I hear a lot of usually gentle criticism of the Bandit like B12T above is making. I'm never sure how to take it. The Bandit looks cool to me; not dated. I mean, it's not like walking up to an '84 GS1150ES, which pretty as they are, do stand out as a bike from yesteryear. When I had my Bandit at a shop for 2 weeks while waiting on custom steel braided cables the shop owner would set the bike outside every day in front of the shop in a kind of protected, photogenic spot, and he told me when I came to pick up the bike that I wouldn't begin to believe how many of his customers asked over and over whether that bike was his and was it for sale. He said they thought it was gorgeous. I ain't bragging, but that's what he said.
I'm not arguing with anyone's opinion, but every time I ride it I am amazed by the power and slick handling. Not counting finding a way to shave a few tenths of a second off it's quarter-mile times, what can really be done that would substantially improve it? I used to think fuel injection would be nice, until I had a completely dead battery and had to push start it, which my mechanic said I couldn't have done with a fuel injected bike with a completely dead battery. So, OK, stiffen the springs or what? I'd really like to know.
I noticed that you can't sell a Bandit for what it's worth, but to me, greedy fellow that I am, that just means cheaper Bandits for me if decide I want a black one, or the blue-white comemorative version. And it means really nice, inexpensive, faster than cr@p, big bikes for others, too!
Other than the DL1000, nothing else in Suzuki's showroom even begins to peak my interest.
Oh, please God, make them import the GSX1400! I promise never to ask anything else of you! (Was that over the top?)
