review of Bandit 1250 after 62,000km

[icemakk]

Last September a bad cager took out my beloved 2008 Bandit 1250. I had 3 great seasons on her and decided to do a review on the bike.
Its here on blog where I talk about touring and review gear from time to time.
Blog link on my web page. For some reason this forum bans Blogger links. Scroll down.
http://www.theplanettour.com/
She was a great machine but I am switching to a different mount this season for a few reasons:
1- It was time for a change
2- Replacing a bike with the same make/model just seemed the wrong thing to do
3- When working with insurance money you have limited options
Hope you enjoy the read and follow along with The Planet Tour this season.

R.I.P. Suzy B, you were a faithful highway steed and you took me to some really cool places and back.

[H2RICK]

Well, I'm glad you escaped without serious harm....but I'm sorry your Bandit didn't. Stupid cagers !!! Grrrr......

[icemakk]

Hey H2Rick, I see you are in my home city. Come see the new ride and help out Ride for Dad on May 29.
Doing a show at Laughshop and net proceeds are going to Ride for Dad for prostate cancer research. Only 12 bucks and I have a few other biker comics popping in to do a set.
Facebook event page
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=145904868812182
And to all others in Calgary please come out and support. Be nice to see a few Bandits again.

[Red01]

Nice review!   

One little error I noticed though...

The engine has been used by Suzuki for years and they have tweaked and improved it for a bullet proof mill.

While I suppose it is technically correct since the 1250 engine was introducted in the 2007 model year and yours is a 2008, you seem to be implying a longer life that just two years.  The 1200 Bandit's engine has that kind of longevity, reaching back to the '88 GSX1100F & '89 GSX-R1100.  The 1250 was an all-new engine that only the Bandit (and now the GSX1250F) uses.  It is closely related to the water-cooled 650 engine used in the smaller Bandit & GSX-F, but this engine was also introduced in 2007.

[icemakk]

Nice review!   

One little error I noticed though...

The engine has been used by Suzuki for years and they have tweaked and improved it for a bullet proof mill.

While I suppose it is technically correct since the 1250 engine was introducted in the 2007 model year and yours is a 2008, you seem to be implying a longer life that just two years.  The 1200 Bandit's engine has that kind of longevity, reaching back to the '88 GSX1100F & '89 GSX-R1100.  The 1250 was an all-new engine that only the Bandit (and now the GSX1250F) uses.  It is closely related to the water-cooled 650 engine used in the smaller Bandit & GSX-F, but this engine was also introduced in 2007.

You are correct. I was under the belief the basic design is based off of their tried and proven 1200. Either way it is a sweet powerplant.

[Red01]

Either way it is a sweet powerplant.

Tru Dat!   

[icemakk]

For those of you waiting, we just released episode 10
http://alturl.com/38rbz
Only subscribers are eligible for prizes.
Now to name this new bike.....