is a bandit 1250 to big for first bike?

[saint gaz]

I have seen a couple of nice bikes lately that have caught me eye, one being a 09 bandit 1250sa for around 3k, not that I intend paying that for it.
Is it to much for a first bike? and what are the things i should lookout for as potential problems.
____________________
Mid life crisis has started,
Let the fun begin.
Honda VTR 1000 Firestorm

[Snorty]

Personally I don't think it is too big. It may be a 1250 but it's not quite as powerful as a CBR600RR. Just has more torque so you'll feel it as soon as you twist the throttle.

It will be noticeably heavier than a YBR 125 though.
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Current: Yamaha FZ1 '07 | GSXR 750 SRAD

Past: CB125TDC | TZR125 | GPZ500 | CBR600F3 | ZX9-R | GSXR1000 K4

[Slacker24seve...]

[BigDan1190]

Depends on your age, road experience, size/strength, general common sense and self control.

I say size/strength because the bandit is a heavy girl.

I would always recommend someone to start on an older, cheaper bike. I personally started on a GPZ500s and it was a brilliant bike, good handling, fun to ride, not masses of power but it kept up if you ragged it, and when I dropped it and when I got crashed into on it, I wasn't as gutted as if I would be if I had a big expensive bike.

Its not like you can't start on a cheap shitter for 6 months then sell and buy a nicer bike.


General advice... I'd start on a bandit 600 or similar if I were you. But, the 1200 is managable - I moved from the GPZ500 to the Bandit 1200 as my second bike and was fine.



EDIT: In regards to the Bandit 1200 vs. 600 sports bike argument... If you do get into trouble on a sports bike, the brakes and handling are better, so more likely to get yourself out of trouble. The brakes and suspension are not very good on the bandit in all honesty.

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

[saint gaz]

[quote="Slacker24seven"]

[physical]

have ridden all sorts over the years and really enjoy the bandit 1250, it could do with a little bit more power at time but it has loads of creamy torque.
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GSF 1250S GT

[Snorty]

I started on a GPZ 500, but I only paid £400 for it, so by the time I got bored of it, the amount I'd spent, it was worth hanging onto it, and I'd not spent a ton.
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Current: Yamaha FZ1 '07 | GSXR 750 SRAD

Past: CB125TDC | TZR125 | GPZ500 | CBR600F3 | ZX9-R | GSXR1000 K4

[TheBikerStig]

[robbieguy2003]

I've a 1250 and a 600RR at the moment, so not in a bad place to comment.

I suppose it depends, any bike can bite you. I'd tend to agree with Wafer Thin Ham, in that the bandit tends to be more progressive and forgiving in 'most' respects.

The difference in braking, handling, and where they come on song is totally different from the bandit to the RR. The one thing that the bandit has over the RR is the amount of torque it kicks out - on colt wet roads, having good throttle control is important.

Overall though, the RR is harder to ride, and harder to ride fast, it takes a different technique, I ride both bikes in quite different ways. I think the Bandit 600 could be a good compromise, or perhaps if you're bigger/want to take a pillion a bit, then you couldn't go massively wrong with a VFR800 or the like.

Still, there's plenty of choice. I'd start by writing down what you'll actually do with the bike - commuting/riding for fun/touring/short blats/shopping/visiting places and walking around once there - based on all that kind of stuff, you'll start to find what you might want from a bike (storage/fun factor/economy/speed/space). You also cant beat going to a shop, having a sit on a good few bikes and feeling them for size is worth a pop.
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Current Bikes: Honda CBR 600RR - '07, Suzuki GSX1250 FA ST '11
Old Bikes: Suzuki Intruder 125 LC - '2001, Honda CBR 600F - '92, Honda CBR 600RR - '03

[Richy CB1000]

They're just a bit weighty like the majority of the "Old School" retro type bikes, always keep that in mind. I don't know what a modern 600 weighs in at thesedays, but mine is around 235kg without me and fuel!

Harder to manually push about to a novice especially if you're lacking in the muscles dept! Technique will build up with experience so take it very easy in the early days.

Riding... different. Depends what style of riding you're looking for. As has been said, creamy smooth torque, enough power in the real world make for a shall we say more relaxed slighty slower style of riding more rewarding and less tiring! Kind of just taking it easy on a ride out, going with the flow.

Try to hussle them round a back road and you'll soon find out they need a bit more skill and experience to get the best out of them or to put it the other way round get yourself into big trouble very quickly, that weight is difficult to shift around quickly.

Brakes and suspension will generally be more basic, nothing wrong there, just not as fancy as the sportier lighter 600-750's.

That's where some other issues could creep in. They gather pace very very rapidly indeed without some of the screaming revs a lower cc bike would produce so you kind of initially wouldn't realise how bloody quick you're going. Example, not redlining but giving the old girls throttle a 3/4 - full twist, 1st, 2nd change to 3rd, look down 110mph before you know it.

The more I think about it the more obsolete they're becoming in my head. Perhaps if that style of bike catches your eye a 750 bracket bike kind of fills the gap over the 600 without some of the lardy 1000 issues?

Mind you it's a 1000cc and you're old ticker will be pacing away nicley after a few surges, after all that's why you want to ride it isn't it?

Safety hat on I would say no, go for a 600-750, bike hat on, take it easy mate you may just be alright.......?

[physical]

If its the ABS model nothing to worry about in the brakes, they quite happily deal with 800-1200 mile days and just swallow the miles nicely, one thing i would say is its worth getting the MRA touring screen for. The recall was for a minor electrical gremlin but is worth getting fixed/checking it has been done. Other one to watch for is they tend to rot at the collector box if they haven't been looked after. The price is probably about right to be honest.

Millennium Motorcycles in thatto heath have loads at the minute around that price as they have just had a bunch of ex hire ones. They even have a GT model for an asking price of £4000 with quite low miles that you could probably get nearer £3500 for cash if you are good at bargaining.

Suzuki suggest the valve clearances being checked at 14,500 miles and it is a pig of a job on the 1250s or expensive if you get someone else to do it.
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GSF 1250S GT

[doggone]

I used to think my 1200 bandit remarkably compact and manageable.
though powerful and able to sit at 100+ when in Germany it seemed smooth and predictable plus easy to manouevre in tight spots
I tried a friend's 1250 and it seemed like a big barge - completely different and quite a handful to turn and park.
As usual over time you get used to anything.

[physical]

had both and know what you mean there mate, took a while to get used to but can honestly say massively prefer handling on the 1250 now just feels totally planted all the time. Took getting the right tyres on it though the OEM tyres just felt wrong for me.
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GSF 1250S GT

[GaZ]

I started off on a B6 and as much as i loved it as my first bike i would have been much better off with the B12, the B6 just gets boring after a couple of months and there's only so much Renthals and a stubbyexhaust can do.


GaZ

[robbieguy2003]

[Dean-J]

My 2p for what its worth, with only 4/5 months experience on "big" bikes ( Sv650 and a Thundercat) a mate chucked me the keys to his Bandit 1250 and told me to have fun.
Didnt have any problems with it whatsoever, didnt feel like the big heavy beast it is, felt very well composed on the road and as has been said the torque is just phenomenal. Ok so i didnt wring its neck, but i had a good spin and really enjoyed it. I almost bought one as a result of that ride.

if your not a weedy fella, and you have enough common sense/self control to take your time getting used to it, i dont see why you couldnt get on just fine with a 1250...

[physical]

[robbieguy2003]

Nice one, thanks for the reply mate, it's appreciated. I went from BT-016s tyres to the Pirelli Diablo Rossos on my RR and the difference was remarkable, fast turn in, and they seemed to grip a hell of a lot.

They sound nice, I think it'll be due for a pair soon, so I think a set of these is in order.


Cheers

Rob
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Current Bikes: Honda CBR 600RR - '07, Suzuki GSX1250 FA ST '11
Old Bikes: Suzuki Intruder 125 LC - '2001, Honda CBR 600F - '92, Honda CBR 600RR - '03

[saint gaz]

Thanks for the input guys, really appreciate it.

think I will go and see what deal I can on it and then decide, I change my mind on a weekly basis so maybe its just time to bite the bullet and pick one.
____________________
Mid life crisis has started,
Let the fun begin.
Honda VTR 1000 Firestorm