Have we all made a mistake.

After riding the Bandit 600 with proper gearing ,I'm wondering if I have a shed full of heavy overpowered dinosaurs .
The speed limit is (say ) 110 . Anything over that gets me a ticket .If a 600 can easily get rid of my licence in one ticket ,why are we riding 1200 cc plus bikes ?
I'm sure today I rode some tight stuff quicker on the 600 than anything before . New tires ,light weight and a decent rear shock (from a Aprilia) made me wonder if we have it all wrong for solo riding .
After a trip to Tasmania I sold the 1250 as I found it just too heavy , Carol sold her Bonnie (after 100,000kls) for the same reason . This Bandit 600 is for her ,I'm starting to wonder if she has the right bike .And all up cost was $1500 .Makes you wonder ,doesn't it .

It is a good question Gus. Particularly with the power and torque figures of modern engines. I find the old 1980 XS850 has just about enough of both to be an excellent tourer (let down by 1980's frame and handling though). The Ducati ST series have engines under 1litr and very low weight and are excellent sports-tourers. Thea old style bikes have largely disappeared and were both sporty and useful tourers, bikes like the old CBF1000 for instance. But newer bikes seem to be more category specific so a good sports bike now isn't a good tourer (the Fireblade for instance is so sports oriented it is useless as a tourer, probably the same can be said for GSXR-1000, ZX-10, Aprilia RSV, R1, etc). Which has led to a range of more comfortable (read more road oriented) derivatives like the Ninja 1000, GSX-S1000, Fazer, etc.  These 1 litre machines probably could make decent tourers, more so at least than the fire-breathing sports bikes they are derived from.  

The next question (like you're raising), is how smaller bike can you have that is still a decent tourer. For me, 6' 2" is the limiting factor, rather than cc, given machines like the Xs850 with its massive single level seat just don't exist. It's funny that you raise this as I was just wondering why manufacturers don't break away from the current approach and produce something like a GS850, Xs850, GT750, CB900, etc that can be a great tourer (with a modern engine) without the big capacity. And, why not add shaft drive while they're at it!

PS: just thinking right at the end, the venerable (and huge selling) VFR800 is probably right on the money.

Reminds me of the day back in the late 80's when I hoped of my '83 RM250 (after it failed)  on to a '87 or '88 YZ125 at the Port Gawler off road park, it wasn't quite as quick on the straights but I could throw the lighter bike around the corners so much faster I was doing quicker lap times than on the 250

When I first picked up my GSX I found I was much slower in the twisties, because of the weight of it. It's taken some years to get use to that weight and get anywhere near the agility I had with the GS500F.
A lot of difference that extra 65kg makes.
That said the 500 would often run out of steam going up some steep hills, where a bandit doesn't even realise there is a hill there.

For straight line cruising I love the torque the bandit provides, just wish it was lighter and easier to flick around.

nope

I thought the old 600 Bandit was the same as the 1200 with a smaller motor?

I understand what you are saying Gus, but just jump on a new dirt bike ad you'll be ike wtf with the change in weight. The big bandit gives big torque at low rpm. I am with @mad max this bike is meant to eat kms with low issues, The 600 needs more revs. if you are just riding around town anything will do.

How many of you would remember the phrase UJM from the 70's?
For those that don't, it stands for Universal Japanese Motorcycle. Given to the Japanese bikes of the day because they were designed to do just about everything, all be it not always very well but still good general purpose machines.

This is just my personal opinion but I refer to my GSX1250FA as my UJM as for me it does everything I need in a motorcycle very well. I can tour on it, commute on it, pop into town on it & totally enjoy a windy road on it. While it may be "heavy" in a lot of peoples eyes, it's about the same as all other bikes I've owned so it seems normal to me. It is quicker in corners than my CBR1000F was and feels very much like my 1982 CB750FB, except more powerful!

As I said, this is my UJM.

Hmm, good thread. 

Everybody who's posted in it so far is right

I'm with you Kelpie - just like a Toyota Camry I owned until a semi trailer wanted to mate with it, it did everything well but nothing spectacularly. Similarly my 1200S does everything I want, daily commute, longer trips, makes the grand kids think I'm cool - what more can I ask?

I Love My Bandit - rusted tank, leaking head gasket no front suspension, no professional tune for about 60-70 000klm - I still love it.
Probably better bikes around for their purpose but they would not survive with my lack of maintenance attitude.
I don't trade bikes until they break, which is how I got onto the Bandit. So far so good.

I prefer the 1250 on longer runs , or when 2 up , but in reality for commuting or blowing off some steam in the hills , a 600 ( comfortable one   ) would be ideally suited .

Aahhh the. Green Eyed monster strikes again - I want a stable of bikes for all sorts of different rides but the bank manager doesn't seem to understand the need!

paul wrote:I prefer the 1250 on longer runs , or when 2 up , but in reality for commuting or blowing off some steam in the hills , a 600 ( comfortable one   ) would be ideally suited .

That pretty much sums up what I need as well

Nope.  Though a Bandit had me thinking I'd wasted my time in taking a two hour long test ride.  It was worth the experience, I thought at the time.  I knew why I didn't want it, but hadn't thought through why I had an interest in the first place.  Later, I bought one, apparently on a whim - at least the seller thought so.  By then, I'd properly thought about it.  

Rapidly advancing osteo-arthritis of the (left) hip required that any bike be very tailorable for variations of leg position, and have serious room, not be TOO heavy or tall and above all no crampage of the legs.  I wanted a bike more suited to touring than twisties, with the capacity to carry - the bike I bought came already fitted with most of the goodies. (Panniers, rack bag) I only had to add "fall over bars" to which I could mount highway pegs, an auto oiler and a radiator screen, which the previous owner had oddly overlooked, and it was mine. 

The only downside of the Bandit has been it is large, requiring a bit of manipulation to fit where it is stored.  Otherwise it s good.   

There are many things I like about the bike.  No, It doesn't have ABS. I don't miss what I've never had.  I absolutely love the near effortless linear torque, which makes it possibly the safest bike I've owned in terms of power delivery.  I get what I dial up , every time at any revs.  Rarely am I wanting for more urge, sufficient to go back a gear.  The engine is a pearler.  If I want it, more urge is there, with a lower gear, but the linear power delivery is still there, with no wait at all apart from the time it takes to drop down a notch. Yes, It's a little soft, but I need that for the mo, so I won't get the suspension worked until after a hip replacement, possibly not at all.  Presently, I need a bike that will soak up a bit of vibration.  The Bandit does that.  

I've sometimes thought it would be nice if it could be 40 -50 kg lighter, but am unwilling to sacrifice the ergos and engine characteristics.  

Complexity?  It's not been an issue.  I've not meddled with it, nor see the need.  It's been more reliable than any bike I've owned. The valves have stayed in spec, possibly due to the lack of stress on the engine, liquid cooling.  It's been very easy to live with, part from providing a mystery in the design of the radiator header tank, which is easily sorted.   

Mistake?  No way.

No mistake made. There's a bike or two for everyone and everyone's unique needs.
I have 2 very different beasts. I love riding both but for different reasons.

If a 250/500/600/900 etc floats your boat its because at the time they suite you all things considered.
Every bike can be improved and every standard bike is exactly what someone wanted.

I am looking forward to taking an MT-10 for a test ride. If the fit and feel are right, it might be a contender to replace the Bandit and the Fireblade.   May be a big "if".

Yeah well the other bike is an SRX6 Yammie.  Loose, light and a hoot to ride in the tighter twisties in the middle gears.  Tedious out on the flat straight road and cramped even for my little frame.  If there was a third, It would be a trail bike.  I would need no more. I wish I had never sold the XT550.

No way!! I love my FA more and more each day. For a bike that does everything, I haven't found anything else that remotely catches my eye regardless of price tag. 74,000km of tour, track and commute and never missed a beat (ok except a clogged fuel pump). All I've done so far, and only this year, is some _magic!!_ from Shock Treatment and a set of Sato rearsets.

It's a beast that will rip up Taz, the track and the 70km commute from Gong to Syd. It'll do anything, even in the twisties or dirt. I had a whale of a time off road in Taz and in the dirt section between Orbost and Bombala up on the pegs throwing rooster tails (how much do I love to see that sign btw JimColeman!!). What more could you ask for??

And bullet proof! Mine has been for 3 decent slides down the track with only cosmetic damage despite flipping on 2 of the occasions.

Having said all that, I want MORE! Time for another post - not sure where to put it so this one will do - mechanical and social = general??

Hear! Hear! My sentiments exactly!