Suzuki Bandit 600 reviews

I had been reading about the new Bandit. It was all good but I was not seeing any at the dealer. They were being bought as soon as they came in. Until the other day There was a new red one sitting there holding its own among the other sport models. I sat on it and it felt good to me and I bought it. I have put 1000 miles on it and it is everything I thought it would be. It's very quick and good on the highway and is smooth as silk with instant arm stretching power on tap at any rpm. It will also stand up if you twist the throttle too quick which is okay with me. I've done it a couple times only as I sure don't want to be too hard on a brand new bike with payments for 5 years. The Bandit is very comfortable for my 6 ft frame although I wouldn't mind having a little higher bar. About an inch would be perfect I think. What they do best besides everything is commute. It will get you out of harm's way and can stop on a dime if needed. Suzuki has hard bags for it now which I will be having when I can afford them. Now I'm going out to the garage to stare at her some more. I love my Bandit. Show less

I have had many motorcycles over the past 20 years: CBR's, VFR's, FZ1, ZX9, ZRX, etc... I was looking for something that would be good at most types of riding from cruising to riding backroads and I didn't want to spend a ton of $ because I always get tired of them anyway. Well after owning the B1250s for a couple of months I can say it is a very nice bike. Very smooth and comfortable with enough power to keep you fully entertained. Will it run with a GSXR1000, no, but I didn't buy it to race, I bought it to ride. The torque is great and power builds very smoothly. The transmission is very smooth as well and should continue to get better when fully broken in. It is very comfortable and can be ridden for long periods of time without fatigue. I am adding a Puig Touring windscreen and a Throttlemeister and that should make it about perfect. This is a big step up from the older Bandit in literally every way. Not a lot more power but better everything else, ie. liquid cooling, fuel injection, 6 speed, stiffer chassis, upgraded suspension, better looks, etc.. As you can tell I really like it. You won't be disappointed if you are looking at this type of bike. Show less

This bike does it all. It doesn't do one thing great, but does a lot of things well. that's what you would expect out of a sports tourer. Plenty of power, you can go 140mph, or just cruise at 60mph and still feel comfortable. Why do you think it's been around for such a long time? Because it caters to all your needs. Show less

I have had this bike a month and a half. The first weekend I put 1500 miles on it and have not looked back yet. I ride this bike every day. It is my commuter bike and my play bike it does it all! I am going to have to make it a little snappier just because. It doesn't need it but I want to. What I like about the bike the most is I never get fatigued on it. I can go out and put 3-4 hundred miles and when I get back I am ready to go again. NICE BIKE! Oh and the service and the People at the dealership have been impeccable. They are wonderful to deal with and treat you like you're their best friend. Thanks for the great dealings I have had with you folks... Show less

Great engine with excellent throttle response. Plenty of low, mid-range torque and superb low speed balance, make it great for around town. Very stable and comfortable at highway speed. On hand acceleration makes passing a snap. Overall, a highly recommended motorcycle and a fantastic model upgrade by Suzuki. Only complaints are that the seat becomes a little uncomfortable after a couple of hours and the windscreen is too low. The laminar touring lip corrected the problem by pushing air flow from chest level to just above the helmet. Show less

I would not judge this bike on the dyno chart, quarter-mile, or lap time even though the numbers are not that bad. The Bandit was not intended to be some Hayabusa-beater. In real world situations ridden on the street, this bike has instant-on-performance that can not be quantified by dyno charts or quarter-mile times. The Bandit looks good, is comfortable to ride, has plenty of power and speed, and lots of great features like ABS brakes. I put the carbon yoshimura exhaust which sound so nice, and I get about 42 to 50 mpg. The bike handles great on all types of roads, and the hills are a lot of fun. This bike can keep up with any sport bike out there. I couldn't ask for a better bike for the buck. Show less

I bought this new Bandit and like it very much. I couldn't ride it enough. It has great torque. Its smoothness is incredible and is silent above 50 mph. I feel it is an awesome bike and would recommend it to anyone. Its acceleration is great from any lower speed and has lots of top end. I found that this bike likes the downshift (sometimes two gears) for the quick pass without feeling over-revved. Needing to hit the brakes to enter the freeway is not uncommon! Its fuel injection is very smooth and has great fuel economy ranging from 38 mpg to 46. The few downsides to the Bandit are the hard seat and no storage. I had hoped the 1250 cc big block zuke would have more hair raising stories like its cousin but with each day, the after market industry will remedy that I'm sure. Show less

I have been riding street bikes for 36 years. The Bandit1250 is the 2nd Sport/Standard bike I have owned. The 1st being a Kawasaki Z1000. I can't beleive that the Bandit has only 97hp. This bike is very quick at any RPMs. I also own a Yamaha 1700 Road Star and purchased the Bandit for everyday commutes to work/play. It handles great in turns, does not feel the 496lb. Really fun the ride. The biggest problem I forsee is getting a ticket for speeding!!! Show less

My last bike was a VTX 1800c with a load of low end torque. Very nice bike, but way too heavy and agility is not even in it's vocabulary. I was looking for a quick ride that could take a corner without grinding the footpegs to a nub. I test rode the Bandit 1250 and FZ1. I eliminated the Z1000 because of general looks and very small windscreen. The FZ1 was sluggish on lower rpm's. Granted, it will take off at 6 and 7k rpms and higher, but I just don't want to ride like that most of the time. The changes they made to the FZ1 in '06 were NOT for the better. The Bandit had some awesome low end torque that seemed to stay very constant up through at least 7k rpm. Above that, you know, I really don't care. If I wanted to win races against other bikes or do wheelies down main street I would not buy any of the bikes I've listed anyway. The handling is awesome, torque is great, power is good. Downsides: My headlight was pointed way too low to begin with, but that was easily adjusted. The emergency lights button stuck on when I first tested it. That was fixed also before riding off the lot. And I'm a little frustrated by the lack of places to attach bungee cords without scratching the bodywork. Other than a few minor things, I really think this is the next 'Standard' bike to beat. Since the disappearance of the Nighthawk 750 and the changes made to the '05 FZ1, there hasn't been a clear winner in this class of motorcycle. No longer. Enter the Bandit 1250. More performance - more class - more features - low price. Show less

Well, it's not a sportbike (reason why some dislike this bike) so I don't pretend it is, and ride it the way it was meant to be ridden. It's a sporty touring bike, and that's what I do with it. It's got plenty of power/speed for around town...comfy enough to go for a medium distance ride...and handles great. I love the cluster (gas gauge, clock) and plenty of under-seat storage. Great gas mileage. Main complaint is the stock muffler's too quiet, but nothing that a trip to the cycle shop can't cure...will likely be adding a K&N filter soon, along with the jet kit and slip on, for a little performance boost, and add a little cool to this bike. I'd recommend this bike to anyone wanting some performance and style with comfort...but not to someone wanting to race every other bike out there (and win). Show less