Suzuki GSF400 Bandit reviews

I've only had mine a few months, but 4000 mi. and it is big fun at only 12$ a month insurance. I ride with two CBRs and take my wife for rides when we get a chance. It has never given me any troubles or never needed any more power. I ride on 4 lanes and 2 and never any dought. GREAT BIKE highly recommended,unless you need to go 131 miles per hour. Show less

I have the single front disc version, without Varible Valve. The bke is great fun for a younger rider, really breaks down very economical and looks tons better than its newer and bigger brothers, I streetfightered mine with a belly pan, bug eyes, streetfighter bars, neons, everything. blue and white paint coat, looks the biz, tops out at 125mph, but its not a race bike, is it, I reckon I'll keep it till a better looking fighter comes on the market, and looking at todays selection, that will be a while. Show less

I bought my Bandit 9 years ago when I started dragging bits of the KZ400 I had at the time. Its been very dependable (25000 on the clock) commuter bike and lots of back road fun on the weekends. As long as there is twists in the road, I have no problems keeping up with friends with much larger bikes and the small number of CC's make easy on my insurance costs. The only mods I've done is to go up a tooth on the rear sprocket, re-jet the carbs to overcome the slight dead spot between 2-3000 RPM and put Metzler rubber in place of the stock Dunlops. Combined with a short seat height (for those of us who are short and don't want to ride cruisers) and its agility, I've not found another that suits me as well. Show less

I bought the bike because I couldn't afford a full-on sportbike. My plan was to ride it for 2 years, learn the ropes and graduate to something bigger. I kept it 5 years, sold it for financial reasons and have missed it ever since. I put 30,000 miles on it, sold it to a friend who rode it for many more miles and he eventually sold it. I now ride an R6 and I miss the Bandit so much, I am looking for a cheap one to buy as a second bike. I wish I never sold it, as does my friend who bought it from me. I recommend one to anyone on a budget who is looking for a sportbike or commuter. It carved the turns and had ample power, as long as it was above 9,000 RPM (14,000 redline). I loved to come up behind GXSR's and ride their tails in the twisties. People often mistook it for a Ducati Monster. I dragged the footpegs and centerstand, but it was very forgiving. I also commuted on it for awhile. In the 30,000 miles, I changed oil every 3-4K miles, only gave it one tune-up, one chain, three front tires and five rears, one set of brake pads and a hose wash every week. I stored it for awhile, but it always fired up after 3-4 seconds of running the starter. I also got 55 Hwy and 45 city mpg. I could go on an on. If you're looking at one, buy it. You won't be sorry, unless you need huge low-end power and more than 130mph top-end speed. Show less

If you enjoy high revs, light weight, decent handing and good looks in one package, this is a bike worth considering. My bike's only mods are V&H complete exhaust and Metzeler MEZ4 tires. Riding in the twisties is where this bike shines. Keep the revs above 7000 rpm and the speed in a curve about 20-30 mph above the posted speeds and it is a sheer blast. Just point and go. With its light weight and good tires installed, mid-corner adjustments are not difficult. There really is not any bad engine buzzing at any rpm either. It is all tolerable. Shifting is classic Suzuki. Positive but with some slack involved. No missed shifts unless I screw up. The handlebars are standard attachment, not clip-ons. So they can be replaced with the multitude of choices of bars available very easily, for comfort purposes. Of course, I have to include some downsides too. Being only 400cc's, torque is virtually nonexistent below 4500 rpm in the higher gears. Depending on the situation, going uphill requires 2, sometimes 3 drops in the gears to keep momentum up. The most bothersome annoyance is the factory seat. Comfort is acceptable but the angle is really dumb. I find myself falling into the tank crotch first very often. Nothing I do stops me from sliding forward. On long trips, riding position begins to become a slight pain. I would average the comfort to being in the middle of the sport bike class though. Not real painful but not completely comfortable either. Reliability has been 100 percent except for a very occasional stall during idling. Once in a while it just dies, but starts immediately thereafter. If I hear that happening, a quick blip of the throttle cures it and I can avoid the stall. It happens so infrequently that I haven't got to concerned about it. If you want torque and light weight in one bike, get a YZF-R1 or something similar. If you want zippy fun, cheap insurance and good looks, consider one of these. I have got many comments and second-looks on this bike from many other riders. They were available from 1991-1993. Show less

Great bike to ride on two lane roads, high winding engine with after market exhaust is music to my ears. Will hang with bigger displacement bikes, have them for lunch on the twisties. Light weight enough for smaller riders and tough enough for those with balls. Show less

This Bandit is my first bike that I ever owned. I have ridden other more "powerful" bikes; but I still see no reason why this bike should be looked upon as a little guy. The Bandit performs very well. My bike has been dyno at 54 max horsepower, which is a lot for this little 400. My bandit has no problems keeping up with some 600's. It is a great everyday, light ride. The bandit can handle the twisties pretty well. I have taken it to the max, and scraped and tore my gear shifter out. I have had no problems, other than some bogging down when I placed a K&N in her. If you're looking for a good beginner bike that you will fall in love with, take the Bandit out, you wont be disappointed. Show less