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Day to day bike + leathers + Mags

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Kit
Renault 5 Driver



Joined: 16 Jun 2006
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PostPosted: 21:57 - 20 Jun 2006    Post subject: Day to day bike + leathers + Mags Reply with quote
Ok so i've pretty much decided I want a 1200cc Suzuki Bandit, is this a good choice for a primary mode of transportation as in ride experiance, comfort, service periods and is it notoriously reliable or unreliable?

Comfort, price, speed, I know you can't have them all but is the bandit the best choice?

Also I assume separate legs and top half leathers will be more comfortable than a full suit? recomendations on brands/models would be ace as well.

Would it be advisable to get a set of textiles for winter when i'll obviously get allot wetter? Again, recomendations on brands/models would be useful!

Which magazines offer the best reading experience in terms of accuracy and interesting articles. I recently brought a copy of ride mainly for the gear supplement, and I quite enjoyed reading it but I thought I would ask for recomendations while im posting!
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Mister James
I want to believe!



Joined: 10 Aug 2004
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PostPosted: 22:08 - 20 Jun 2006    Post subject: Re: Day to day bike + leathers + Mags Reply with quote
Kit wrote:
Ok so i've pretty much decided I want a 1200cc Suzuki Bandit, is this a good choice for a primary mode of transportation as in service periods and is it notoriously reliable or unreliable?


As far as I am aware, they are pretty reliable bikes - not exactly highly tuned 2-smokes! I think Kickstart has a souped up one, and even if he hasn't, he'll probably know all about them anyway!

Quote:

Comfort, price, speed, I know you can't have them all but is the bandit the best choice?


Have you ridden one? Only way you'll find out really....

Quote:

Also I assume separate legs and top half leathers will be more comfortable than a full suit? recomendations on brands/models would be ace as well.


I don't own a set of leathers, but I think you'd look a little silly on a Bandit in a garish one-piece set of leathers. For muscle bikes, seperate trousers/jackets are definitely the way ahead. Also allows you to mix and match with textile stuff later in the year.

Quote:

Would it be advisable to get a set of textiles for winter when i'll obviously get allot wetter? Again, recomendations on brands/models would be useful!


Definitely!

As long as you stick to reputable makes, it's often simply a question of a decent fit and a style you like. I've got a set of Bering textiles, and I find them much better than the cheap Revvit jacket I had before.

Quote:

Which magazines offer the best reading experience in terms of accuracy and interesting articles. I recently brought a copy of ride mainly for the gear supplement, and I quite enjoyed reading it but I thought I would ask for recomendations while im posting!


I read Bike, Ride and Two. I find most of the others to be the biking equivilant of FRONT and LOADED - ie total wank written for morons.

I tend to read the main articles in each magazine the day I buy it, then chuck it in the en-suite to enhance the toilet experience for weeks afterwards!
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MarkJ
World Chat Champion



Joined: 11 Apr 2006
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PostPosted: 22:13 - 20 Jun 2006    Post subject: Re: Day to day bike + leathers + Mags Reply with quote
Kit wrote:
Ok so i've pretty much decided I want a 1200cc Suzuki Bandit, is this a good choice for a primary mode of transportation as in ride experiance, comfort, service periods and is it notoriously reliable or unreliable?

Comfort, price, speed, I know you can't have them all but is the bandit the best choice?

Also I assume separate legs and top half leathers will be more comfortable than a full suit? recomendations on brands/models would be ace as well.

Would it be advisable to get a set of textiles for winter when i'll obviously get allot wetter? Again, recomendations on brands/models would be useful!

Which magazines offer the best reading experience in terms of accuracy and interesting articles. I recently brought a copy of ride mainly for the gear supplement, and I quite enjoyed reading it but I thought I would ask for recomendations while im posting!


I've never heard of anyone complain about a bandit 12 for reliability, so I'd imagine they're pretty solid Thumbs Up It's one of the more popular bikes to Streetfighter so I should imagine there's no shortage of parts available for it. I think they're reasonably confortable and if you have them tuned you can get over 125bhp from them.

Apparently full-piece leathers are a pain for anything but biking in because the top half is always attached, and most people on here have a two piece for practicality reasons. Textiles for winter is a good idea unless you're only doing a few miles, in which case you might be able to get away with leathers. I've got some Frank Thomas Aqua-pore winter textiles and they keep me warm and toasty in the winter.

I generally find Ride is good for clothing, and Bike is good for bike reviews etc.
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kawakid
World Chat Champion



Joined: 15 Mar 2005
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PostPosted: 22:26 - 20 Jun 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote
I've about 3 sets of trousers and about 4 tops, leather, textiles winter and summer etc. 3 sets of gloves and 4 lids. (yup) and about 3 pairs of boots.

In winter its just the winter textiles.

Spring normaly leathers.

Summer depends, leathers at night, sometimes mix and match, often leather bottoms and mesh top.

It just depends on the conditions.
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martin young
Borekit Bruiser



Joined: 18 Jun 2006
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PostPosted: 22:35 - 20 Jun 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote
All that kit for an ER-5?

A set of textile clothing will do you fine, all year round. Just make sure it has zip out liners.
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Sephiroth
World Chat Champion



Joined: 09 Apr 2006
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PostPosted: 22:38 - 20 Jun 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote
And most Bandit 6/12 parts can be interchanged if you manage to break something too.
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TheDonUK
World Chat Champion



Joined: 20 Feb 2006
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PostPosted: 22:54 - 20 Jun 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote
martin young wrote:
All that kit for an ER-5?


Because you need less kit for an ER-5 than you do for a Gixxer... is that right... And if course if he got another bike he would have to bin all that gear and start from scractch...

As to the original poster,

The bandit should be fine, suzuki have a rep of bad finish and not fairing so well during winter... but if that bothers you stay on top of maintence/cleaning and you will have no probs.

As others have said 1 piece race leathers on a bandit would look a bit silly IMO, you would be fine with 2 piece leathers or a nice textile set.

All you need for the wetter months (all 12 of them) is a good pair of waterproofs that fold up nice and small.

As for mags, Bike is IMO fair and above the best, for quality of writing, content, pictures... It reaks of quality above the others... its just a shame it is only monthly...

Ride is good for gear, but i find their articles pretty shitty and i only buy it if it has something that interests me (i brows at the magazine rack Razz), Two seems pretty shit to me...

MCN is a biker version of the sun but is entertaining if you take it for what it is and ignore all the gossip and heresay.
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martin young
Borekit Bruiser



Joined: 18 Jun 2006
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PostPosted: 22:56 - 20 Jun 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote
TheDonUK wrote:
martin young wrote:
All that kit for an ER-5?


Because you need less kit for an ER-5 than you do for a Gixxer... is that right... And if course if he got another bike he would have to bin all that gear and start from scractch...

As to the original poster,

The bandit should be fine, suzuki have a rep of bad finish and not fairing so well during winter... but if that bothers you stay on top of maintence/cleaning and you will have no probs.

As others have said 1 piece race leathers on a bandit would look a bit silly IMO, you would be fine with 2 piece leathers or a nice textile set.

All you need for the wetter months (all 12 of them) is a good pair of waterproofs that fold up nice and small.

As for mags, Bike is IMO fair and above the best, for quality of writing, content, pictures... It reaks of quality above the others... its just a shame it is only monthly...

Ride is good for gear, but i find their articles pretty shitty and i only buy it if it has something that interests me (i brows at the magazine rack Razz), Two seems pretty shit to me...

MCN is a biker version of the sun but is entertaining if you take it for what it is and ignore all the gossip and heresay.


Yeah you're right. All that gear....why?
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BorderHooner
Could Be A Chat Bot



Joined: 29 Sep 2004
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PostPosted: 23:06 - 20 Jun 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote
i thought 2 pairs of boots, 2 lids, 2 sets of gloves, 2 two pieces and a rain suit was excessive and greedy, but now i realise i have minimal gear Shocked
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TheDonUK
World Chat Champion



Joined: 20 Feb 2006
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PostPosted: 23:09 - 20 Jun 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote
martin young wrote:


Yeah you're right. All that gear....why?


Did you not get the sarcasm in my post or are you at a level of sarcasm that is far far beyond me? Confused
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