Bandit storms the Black Castle
With time to kill and a credit card for fuel, I took the Grand Touring on a lap of Wales to see whether it really could pass muster as a 'going away' bike. The cavernous topbox and matching panniers easily accommodated everything I needed for a week on the road.
Safe in the knowledge my clothes and spare kit were secure and dry, all I had to was make the most of that peachy, four-cylinder, torque-laden motor that lies at the heart of proceedings.
This ultra-smooth 1250cc engine replaced the old 1200 unit back in 2007. To fit in with Euro regulations, the engine's displacement was increased by 50cc, it became liquid cooled rather than oil and air cooled, and the old-school carburettors were dispensed with in favour of a glitch-free fuel injection system. The gearbox now includes the sixth gear you were always looking for on the old model and the chassis, too, is entirely new.
Despite being a bigger lump, this 1250 Bandit engine is actually shorter than before, leading to a longer swing arm, which in turn helps the rigidity of the frame.
Given its budget nature, the Bandit's suspension could hardly be called plush, but it behaves very well and only gets upset under extreme provocation.
Despite the rain and the regular resurfacing carried out by the indigenous sheep population, the GSF1250 never once shook its head or drifted off line.
But back to what really makes the latest Bandit such a potent touring machine – its creamy smooth engine. Power output is a thoroughly respectable 96bhp, peaking at a realistic 7,500rpm. But it's the vast cushion of torque which peaks at a user-friendly 3,700rpm that makes for blissful quantities of drive out of corners, up hills and past rows of cars no matter what gear you're in.
And the full fairing on this, the GT model, allows for huge mileage at high speeds, relatively unaffected by wind blast, while the motor never once feels over-exerted.
Where the GSF1250 gains over some its opponents is in its ability to hide its weight well and still be pretty handy on the back roads, tipping in beautifully and carving super-smooth lines through the corners with no front wheel vagueness whatsoever, even with the boxes fully laden. With Dunlop Sportmax tyres and a 180-section rear Suzuki fully intended this bike to be used for fun as well as function.
The steering is neutral and light and the dash layout is very clean. The easy-to-read LCD speedo is where your eye first falls, as should always be the case but, unfortunately, the fuel gauge was as wildly inaccurate as the GSF1250 I tested at its launch two years ago.
A single bar begins to flash at around the 100-mile mark, when there is still enough juice left for around another 60 miles. So then it's down to trust. The only other niggle for a bike that wants to play in the tourer league is the discomfort of the seat as the miles build. An aftermarket arrangement would soon sort this problem out though.
And let's not forget, these are minor irritations on a bike that retails at just £6,700. As a comparison, Honda want £12,600 for their Pan-European while the BMW R1200 RT starts off at £11,195, albeit they both boast true touring tank ranges in excess of 250 miles, compared to the Bandit's 160.
ABS comes as standard and is particularly useful as a large dose of self-control is needed to keep even the most sensible of riders' licence clean. So load up a Bandit GT and take it touring and you'll be the proud owner of one of the quickest continent-crossers out there. Grand Touring? Six Grand Touring, more like.
The Suzuki Bandit GSF1250S was kindly loaned by Suzuki GB through Fowlers Motorcycles of Bath Road, Bristol. For more information about test rides, call Fowlers on 0117 977 0466.
Model: Suzuki Bandit GSF 1250 GT
Price: £6,700
Engine: 1,255cc, in-line four-cylinder
Power: 96bhp at 7,500rpm
Torque: 108Nm / 79ft lb at 3,700rpm
Transmission: six-speed
Weight: 229 kg
Fuel capacity: 19 litres
Top speed: 145mph
Seat height: 790/810mm
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