Bandit 600

[Scooby]

Anyone had one of these???

I am 17, hoping to do my test this summer, got my NSR but when I pass my test I want a 4 stroke bigger bike. So far its a toss up between the ZXR400, SV650, or a Bandit 600, which will be restricted to 33bhp officer

Anyway, I know the specs and performance of the ZXR400 and SV650 off Zim and SummY respectively, but anyone got any technical info and stuff on the Bandit 600??? I ain't the biggest of guys....5ft 8"ish (the NSR size is perfect at the mo) and I hear the Bandit 600 is a bit of a heavy bike, will I be ok with it do you think???

Cheers anyone that replies
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A big enough hammer fixes anything!

[G]

I rode a mates Bandit 1200 a few years ago... after riding my KLR it felt really small... allmost like a 125. But the KLR does feel quite heavy at low speed because of the high CoG.
I'm not sure if thev've updated the engine recently but I think it only makes around 70hp... same as teh sv but in a 4 rather than a twin so there'll be less tourque accross the rev range.
As far as insurance goes I'm told teh unfaired sv is NU 9 while the bandit is 10... this may well be wrong though.

[Scooby]

G, so are you saying I would probably be okay with a Bandit 600 once I have pulled off, and I would just um and er with it pushing it into my garage and stuff???

I know they won't be as quick as a SV650 or ZXR400 but I am looking at £2000 to spend on my next bike (excluding insurance) so if I get a Bandit 600 I can get a fairly new one, also, I hear they are very easy to customise which sounds like fun, K&N Filter, Race Can, Renthal bars, all the anodised bits, etc......
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A big enough hammer fixes anything!

[G]

Most bikes, however heavy, are fine when you're riding at, say, above 10-15mph. Once you get used to it, it shouldn't be a problem at low speeds either.
I wouldn't have thought you'd have much problem pushing it around, apart from up slopes, but you've got an engine for that anyway.... 5'8" isn't that short... only 3 inches less than me, though I am quite well built (it's not flab, honest )

[Scooby]

Okay, cheers G, I have seen P reg and upwads Bandit 600's going for £1800-£2600 so if I decide to get one I think I should be okay......ish.....
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A big enough hammer fixes anything!

[Kris]

I was looking to get a bandit 6 as well. Nice bikes, although finish is substandard and WILL rot. Talked to a few owners and it takes far less cash than anything else to turn it into a special. Theres just soooo many acessories!
As for performance, bit slower than a sports 400 through the gears and much less wind protection, but good fun all the same. Theres some brand new ones near me going for £3125 or something.....

I am a fan of Bandits though!

[G]

Whatever you do it's definatley worth getting a test ride... or even, to start with, just go to dealers and ask if you can sit on/push around one to get a feel for it.

[Scooby]

Hehe thanks Kris.....thing is.....I am still unsure.....Bandit6......SV650......ZXR400..... If the SV650's were cheaper i'd get one of them, but I ain't got £3000 to fork out for one, so really its gonna be a Bandit6 or the ZXR4, in which case I will have to get an older ZXR4, like J plate, whereas I could get a newer Bandit, and the performance ain't much different between the two, Bandit does 130mph and ZXR 140mph so i've heard....and while the ZXR may get there quicker I ain't too fussed about that really.....
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A big enough hammer fixes anything!

[Scooby]

Might do that G, only thing is the dealers around here are right bastards....they've had a lot of people test riding the bikes, then going somewhere else to buy one, and haven't figured out that their packages aren't as appealing as other places. And I suppose I would be one of them, cos I wouldn't be buying the bike from them....
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A big enough hammer fixes anything!

[Phil.]

I was in the same boat as you Scoob when it come to deciding which bike was best to move on to. I was leaning more towards the thundercat, hornet, zxr4 or sv though.

Gotta think what your gonna be usin the bike for..Going to be touring on it (B6) or riding round like a looney(ZXR4)?

Sound brill ZXR4's though, heard one with a scorpion fligh off from the lights, think screamer is the word.

Cant see you havin any probs with height on a 6 bandit at 790 mm there lower than mine and i have no problems. (5'8" myself)

They are pretty heavy though 208kg, pretty suprised when i read that..ZXR 4 at the same seat height is 162 kg (5kg lighter than an SV)

Go for a ZXR4 mate, they look like bags more fun

[Scooby]

Like I say SummY, it's between those 3, and the thing that does concern me most about the Bandit 600 is really the lack of fun that it is gonna be and I will probably wish that i'd got a ZXR 400. Having said that, Bandit's are wheely machines and you can do them up to look the bollocks, but I dunno what I want most yet though.

Ideally, I would love an SV650. Plenty of power, brilliant sound, look awesome, but they're probably gonna be a bit outta my price range

I think you're right though SummY, I will probably be better off going for the ZXR400, especially as my mate is getting a CBR6 restricted, but I can guarantee he won't keep it restricted for long, and on a Bandit I ain't gonna be able to keep up with him, especially as most of the roads round here are twisties, whereas a ZXR 400 will nail just about any bike round here.

Cheers SummY, G, and Kris...
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A big enough hammer fixes anything!

[Doddmaster]

As you're 17, I'd get insurance quotes on all three and go with the cheapest!