    |
 |
|
|
|
Since its release five years ago, Suzuki’s GSF600 Bandit has established a class of its own that only recently has attracted similar models from rival manufacturers.
So in the spirit that saw Suzuki pioneer the clean, stripped down look the original Bandit established, for the new millennium there’s a new 600cc Suzuki Bandit.
However, Suzuki has paid attention to Bandit owners, so while there’s a new bike for 2000, it is still recognisably a Bandit. Which is to say the GSF600 is still powered by an air and oil-cooled four cylinder engine mounted in a tubular steel frame of generous proportions. And it still has the muscular good looks of the original.
Where owners wanted a little more protection from the elements, Suzuki has obliged with a wider and slightly taller frame-mounted quarter fairing that not only wards off the worst wind buffet, it also enhances the Bandit’s stability and performance.
The new windscreen is 40 mm wider and 16 mm taller and now features a scoop at the bottom that sends a small stream of air up under the screen, helping reduce turbulence in the cockpit area.
While it was improving the aerodynamics, Suzuki also decided to mount the rear vision mirrors on the outside of the fairing rather than the handlebars, and moved the instruments from the top fork clamp into the fairing to also help stability.
The rear suspension was another area where Bandit owners wanted improvement so Suzuki has fitted a totally new spring and damper unit, with a separator in the shock to prevent the mixing of air into the damping fluid, thus providing more consistent damping action.
The Suzuki Bandit has always been a comfortable easy to live with motorcycle, and for 2000 Suzuki has further enhanced this aspect of the model, with a seat that’s 10mm lower with a refined shape that features a more pronounced notch in the rider’s section, to provide better support while the pillion is catered for with a new improved single piece grab rail.
Helping light the way at night is a gorgeous new dual projector head lamp set-up that sees the left-hand light functioning as the low beam. When high beam is selected, both lamps light up.
At first glance the new Bandit appears to share the same chassis as the original, but a closer look reveals top frame rails that now run back under the seat and join with the seat-support rails to run all the way back to the tail light. More subtle still is a slight change in frame geometry to make the steering lighter and more responsive.
Suzuki has also upgraded the brakes and fitted new low profile radial tyres that are wider than previously. Up front is a 120/60 ZR17 in place of the 110/70 ZR17 fitted previously while the rear tyre has gone from a 150/70 ZR17 to a 160/60 ZR17.
Even more subtle, Suzuki has increased the fuel capacity to 20 litres and modified the centre stand design to reduce the effort needed to heft the Bandit onto it by 18 per cent.
So the new Bandit is even more user-friendly.
In that vein, Suzuki has reworked the power plant, which has always been at the heart of the Bandit’s broad appeal.
A 600cc, 16-valve, air-cooled engine with SACS (Suzuki Advanced Cooling System) has always been the heart and soul of the Bandit, with dual overhead cams, lightweight aluminium engine castings and aluminium cylinder head and alternator covers.
Already a very potent power plant, now, as part of its evolution, the Bandit sports a quartet of Keihin CVR32 carbs, featuring a throttle position sensor with four-step independent ignition mapping.
That, and revised camshaft profiles means the 600 Bandit now offers more low-to-mid-range punch than ever before. But that power doesn’t taper off, with the engine revving out to a healthy 12,000 rpm red-line and delivering a peak of 100 bhp.
Not bad for a 600. Even better, the GSF600 Bandit is now in Suzuki dealers’ showrooms and retails for just $10,500.
Contact the online Suzuki dealers today!
