2007 Bandit 1250SA: First Impressions

[ORBrit]

I'm keeping the guns
I had both bikes listed and it was a case of whichever one sold first. I will probably sell the S50 too and my wife's vulcan. Between all three bikes we can pay for the foundation and some excavation.

[XHarley]

Well I guess you gotta do what you gotta do. I know sometimes ones situation changes priorities. Sacrifies have to be made. Good luck with your home. Out....

[KenBandit]

Looking back on this thread, I'm pleased to say that I still love this bike. And I'm happy that my original write-up became the beginning of the Bandit Lair here at motorcycle-journal.com after Trapper asked if it could be featured on the front page here.

Since it was purchased, I have put over 10,000 miles on this fine bike. I also own a GL1800 so it shares bike duties and miles, else it would have well over 25K on it by now I'm sure.

For added comfort, I have replaced the stock seat with a Holeshot Corbin seat and found it to be much better than stock. It has a dish for the rider that places you in the bike rather than on the bike.

For more added comfort, I have replaced the stock screen with a Givi touring screen. I'm now treated with clean air and my helmet is mostly bug free. The stock bars were replaced with Renthal High Road Bars, the stock levers were replaced with CRG Roll-a-Click levers, and the grips were replaced with Gel Superbike grips. All of this makes for a much more comfortable ride.

A great safety modfication was added this year - the stock horn was replaced with a Stebel Nautilus horn. That 129 dB really gets the attention of an inattentive cager, particularly those pesky Prius drivers that love to drive under the speed limit in the passing lane of the expressway (here in NY, it is the law for slow traffic to stay to the right and the left lane is used for passing). Of course if the Prius could actually do the speed limit, they might have an easier time of it.

The best and most fun mod to install was yet to come - for performance - the exhaust system was replaced from front to back with Holeshot performance parts: 4-2-1 header, Comp 2 slip-on, K&N air filter, and a TFI box (which now controls the air & fuel settings on the injectors). The secondary butterflies were removed, as was the useless PAIR system (it reduces the PPM coming out of the muffler by introducing fresh air to the exhaust ports after primary combustion has taken place thereby passing the tougher European emmission laws that the US, thankfully, is not subject to). Removing the PAIR system also makes access to the spark plugs much easier and really cleans up the top of the engine nicely. Finally, an o2 bypass module was added. All of this means that this bike's amazing engine has finally had its full potential realized by being uncorked. She now makes 96 ft lbs of torque and 134 HP (up from 83 and 100), and is an absolute blast to ride. No surging, no flat spots, a perfect 13:1 to 14:1 A/F under all throttle conditions.

Another safety modification made was to the brakes - the lines were replaced with Galfer braided lines and Ferodo brake pads were installed, making the bike stop on a dime.

The biggest upside to owning a Bandit is the bang for the buck. It may not do any one thing better than any other bike. But it does many things very, very well. It's also nice to own a bike that isn't a dime a dozen in your neighborhood. The biggest downside to owning a Bandit is the lack of demand for standard motorcycles in the states, and the subsequent low resale value. It loses value faster than a Suburban at an Al Gore Global Warming Rally. But that's OK. I love this bike and she'll be in my garage for a long time to come.

That's all for this year. This Winter I plan to upgrade the suspension to make the rear end better and to reduce the dive of the front forks. See ya later motorcyceljournal.com!

[XHarley]

KenB,

That's a whole grocery list you got there. Initially I was complaining about the seat too, but with time I had gotten used to it. Having said that though, after around 3hrs of riding usually consisting of 1.5 out and 1.5 back home, the but does get a little numb. How much have you spent on the Bandit so far? I got used to the surge and I feel, even though I'm a 285lb-er, the bike has more power than I'll ever need. I do however want to make it louder. The hog I used to drive set off car alarms when I pulled past parked cars. I don't want that, but I have been looking at 2 brothers or Vince Hines slip ons, just don't have the funds right now. i looked at hardbags for touring and that alone was over 1,200 bucks. I too want to change grips so for now I need padded gloves to help with numbness. Can you post a pick of the bike again?

[KenBandit]

Sure thing. I'm going to be giving the bikes baths and oil changes this weekend and I'll take some new glamour shots then