Decisions

[Nathan]

Decisions

I gathered my money and got someone to take me to where there was a dealer.  On the way there I could just see myself coming home through the sweepers, the hill's and dips with a smile on my face. I arrived and had to wade through all the Harley Davison's, then then past the Yamaha's and Buell's -- finally we came to the Suzukis.  He had one bandit and it had ABS (which I do not want) but would have not prevented me from buying it.  I had previously ridden a bandit 1200 and it was very comfortable, an upright sitting position and would go through the curves with authority and effortless. I tried to buy that motorcycle but he was determined to give it to his son.


When I got up on this 1250, I could barely touch the ground with the very tips of my toes, and you was leaning forward quite a bit. Now I realize this has probably come up a million times but the search here doesn't want to cooperate with me. I need to know if I can get   both feet on the ground and a more upright sitting position before I will feel comfortable buying this motorcycle. I need to know if it can be done reasonably and also know you wont really pay for it in the sweepers.

Also, I need to find out how to remove the neon sign on my forehead flashing "sucker" then flashing "take everything I have". He said the bikes MSRP is $8395 plus $1500 tag, title, and sales tax. He also said he didnt know if he could make me that good a deal tomorrow-yea -right.

Gentlemen, I would appreciate your knowledge on this for i am drooling to get back down there and also how much each one of the thinks should be paid.
Thank you so much

[ZenMan]

Nathan, what is your inseam measurement? Mine is 30" and I have no problem flat-footing my new B1250. Maybe he had the seat adjusted to the high position?

There's another member here named Katamaniac who I believe lowered his a bit by changing the rear suspension links. Also, once you ride a few thousand miles it will sag a bit, especially with a passenger.

Now, how far away from Southern Missouri are you? I know a dealer in my area that can get you a non-ABS for $7849 OTD (Out The Door). You pay your own state sales tax and license fees when you take it to your state DMV.

Feel free to PM me if you like.  

[leedogg]

8395 for a ABS bike?  pretty decent deal....1500 ttl, uh, not hardly!

I was looking at a ABS model in Mobile AL and they told me 8850, or so, out the door, with tax tag and title fees.

I paid 8800 for my non ABS B12.5 ($7899) with taxes tag and title fees(~500), Helmet(~140), and 2 year service contract(~300 or so).

An ABS model should not be more than another 500 bucks over that.  IMO I wouldn't pay over 9K out the door for a ABS model...or 8500 for a non ABS...assuming you don't tack on any 'extras'(like riding gear or warranties).

ALSO- where are you at...I am assuming in the U.S.

[Nathan]

Nathan, what is your inseam measurement? Mine is 30" and I have no problem flat-footing my new B1250. Maybe he had the seat adjusted to the high position?

There's another member here named Katamaniac who I believe lowered his a bit by changing the rear suspension links. Also, once you ride a few thousand miles it will sag a bit, especially with a passenger.

Now, how far away from Southern Missouri are you? I know a dealer in my area that can get you a non-ABS for $7849 OTD (Out The Door). You pay your own state sales tax and license fees when you take it to your state DMV.

Feel free to PM me if you like.  

I have a real long inseam -- -- 28.5 :D.   I am afraid that I am quite a ways away from Missouri.  I am next to Greenville, South Carolina. If I can't work out anything with this guy or with the one in Toccoa -- I may have to inconvenience you by getting the information and having a nice ride home.

I am still concerned about how far forward I had to reach to get the handlebars.  I would like to make the height adjustment in the seat if I can but if I cannot I will have to use lowering links. I will have to slow down in the sweepers is all.

Thank you so much for your reply

[Barbarian]

With my 30" inseam, I can just flatfoot both feet on my 650-- but I think both bikes are the same height.
However, the seat and the handlebars can both be adjusted with a couple flips of the support pegs.

And get the ABS. Why risk locking up your wheels when you don't have to?

[banditone1250s]

First of all the "Suzuki" retail on the "non-ABS" version of the 1250s is $8299.00, and of course TTL. I have a dealer here in Tennessee that goes strictly by Suzuki's retail pricing. He doesn't mark them up or down. If you want my sales person's name, hit me up and I can give you phone number (direct) and his e-mail if you would rather do it that way. I have bought several bikes from this guy and he is "straight up". And oh yeah, unless the dealer changed the seat setting, it comes from the factory at the lowest setting. Another thing, if you decide to purchase your bike in Tennesee, it's not a bad ride from here back to where you live either... to the Bandit Forum and good luck with your purchase...Banditone1250s...

[doublebandit]

I got my 1250abs last weekend at action powersports in Savannah. I paid 9000 out the door. That included all assy, freight, TTL. If you like, I can get you the name and number.

Rob

[ZenMan]

First of all the "Suzuki" retail on the "non-ABS" version of the 1250s is $8299.00, and of course TTL.

If Nathan bought his bike in Tennessee, I doubt he would have to pay Tennessee sales tax and license, since he lives in Georgia. He'd pay Georgia TTL when he got home and went to the DMV for his plates.

The TTL fees vary state to state. In Missouri, all you pay at the dealer is the price of the bike plus prep fee. Then you can take the bike home. They give you a seller's statement, like a bill of sale.

Then you have 30 days to take the seller's statement to the DMV to pay the sales tax, title, and get your plates. If you live out of state, you take it to your local DMV, pay your own state's sales tax, title and license fees.

I have a dealer here in Tennessee that goes strictly by Suzuki's retail pricing. He doesn't mark them up or down.

My dealer goes strictly by a discount % on every bike, no haggling. As I stated, non-ABS is $7799 + $50 prep fee = $7849. An ABS goes for $8199 + $50 prep = $8249.  

And oh yeah, unless the dealer changed the seat setting, it comes from the factory at the lowest setting.

I didn't say it doesn't.

Since Nathan mentioned that the dealer was intent on giving the bike to his son, he may have changed the seat to fit him better. It's possible, and worth asking about.  

[ZenMan]

However, the seat and the handlebars can both be adjusted with a couple flips of the support pegs.

There's no handlebar "adjustment" that I know of, other than rotating them a little.

And there's a lot more to adjusting the seat than just "flipping the support pegs". Check it out:

http://forums.banditalley.net/viewtopic.php?t=9058

[skyrider]

ZenMan is right there with the numbers I paid for an ABS in the Portland, OR area.  Did my own TTL and saved the $50 stealer fee.  If you have the cash, pay for the bike with a Visa that gives you a cash reward...I "saved" an add'l $200-ish on my bike this way.  And, if you buy it at the right time during your billing cycle, your money can still accumulate interest until the bill comes.  I hit it just right and won't be "paying" for my bike until about six weeks after I took it home.  Also, when you go back into the finance room and pop your Visa out, don't let them tell you they have to charge you for using it, that's illegal.  That's why they always ask you how you'll be paying for the bike, so they can figure in Visa fees.  I always answer with, "money!"

[Barbarian]

And there's a lot more to adjusting the seat than just "flipping the support pegs". Check it out:

http://forums.banditalley.net/viewtopic.php?t=9058

Okay, so I exaggerate the simplicity slightly ;)

But according to my manual, the handlebars have reversible spacers to adjust their height. I'm thinking of doing this on Tuesday.

Any suggestions where/how I should post my pics?

[ZenMan]

Okay, so I exaggerate the simplicity slightly ;)

Hey, it took me 2 times taking the seat apart and 3 times editing that whole deal to get it right!    

But according to my manual, the handlebars have reversible spacers to adjust their height. I'm thinking of doing this on Tuesday.

Any suggestions where/how I should post my pics?

That would be awesome.    Take pics of everything and put together the instructions for adjusting the handlebars. Then post it in the FAQ's along with the seat adjustment instructions and other stuff.

You can use Photobucket to store your pics and link them to your posts. It's best to edit them down to about 800 x 600 pixels for faster and easier uploads. I use my Paint program.

http://photobucket.com/

Then you'll find out just how "simple" it really is...  

[SteelD]

I have a 29" inseam and find it difficult to flat-foot most modern bikes. With the B1250 on the lowest seat setting (I think this is the factory default), I still can't get both feet fully on the deck but it's something I'm used to and not a problem for me.

I have no problem with the bars and the riding position is what we in the UK consider to be 'upright' as opposed to way down like on a race rep. Then again, you may be used to a cruiser-like position where your back is perpendicular to the road and the bars come up to meet you. I've never ridden this style of bike personally and while it might well with a cruiser and their ethos/usage, it may not lend itself well to providing good control if you plan to use the Bandit to its full capabilities in the twisties.

However, bars may be changed and an aftermarket seat may give you an even lower seating position. These wouldn't be deal-breakers to me but something to budget for when modifying the bike to your personal tastes.

As for ABS, this is what I said on another forum:

"I had ABS on my previous bike, FJR1300. On a couple of occasions, I approached a bend faster than I should have (I thought it was a sweeper and not sharp left turn) and braked hard to find that the bend was covered with gravel. The ABS kicked in, slowed me down and I got round the bend. Without it, I'd either not slow down quick enough and go off the road or the wheels would have locked and I'd have gone off the road anyway.

So, any modern bike is capable of stopping quickly. You don't need ABS to stop quickly under most circumstances - it's to help you out on the few occasions where an emergency stop or quick slowing is needed and you approach the limits of adhesion of the tyre on the road surface under adverse conditions. When I first started biking in 1975, no bike had ABS then and so there wasn't a choice. Given the choice now, I'd go for it every time. In fact, I wouldn't have chosen a bike without ABS now. You won't need ABS every day and you may even enjoy several years of biking without the ABS kicking in but when you hit that patch of diesel, a loose surface, an icy road or some prat in a car pulls out in front of you, your life might just depend on having ABS."

[pmackie]

I can just flatfoot both feet on my 650-- but I think both bikes are the same height.
However, the seat and the handlebars can both be adjusted with a couple flips of the support pegs.

I think the 05/06 650 had adjustable bars to go along with the seat. I DON"T think the new 1250 got the adjustable bars.

[stormi]

Alright,.. I've never been measured to know my inseam, but let's assume that I'm the person on the forum who's closest to the ground.  (If I measured that right, I'm about a 25.5" - 26" inseam, but I'm reasonably sure it's not supposed to be done by the person being measured.)

I ride a 919 with a seat height of 31.5".  That looks to be almost 0.5" taller than the Bandit 1200/1250

I -never- flat foot the bike.  I get close in only 2 situations:

1.  I have a pillion.  I really dislike this option though, because the only pillion I take is my daughter, and when we stop, I have to do a power pushup to keep my chin off the bars.  And I hurt for about 3 days afterward from the push ups.

2.  I park in a -really- deep wheel rut.  

I find that it's not necessary to flat foot both feet.  One of the managers at the dealership I frequent told me this:

"Why do you want both feet on the ground anyway?  You should have your left foot flat on the ground, and your right foot on the peg, covering the brake."

I had just found out that lowering links were not available for my bike, and hadn't taken possession of it yet ( from a different dealership)  He saw me sit on the 919, and had no qualms whatsoever with my ability to ride it.  

Since I took possession of it, I haven't looked back.  Sure, not being flat on the ground is a little harder when manuevering it around in the parking lot.  I just get off it, and muscle it around while beside it.   And I've only had one scare in almost 6500kms where I almost dropped it because I didn't have full balance.   I've -actually- dropped the Bandit, which I -can- flat foot, with bent knees, on.  3 times.