Suzuki GSF 1250S Bandit

Suzuki's big Bandit has been hugely popular over the years for one reason above all others: it has given its owners a hell of a lot of motorbike for their money. From the original Bandit 1200 in 1995, through a major revision five years later, the big Suzuki has provided heaps of four-cylinder grunt, unburstable reliability, sound handling, versatility and a dash of raw style. And above all, it has provided brilliant value for its owners' hard-earned dosh.

So in updating the Bandit even more significantly this year, by giving it a liquid-cooled engine for the first time to help get through Euro3 emissions regs, Suzuki faced a major challenge. They had to introduce a more sophisticated engine, and add some straight-line performance while keeping the flexible, rider-friendly nature of the big beast. Ideally they also needed to improve the handling while keeping the Bandit image intact. And most of all, they needed to do all this while retaining the traditionally competitive price.

They certainly managed the last bit. In tests such as this it's normal to cover every aspect of the bike's performance before mentioning how much it costs in the last few lines. But the Bandit's price is particularly important - and at £5549 on the road, complete with ABS, the half-faired GSF1250S is just about as cheap as anyone could have expected. The big Suzuki is only £50 more expensive than the ABS-equipped version of Honda's revamped Hornet 600, and almost £250 cheaper than Kawasaki's ABS-equipped Z750. And the naked, non-ABS Bandit 1250 is cheaper still at £5249.

So Suzuki have delivered on the price, but what about the bike itself? Well you have to look pretty closely to spot the differences between old and new, but the liquid-cooled motor is obvious enough from its smooth cylinder barrels and the rectangular radiator bolted on in front. If owners of the old model look more closely they might notice that the main sections of the steel frame are 4mm thicker in diameter, which Suzuki says makes it ten per cent stiffer. Other mods include a slightly longer swing-arm, plus stiffer springs and uprated damping in the suspension at both ends.

That engine has a capacity of 1255cc, up from 1157cc, and is all new rather than borrowed from an existing liquid-cooled model. The extra cubes come from a lengthened, 79mm stroke rather than bigger bore, which remains at 64mm. As before there are twin cams and 16 valves, but valve design is now bucket-and-shim, and service intervals are doubled to 15,000 miles. The bottom-end is revamped, gaining a balancer shaft and six-speed gearbox for the first time. There's no change to the claimed maximum of 96.5bhp at 7500rpm, but peak torque is increased by 18 per cent, from 91N.m to 108N.m, and arrives at 3700rpm instead of 6500rpm.

Despite all that, anyone familiar with the old model would be instantly at home. View from the pilot's seat (which as before can be switched between two positions 20mm apart, by unbolting adjusters on the underneath) is the same low screen and slightly raised one-piece bar. The round-faced clocks, which include a bar fuel gauge and digital speedo as well as analogue tacho, are retained, although there's now an injection warning light plus a trip counter that's triggered when the low-fuel light comes on.

The fuel tank now includes a pump so has lost a litre of capacity, reducing it from 20 Litres to the 19 that it held before being enlarged six years ago. That's not ideal, but most details are well thought-out, and the riding position is as roomy as ever. Most riders should be able to get both boots on the ground easily enough, thanks to the reasonably low seat (790mm in the lower position) and the new engine's slightly narrower cylinder head.

You get a first hint of the added refinement when the Bandit fires up in restrained style, its sound muffled by the blend of jacketed cylinders, double-walled four-into-one exhaust system, and twin-layered engine sprocket cover. But it's the new motor's smoothness that is the biggest difference by far. There's still that familiar Bandit surge from low revs, but the slight buzziness of the old aircooled lump is gone. At first it felt almost strange not to experience that slight big-aircooled-Suzuki tingling through the pegs, but I very soon got used to it.

Especially as the Bandit's trademark low-rev grunt was very much present and correct. The low-rev torque increase didn't feel like 18 per cent, perhaps because the fuel-injection system gave a slightly less abrupt throttle response than the old CV carbs. But the new bike was superbly responsive from well below 4000rpm, and pulled with glitch-free efficiency from as low as 1500rpm. That flexibility was always welcome, whether I was powering out of a bend or lazily tweaking the throttle to Strom past a line of cars without the need to change down.

Crucially the smoothy-chops Bandit still had some raw character to go with its new-found 21st-century efficiency. It put a big grin on my face when the throttle was wound open, Stroming forward at bar-bending rate until the digital speedo was reading 150mph while I crouched behind the very welcome screen. The S-model's wind protection allowed fairly effortless cruising at up to the ton mark, at which point the engine was revving at barely 5000rpm thanks to the new, semi-stacked gearbox's extra ratio. The motor's so flexible that it arguably doesn't need six gears, but the change was so sweet that I'm not about to complain.

That new-found smoothness should help make the 1250S a capable long-haul bike, though there are a couple of niggles. Its fairing is too narrow to protect the pilot's hands from wind or rain, and the fuel tank's reduced capacity will limit range, though most owners should still get 150 miles or more before needing to stop. At least the mirrors were large and widely spaced enough to give a clear view behind. In most respects the Bandit is respectably practical, with its broad dual-seat, sturdy grab-rail, bungee hooks and centre-stand.

The big Suzuki does a pretty good job of impersonating a sports bike, too. At 225kg dry, six kilos heavier than the old model, it's no lightweight. But the chassis is rigid and well damped enough to cope, and the Bandit is fun to flick through bends, despite its unchanged and relatively conservative steering geometry. On standard settings the 43mm forks felt as though they were rebounding slightly as I eased off the front brake entering a bend, but reducing the preload (the only adjustment available up front) cured that.

Suspension at both ends generally felt firm without being harsh, so the revamped units get the thumbs-up. The rising-rate Showa rear shock gave a comfortable ride on its standard setting, and ground clearance was adequate even when the bike was cornering close to the limit of its capable Dunlop's D281s. Stopping power was excellent, too.

The twin discs and four-pot Tokico calipers gave power and control up front, backed up by the single rear disc. And the ABS system, which is standard fitment on the 1250S (the naked 1250 comes without ABS), added peace of mind in the wet.

The inclusion of ABS for that on-the-road price of £5549 helps the GSF1250S maintain the Bandit's reputation for delivering outstanding value for money. The visually unchanged Suzuki lacks the style and agility of similarly priced bikes such as the revamped Hornet 600 and Z750. But Suzuki's updates have added sophistication and performance while retaining the image, character and grunt that those smaller fours can't match. The big Bandit's popularity looks set to continue, and deservedly so.

Source Roland Brown