit 1250s as well when stepping up.

Went with a Suzuki GSX650F.....Check em out.... I'm glad I did

Yup! But even the "mild" GSX650F is going to have more than twice the grunt of the 250. It would be the ideal bike, though, if mtroskil has maturity and self-control and takes it easy at first. It's not the speed, per se that will kill you, it's not being aware of just how fast you are accelerating and find yourself arriving at a corner 20-30klicks faster than you need to get around it.

When I "twisted the throttle hard" on the GSX600F I was unprepared for the rate of acceleration and had to stab the gear-lever very quickly to keep up with the rev-counter, and was over 180km/h in what seemed like an eye-blink! After 3 years on it I was feeling comfortable with the power and while I could have handled more, (the M109R was highly addictive!), I know that 80hp is more than enough to thrill and kill on NZ roads!

For what it's worth and from my experience: The Bandit 1250 is a great value bike and with the SAT kit, it looks the part too.

It is a very dosile and easy ride. It's 98BHP only come alive at higher revs. A very easy bike to ride slowly until you find your feet (wheels).

So long as you don't do anything stupid, this is abike you could easily learn big bike skills on.

I feel your experience is what counts - honestly, we're talking to a relatively new rider with not much experience coming off a 250... Are you sure a 1250 Bandit is okay..?

[discotex]

If the 600s weren't so cramped...

If you're comfortable on a Ninja 250R you'd probably be ok on the 07-09 CBR600RR.

The 600's aren't *that* bad.

[mtroskill]

250r is more upright..sat on a new zx6 today and my head was almost horizontal with the windshield, same with the gsxr.... older model didn't feel as bad...maybe it was a 636...

The 1250 ticks pretty much all the boxes (price, looks, riding position), but spose you have to walk before you can run

[Ragingrob]

Have you ridden a bigger bike before at all? The differences from a 250 are undescribable... My 400 can get to 100kph in first gear in a few seconds, and that's a 400! The same twist of my wrist on a 600 sports, not to mention anything around the litre mark, will have either the bike flying out from under me, or the speedo clicking over 200kph VERY quickly!

Have you thought about the bandit 600? Or the hornet 600? I would think both those bikes have a bit of room, more than the faired sports 600s anyway.

As already mentioned, the gsx600f or something like the older CBRs etc aren't quite so head down arse up.

You must at least manage on your current bike in terms of size, even a VFR400 which is a small bike is still a noticeable bit bigger than the 250s.

I'd say find a bike that is more forgiving than what you've mentioned, even if for only a few months, then feel free to step up after that if you still decide to do so.