Tacoman: I've never ridden a 600 and I come from an elderly 31 hp. cruiser so you have to take everything I say with a grain of salt:
Just love the bike! Handles like a dream and goes good! I've read the stats and it's something like 3.7 seconds to 60 mph so I thought that would be killer as my old bike did it in 6.9. But it doesn't seem all that fast. Maybe the four needs a bit of time to spool up but first gear to me seems to flatten out a bit but then she really bites in 2nd and 3rd and 4th and it flies up to 100!
I had to get the bright red as they sold the last black one and now I'm really glad I did get that one. Looks awesome!
Engine sounds a bit tinny when just idling but a flick of the wrist and i swear it sounds like a mazda rx-8!!
Corners I could barely get around at 90 km./hr. with my old bike I can now take at 140 without breaking a sweat.
Gas mileage seems about the same as my old thumper 650 single. I put $14 in her and that lasts almost 300 km.! Pretty good and don't forget every time I start out, I'm zinging the snot out of her just to hear that lovely sound!!
My old crusier weighed 350 lbs. and the bandit 650 weighs 450 lbs. so I was worried about the extra heft, but have never noticed anything!
Lots of dumb stickers all over her but they are being removed.
Seems to have lots of guts to take a passenger as my 145 lb. daughter was on her with me and i couldn't feel any difference.
My teenage students all swear I got a 'crotch-rocket' and I'm crazy and I try to tell them it's not really a sport bike, but they just don't believe me. They all love the styling!
Have a bit of a time finding neutral but it's getting better.
Don't know what gear I'm in coming to a stop light as I'm used to a four speed on my cruiser and this six speed is wild!!
Overall - 9.6 out of 10!! But I've never ridden a 1200!! Would that extra oomph just blow me away!?!
Jim