Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128624
c r u ise at 140 mp h w ith out eve n bre at hing hard (not that we tr ied th at, of course ). Spe a king of breeze , yo u won 't fee l much o f it wh e n you 're d o in g th at h igh-speed cru isi ng . Though its new fa iring is not la rge by a ny stretch of the im a g ina tio n, it does an inc redible jo b of prote cting th e rider, tha nk s in no small part to a s m all s coop at the botto m that lets the a ir forces e q ual ize o n th e tw o si d e s of the winds c reen. Th a t c o m fo rt e x te n ds to o t h e r areas , as th e Bandit's s e a ting po s ition is natura l a nd neutra l - com fo rta b le for a wide range of bo dy type s . T he bike d o e sn 't th row a ll o f yo u r wa it onto yo ur wrists a s doe s a s port bike, b ut ne ith e r do e s it s it yo u ba c k o n yo ur ta ilbo ne like a c ru iser. Ins tead , yo u s im p ly s it on yo ur butt a nd hol d onto the ha ndle ba r, like a - well , like a m otorcycl e . Gra nted , m y butt st arted to get really sore towa rd s th e e nd of ou r all- d ey ride (we took a roun d about route) , but unti l then I was as c o ntent as a free style mot oc rosse r in a tattoo parlor. I was also con te nt o n all o f t h e twisty stuff we negoti ate d (a nd the re wa s plenty ), as th e new Bandit geo m e try make s for an ag ile , quic k -han d ling s teed that - thanks also to its torquey motor a n d s t ro n g bra k es c a n be sport-ridden to surp ris ing efficacy. That agility doesn't come at th e ex pense of s ta bi lity , as the Ba n d it hol ds its line quite well d u ring freeway goi ng - a truism I also had ample o pportunity to veri fy . Do -it-all ma ch ine s a re b y defini tion co m prom ises, and the Bandit is n ot p erfe ct in every way . Its mo s t g laring fau lt is a notice a ble vibration o n c e its po wer ba n d gets in t o t he m idra nge - a tra it th a t so mewhat besmirches its otherw ise flawless record in the comfort department. Th is vibration is present d espite the Bandit' s im p ro ve d seat foam , and pegs that are cov e red in thick rubbe r and ru b be r -mo unte d to the e xtent that th e y see m like they'r e about to fall off. But th at's a bout it in the comp lain de partme nt , as the hu mble Band it eagerly and capably does everything else you 'd be likely to ask of it. No, it won't be at a tr ue s port bike in th e canyon twisties. No, it' s no t as co m forta ble as a pure tou ring bike for all d ay stints in the saddle. No , it ca n't compare to an undiluted cruiser when it comes to d rawing st ares. What it ca n do is live up to its name by robb ing more c a pa b ility th an it has a righ t to out of each of th e s e purpose specific models , and then offe ring it Robin Hood -like - to the pub lic at a steal of a price . Wha t more could yo u ex pect fro m a me re motorcycle? eN - ., I • DOO'l be roadlcill. buy McGraw the king at theroad in , motnreycle insurance for California, The West'sla'liest writer of mOlD"""leinsurance. Arated byAM.Best (PSIC"). 25 vearhistory inthe lxJsiness, McGraw offersrates as lowas $79 ayear, All makes ard .4.4~ McGraw Insurance roodels covered, T hear rrore atxJut McGraw, askyour dealer. Or call usdirect o • Pacific Spflci fty Insurance Company, partofthe s California'. Larg • • t W riter of Motorcycle In aurance McG "w Group atsffili8tedcompanies. 360 1 Hu '. n Ave •. M enl o Peril . CA ' 4 025 P.O. BOX 4(1. Anaheim. CA 12 8 15 www.mcgrawgroup.c om 1.800.6MCGRAW CA Lk:. n•• No . 0531 131 cue I EO n e _ S • 11.8 0" '62,47291 A UGU ST 2 . 200 0 29