"Motorcyclist" and "Cycle World" reviews

[Sven]

Yeah, it was MOTORCYCLIST July 07--BMW K1200R v B1250S.  I was keeping a list of reviews.   Same face-off, but different article that was even more pro Bandit/con BWM than the one in SPORT RIDER.  The gist of it was "the BMW is a fine machine, but has a lot of imperfections for a bike that costs $8000 more than the Bandit."  (I was keeping good notes, which tells you how I fritter away my time.)

I think that's part of the problem is the US market.  Reviews are alwasy along the line of "the Bandit is neither fish nor fowl, and it's not perfect, but it's a bargain."  When people are spending the cost of a car for a H-D or BMW, they want the perception of image/performance, and obviously, price is not an issue.

But I love my B12S!

[CWO4GUNNER]

More then that the Bandit is value in my book. I shouldn't judge because I have done the same thing with different items, lets see now oh I know I bought a CRF405X over my fairly new sold DRZ400s. And to be honest for the kind of desert riding I do and the reliability and function loss, it wasn't worth it. Speaking for myself there is something very satisfying about making a major purchase decision based on finding the apex between function, reliability and price. To me thats value and Suzuki has done an outstanding job making that happen in the Bandit line. Of course I can only make this claim against my own needs and expenses, even though I consider myself a very rich and blessed man. Lets just say that if I had a bunch of excessive cash, which I defiantly do not, I might have bought more bikes and kept the Bandit. But when I try and think of a replacement for the B1250, I honestly cant.

[flickmeister]

I don't really compare bikes based on price. Yes, I bought the Bandit because I could afford it, but I've had a blast on it. The bike is so damn good and so much fun. The fact it is such a bargain is just a great side benefit.