The Bandit 650

Just thought I'd do a little review of the bike whilst I still have it as it could get taken off me any day now.

Suzuki GSF650 Bandit

The bike is huge compared to my recent CBF250, it weighs in at around 210kg (I think), which is 80kg heavier. Its nice to have the weight of it though, feels a lot more stable at motorway speeds. In terms of looks the bike is great, its brutal look from the side with its 4 cylinders is stunning. It starts flawlessly, thanks to the fuel injection and pulls quite rapidly. On a hot day, the bike does get relatively hot (its only March!). Its nice to have a bike that actually feel big enough for me though, would probably be an issue for those less vertically inclined.

There isn't that much differentiation between the gears at low speed which is a bit of a pain having to shift so much as its hard to tell if you've chosen the right gear. The gearbox is 'very' clunky, you have to be quite firm with it sometimes when shifting up. Once you've gotten used to it, you can time it right and make it a little smoother. I'm not sure if I prefer analog or digital speedos; I find myself constantly correcting my speed if its dropped to 48/49 instead of 50. In terms of aesthetics, from the front the bike does seem a bit retro, compared to the rest which is relatively modern. Also, the turning cycle is a little crap, might be that the wheelbase has increased though - doing low speed U turns is a bit of a struggle, I find myself occasionally putting a foot down.

I've done around 400 miles on it now and everyday I like it a little more.