1998 Suzuki GSF1200 Bandit review from United Kingdom
"Stonking power, a great allround package"
What things have gone wrong with the motorcycle?
Nothing
General comments?
This bike is all about 1 thing - grunt - and it's got carrier bags full of the stuff. Any gear, any revs, just wind on the throttle and it shifts. That reason alone was enough to temp me to the Bandit 1200.
What about the other areas? Well, it goes round corners reasonably well as you would expect a motorcycle to do, but it is heavy, and the suspension wears quickly with age.
The single best modification I did on this bike was to change the rear shock with a quality TechnoFlex one. Yes it was expensive, but it improved the handling 200%.
As for the brakes, well actually they're very good as standard, but with better pads and braided lines, they're even better. Good bite, feel, and power.
What I loved also was the fact that if you put just a race can on, you can liberate up to 15BHP instantly - without re-jetting or the like, and lighten the bike by about 5kgs in the process as the standard silencer is RESTRICTIVE and HEAVY.
Complete the above and you have a fairly fine specimen of a bike, which will do just about anything you ask of it.
Recommended reviews
 | Fast, fun, reliable, affordable |
| If you can only have 1 bike, this should be it |
| Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model Year | 1999 |
| First year of ownership | 2003 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Acceleration marks | 10/10 |
| Roll-on Performance marks | 9/10 |
| Handling marks | 7/10 |
| Braking marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 10/10 |
| Comfort marks | 8/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7/10 |
| Date of Entry | 14th December, 2005 |