1996 Suzuki Bandit GSF600S
(Left) Clean and
simple. The
instrumentation
off ers nothi ng
but the basi cs.
Not e the .
tubular and
adjustable
handlebars.
putting nearly 800 miles in less tha n
fou r days on the Bandit. Much of this
has to do with the Bandit's neutral seating position, comfortab le sea t, and the
sma ll but effec tive faring/windsc ree n.
It' s a rguable as to w hether or not the
Bandit looks better wi th or wit hou t the
fairi ng, but there is no doubt that the
fairing is functional, as it does an excellent job deflecting wind blast off the
rid er' s mi dsection wit ho u t producing
buffeting side effects.
Long hauls were also made easy
thanks to the Bandit's well-balanced
suspension. Out of the crate, the bike is
set up a little on the soft side, which is
just fine for the straights and over rough
roads, but for more aggressive riding, a
stiffer setting would be more desirable.
Easier said than done, though, since
there is very little in the way of external
suspension adjustments. However, it
wouldn't take much for your favorite
aftermarket suspension tuner to beef up
. the already big 41mm fork, and gas
shock. There's plenty to work with here.
The Bandit also offers plenty of conveniences, such as long range on a tank
. of gas. We usually squeezed out approx imately 195 miles before having to switch
to reserve. The mirrors are well placed,
requ iring very little body bending to get
a good view. Hel met locks are also
provided . .
.
Overall, we enjoyed this motorcycle
very much. It mig ht be hard to look at
th e Bandit 600 a nd
not perceive it as just
an entry- level motorcycle, with its low
seat height, straightup-and-down seating position, somewhat "standard"
styling and all, but
once you hop on this
motorcycle and take
it for a spin, you'll
immediately discover, as we did, that the
Bandit 600 is much
more than a
"novice's" bike. A
lot more. This bike is
designed for those of
you who are perhaps
tired of high-maintenance, high-tech and,
not to mention, highp ri ced racer-replica
sportbikes and want
some thing a bit more simple and more
affo rdable but without sac rificing too
much in the way of modem spo rtbike
technology and performance. From what
we can tell, Suz uki hit the nail on th e
head with the Bandit 600. It offers plen ty
with its well-proven and updated motor,
l-<
well-engineered chassis and high-quality
0.. compon ents, and all for a re ason abl e '
$5399 asking price. Ha ve you checked
the price of a GSX-R750 or a Kawasaki
ZX-
