Cycle World's Top 12 Naked Bikes

[Silverstreak]

So when the Bandit was available how much ink did you give it? Not much in the past 5 or 6 years, right?

[aussiebandit]

In Oz the B12 is now considered a sports tourer - not a naked bike.

I suppose that's fair when you consider the age of the design, and the age of most B12 Riders.

To quote one of the local bike mags

"10 years ago it was the badest meanest thing on the block, now, like a lot of B12 owners, it's a bit older, a bit fat round the middle and not quite as bad an mean as it was...but it'll still show the young guns a trick or two"

[Desolation Angel]

Of course, if supposedly dated design made any difference in reality, then I'd bet you that about half the cars on the dealer lots wouldn't be there.  I'm just guessing about it being half the car models, but I bet it's true, especially if you throw all the American made pickup trucks into the mix.

You know, unless you race for money, this "dated design" thing is rather a moot point, isn't it?  So, the Bandit is 50 lbs. heavier than another bike, and 1 second slower in the quarter mile than this other bike.  So?  

My Saab 9-5 is no Maserati, but I still like it!  

All Suzuki needed to do was hype the inexpensive sport-tourer qualities of the Bandit in a little advertising and they could have sold more.  Mostly all the advertising I see is for bikes I can't ride unless I lose 80 lbs.!  

[00to60]

Bandits have always been underrated. Everybody claims they like mines, but if given the oppurtunity to own one, they'll run to a busa or a ninja.

[Bob Holland]

The Bandit needs a water cooled, fuel injected 1300cc engine, tuned for more bottom end torque and less top end than the busa. It would be everyones top naked bike then  

[stormi]

The Bandit needs a water cooled, fuel injected 1300cc engine, tuned for more bottom end torque and less top end than the busa. It would be everyones top naked bike then  

Geez,.. with the exception of the 1300ccs, I'd thought you were referring to my bike.  

Honestly though, the Bandit isn't the flashy new technology and styling they were looking for in that article.  

Now if it was the Suzuki GSR600 that they're getting in the UK,... that might be worthy of note....

[solman]

The last articles on the B12 that they did reviews was when they came out with the 2G version.  A few times since, they did a few comparisons with other bikes.  It would've been sweet for Suzuki to take the Bandit and just update it like they did to the FZ1.  The new changes that Yamaha did for the FZ1 was fantastic.

[stormi]

Suzuki looks to be doing the same thing GM did with the Firebird/Camaro.

"Ooooh,.. sales are low,.. dump it!"  Whereas, IMHO, they should see why they're not hitting their target market instead.

Of course redesigns don't always go well either.  Look at the new Camaro "designs".  Yuck.

GM's designers need to be relieved, and new blood put in there.

[Desolation Angel]

The Bandit needs a water cooled, fuel injected 1300cc engine, tuned for more bottom end torque and less top end than the busa. It would be everyones top naked bike then  

And a shaft for direct sport touring competition with BMW and Honda.

[Desolation Angel]

Now if it was the Suzuki GSR600 that they're getting in the UK,... that might be worthy of note....

Except that most of the reviews I've read on the GSR600 are mediocre at best.  Basically, I've read that it looks kinda cool, but didn't get all the high tech tweaks of the B-King that it was based on, so that it's really just another plain 600 in Suzuki's multi-600 lines.  Performance unimpressive when put up against the SV and DL, not to mention the GSF600.

I do like it's looks, though.

[stormi]

Except that most of the reviews I've read on the GSR600 are mediocre at best.  Basically, I've read that it looks kinda cool, but didn't get all the high tech tweaks of the B-King that it was based on, so that it's really just another plain 600 in Suzuki's multi-600 lines.  Performance unimpressive when put up against the SV and DL, not to mention the GSF600.

I do like it's looks, though.

Damn,.. so it's like a slightly bigger GS500?  It looks like it was designed to run against Honda's Hornet 599, but if the performance is crap, sounds like Suz. missed the boat.  What a shame.  It had potential.  Naked standard, Water cooled, watered down GSXR motor, top speed of 140mph ...

The first I'd ever seen of it was in a UK bike magazine last night.  They gave it 4 out of 5 stars. They gave the gs500 2 stars, stating that it was difficult to find redeeming qualities.

[Desolation Angel]

Except that most of the reviews I've read on the GSR600 are mediocre at best.  Basically, I've read that it looks kinda cool, but didn't get all the high tech tweaks of the B-King that it was based on, so that it's really just another plain 600 in Suzuki's multi-600 lines.  Performance unimpressive when put up against the SV and DL, not to mention the GSF600.

I do like it's looks, though.

Damn,.. so it's like a slightly bigger GS500?  It looks like it was designed to run against Honda's Hornet 599, but if the performance is crap, sounds like Suz. missed the boat.  What a shame.  It had potential.  Naked standard, Water cooled, watered down GSXR motor, top speed of 140mph ...

The first I'd ever seen of it was in a UK bike magazine last night.  They gave it 4 out of 5 stars. They gave the gs500 2 stars, stating that it was difficult to find redeeming qualities.

Oh, I didn't mean it's performance was crap.  Supposed to be right in there with the other 600s in Suzuki's line up and competitive with other brands, too, just nothing spectacularly innovative.  Suzuki got too conservative with it so that the performance doesn't quite keep up with the badass looks.  Didn't get certain goodies that it should have like USD forks, either, etc.

[stormi]

Oh, I didn't mean it's performance was crap.  Supposed to be right in there with the other 600s in Suzuki's line up and competitive with other brands, too, just nothing spectacularly innovative.  Suzuki got too conservative with it so that the performance doesn't quite keep up with the badass looks.  Didn't get certain goodies that it should have like USD forks, either, etc.

So it sounds like a half assed attempt.  Dammit.  It really sounds like Suzuki is sharing engineers and designers with GM.  

[andrewsh71]

And a shaft for direct sport touring competition with BMW and Honda - Desolate Angel.

I dont get the shaft principal you have more HP loss with them. And they are heavier. Ill take a chain.
I would like to see newer suspension with the same engine and add some FI. Now your talking.....

[Desolation Angel]

Maybe it would be OK to just have a shaft on the 1200cc+ version, if they end up making one.  Or maybe a belt?  Quiet and light.