Retrospective Review: Suzuki Bandit 1200

In the spirit of journalistic honesty, I need to tell people that I am reviewing a motorcycle with history. I’m not licking it, so the editors of this lovely publication dictated it instead. I’ll explain why, then I’ll explain what it’s like to ride it.

My 2000 Suzuki Bandit with a Corbin saddle. Saving up for that little treat cost a lot of money back then! Photo by Adam Barratt.

2003: First encounter with Bandit

In 2003 I went through a bad breakup and became the owner of a 2003 Honda Shadow and a 2004 Honda Rebel. Young, hurt and financially ignorant, I took them to a now-defunct motorcycle dealer and struck a deal. We replaced these two bikes with 2000 Suzuki Bandit 1200s with 91 miles on them. (“The guy took it home scared.” Indeed he did.) They wanted this deal done so badly that a 19-year-old wearing shorts, a t-shirt, a helmet, and gloves conditionally allowed.Test drive.

I kept that bike for several years. Later, I ran into a tight spot for money and spat out a pink slip to get through. It probably took me four or five years to find a ride I liked as much as the Bandit, and even longer to realize that I was happily hooked on a bike that perfectly matched my riding style.

Life went on, and so did I.

I have a Suzuki Bandit 1200S. — Later versions of the 1200S model shown in this photo have larger fairings than the 1990s originals. Even in the late 2000s Suzuki unveiled his Bandit 1250 with a new liquid-cooled engine. Photo by Tim Parkinson.

2022: 2nd time

I’m a sentimental guy. I love tools that do their job. I have fond memories of many of the bikes I have ridden. But I’ve never really chased a bike from my past.The fact that I haven’t actually landed a ton of doubles or triples is that you Buy and sell as often as I doThe best bike is almost always the one below you. I’ve been really beating the bush this year trying to find a good one to repair and sell. (There were a lot of metric cruiserI don’t mind it at all, but the sportier ones have better margins these days.)

Recently, a familiar machine has appeared. 2002 Suzuki Bandit 1200. Haven’t seen it in a long time. It was cheap when new and became affordable after a few crashes. I was so excited that I bought it for the sheer price of $5,300. Comps are everywhere, but even for bikes with clean original paint, their prices are near the top.

Suzuki Bandit seen from the rear — The 2002’s styling was fairly understated. That probably has a lot to do with why it doesn’t look so retro after 20 years.

In an unusual move for me, I left the trailer in the yard when I went to pick up this bike. Instead, I had Mrs. Lem drop me off so I could ride this bike home. As soon as I threw one leg out, I had completely forgotten about the bike, and it felt like the first time I rode it.maybe i can review fairly.

“Hmm,” I thought. I don’t remember the old banditos being like that, but I think they’re smaller and weaker these days. Most of these seats are about 33 inches tall and claim to weigh 485, but if a ready-to-roll Bandit weighs less than 5 and a quarter, I Eat hats. They are massive.

Suzuki Bandit carburetor closeup — New for 2002, the quadruple Mikuni BSR36SS cab is equipped with a throttle position sensor for more accurate ignition map selection. Photo by Remy.

Again, I think we need to delve a little into the history of the model. The 1200 Bandits (air-cooled, oil-cooled, carb) are all usually lumped together as “the same bike”, but they vary slightly from year to year. My 2000 was what is commonly referred to as the “S” model. That means it has a bikini fairing with inverted trapezoidal headlights and looks terribly dated these days. However, this 2002 of his is an ‘N’ machine, meaning it has no bodywork and is fitted with big round headlights. In 2022, I think the N looks better, but that little half fairing did something, despite its ugliness. I remember the ’01 windshield was pretty good. This generation also saw bikes come in his 600 format. The bike was light and a little underpowered. They were good all-rounders, but they weren’t often remembered for their good manners. (These bikes had the same underpinnings as another bike I owned and enjoyed immensely, the rounded body style Katana.)

2002 Suzuki Bandit Speedometer and Tachometer — These watches are a bit updated from my 2000 model, and while attractive, they probably reveal some of the bike’s age. They work well, so it doesn’t matter. Photo by Remy.

I took the bike off the stand, turned the starter with my thumb, and the engine dropped into a choppy idle, which I remember better than I expected. As soon as I rolled, I started putting my right wrist on the bike and it came to life. I’m no Willie King, but I can loft the front and fake my way to a 1 or 2 footer for the camera. It rushed back to me that this was the bike I learned to do it: first gear, 20 mph, tap the front lever, snap the throttle while covering the pedals. The engine is roaring, and the air cooling and carbs mean the damn thing burns paint and oil, runs rich and smells like a motorcycle. Or at least it smells like a rider over the hill remembers the smell of a motorcycle.

Suzuki Bandit 1200 Engine — Air-cooled/oil-cooled 4-cylinder fins as far as the eye can see. The engine is the heart of this bike. Photo by Remy.

I want to talk about that engine in a few paragraphs. Because that’s the whole point of this bike.

The motor is legendary. Pulled from a Gixxer 1100 and “detuned”. (That’s what every bike magazine said at the time.) In fact, the lower compression ratio and different cam choices resulted in higher top-end numbers, but the bike was still safe in the basement and on the street. It was able to produce tremendous torque. 1st floor. There was (and still is) a wealth of information on tuning this drag bike favorite. A good exhaust, carbs and Gixxer 750 exhaust cams are enough to pump them up to 140 horsepower. That’s a lot more than his 106 horsepower that Suzuki packed when it issued. Radical changes give us more power and the bottom end is more than responsive. Not bad for an outdated old dino bike. Looking for speed parts? 20 years ago, this man The king of these things, and by all accounts, he still is.

So, it’s the engine that makes this bike. Bikes like the Kawasaki ZRX1200, the Triumph Speed Triple, and this Bandit, which packs a ridiculous amount of engine into an often-forgotten chassis, are perhaps a little more “muscle bike” than their cruiser counterparts claiming the same name. defined. It’s the same recipe that Gojobs and Hot Rods and Chauts and Tritons were cooked all those years ago.

Handling is a mixed bag—and it always has been. I’m home fat now (285). At that time I was also as fat as a house (275). The Big Bandit wears a budget right-handed fork, 43mm with no noodle tube installed, but not an upside-down 49mm cartridge fork. The rear monoshock felt like it was bagged when new, and having 20 years of tech go through it certainly didn’t help my opinion. I’m here. Here’s the best way I can relate it: A few years ago my brother gave me a 2013 Kawasaki Z1000. If that bike was a scalpel, the Bandito Grande is a very sharp sheath his knife.

2002 Suzuki Bandit 1200N Front Wheels and Brakes — I don’t know if I remember well enough to compare my 2000 Bandit’s 4-pot Nissins to these 6-piston Tokicos from 2002, but these brakes seem to stop this bike quickly enough Its Dunlop rubber is also an upgrade piece. Photo by Remy.

But it’s still very good. And there are three reasons why it still looks good, and maybe even better. The first is that my 2002 model of him was an N and bounced more aggressively than the S model. So despite the added weight, the springs were a little stiffer. Second, I did a basic sag adjustment that the 19 year old me never did.

I think the final thing that makes the bike look like its own in the handling department is the tires.I can’t remember what flavor of Bridgestone Battlax was on my 2000 Bandit (no doubt there are some unnamed model-only Suzuki-spec vans made at Skinflint prices), big bikes Even as a newcomer to I could tell they sucked.My current bandit wears a set of his Dunlop Sport Max GPR300s,tire I’ve been a big fan since the first ride.So the bike didn’t get any better, but modern tires didn’t make it any worse.

It is peaceful to bring this thing to a halt. My 2000 had his 4 pot calipers in the front and my 2001 he had 6 pot as standard. Braking was as I remember, but it’s been 20 years. Brake isn’t winning awards or breaking new ground (breaking?), but the work is perfectly acceptable. The rear serves its function well. In fact, this might be the most appropriate brake I’ve stepped on. Super mediocre. No ABS. So… don’t fail.

Round front headlight for Suzuki Bandit 1200N — The naked Suzuki GSF1200 used traditional round headlights that looked like they were off the SV650. The S version had a half fairing. Photo by Remy.

Final thoughts on the Suzuki Bandit 1200

So, in summary, this is a run-of-the-mill chassis stuffed with engine fireballs. And let’s not forget the features that guide nearly all used bike buyers. It’s surprisingly cheap. In a world where new liter-displacement race guys are scratching the door of his 20 Grand, the Bandit brushes off pretty much all but the tightest Twisties, all but the serious race machines. For one, Wright he doesn’t take much other than tuning, tire and suspension upgrades.

Bikes aren’t as capable as race guys, but you’ll never know on the road. It’s also not as obnoxious as the race rep. A very neutral position allows you to rack up miles infinitely easier than your rearset relatives believe possible. There may be one.

Am I too soft on this heavy old relic? Maybe. But I don’t think so. I approach the flaws with a clear eye. Considering the price, it’s hard to find major flaws in a motorcycle that, 20 years off the line and 30 years after the model was conceived, is still serviceable and remains formidablely durable. Boarding after a year, a few years later.

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