Suzuki Bandit 1250
Back in 2007 I bought a Bandit 1250 as a result of a promotion at work and a desire for a big bike without the torturous riding position of a full-on sports machine. At the time, the 1250 was a brand new model, a thorough redesign of the original 1200 with more torque, six gears and sportier suspension. As a long time Bandit afficionado it seemed the obvious choice.
In common with contemporary reviews, I found the 1255cc balancer-shaft equipped engine to be a real torque-monster with it's whopping 80 lb-ft at just 3,750rpm together with 100 or so rear wheel bhp. An extremely smooth and flexible engine - happy to run down to a walking pace with no signs of any fuel-injection stutters, yet equally happy to power on to 140+ mph where conditions allow. The gearbox was also typically Suzuki smooth with only the slightly heavy clutch placing a small fly in the ointment.
Indeed, my only real criticism of the 1250 out of the box was the too-low original screen, which I replaced with a Skidmarx double-bubble. I also replaced the OE Dunlop Sportmax tyres, which came in for a lot of stick. I found that they gripped OK but had a strange, under-inflated feel and tried to follow every ripple in the road surface. I was forever checking the pressures and finding them spot-on. It was just the nature of the tyres. When the rear picked up a puncture I junked the Dunlops and fitted a set of Michelin Pilot Road 2 instead. These were the tyres for the 1250 Bandit and gave an immediate improvement in ride & handling.
Servicing: I did myself to my own schedule since the handbook has some very odd recommendations. For example, Suzuki specify changing the oil every 3500 miles but only recommend changing the filter every third oil change! I prefer to change both at the same time, especially considering that most online parts suppliers include a “free” filter with every 4 litres of oil. The handbook also suggests changing the spark plugs at 7,500 miles – a ludicrously short interval for a low revving lump like the 1250. I changed mine at 16,000 miles and they were still fine. So overall I’d suggest: Oil & filter every 4,000 miles and air filter & spark plugs every 16,000 miles. I never bothered with valve clearances as I've never heard of anyone ever needing to adjust them.
Consumables lasted well on this bike, probably due to the smooth riding style that the engine encouraged. After 25,000 miles the chain and sprockets were still original. The Michelin PR2s squared off before they actually wore out (I changed both at 10,000 miles) and brake pads did 12,000 miles all round with a fair bit of riding in London traffic. Although as ever YMMV.
Problems & Issues: Sadly, my first Bandit suffered the well documented “Collapsing starter” problem. At around 16,000 miles the bike became increasingly reluctant to start with symptoms that initially looked a lot like a flat battery - the starter would spin sluggishly but would still eventually start the bike. Replacing the battery didn’t cure it and a strip down of the starter revealed that several of the magnets had fallen off the inside and been smashed up by the spinning rotor. Collapsing starters are a known issue with the 1250 Bandit and, of course, there were no second hand examples available. I needed the bike for work and was stuck with buying a new starter from Suzuki at just over £400. Ouch! (However, these days pattern starters are available for about a quarter of that).
Then a few thousand miles further on the bike started randomly spewing coolant from the overflow pipe. On advice, I replaced the thermostat and bled the cooling system, to no avail. It still randomly puked coolant. It did it hot. It did it cold. It could go for weeks without doing it and then suddenly dump it’s coolant for no apparent reason. This is another known issue.
Slowly but surely, the bike was beginning to exhibit all the known issues and I no longer trusted it. Overall, the Bandit 1250 is a mixed bag: The engine and gearbox are sublime but the rest of the bike is built down to a price and in the end it shows... Or so I wrote, but…
November 2016: After several years with the MT07 I came to the conclusion that I just prefer bigger engines with more cylinders. Trouble is, bikes like that now fall into niche categories: Full-on sports bikes, which are too uncomfortable for me. Adventure bikes which are too wide for efficient progress in traffic and Retro bikes which are either ridiculously tiny, ridiculously slow or both. Genuine all rounders seem thin on the ground. Only the Yamaha XSR900 appeared to get close but even that didn't quite hit the mark. So after test riding a number of newer models I bought a brand new, relaunched for 2016, Bandit 1250. Of course revisiting an old flame is always fraught: Maybe the memory is better than the reality, so I figured that I’d try to do an objective mini-review.
Let's be straight from the outset: The Bandit 1250 is very much an old school Universal Japanese Motorcycle. It wasn't cutting edge in 2007 and a decade later it's hardly gotten any more so. It's heavy, it's not the fastest, it's not the best handling. But...
At 6'1” the Bandit still fits me perfectly. Even with the seat in the default, lower position, my knees fit neatly into the tank recesses. And if I close my eyes and reach out, the handlebars are exactly where I expect to find them. The instruments are simple and clear, the mirrors actually work and the switchgear is appropriately sized for gloved hands. All very natural and familiar. And considering it's weight and engine capacity it's a surprisingly slender machine for filtering through city traffic.
The hydraulic clutch is heavier than the modern breed of slip-assist jobbies but the gear-change is superior to many current bikes. And the engine is still a seriously smooth motor with perfect fuelling and shed loads of creamy torque. This is old-fashioned, analogue fuel injection. It may lack the riding modes and cruise control of the modern fly-by-wire systems but it also lacks their tendency for on/off throttle snatchiness. There's still a physical link between wrist and throttle bodies that allows much finer control over what the rider wants vs what the engine actually does. In that respect, it's the last of its kind since the Bandit isn't compliant with the upcoming Euro 4 emissions regs. So they really don't make them like this anymore. Max power chimes in at 7,000rpm but is pretty much irrelevant: This engine's best enjoyed short-shifting between 3,000 and 5,000rpm and surfing that tidal wave of torque.
The chassis is pretty much unchanged from 2007 and none the worse for it. A machine of this heft is never going to be the last word in agility but the Bandit is sure-footed and stable at all lean angles. The forks are conventional 43mm units, adjustable for preload only, and the rear shock is adjustable for preload and damping. The current OE Dunlop tyres don't appear to have moved on a whole lot either. As before, they still want to follow every irregularity in the road surface.
The 2016 fairing has been slightly modified, allegedly to improve airflow over the rider and passenger, and it appears to have worked. On my original Bandit 1250, I'd resolved to change the screen before I'd even got home, whereas on this I've yet to notice any real shortcomings. And the seat is still comfortable after 100 miles (the furthest I've ridden so far), which isn’t bad going considering that some of the bikes I test rode induced bum death after 20 minutes.
In summary, the Bandit 1250 is the last hurrah of the UJM all-rounder and it remains relevant: Too many modern bikes suffer from poor fuelling, fiddly switchgear, uncomfortable seats and mirrors that show little more than your elbows. These things may sound like minor gripes but for a daily driver they soon become major irritations. The Bandit may not be cutting edge but it just works. Not everyone wants to play at being Valentino Rossi, some of us just want bikes that can do a bit of everything, and do it well, in the real world. And the Bandit 1250 does that in spades.
December 2016: The first dealer service at 637miles. This used to be the “free” service where you only paid for the materials but those days are apparently over and I got dinked £102 for an oil change! Not that it's the end of the world and this is probably the last time that the bike will go near the shop anyway: I wasn't impressed by the Pre Delivery Inspection, both tyres were down by 10psi and they spilt battery acid on the frame. Not great. This time around they managed to misplace the service book and took a month to send it on. So all round that's a fail for dealer servicing!
January 2017: 1,000 miles up and I decided to check the throttle body synch. I had no reason to suspect anything amiss but on my last 1250 they were quite a way out. On this one they were spot-on. They don’t change much once set so I probably won’t check again for a few years.
June 2017: 4,500 miles up, oil & filter changed. The hand book now suggests oil changes at 7,500 miles and I had considered moving to annual changes. However, as the oil approached 4,000 miles the gear-shift quality started to deteriorate and it appears that the Motul 5100 (put in by the shop) was simply reaching the end of it's useful life. I've replaced it with Shell Advance Ultra, same price as the Motul and apparently a genuine full synth, so we'll see how that fares. Fuel consumption has ranged from a low of 39mpg up to 55mpg on a run. I've had a few 170 mile tanks and I dare say that it's possible to go 200 miles on a tank of fuel (although you'd need to know exactly where the next petrol station was!). Hell, I could probably get 60mpg with superhuman restraint but I'm not that boring!
November 2017: 6,000 miles and new tyre time. The rear was down to the wear indicators although the original front still had plenty of tread. I changed both anyway as I never liked the OE Dunlops: They tram-lined badly and were too slip-slidey in the wet. And until they were gone I never realised just how heavy they made the steering. The replacement Michelin Pilot Road 3 are a revelation. Just riding out of the shop the difference was obvious - the bike instantly felt much lighter on it's feet and the tram-lining was gone. Wet grip is massively improved too. Count me a Michelin fan boy but I really can't recommend these tyres enough.
January 2018: There's been a lot of salt on the roads in the last few months and I noticed the calipers sticking, so I decided to give them a proper clean. There's an excellent guide to this on the "Delboys Garage" Youtube channel which is worth checking out. On the front, I found that both inside brake pads were stuck in the calipers. Left like this they would have worn unevenly but fortunately I caught them in time. I removed both, cleaned everything up and replaced them with a generous smear of copper grease on the contact edges where they sit in the caliper slots. Normal service resumed and I'll hopefully get a somewhat longer life out of the pads.
May 2018: 8,000 miles, oil & filter change. This time around I stuck with the Shell Advance Ultra. Sadly, in other news, I got a puncture on the way to work which I initially fixed with a "Stop and Go" plug. I've never used these before and it was quite straightforward but sadly it leaked so I replaced it with a sticky string (which was nowhere near as user friendly but ended up lasting the life of the tyre).
November 2018: Two years, 10,000 miles, three oil changes and one set of tyres. Nothing else needed and still very happy with the big Bandito.
November 2019: Three years, 13,000 miles and with the first MOT looming I changed the brake pads all round. They were actually well within wear limits but MOT testers seem to be getting increasingly picky so I changed them early to avoid irritating advisories. As usual, I went for EBC Organics. Yeah, I know the cool kids all go for the HH version but I find that they need a fair bit of heat in them to work properly: Fine on a hoon, not so good on a frosty commute. Whereas the organics feel very similar to the original pads and work well hot or cold. Oh yeah, and MOT passed with no advisories.
March 2020: 14,000 miles and another dead starter motor. On leaving work after a night shift the bike was suddenly reluctant to start (and why is it always after a night shift?). It did eventually fire up and as usual the initial symptoms looked a lot like a flat battery. However, my battery charger showed a full charge and so I pulled the starter to find that... Yep, the magnets had fallen off. I really hoped that Suzuki would have sorted this by now but apparently not. I replaced mine with a £70 pattern part off eBay... That's two Suzukis bought brand new a decade apart with the exact same fault. I mean, really Suzuki?
June 2020: 15,000 miles and time for a new rear tyre. While the wheel was out, I decided to strip and grease the suspension linkages. Apart from the roller bearings there was very little, if any, factory grease in evidence. Despite which these bits are in remarkably good condition considering that they've been through three British winters - all testament to the powers of ACF50.
September 2020: 16,000 miles and full service time: Oil, filters and plugs. The spark plugs were in excellent condition, unlike the air filter which was pretty grubby. All told, I'm still satisfied with my long-standing service schedule: Oil every 4,000 miles, oil filter every 8,000, plugs and air filter every 16,000 miles. Works for me...
November 2020: Four years, 17,000 miles, a new front tyre and MOT passed with no advisories.
January 2021: New battery time. My batteries usually last longer than this but infrequent and short journies courtesy of the Covid restrictions have killed it. I went for a Lithium Ion replacement, these are more expensive but massively lighter and allegedly longer lasting than lead acid. We shall see.
May 2021: I'd forgotten how short lived EBC organic pads are. I'd noticed that the brakes weren't as sharp as usual and I assumed that the calipers just needed a post winter clean. So imagine my surprise to find that every pad was on the wear limit after just 6,000 miles! Good job I checked. That said, the EBCs may only last half as long but they're still only a quarter of the price of the original pads.
October 2021: Sadly, I was knocked off the Bandit on the way to work after a van went into the back of me at the traffic lights. Apart from a crocked shoulder I'm okay but the poor old bike's a write off. Bugger...
November 2021: Following the demise of Bandit #3, I was determined to keep an open mind on its replacement and I eventually decided to either buy cheap and re-evaluate later or buy a new bike and keep it forever. So I read all the reviews and did the usual round of test rides on the latest machinery. But I found the same issues as I did five years ago: Modern bikes are too big, too small or too impractical. They have features that I don't need and lack the ones that I do. And so another Bandit it was.
Thing is, good 1250s hold their value - even the oldest seldom dip below £3,000 with private sellers often asking more than the dealers. So I was pleased to find this 2010 model with 13,000 miles for £3,500 delivered. I bought it sight unseen from a dealer up North but there were plenty of good quality photos, it has FSH and HPI & MOT history came up clean. So I was happy with the deal.
Although it's allegedly "been through the workshop" I've given it the once over: Checked the fluids, the chain and the safety-critical torque settings. I didn't find any issues, the consumables have plenty of life and everything looks in good nick. So going forward I'll pick up the servicing as it falls due per my normal schedule. But for now I'm just going to coat it in ACF 50 and ride it.
May 2022: 16,000 miles and full service time: Oil, filters and plugs. I also synched the throttle bodies, gave the brake calipers a good clean, stripped and relubed the rear suspension and replaced the gear position sensor which was getting sticky. And MOT passed with no advisories.
September 2022: 18,000 miles, fork oil changed. There were no obvious issues but this bike's 12 years old and I had no idea when the oil was last changed, although the old oil came out surprisingly clean. The manual gives a total capacity of 471ml per fork and I got 400ml out of each, which I expected since I did a "Dump 'n run" rather than a full stripdown. I refilled with 10w which IMHO is the best value suspension mod you can do on the Bandit 1250 - it firms up the forks nicely and gives much better controlled damping than the original 5w oil.
May 2023: 20,000 miles, oil change, rear brake pads and new tyres. I've been a Michelin fan-boy for years and had PR5s on my last Bandit but this one came with Bridgestone 023s. Initially, I was a bit “Meh” but I wasn't about to junk a set of nearly new tyres. And just as well because I ended up impressed by the 023s: They have excellent grip wet or dry and lasted 9,000 miles. The front was still good but I like to change them as a pair. They're also significantly cheaper than the Michelins so another set was a no-brainer. I also resprayed the wheels while they were off. Oh yeah, and MOT passed with no advisories.
February 2024: 23,000 miles and a dead starter. I'd just fuelled up, the bike didn't want to restart and when it did the clocks reset themselves - the No.1 tell-tale of a dying starter. And sure enough, it turned out that a couple of magnets had fallen off the inside. Fortunately, as a long term 1250 owner I've built up a stock of used/pattern/repaired starter motors, so a replacement was quickly fitted and normal service resumed.