Buying secondhand Suzuki Bandit 1200
Suzuki Bandit 1200, built back when naked bikes were just starting to get some traction, the Suzuki Bandit 1200S was a lot of motorcycle for the money and remains so today.Powered by an 16 valve, 4-in line cylinder four-stroke 1157cc engine, with a bore of 79mm and a stroke of 59mm producing a compression ratio of 9.5:1, which is basically a enlarged version of the venerable air/oil-cooled Suzuki GSX-R1100 engine, the Suzuki Bandit puts 110 horsepower at 8800rpm to the rear wheel, good enough for a fast getaway, yet its upright driving position mean you don't have to assume the position while unraveling your favorite candy bar.
The throttle handling of the 4x Mikuni BSR36 carburetors,equipped with throttle position sensors (TPS), is nice.The Suzuki Bandit engine is calm, purring like a cat until you open the throttle, then the engine wakes up and you have to forget about finishing your candy bar as you need all attention to stay on the bike, even at high revs the Suzuki Bandit 1200 feels if it's capable of so much more
An ABS-equipped model offered during the first year of production didn't catch on with budget-conscious buyers, so it was dropped for subsequent seasons. For brakes the Suzuki Bandit 1200 has at the front a dual, 6-piston, 310mm hydraulic discs and uses at the rear a single 240mm hydraulic disc.
A 2001 makeover of the Suzuki Bandit 1200 saw revised styling, carburetor, some serious engine improvements and with better suspension the road handling became much better, plus an un-faired model that deleted the S suffix, so opt for a later one if you've got the the choice.
