Suzuki Bandit 600 reviews

I MUST AGREE W/MY COUNTERPART. MY 05 BANDIT IS AN INCREDIBLE MACHINE. IT'S FUN TO RIDE AND, VERY COMFORTABLE. I RIDE WITH GUYS LIKE ZX-14; HAYABUSA; AND CBR XX BLACKBIRD AND THEY ARE ALWAYS AMAZED BY THE HANDLING AND ROLL ON POWER OF MY SLEEPER BANDIT. I SUGGEST TO ANYONE LOOKING FOR A BIKE THAT DOES IT ALL YET, won't HURT YOUR WALLET, CHECK OUT THE BANDIT. IN 2 YEARS I've RACKED UP 40,000 MILES AND, I EXPECT ANOTHER 40,000 TO COME W/OUT INCIDENT. Show less

Bought a 2002 GSF1200S in 2002. Was pleased with the bike for the first month riding it up and down the coast and freeways. The Pros: Great bike for cruising, good mileage, low maintenance, and reliable. Can ride this baby for hours in comfort. The Cons: Suppressed carburetor's; could use a stage one, two or three with K&N filters and a matching exhaust system will definitely open it up. Poor suspension, not made for heavy riders like myself, needed to modify to a .95 rated spring by Progressive on the front forks, adjusted to heavier oil and a Progressive rear shock; these modifications made a difference in the canyons. Without them, the bike is hard to push through the corners; had to do a lot of trail braking, gear and weight shifting to make it do what I wanted it to do. So, if anyone wants this bike and they are less than 200 lbs, I would say go for it. It is a bike that can last a long time. Great sport tour. But if you want it to be a sport bike with comfort, expect to spend a few grand more, otherwise be happy with what it can do which it does very well. Show less

This bike does not have the razor sharp performance of other bikes in its class and Suzuki never intended it as such. When I want to kick butt on a winding back road, I fire up the Ducati. When I want to ride all day with good looks and great real world performance I jump on the Katana. FYI - my 2001 Ducati has 3500 miles on it my 2003 Katana has almost 20,000 miles on it. Show less

I haven't been riding all that long but this bike, well what can you say? Old school maybe? This bike will do what they say and more! Performance, handling, it's got it all. Now it's not going to have the performance like the GSXR but it's pretty close. Show less

OK, I just read the reviews from Miguel, Dave, and Nick. I believe that they are riding a different bike than the Bandit 1200s. Vibration, nah. Hunk of junk, nah. I think it's just too much bike for them. Switch for a DL 650 - you've got to be kidding me! Do you want to race? Like any bike, try to ride one before buying. I am very happy with my Bandit. Show less

I got bike fever in the spring of '05. My 1980 Yamaha just wasn't doing it for me anymore. I made my way to the local dealer and after showing me several bikes including a r6 and a 919, he showed me a Bandit. I had been interested in one since '99 but got into a heavy and slow/limited funds funk for quite some time. I bought the Bandit two days later and have never regreted it. I have owned it for two seasons now (winter in Minnesota, though not like it used to be) and find it to be a great all around bike. Tons of power (added more this winter), great handling, and great mpg. My only complaint would be that the seat can get sore on the bottom after awile, but that might just be mine. A friend of mine bought his about a year after I got mine and likes it just as much. He was a big part of the reason I got mine. I have also had interested parties ask about the Bandit in parking lots and have highly recommended it to them as well. Show less

After researching this bike I bought it for its value, reliability, and race heritage. After break in, I installed the recommended carburetor kit and aftermarket exhaust because like so many super bikes they are severely restricted to meet EPA standards. If dummies like Miguel, Dave, and Nick really knew anything about this or the bikes potential they would have an explanation but can only dig down with ignorant comments. Anyway the B12 stock is awesome and unrestricted; it is a smooth mountain road carving T-rex, yet very controllable. Do yourself a favor and research what a great bike this is and don't listen to these dummies. Show less

Unlike the picture, I went searching for the blue/white version of this bike which looks much better. I've been through all four seasons with this bike. It's my second Suzuki and one of many air-cooled motors that I've ridden. This bike is perfect to jump on for a quick run to the store or a joy ride yet is comfortable for extended rides. Warm-up on a cool day is around 2 minutes. Once it's up to temp, I ride normally, enjoying the crisp acceleration. In temps under 40F, the motor actually chills down from operating temperature and needs to be choked again. Unless you're a die-hard, don't ride when the temperature drops below 45F. The tires also will not stay warm (read sticky) which makes for some interesting corner handling (such as two-wheel drift). In 90F heat, idling in rush-hour traffic, the motor does not overheat. It's designed for it. At speed, handling is predictable, crisp and just down-right fun. The bike's weight can be felt during side-to-side transitions but also acts to remind you not to over-do it. I've spent a lot of time riding off-road bikes and low speed manuvering is key to successful control in street conditions on this bike. Spend some quality time in the parking lot working the figure 8's and j-turns (upright position, let the bike do the work using the clutch). Like other solid cam performance motors, it really comes alive above 7000 rpm. From a standing start at full throttle, once the revs sweep into the high end, it feels like a turbo boost. It also means that the motor can be cruised at rpm's under 7K with predicatable forgiving manners. Braking is OK, but not great. That is, it is fast but not race-bike fast. LIKES: Smooth, predictable power. Good handling. Comfortable ride. Reliable. Great appearance. Classic analog gauges. Fuel economy. Easy maintenance DISLIKES: braking power. Show less

Hi all, here is what I think of the Bandit 1200s. Well, what a bike for the money, a true all rounder, mine is fitted with full Givi luggage and wingrack and not only does it look the part with a full compliment, but it does not seem to bother the machine at all, even two up. It is in standard form and has more than enough power for me. If you can outride a Bandit 1200s, then buy something else like a Honda Blackbird Or Suzi Hyabusa. I have owned a good few bikes now and at the age of 49, I feel that this machine will suit me for a few more years before my reaction time slows up too much!!! Not the best build quality in the world but more than adequate for your outlay, plus it has a very good reliability record that some other manufacturers would possibly be a bit green eyed about!! If you like a smooth gear change, then you would be hard pressed to find better. Being a 5 speed rather than a 6 is not much of a hinderance either, if you know what you are about you could give a lot of sport bike owner/riders a shock with a Bandit 1200 and they will have paid almost double for their power!!! It is also a very comfortable bike to ride and has an excellent riding position that puts no pressure on you wrists on those long days in the saddle. Now I must mention the one bad problem I had with mine. It is as mentioned an 02 model and apparently some 01-02 models were plagued with an oil burning problem, mine was one of them. It stemmed from the build factory and was an issue which allowed the oil passed the oil control rings and into the combustion chambers where it was readilly burned with the fuel. I was horrified at the amount of blue smoke mine started to expell through the stock exhaust so I took it straight back to the dealer where I purchased it. After much hassle, they agreed to have it repaired at a Suzuki specialist and 2 weeks later I had it returned with new pistons, rings and sleeves. Please do not let this put you off as they are a fantastic bike, just don't buy it unless you can take it for a LONG, LONG run 1st and if you see any blue smoke walk away from it. Hope this helps anyone looking for this model and again I must stress, they are a stonking good bike/buy and a real pleasure to ride. Show less

I have ridden this bike 14000 miles in 7 months and it has been problem free. It is quite fast and handles fairly well. I switched to a 636 for two years but due to money issues I am back on the Bandit. It is not as fast as the Ninja, but the stock gearing helps to allow the bike to perform quite well considering its weight and horsepower. I would recommend this bike to anyone who enjoys riding often, you will get nearly the same performance as a supersport with much better fuel economy and more comfortable ride. Show less