First big bike, first bandit

Hi folks,
So I came off my P’s recently and have spent the past 6 months trying to find the right bike. I spent a fair bit of time looking through the forum here and the enthusiasm and knowledge that you guys show really helped sell me on the bandit.



I have had a 400 monster for the past couple of years and did a fair bit of tinkering (by tinkering i mean it broke down a lot ) with electrics and power mods, so the bandit really seems like the right way to go. I just wasn’t sure about going to a jap 4, with my family all on twins and triples and having never ridden a 4.
The modability and great torque curve did it for me though. As well as the fact that I’m 6’8” and 130kegs and don’t fit on much else!  

 
Anyway, I bit the bullet on Saturday and went to pick this beautiful girl up from a nice gentleman in Sydney. 1996, stock, and unbelievably well maintained. 45000k’s on the clock. I managed to take her out for an hour yesterday and I am really happy with the decision. Great bike, cornering is exactly what I like, and just buckets of power.
 
My only concern is that this version 1 fairing does nothing at all. I rode a 2008 and the wind protection was really great, but with this one, anything over 100 starts to push and it gets really bad eventually. Anyone else find this? One of the things I wanted after touring on a naked 400 Monster, was a screen for the highway to go with the big motor and comfy seat. Is there a better screen I can fit to it before I start looking at other options?
 
I'm in Mudgee in NSW by the way.



Anyway, enough rambling. Hi, and thanks for convincing me!
 
-Dez

Ahhh,  another convertee.  Welcome aboard Dez.  You may well be the tallest member here.  Sorry. No prize.  . You probably need to look around for a touring screen to help out there. Lots available.  The 1200 is a great engine. A few mods and you will have a great bike that will last forever. May we ask how much you paid. As I know they are going pretty cheap.  Am sure that there will be a couple of members near you that you can meet up with in the future.  Enjoy.

Bugger, eating all that hormone laced chicken as a kid and still no prize...   

$3750 paid and i am extremely happy.

Welcome aboard mate.
Gee at 6' 8" I doubt any screen aside from the one out of the No. 6 bus will be much good for you.
I'm a tad over 6' and don't mind the screen on my 08 but I know a lot of people look at changing them early in the ownership. The trouble is I don't know if there is one that's any better.

Your bike should be cheap to own and easy to live with compared to the Monster

Welcome to the forum Dez.

Maybe try Madstad screens, though I'm not sure if they do one for the '96

Hey Dez, pleased to meet you.
Have you tried looking at Eaglescreens.com.au? They have a taller screen with a lip to deflect, for the 1996 GSF600/1200 models.


 http://www.eaglescreens.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/S35.pdf

Enjoy your ride!

On screens.  You can get those spoiler/deflectors that you attach to your existing screen. I think a couple of members here have them.

welcome to the forum Dez

Welcome along Dez, us short fellas on here, (I'm 5'11)   won't be much help to you regarding the screen.
Although I think 2w might be onto something with the No. 6 bus screen!

Welcome aboard Big Dez, great bike, you'll love it, especially after getting off the monster. Don't get me wrong I love the Monster, had one for years BUT at 6"8 thats a small bike. Enjoy your new found freedom.

Welcome Dez,

Enjoy the ride.

@ $3750, how can you go wrong??? It looks nice.

Welcome Dez.

I think the lads were talking baout the MRA vario type

I found that here http://www.bikehps.com/acatalog/Suzuki_GSF1200S_Bandit_1996-2000_MRA_Adjustable_Motorcycle_Touring_Screens.html

It may or may not help. Some people have ripped the fairings off and gone back to a naked bike to stop the buffeting

welcome mate.

nice gen 1 you got there,

still trying to get my hands on a gen 1,  still think they have the nicest frame out of all

happy ridding

I recon you could make a spoiler to fit on the existing screen. I think I recall Ross did.

G'day Dez and welcome to the forum. Friendly bunch this mob are!
I did a little mod using my Vario brackets and made up a taller spoiler screen. It works well for me but screens are such a personal thing, what works for some is orrible for others. Funny thing is, since getting a new helmet (Shark Vision R) I find my screen causes a fair amount of drumming in my ears that never existed with my old helmet. I tend to run it in the low mode with the new helmet. That's what I like about the Vario brackets., the adjustability on the go.
Bill.

Thanks for the warm welcome guys!

I had a look around today and decided to try the Powerbronze touring screen. Its significantly taller, and has a windlip to boot. if that doesnt do it i figured I'd try a laminar lip as well. I like what you've done with those Vario brackets NTBill, can you get them seperate from the screen? They look like a way better solution than Laminar's sticky velcro dots

Big_Dez wrote:Thanks for the warm welcome guys!

I had a look around today and decided to try the Powerbronze touring screen. Its significantly taller, and has a windlip to boot. if that doesnt do it i figured I'd try a laminar lip as well. I like what you've done with those Vario brackets NTBill, can you get them seperate from the screen? They look like a way better solution than Laminar's sticky velcro dots

I already had the Vario with the small spoiler screen and it wasn't really working for me so I ordered a ZG touring screen. The ZG took nearly 3 months to arrive so I fiddled with the Vario and tried the taller spoiler screen which worked so well for me, the ZG sits unopened in its box. I've decided to keep the ZG in case I break the Vario. Not sure about being able to buy just the brackets tho. I can't see why not. They should be listed as a spare part somewhere I'd imagine. Pic below compares the original spoiler with the one I made.

I posted a story somewhere on the forum when I made this some time back, but here's a few more images.