Table of contents
- Impression: Suzuki Bandit 1250 S Out and about with an old rebel
- The ergonomics give clues to the long history
- From 0 to 100 in 3.7 seconds
- Retrofitting helps real miracles
- facts and figures
- Interview with Bert Poensgen
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1/11
In 1996 the Suzuki Bandit 1250 S was born as a trendsetter in a new class. So she has been on her back for several years.
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2/11
The Suzuki Bandit 1250 S is just a loyal companion.
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3/11
When it comes to an enjoyable trip to the next bathing lake, the daily commute to work or even a weekend in the Alps, the Bandit is a loyal, reliable companion.
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4/11
The Suzuki Bandit should be more aggressive today, the big naked ones, martial in their appearance, angry in their eyes. A rock-solid motorcycle doesn’t seem to be in demand anymore.
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5/11
Despite everything, the Suzuki Bandit has been subject to large fluctuations in sales figures since the beginning.
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The engine of the Suzuki Bandit 1250 S also looks like it is carved in stone.
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7/11
The dashboard of the Suzuki Bandit 1250 S looks simple, but informative.
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However, it had only 262 new approvals as of June this year.
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9/11
The white of the Suzuki Bandit 1250 S also has something really snappy about it.
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10/11
However, this does not mean that it is inferior to its competition: The Suzuki Bandit 1250 S is at 100 km / h in 3.7 seconds.
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11/11
The original GSF 1200 S in harmless wine red represents the beginning of the Bandit saga.
motorcycles
Impression: Suzuki Bandit 1250 S
Impression: Suzuki Bandit 1250 S
Out and about with an old rebel
At the end the rebel wears white. No longer robbers in foreign territories, steps back into the second ranks, no longer shoots sharply. Nevertheless, you can still steal horses with the Suzuki Bandit 1250 S. Bet that?
Stefan Kaschel
07/18/2013
As time goes by. You don’t have to start like that with the Suzuki Bandit 1250 – but it stands to reason. After all, she has been through everything for the past 17 years. Born in 1996 as a trendsetter of a new class, then loved and adored for many years as the undisputed quota queen, today the representative of a race that is dying out.
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Nobody will be left without a trace. Not even on the bandit. However, if you haven’t seen it for a long time, you’ll be amazed at its good shape. In any case, on the outside it has not put on any fat. On the contrary. The Bandit conceals her 255 kilograms so skilfully in view of the usual dimensions of some trendy travel enduro bikes that one does not take away the big block with its contemporary 1250 cubic centimeters and wonders whether this is really the 1250s and not the little, largely identical sister with 650 cubic centimeters is.
Especially when she’s dressed up a little. All in virgin white, with a Yoshimura silencer instead of a fat stove pipe, tinted touring windshield and black stripes on the tank, mudguard and rear fairing. There is something brisk and dynamic about it, and it begs the question: Why does nothing work with the Bandit anymore?
262 admissions by the end of June, 62nd place in the admission statistics. The former top seller has never seen such bad times in her entire career. And that although the 2012 model (technically absolutely equivalent to the 2013 version) is currently available as the best-price model for 8,890 euros and even the current list price of 9,740 euros still keeps a respectable distance from the 10,000 sound barrier. Seriously: it’s worth thinking about it, isn’t it? A full-fledged 1250 for less than 9,000 euros – nowhere is there more motorcycle for the money.
The ergonomics give clues to the long history
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Up to date? Absolutely. In white with rally stripes, the Bandit still cuts a fine figure today.
But back to the question of why this motorcycle can no longer meet current requirements. Is it the nominal 98 HP that deterred the performance-spoiled clientele from, although the big Bandit regularly showed more horses than were promised from the first model on (currently 110 HP)? Or is it the patina of many years, the staid image, the lack of techno kick?
As is so often the case with the Bandit, first of all the ergonomics give an indication of its long history. The endeavor namely to ensure sufficient lean angle and still not let the seat height grow into the sky, still led to relatively small footrest-seat bench distances in Japan in the new millennium. This is even the case with the last Bandit variant, which only appeared in 2007, although the seat height can be adjusted in two stages. But, to be honest, you get used to it if you don’t have a two-meter guard.
The second thing that catches the eye is the upright cockpit architecture. An analog tachometer, combined with basic digital information in the second round instrument – from today’s perspective, this creative attempt must be considered a failure. The Bandit’s info display is neither beautiful nor extensive. But even after a short period of getting used to it, this does not count as a serious reason for refusal.
That leaves engine power, chassis and design. Regarding the first point, it is worth looking back at the long history of bandits. “Has the raging wolf degenerated into a toothless old dog?” Asked colleague Jupp Schmitz vividly in the fall of 1995 in view of the first bandit test, because the new star in the naked bike sky with nominally 98 hp (as air / oil-cooled Offshoot from the athlete GSX-R 1100 R) voluntarily renounced the highest possible peak performance. The answer came from an anecdote from everyday testing at the time. “After the third attempt, which was aborted due to the threat of a rollover backwards, with the Suzuki to achieve a jagged acceleration solo from a standing start, the acolyte Helmut Faidt’s thirst for action was clearly slowed down. What annoys Helmut: “The thing doesn’t climb when you drive off, but only after several meters with the clutch already fully engaged.”
Bandit forum
Naked bike
Endurance test: Suzuki Bandit 1250 S
Balance after 50,000 kilometers
read more
From 0 to 100 in 3.7 seconds
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The engine of the Suzuki Bandit 1250 S is carved in stone.
Okay, back then the bandit weighed 233 kilograms, around 20 kilograms less than it does today. But even this harmless relationship between power and weight, measured by current standards, was easily enough due to the large displacement to achieve impressive driving performance. From 0 to 100 km / h in 3.7 seconds, 160 km / h after 8.6 seconds. And then only the passage: “Tempo 60 to 140 in 8.9 seconds, that has never been there, not even with 150-hp monsters. A life in fifth gear – the GSF 1200 makes it possible, “enthused Schmitz.
Today he would have even more reason to rave about it. The current Bandit accelerates to 100 km / h in 3.5 seconds – without any acrobatic performances. 200 things are achieved after a good 14 seconds, that’s enough for most Porsches. And the bandit can now pull through from 60 to 140 km / h in 8.3 seconds. Now let’s be serious: In view of these numbers, everyone should check their personal driving habits and think about when they ever felt a real lack of performance in view of the acute traffic density.
Retrofitting helps real miracles
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The Suzuki Bandit 1250 S can go from 0 to 100 in just 3.7 seconds.
So: The fact that there are now much, much stronger naked bikes is at least a rational element against a bandit. The chassis is much more likely to be considered. A double loop frame made of steel certainly does not reflect the state of the art, a weight of 255 kilograms does not promise superlative handling. And in fact, a Bandit 1250 S is more at home on the leisurely than on the sporty side, and cannot compete with modern designs in terms of agility and precision. But does she have to? After all, it was the same for the previous 16 years, and it did not prevent them from being more successful (from the 2003 model year, over 4,000 large bandits were sold), or a little less.
In its premiere year 2007, the Bandit 1250 S sold almost 3,000 units, and even in 2012, over 1,000 units were sold. In addition, there would be a simple means of teaching the big bandit noticeably smoother manners. A simple tire change works wonders in this case. Simply put on a Michelin Pilot Road or the current MOTORRAD touring tire winner Pirelli Angel GT instead of the aged Dunlop D 218, and the Bandit presents itself from a much more dynamic side.
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The third and last point is the design – or better: the zeitgeist. And thus a chapter that cannot be easily refuted argumentatively. The zeitgeist has clearly run away from the big bandit, and she has no chance of catching up with him again. They have to be more aggressive today, the tall naked women, martial in their appearance, angry in their eyes. A rock-solid motorcycle is no longer in demand. The only thing that helps is converting it into a street fighter, which has happened a thousand times. Or reflect. What you really want from a motorcycle.
When it comes to an enjoyable trip to the next swimming lake, the daily commute to work or even a weekend in the Alps, the Bandit is a loyal, reliable companion. It always was. And that’s probably their biggest problem. Because as the old bandit bunny Poensgen put it so aptly: “For someone who already has a bandit, there is no reason to buy a new one.” And quite a few bandits have bought a bandit in the past 17 years.
Naked bike
Endurance test: Suzuki Bandit 1250 S
Balance after 50,000 kilometers
read more
Suzuki Bandit 600 S.
facts and figures
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engine
water-cooled four-cylinder four-stroke in-line engine, bore x stroke 79.0 x 64.0 mm, displacement: 1255 cm³, compression 10.5: 1, power 72.0 kW (98 PS) at 7500 rpm, maximum torque 108 Nm at 3700 rpm, injection, Ø 36 mm, six-speed gearbox, O-ring chain.
landing gear
Double loop frame made of steel, telescopic fork, Ø 43 mm, two-arm swing arm made of aluminum, central spring strut with lever system, double disc brake at the front, Ø 310 mm, four-piston fixed calipers, disc brake at the rear, Ø 240 mm, single-piston floating caliper, ABS, tires 120/70 ZR 17; 180/55 ZR 17.
mass and weight
Wheelbase 1485 mm, suspension travel f / h 130/136 mm, seat height 785–805 mm, weight with a full tank of 255 kg, payload 220 kg, tank capacity 19.0 liters.
price
9740 euros
Interview with Bert Poensgen
Photo visions
Bert Poensgen (66) was with Suzuki for 30 years, most recently as Director of Marketing and Sales.
Mr. Poensgen, the big bandit is currently ranked 62nd in the approval charts. 262 units sold since the beginning of the year as of June. During your active time at Suzuki, this motorcycle was regularly to be found at the very top, it was your favorite, so to speak. Isn’t that terrible?
Poensgen: Yes, very terrible. On the one hand. On the other hand, I can understand that quite well. The bandit has been around for an awfully long time. I don’t know how long it’s been on the market. Times change.
The big bandit was introduced in Japan in 1995 and has been officially imported since 1996.
Poensgen: You see. Unbelievable!
What role do you have, Suzuki Germany played back then in the development of the big bandit?
Poensgen: Of course we were a driving factor. But only one of many, I have to add. Of course, we worked intensively on the concept two or three years before the motorcycle came onto the market.
Was it very clear at the time how this motorcycle had to be configured in order to survive on the German and European markets? What was the bandit success secret?
Poensgen: One thing was very clear from the start: This motorcycle had to be naked or, at best, half disguised. And it had to have a strong, good engine. In addition, it was easy to maintain and that it also works well for pillion rides. Furthermore, the bandit should look good and at the end of the day also have a price that the customer fully accepts. It was a vehicle that somehow everyone liked and could consider for themselves. That was absolutely important.
To what extent were you able to influence the price back then? Somehow the bandit was always a price breaker.
Poensgen: Price breaker is perhaps a little too high. Above all, the big bandit was a motorcycle that had never been seen before on the market.
Was the success of the bandit therefore foreseeable?
Poensgen: Of course, it wasn’t foreseeable in this form. But at that time we had already planned numbers that would make you squeeze your butt together a bit. The further course then clearly showed that we were able to plan more motorcycles every year. We sold several thousand pieces at weddings. The big bandit was our best-selling motorcycle in many years. During this time we only modified the motorcycle slightly.
Maybe that was the beginning of the end for the big bandit?
Poensgen: If you look back, you might say, yes, that’s the way it is. But it is also always the case that you have to make major changes at the right time. And there is something else. The enemy of the good is the better, and after the Bandit success, we weren’t entirely without competitors. In both classes – that is, 600 and 1200 cubic centimeters – we’ve had strong competition over the years. That means everyone has a motorcycle that fits into this category. Of course, that automatically led to a drop in sales.
Was there a point in bandit history where you said it went wrong from there?
Poensgen: Not really, that was a slow process, you can see that from the registration figures – with the exception of the last five years. That crept in. At some point we had to do sales promotions. For example, we added full cladding to it. But then you could already see that the bandit wasn’t quite as up to date as it was in the past ten years. And then at some point relatively aggressive-looking motorcycles came onto the market, and the bandits were converted into street fighters. That then showed that the bandit was actually too conservative. It just stopped working.
duke
The beginning of the bandit saga: the original GSF 1200 S in harmless wine red.
But they could have been spiced up. The technical prerequisites were given?
Poensgen: Well, that could have been done. There was also an attempt to install a successor in the small class with the GSR 600, and a large GSR was also being considered. But that didn’t work out in my time, even though I wished it would. At that time, however, it was already clear that this concept of the really down-to-earth motorcycle no longer worked.
Where do you see the big bandit today?
Poensgen: Wherever I always saw her. The Bandit was never a dream motorcycle, has always defined itself through performance and function. But I don’t see why someone should buy a new bandit today who already has one.
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