Bandit R unveiled

For years stung by criticisms of Bandit owners "Why you make such good bike and spoil it with crap suspension and ordinary brakes?" Suzuki have at last replied saying "We fix you smart-arse round-eyes bastards real good"

Introducing the Bandit GSF-R 1250S

Very nice. How does it feel on the road??

BTW why not get some nicer indicators to top off such a good job mate?

That looks great, look forward to full ride report.

Very very nice ,the front fender holder is a bit out there for me but I'm a picky bastard .

Nice job mate.

Very nice! Never been a big fan of upside down forks though.

Top job, looks great looking forward to a ride report.

Two words on the bolts holding heated grips and brake res . brackets . "Button heads "

No ride report yet, issues with the Galfer lines (not recommended) so have ordered a set of Hel lines, it's killing me but I have to wait till I have brakes. ATM I have a track day 25 Sep, ride to MotoGP mid-Oct, and Eastern Creek trackday 2 Dec and will report after these, about how it works. If I can I would also like to do a Canberra or NSW Bandit's ride but that will depend on timing.

Yeah, front guard is not my 1st choice, but it was cheap on eBay and came with all the fittings and screws, so was a good proposition for me. For the indicators, was thinking of putting amber bulbs in the parking or running lights or whatever they are, and some flush mounts in where the existing units are wired as repeaters, (this should satisfy the legalities) but that's a job for later. Not sure about the buttons Gus, although I could use them to plug the screw holes in the upper triple, are they at Supercheap? or where do you get them.

More at nut andbolt shop . They look a bit smoother than Allen heads i think , sort of blend in with some brackets , not so CHUNKY .

Buy 20 off 6mm x 25mm button heads (stainless ) and you can cut them to the size you want .about $12

Have you got a new chain ?

Do most bikes with USD forks run a front guard to protect the slider from rocks ? .Reason i ask is that i have just taken those plastic bits off my
bandit . Should we worry about chipped sliders ?

So what sort of coin are we talking about for the conversion?

What was wrong with the Galfers? I've used them previously on my GPX and they were excellent. Are they ABS lines?

Its nice.
Would $15k see Suzuki make a profit?
That's what we all want oh + 25hp too

I am very impressed. So where did the forks come from...what are they off?
Please share

Cameron... previous posts point to a brand new set of Ohlins bought specifically for this build ( I think they are intended for a GSXR1000 normally). He has machined an aftermarket top tripleclamp and extension tubes as they are not as long as the stock Bandit suspension.

Hmm. Must have missed the posts. My bad
Well i give it a 10/10.
You know how much i love the bandit...and improving the bandit...thats one hell of an improvement
Ill take take one for sure when you put it into production....then ill add the PC, cam, Akro full system then ill be happy

oh i say that's rather nice.......i might ask your bike out for a drink - i hope it's not already in a relationship.

gus wrote:

Have you got a new chain ?

Should we worry about chipped sliders ?

Yes, have now. It's have put on a 46T rear (+3), each tooth brings the axle forward by about 7.5 mm, so have shortened the wheelbase by nearly an inch.

Yes, the possibility of stone chips does concern me, and I may go to another (CF) guard down the road.

reddog wrote:So what sort of coin are we talking about for the conversion?

What was wrong with the Galfers? I've used them previously on my GPX and they were excellent. Are they ABS lines?

Haven't kept track, but the forks were about $3000 landed, plus about a $1500 for the wheels, calipers, axles, triple clamp, front guard, discs etc., plus $500 for the machining, so about $5 K all up. Three issues with the Galfers, firstly they retain the standard set-up and so are a real PITA to bleed, 2nd that the crush washers are crap and they are really difficult to get to seal (mainly at the ABS junction), last that the banjo's have gone rusty in 18 months on a bike that spends most of the time in the garage and does not get ridden in the rain when avoidable.

Cameron wrote:I am very impressed. So where did the forks come from...what are they off?
Please share

Yeah, Cameron, basically a GSX-R1000K8 front end with Ohlins forks. Hayabusa front ends are commonly used as they have a 25mm cartridge which is better suited to a heavy bike (20mm is used in B1250's and other GSX-R's). But, since the Ohlins are all 25mm anyway it meant it did not matter. Also, as the GSX-R fork pitch (the distance between the fork legs) is closer to the B1250 (207 vs. 205) I felt that it would be a more straightforward swap. There are lots of considerations, length is always an issue, there are no sportbike forks that are not 40 - 50mm shorter than the Bandit, plus there is the offset. Now we must ride it and see if we made the right choices.

What make of sprocket is that on the back ?

So three teeth more on the back is = to about one less one the front .

I'm looking foward to playing with wheel base (shorter ,less LINKS ) but i want to keep stock gearing .

Dek: If you feel like offloading the galfers sing out.

Will be good to hear your thoughts on the suspension... it's a fair bit of coin to throw at a Bandit when a Hayabusa is 18K, but you have something that is pretty bloody unique.

I've got a track day in Nov. That suspension would sure come in handy.

reddog wrote:Dek: If you feel like offloading the galfers sing out.

Will be good to hear your thoughts on the suspension... it's a fair bit of coin to throw at a Bandit when a Hayabusa is 18K, but you have something that is pretty bloody unique.

I've got a track day in Nov. That suspension would sure come in handy.

True, 18K and the rest when you consider the rear Ohlins, TFI, rearsets, headers, can, seat etc.....etc......etc But what do you do? The Aprillia RSV4 Tuono thingy sounds the ticket but they weren't around, plus do I want Italian build and reliability? 'Busa's have a very long wheelbase (as befits a 300 kph+ bike) so you will never get one to turn, ZRX1200's don't have enough fairing to hunker down behind when you are caught out in it, CB1300's...I already have a boat. CBR's, R1's, GSX-R's, and ZZR's are all basically road legal track bikes, not really road bikes at all.

BUT the biggest reason is that I can, all those days now long ago when I wished I could improve my GSX1100 but didn't have the dough and rode around the issues. It may well have made me a better rider, but I remember lusting after smoothbore Kehins, KYB racing forks and basically anything that was on Robbie Phillis's bike.

With things like this people are always going to ask "why", even me. but I always answer my own Question: To make it your own, needs, taste........

Take me for a example, I hear a lot of you blokes go on about getting the suspension tuned. I say why? Awswer: You have nice bends to ride around
People ask me why play with the motor? Answer: I don't have bends More power= more fun. and I get a kick out of making something better. >>>for me<<<

Reardo wrote:With things like this people are always going to ask "why", even me. but I always answer my own Question: To make it your own, needs, taste........

Take me for a example, I hear a lot of you blokes go on about getting the suspension tuned. I say why? Awswer: You have nice bends to ride around
People ask me why play with the motor? Answer: I don't have bends More power= more fun. and I get a kick out of making something better. >>>for me<<<

There is a lot of money in customising for those exact reasons mate. Well said.
Now if I could only be bothered...............

Aprilia build quality the best i've ever seen . My Tuono 65,000 kls no problems ,brilliant .BUT if you get a problem parts back up is none existent apparently. Our local Aprilia dealer (and everything else ) has had enough and dropped the brand .Strangely it has been picked up by
Coastal BMW .There big, maybe they can sort it out .I carnt see how Aprilia liked being in a showroom as good as the are with MV ,Triumph
Guzzi ,Suzuki and a few more . Actually twice i couldn't get 4 sparkplugs for my Bandit so maybe its not Aprilia's fault .
I could look for hours at their V4 , if you haven't had a good look you should .Everything is so small ,after you have looked at it go and look at
a jap bike .They look HUUUUGE .