Suzuki Bandit 600 reviews

I am not a little person and couldn't be happier with seat size and peg location. It is my first street bike and has served me well. I had to crank up the preload in the back and added a Two Brothers Slip-On, K&N air filter, and Jet Kit to help compensate with my extra weight. I now can lighten the front end with wheelies in first at 7k on the tank and actually had a light tank slapper once in second. It is also fun getting on and off the throttle in the dark and watching the lights rise. The pipe is way louder than stock put much quieter than a Harley with aftermarket pipes. It handles very well. I kind of ride it like a dirt bike, cranking it over into turns and snapping it back out. Good fun! Only complaint is it is a tight fit to get the carburetors out of the bike to rejet them.

I picked a used 99 Bandit 600 with some character. In other words it has fallen over at least once. I think I'm now the third owner. Anyway, this bike is great for my 13-mile commute and some fun cruises on weekends. It is my first bike. One of the reasons I chose this bike is that it is a full sized bike. I'm 6" 2". Dimensionally there is no difference between this and the larger 1200, unlike some other similar displacement bikes. So I actually fit on this one and it still has a fairly sporty appearance without being in a sportbike position. I didn't want a cruiser. My only real complaints are that I do get buffeted a bit by the wind on the highway - the fairing doesn't protect too well for my height, although I think some of those aftermarket wind screens for this bike look silly so I don't know if I'll change that. I'm also pondering some luggage to make it more practical for commuting and touring. Also considering moving up to something like a V-Strom...we'll see.

Admittedly, this is my 2nd bike. In the mid 90's I acquired my 1st bike while in my late 20's; a 1976 Suzuki GT380 for $40, but that's another story. So after 1,000 miles on the old tri-cylinder two stroke, I decided I liked riding a motorcycle and wanted something that I could commute, travel, and have fun riding that wasn't going to be too big for me or break the bank. I read the Cycle World reviews and visited the dealer and the choice kept coming back to the Bandit 600. You can't possibly argue with the price before riding it. After that initial ride, you have to wonder how so much bike is priced so low. I bought mine new in May of 1999 for $5,700 and received $400 of in-store credit, just enough for a lightweight jacket, gloves, and soft saddle bags. My Bandit has been from WI to WV/MD 5 times as of August 2003 with plans for another trip in a month. In the 28,000 miles I've ridden it, I've only encountered one problem. On one trip back from WV two years ago the CDI box went out (a $400 brain for the ignition). Suzuki took care of the problem under the $300 service contract I had purchased with the bike new and I was on my way. I'm on my 3rd set of tires (original, Battlax, and Macadam), 3rd chain (learned the hard way to remember to adjust it routinely), 2nd battery, and second set of front brake pads. Oil changed every 3,000, valve adjustment every 8,000 with tune-up, and new plugs every year. I can easily do 500 mile days - longer if I would invest in the Corbin Gunfighter saddle, but then I would have to fear losing my job over more riding time. This bike is great all around whether commuting, long distance touring, taking the backroad twisties, or just around town driving. I only wonder what's going to happen to my 600 when I eventually take a 1200 for a ride.

This is my first bike and I can highly recommend a Bandit 600 for this task. I prefer to ride in the country and for me this bike works well for that. It is has plenty of power for me, but I have nothing else to compare it to having never ridden another bike. I don't ride too feverishly and get about 48 mpg while on the highway-haven't really rode around town. The only problems are a vibration around 5000-6000 rpm and the mirrors also vibrate at highway speeds. Overall a good bike.

just took delivery of a K3 (2003) eveyone else says its bigger than it is. not pushed past 6k revs yet, an i`m itchin to do so.

I'm 6'4 / 230lbs, and this bike takes it in stride. I had a lot of peer-pressure to get the 1200,but after test riding both, the 600 was more confidence inspiring and a more relaxing ride. The bike is very forgiving. My only gripe is fairing buzz, but within the first mile of riding I'm having so much fun I almost forget about it.

After being away from motorcycles for a few years, my wallet allowed me to get back into it. I picked up the bike on March 1, 2001. Since I have put 600 miles on the bike and I have loved ever mile. No, it is not a CBR F4 but it is not trying to be. This is a great bike at a great price.

I went straight from the safety course to this bike, so for a first time rider I wonder if all bikes are this awesome. So here goes an honest review after 4 months and 2700 miles later. The power is smooth, and the brakes are very responsive. My Bandit starts up every time I push the button, which is important to me since I commute with it. I take it out on the weekends with my girlfriend on the back and she can't get enough. We both fit very comfortably on it for a good 200 miles. I topped it off at 110 mph with her on it!!I broke it in properly and my Bandit has paid me back by being maintence free after my first 800 mile tune up. The fairing is big enough to keep dry or warm from the elements, if you crouch down enough. It Revs high around the midrange but delivers the performance you want if you stay in the lower gears. I hardly ever use 6th gear, even on the highway. The transmission is not as smooth as say a Ducati, but then what is. It will break in with time. This bike is heavy. The first time I tried to put it on its centerstand I dropped it, my 3rd day... also because I didn't do it right. So there is little room for error. It's easy to take out in town with the helmet lock too. There are a lot of features on this bike so read the specs. Every mile I put on it, it performs better. This bike wants to ride, so if you do, GET IT!!

I wanted to get a bike that would be a good bike to learn on as well as forgiving to ride. I really wanted to get a bike with fairing as well as with cheap insurance. Since the SV650s was not sold in US I opted to get the Bandit600s. The bike is great. Not very strong so first time riders will not accidentally wheelie in first but not weak either. The brakes are very good and the gas milage is pretty good too. So why did I only give it three stars you ask? Well here it goes. It's very, very heavy. For comparison, the sport liter bikes weigh on average 80 pounds less than this heavy pig. The new GSXR is a full 100 pounds lighter. Now with the SV650s out in the states there is no more reason to get this bike. The SV650s is 90 pounds lighter about as strong in top end but much stronger at low rpm where the bike is ridden on the streets and the sound that the v-twin in the sv650s is producing is quite amazing. Much, much nicer then the Bandit. Also when you get more experience riding the Bandit, you really start to notice that you could use more power. With the 90 pounds of weight shaved off the SV650s you are much less likely to notice that effect, also a new rider is less likely to drop a bike this light then the bandit which full of gas weighs well over 500 pounds. The last nail in the Bandit's coffin though is the price. The SV650s costs just $300 more than the Bandit so the payments for each bike should be about the same.

I've biked for years, and after a seven-year hiatus while living in Russia, I wanted to come back to biking when I returned to the States. My last bike was a 1984 Moto Guzzi 650 twin -- a sexy, torquey, shaft-driven sport-tourer. This time, I wanted a commuter bike that was low cost, comfortable to ride, forgiving for someone whose skills were rusty and yet with enough sportiness I wouldn't be bored or embarrassed riding it. After a whole lotta research, I narrowed my choices to the 2000 Bandit 600S and the Suzuki SV 650. I almost cracked and got the SV 650, but it just didn't seem practical, more like a weekend toy. Since I ride to work in nice clothes, I want wind protection, so the lack of a fairing in the 2000 model was a real turn-off in a commuting bike (and now I think the 2001 faired version has too aggressive a crouched riding position to be a good commuter). Also, I saw that the Bandit is hugely popular in London and Paris, where people know a thing or two about commuter bikes -- they're cheaper and easier to park than a car, and bikers spend a lot of time on them. So I struck a deal with my local bike shop and got the Bandit. 3500 miles later, the Bandit 600S has turned out to be a perfect choice. It's comfortable to ride with an upright seating position, good wind protection and limited buzz. It handles well -- stable and forgiving, but carves nicely on twisties. At first, I was a little disappointed with the power (I was used to a 650 twin!), and some fairing buzziness around 5000-5500 RPM (fixed by tightening down the fairing). But after the break-in period, the bike suddenly seemed to come to life. While not a full-on sport bike, the racing roots of the Katanah engine are apparent, with a very satisfying kick around 7,500-8,000 RPM. I really enjoy riding it and think the power is good -- even thrilling -- riding one-up. At high revs, the acceleration is great, and for top speed, I've even gotten it up to 130 mph(!). I added Givi hard luggage, which transformed my Bandit into a dream commuter. If I had to do it again, with everything I now know about the competition, I would get exactly the same bike. It's hard to imagine a better sport commuter for the price (knowing I would never be seen on a "rice-cruiser"!). I keep looking at other bikes and plan to trade up to a Ducati or Triumph next year. But now I know what I really want out of a high-end bike and am ready to fork out real money for the right one. For a practical, forgiving and inexpensive commuter, the Bandit was the perfect way to get back into biking.