GSF600 bandit?

[phill_sumner]

Ive got a gsxr400 at the minute and wanted to change to

something bigger. Love the look of the GSF (naked) bandit even though its

totally different to bikes ive had. Ive read a few reviews and

people cant fault them. I love the handling of the gsxr400 and dont

want to end up regretting getting a 600 bandit. Anyone who

owns/has owned/has ridden one please give me your opinion of

how it handles and performs and everything else if you would be

so kind cheers
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parting the A1 like moses parted the red sea

[Louise]

I ride one and cant fault it - But being my first big bike ive ye to try others.
Infact, im looking to sell mine now as I feel its time to upgrade to a sporty one.

Done over 1500 miles in 2 months and have enjoyed every moment

[pwntifex]

It's not the same kind of bike at all.
Have a test ride if you can.
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the warped one: This is a follow up from the thread 'my willy hurts'

[garth]

Handle pretty well if the suspension isn't shagged.

Not on par with sportsbike handling however.

Probably not alot quicker than what you're riding at the moment. (If we're talking 6)

Do you want a physically bigger bike, or bigger as in faster?

Gsxr750 'fighter?
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You ain't a has been if you never was

[colin1]

most bandit owners love their bandit until they ride another bike, and realise other bikes are better

and im not just talking about more expensive bikes either
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colin1 is officially faster than god

[BanditBitch]

My OH has had the 1200 and the 600....he much preferred the 600, thought it was good fun..... the 1200 he described as brutal and raw....didnt like it.

[Kara]

The rear suspension is crap, mine died after 15k just dumped it's oil on the floor. Real easy bike to work on, stuck a cheapy hagon in there and it feels much more alive and sharp.

The Hagon shock is budget but decent for the money, god knows what Suzuki stick in em. I like mine, I've ridden other bikes and I find the bandit comfortable, reliable and pretty fun. I've done several track sessions on it and managed to keep up with some sportier bikes in the corners. I doubt I'll get rid of mine till it pops.
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NC30 + Bandit 6
www.eabikers.co.uk

[garth]

[phill_sumner]

[pwntifex]

Nothing a couple of clip-ons won't fix.
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the warped one: This is a follow up from the thread 'my willy hurts'

[garth]

[phill_sumner]

sounds good
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parting the A1 like moses parted the red sea

[Mark_petty]

I have a bandit 600 and I love it.
0-60 its pretty quick (think its about 5 seconds) with a top speed of 130

Parts are easy to get hold of and the bike is easy to work on.

Insurance is cheap, doesn't use much fuel. Overall a good bike
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[Rides: Suzuki GSF600sx]
[CBT: Passed] [Theory: Passed] [DAS: Passed]

[Imonster]

I think Bandits are great. Cheap to buy, cheap to insure (group 10), and a piece of piss to work on.

They handle relatively well, are fast enough for most people (0-60 in 4.5ish secs and 120ish top whack should be quick enough for most) and look pretty cool if ya like the whole naked/streetfighter thing.

I'm on my fourth now - I had three as despatch bikes (two of the old style, and one new style) and all three were bullet proof mechanically though the 2000 onward models are far more comfortable, ride better and IMHO look better.

Hence the reason why I bought my current one when I moved from despatching to instructing - I wanted summat that I knew would be reliable for that too. Sadly, as I now have a dedicated work bike she's now up for sale because I wanna Buell Lightening and can't afford to run three bikes.

If you'll allow this cheap plug then, I currently have my 2002 Bandit 600 up for sale in the Brighton area. Instructor owned, serviced religiously, has a high level Leo Vince sports pipe* and undertray and bellypan from justbandits.com fitted. Original undertray and original exhaust included in sale. She isn't mint but runs and rides excellently and looks lovely. £2000 ono - pm for details

Edit: She sounds beautiful with this on....
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Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

[Pte1643]

How about a Hornet for a more "Modern" slant on a similar theme?

Arguably slightly better than the Bandit in most aspects.

[MarkJ]

I know this is supposed to be about the bandit, but I have to agree with Pte1643 yet again. Give the Hornet a look aswell There's a million-and-one "Hornet Or Bandit?" threads on here

[Keir]

ive just got a bandit 1200, the handling isnt up with the gsxr but the nutter in me loves it....
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Current : '08 Yamaha FZ1s
Previous: '99 Honda CBR 600FX, 03 ZX636 B1H, 99 Fazer 600 (red), 02 GSX-R 600 K2, 00 SV650s (red), 2008 ZX10R, 97 Bandit 1200N, 04 ZX6RR K1H, 04 GSX-R 1000, 98 Fazer 600 (gold), 05 Madness 110 Pit bike, 04 CR125R, 00 SV650s (black), 06 KTM 625 SMC, 99 SRAD 600 track bike, 03 SV650, 98 Bandit 1200N, Bandit 600SY, 03 GSX-R 600 K3, 01 GSX-R 600, 01 Fazer 600 (black), VFR 400 NC30 x3, 78 Honda Dream, 00 Speedfight 50

[phill_sumner]

cheers ill have a look at the hornet and see what i think
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parting the A1 like moses parted the red sea

[Imonster]

[SonicTheHedge...]

I love mine - it's quick, it's comfy, it looks good (to me), the engine's nails, traditional bad points to watch out for are the suspension (soft, but fixable), collector box on the downpipes rusting through (get a decent stainless system), and rustworthyness in general.

It's not state-of-the-art by any means, but it's Great.
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Previous: '00 G2 Bandit 600 Naked. Now: '08 BMW GS Adventure.

[bambam]

I use to have a Bandit 400, very comfy to ride and easy to look after, the only bad point i found with mine was that it didnt like the rain too much.........if it was really chucking it down and i TRIED to accelerate the bike would jolt a little for a bit until it warmed up/got upto speed and then all of a sudden it would just shoot off. Other than that it was a very very reliable bike, i was sad to see the old girl go

[benvanwell]

I haven't had any problems with my bandit to date. I went for the S version although I prefer the naked looks by a long way - I just needed the extra weather protection with the number of miles I do commuting. It's never failed to start, or needed anything other than routine maintenance.

You might want to also look at the hornet. I think it's probably a better bike overall - it certainly lasts better with lots of wet-weather riding - but it will also be more expensive.

Hope this helps,
Ben

[colin1]