Suzuki GSF1200 Bandit

You see, the Bandit was my first - the dear motorcycle which took my journo testbike virginity. One of my first assignments as a journo pup was to pick up some film on the other side of town. "Take the Bandit if you like," I remember being told.

Grabbing the key, I ran for the door and proceeded to make the run from Alexandria to North Sydney and back in a time on the illegal side of naughty, cackling maniacally a good proportion of the way.

Big fun
I'd been getting about on a CBR1000 Honda back then, which was grunty, reliable and comfy. But this Bandit was fun - big fun, and all for a very decent $11,999 (plus ORC) too.

Back then the Bandit was touted as the hooligan bike to top them all, a tag reinforced by the fact many stuntriders the world over bought them for use as a dedicated stunt bike.

A large degree of this popularity sprung from its bullet-proof engine, a four-stroke, air-cooled, 1157cc in-line four - a unit with a heritage which can be traced back to the mid-80s and the famed GSX-R1100.

Suzuki remains tight-lipped about maximum horsepower and torque claims for many of its models these days, the Bandit included, but the model we threw on the dyno back in 1998 can be used as a rough guide. That one was good for 102ps (at 8400rpm) and 9.83kg-m of torque (at 6000rpm) - plenty of stump-pulling grunt with which to get your jollies.

Mumbo magic
According to Suzuki the engine on the new Bandit sports some 116 changes over last year's model, with the key improvements being the addition of a Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) system to the bank of four 36mm Mikuni carbs, a revised exhaust cam profile, a larger oil cooler and a stronger clutch.

The engine really shines as the bike's best feature, with oodles of mumbo available from just off tickover, and a wonderfully fat and juicy power curve coming on smoothly and strongly as the revs sweep through the midrange. There's enough power everywhere to keep anyone happy, but between 4000rpm and 7000rpm is really where it's at, with 100kmh in top (fifth) gear seeing just 3600rpm on the tacho. Monos come with ease to the Bandit - hell if I can pull them anyone can...

The clutch and gearbox are typical Suzuki - light, responsive and with a refined, positive action, and vibrations have been adequately dampened. They're at their worst around 5000rpm, but aren't really a nuisance beyond blurring the mirrors. On the subject of mirrors, they just stick out too far for my liking, occasionally making lanesplitting a precarious affair.

Mr flexible
Around town the bike's a hoot, but also incredibly flexible - it's just as happy to be ridden at a sedate pace as it is to be thrashed senseless and pressed into attention-seeking duties, but out on the open road was where I was keen to put it through its paces.

After a good hard scratch, I was genuinely surprised - for the Bandit's pricetag and level of specification (suspension adjustability is limited to fork and monoshock preload, and monoshock rebound), this bike handles really quite nicely. The wheelbase, rake and trail have all been marginally reduced over the old model, while the fork's spring rates and modified rear shock are claimed to have improved suspension performance. Compared to the Bandit I took to the Alpine Rally last year, I'd have to say the changes are steps in the right direction.

The Bandit is relatively nimble for a big machine (Suzuki claims the bike tips the scales at 220kg dry - up 6kg from the last version), has a healthy level of ground clearance and its compliant suspension handles the majority of bumps well. The suspension is on the soft side, but is fine in most usage. If you're looking to get your knee down on every corner perhaps you should be looking at spending your money on a Supersport machine instead...

Emperor's new clothes
The Bandit has made something of a great leap forward this year in the comfort stakes, with the Bandit S sporting a sizeable screen and frame-mounted bikini fairing, re-shaped fuel tank and new seat. The S version will have a naked variant sold alongside it in many world markets, but not in Oz - it's the S only for us.

The fairing works well and that wide, plush seat is positively luxurious - for both rider and pillion. Pillion appointments are good in every department in fact - plenty of leg room, relatively low seat height and easy-to-use grabrail. The new six-piston Tokico front brakes gracing the front are great - stacks of power and plenty of feel at the lever, while the rear brake is adequate.

In fact you could do a helluva lot worse than a Bandit S when it comes to two-up bike transport. Given its high level of comfort and 250km-plus range (the bike returned an average of 13.6km/lt over the time we had it on test, and that tank now holds an extra litre, 20lt up from 19lt), the S makes an ideal two-up touring machine for those on a budget.

Value plus
That fairing softens the aggressive lines of the naked version considerably in my books, and leaves the bike fixed now as a sportstourer - but it's a lot more than that. At $12,543.67 (plus ORC), the bike offers a lot of bike for your bucks, as it always has done. It's a competent sportstourer, but it's also a city hoon machine, weekday commuter and weekend cruiser/fang conveyance. Solo or two-up, it does all it's meant to do well, and always left a smile on my face - you can't ask for more than that...