Menus
- Released for good behavior
- Discovery
- In the saddle
- Contact
- In the city
- Highway
- Departmental
- Braking
- Consumption
- Comfort
- Convenient
- Conclusion
Released for good behavior
Appeared in 1995, the Bandit has continued to evolve, going from the first nasty roadster to a beefy roadster but leaving ground for other brands. It was then that the GSR appeared, which did not prevent the brand from continuing to improve its initial model.. The 2009-2010 version is no exception to the rule with a notable improvement in terms of look, for both the N and S versions…. And that’s good, because the model had started to get old.
Discovery
If we instantly find the famous adjustable double-stage saddle, not very aesthetic but very practical, the main changes relate to the headlights – front and rear – as well as the indicators and the speedometer, at least for the N version. diamond-shaped mirrors and steering column covers that help finish off the bike.
Proposal for 2010, the model under test also offers a LeoVince exhaust with the most beautiful effect, instead of the original tube, which is particularly common. It is not enough to give the model a new, up-to-date look.
In the saddle
On the handlebars, we instantly find our habits, with an unchanged position and therefore still as natural. Almost straight, arms close together, we are well on it, instinctively. Only the passenger will have their legs raised a little. The feet are almost touching the ground for the 1.70m rider, knowing that the saddle adjusts between 770 and 790 mm and that the two centimeters make the difference to have or not the feet flat.
The new counter leaves a large central place to the oval tachometer, with a red zone at 12,500 rpm…. A digital block on the right displays all the necessary information and more since beyond the speed display, the partial double trip, we have the right to a gasoline gauge with 5 sticks and the indication of the engaged gear but also to a clock, and all this at the same time without having to press a select button. It is practical and easy to read, even in direct sunlight.
As for the gear indicator engaged, once adopted we can not do without it, especially since the Bandit really accepts to run on all gears.
Contact
Raahhhh! This sound ! Lovely! The LeoVince pot gives off a low and hoarse sound, far removed from the muffled or even sanitized sound of the original exhaust. We really take our ears and it gives a wild side to the model.
First…. The Bandit starts off on a trickle of gas and feels lighter than the old one. It must be said that this pot already saves almost three kilos. And as with 240 kilos fully packed, the bike is not featherweight compared to the competition … It is also a welcome element..
In the city
Natural, the motorcycle is easily taken in hand. The gearbox is smooth and the gears go smoothly. The engine is able to wind on a trickle of gas, without complaining and without any injection, from 1,500 rpm, including in the last gear at 30 km / h! So it’s really, really sweet. In fact, it is the third gear that seems the ideal gear, the first and second being much more straightforward and encouraging to turn the handle a little too much..
With the pot, the cars move away naturally, without needing to use the horn. Funny !
The handling is here, in line with previous vintages, a benchmark of ease. The mirrors go everywhere and the energetic times on all gears allow you to get out of all situations without playing the box.
In fact we forget its theoretical weight with maneuvers, even slow, easy. Admittedly, it’s heavier than an ER6 (40 kilos anyway) but it’s still easy.
Highway
The Bandit gets on the freeway quickly, when at 130 km / h it is only 6,000 rpm and at half its capacity. Just turn the right handle and the speed shoots up to gain 20 km / h for every additional 1,000 rpm…. allowing a theoretical maximum speed of 240 km / h! The protection offered by the profiled headlight is excellent and allows on the German autobahn to go up to 180 km / h without suffering too much. Astonishing! That said, the sustainable speed on a long journey is rather around 150 km / h..
The reactions to the grip are straightforward, and decelerations, even at high speeds, are accompanied by real engine braking, pleasant and reassuring…. punctuated by the growl of a pot or even an almost systematic bang. Even at these speeds and on an N version, the duo is possible without too much suffering for the passenger (and in any case less than on a sports car).
Departmental
Back on the small roads, the Bandit goes on just as easily, passing seamlessly from one to the other, without refusing anything. Ease of driving is still there, even if the engine seems fuller at mid-speed than its previous vintage. The reactions to the right grip are also more frank…. while still offering a certain softness, in the sense of ease. The bike fits naturally on a curve and does not require any particular effort, remaining particularly neutral when setting on the angle.
Almost smooth despite its vigor below 6,000 rpm, the engine gives a first boost to this rpm before soaring to 9,000 rpm. The reactions, accelerations and decelerations are then sharper and more playful.
If the pace is really accelerating, the overall behavior remains healthy and neutral but the overall weight requires a little more effort on the part of the pilot..
Braking
The rear brake is a decent retarder. The front brake offers a good feeling and brakes…. gradually. It’s easy, but nothing more and no particular bite, especially in a duet. You really have to take the lever energetically to get braking worthy of the name. Without worry for 95% of its use, braking reaches its limits in case of very fast pace. In fact, despite the 4 piston calipers, braking is a bit below the competition…. the fault of the weight ?
Consumption
Consumption during the test ranged from 5.0 to 6.2 liters per hundred, in duo. In solo, it is possible to go just below the 5 liters per hundred mark.
The fuel gauge is fairly accurate, with a first stick falling after 70 km, then the next at 130 km and the third at 190 km. The 4th falls 20 kilometers away and the pump then flashes to signal the passage in reserve…. generously, since we then put a maximum of 13 liters in the tank, meaning that there are still 6 liters and 100 kilometers possible thanks to the large 19-liter tank. The autonomy is then at least 300 km or even 350 km.
Comfort
Frankly, we can make limits without suffering in any way, at least on the pilot side. The suspensions are firmer than the previous generation (and fortunately because they were too soft in the past) but continue to erase the defects of the road. We can thus chain the kilometers without worries.
The passenger is in worse condition, despite an ergonomic saddle, with a foam stopper so as not to slip. The legs go up a little and give a position requiring a stop after 200 kilometers.
Convenient
There is room under the saddle to fit a U, but short. This arises naturally at the level of the front fork between the discs.
The tank is made of steel, allowing a magnetic tank bag to be placed.
The rear tabs and the passenger handle make it easy to secure luggage…. still helped by the footrest plates. The original pot remains low enough to consider flexible side bags.
There is a center stand! It’s rare enough to notice it, even if that partly explains the few extra pounds displayed in the end..
On the other hand, the rear handle is less practical than the side handle to manage to put the bike on the side, the total weight not helping the maneuver. There are worse but there is also easier.
Conclusion
Comfortable, with a nice engine, practical, suitable for driving including a duo…. the Bandit connects the qualifiers. Year after year, we don’t change a winning recipe…. This is what Suzuki did with the Bandit, improving its flagship model in small steps, both in terms of engine and aesthetics. In the end, the result is an easy, versatile and yet playful machine that is not a utility machine but rather a hobby machine that will not be reluctant to have a drink with friends. And at only 5,799 euros, it continues to be the best quality / price ratio in the category, explaining its renewed success for almost 15 years. !
Strong points
- Getting started
- Full engine everywhere
- Comfort / Duo
- Price
Weak points
- weight
available in blue, gray, black and red.
Competitors: Ducati Monster 696, Honda CBF 600, Yamaha 600 Diversion, Yamaha Fazer 600
User reactions and testimonials: testimonial 1 on the
forum essays and testimony 2
User reactions and testimonials on the
motorcycle guide
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