Well, I don't know much but here's what I think of the bike I bought - P plate unfaired Bandit 600

Bought primarily because "the wife" liked the looks of it (I had been looking at a divvy) and it's red. That explaines why we're married by the way.

Handling: At first I thought top but now find it's a little soggy. Following Hilts through some fast bends I really noticed difference between the bikes (no compliments today!) and since then I've paid more attention to the pitching etc. as you brake. There's a fix apparently but I'm not doing it myself and I thought I'd keep this bike standard anyway.

Comfort: A naked bike's a naked bike I guess. 'Till I got the fly screen cruising above 60 was a real struggle, think wasp in a jar, but with the screen it's a great deal better. As for rear end wear, seems fine to me. Longest jaunt about 130 miles though.

Brakes: Well, I haven't run up the back of anything yet but I dare say it could be sharper.

Overall I'd take the point from the bloke that sold it me - "it's a nice safe bike that won't get you into trouble" which is fine by me.

How come there's not a list of who rides what on here? Just curious really...  :D

Reposted as I simply replied to a question... yep, I'm a tosser  

Blue suzuki B6 - 2001



well returned to bike just over 15 month ago after a long lay off


so got myself a B6, 2001


I still consider myself a newbie, but have had a lot of fun in this time.

For my needs the bike has more than enough go , is very reliable and looks absolutely gorgeous.
For the price is just perfect,

still it could be a bit lighter.

It has resisted well over 2 winters with no sigh of corrosion ( lots of TLC anyway) no mechanical problems and after a good clean looks as new as a showrrom bike.

It is a naked bike with a fly-screen but it is ok up to around 70MPH, confy for 2 up and very easy to control on heavy traffic.


I just got new tyres so it is handling much better,


all in all a good buy,


Roddas

i too have a bandit 600 unfaired and love it to bits.

i ride my bike hard and have put on a lot of miles with a pillion and nuff bagage for a small family! yet it still gos on, as a member of a bike club i have had the smallest "cc" bike untill messy joined with her 125 and was very happy to see it holding its own with the bigger bikes on our runs to rallies and ride outs.

Its a great bike for beginers as its very forgiving and really easy riding posistion will help any new bike rider get into the swing of things.

when it comes down to it the bandit is also a little monster in disguise. you can customise it till ya bank dont give ya any more dosh, or you imagnation runs out.

Just by changing the riding postion with flat bars, jackup kit and tweeking the foot pegs you will find yourself riding an almost totaly different bike.

Then comes the After market exhaust's, K&N air filter and Dyno Jetting. ok so you lose a few miles from the tank but it goes like sh!te of a shovel and sounds great.

Then theres the differnt stling options you can go for there is the standard retro look or the street fighter style, what ever floats ya boat. i think the bandit is a bike that is slightly over looked by biger bike riders.

130mph down the (private ) motorway fully loaded with pillon often gives them blackbird and butt in air riders somthing to smile about.....

i guess i have babbled to much and made many typos and spelling mistakes.

I dont care

why

cos I ride a Bandit!

Hmmm. Considering buying one - thanks for the review!

02 B6 54000miles in 18months
04 B6 60miles in 2 days (it's been raining ok!)


I love my B6, ok it's not the fastest nor the best 600 by a long way but it has character (something which is lacking in many newer designs). I can park it at the side of a row of sports bikes and it always has people looking around it ignoring the others (usually older men with their grandsons saying "I used to have one like that" or "that's a proper bike") it must be all the polished bits and the fact that being naked makes the engine look huge. Probably not the bike for the shorter rider though due to it's girth and weight but ideal for someone of my build 6'1 15½ stone.

Daz

well nuty (me gf) gets on ok with mine and shes tiny! but then she does ride a GS1000

Hey Dan this is a bike review we don't want to know about your personal life well not unless you've got photos

Daz

hi im learning at the moment but looking to buy a bike soon and just seen the latest looking bandit 6 and it looks the nuts! [img]http://www.nxgn-ltd.com/MCN/getImg.asp?style=MCN_PLI&SPID=417571&view=1[/img]


i know the rrp is around the early 4grand mark but how much can you get them for new?? this model hopefully? because on MCN.com there was an advert for this bike for about £3650 otr taxed and 2 year warranty new! do they sell for that cheap?



is there much difference in size , height , power and weight than a cb500 ? im 5 foot 8 and seem to handle them quite well !


oh yeah one last question what is the 0-60mph time?


thanks

well I am 5.7" and 10 stones and the B6 is ok, after I got used to the weight...


It is a great bike for the ££££.

sure there are others out there, much faster, lighter etc but much more expensive, so for now I am very happy is a Bandit..

( Might try a B12,,,, though)






well , in my view fast enough

Roddas is right. If you try to hoolie it up to 60 as a beginner, the front wheel will be in the air for a lot of the time.

Which means it's fast enough to be going on with.

So it seems the Bandits( new model) 2005 are coming,,,,


Saw the inicial photos but not that much different,, it has gone up to 650cc,,,,,

+ small mods.....

So far no changes announced for the B12????

It's about 4 seconds but as dr bandit says you'll be staring at the sky if you try to do it.


Daz

Tested in comparison with a GS500

52 reg faired Bandit 600.

First impressions
As i stepped over the bike, i noticed how much wider it is compared to the GS - it makes it feel like a big bike and although the seat isnt high, trying to put 2 feet flat on the ground will be a problem for riders under 5' 10". I was pretty much on the balls of my feet rather than my heels, but still felt at ease with the bike. At first trying to push it backwards out of the garage while sitting on it, i realised that it was a difficult task so instead i jumped off grabbed the rail and bar and pulled it myself. It is here you notice the extra 30kg+ weight of the bike as it required much more effort to move. Starting the bike up, it required a fair amount of choke and i found it took a little time to warm up, probably a little more than i was used to on the GS, however as i was kitting up, it wasnt too much of a problem.

Riding
Blipping the throttle i noticed how little resistance their was in the throttle compared to the GS. Very little effort was required to acheive a fair amount of revs. Sitting on the bike you could tell that you were sat on an inline 4, as the bike was so smooth when revving - very little vibrations. The exhaust note was a deeper less raspy tone and you could hear another note, similar to the sound of a car in reverse.

Setting off, having not been out on a bike since October, i was a little nervous of coping with such a hike in weight. The first corner using the higher bars as opposed to the flat clip ons of the GS proved to be different to how i expected it to feel. The GS tended to favour the use of countersteering with very little resistance while i found the Bandits steering sharper (could be the higher bars as im unsure that the rake distance of the forks is much different) and a little heavier. Straight out onto the dual carriageway from the sliproad and i opened the bike up. The rush of power with such little effort and vibration made the bike feel quick and responsive.

After a few corners and around 20 minutes on the bike, i began to relax a little more and found the bike a very docile beast aronud the town. The high bars aided sharper turning and when forced to do a turn in the road, it was easier than on the GS and the extra weight wasnt felt at all. Out on the open road, i was still wary to take it higher into the rev range in the lower gears as the bike was so quick at getting through them.

Wind protection
Having always been a fan of naked bikes yet no so much enjoying the wind on long journeys i thought of the compromise of a half faired model. Preconceptions were that the fairing was high rising however when on the bike, it really isnt that high at all. The day itself was a little windy and going over the River Tees on the dual carriageway you could feel a little buffeting around the shoulders and arms. The chest itself was kept away from the wind and the head wasnt affected either. On my return over the bridge, the wind must have been behind me so there was much less windblast and all in all it was a comfortable ride.


When riding the Bandit i felt as if i was riding on it rather than in it like the GS and to be honest i dont know as yet if this is a bad or good thing. One thing i did find with the bike i tested was that when changing up to 3rd gear, it didnt always go in and about 5 times in the space of half an hour, i found myself letting the clutch out and still being in second. The front brake lever was also a bit long on the bike but being adjustable it could be brought in for shorter fingered individuals. The mirrors were vibe free and easy to see whats going on around while the upright nature of the bike meant it was easier to turn my head when looking to switch lanes/lifesaver.

The GS has a lot more engine braking than the Bandit. On the GS, i find blipping the throttle when changing down helps to keep the revs steady. On the Bandit when trying to do this, i found that the revs wouldnt hold as long and i couldnt quite get the hang of it - possibly due to the responsive throttle action as the GS seems to have a more resistant throttle. I reckon id have to adjust my riding style slightly to get to grips with the Bandit properly.


Overall
Quick responsive bike which with the high bars is surprisingly nimble for a heavy bike. Much better turning circle than the GS and would be great for distance work. A little less involved ride than the GS with less effort required to work the engine and a much more smoother ride.

Ok so for my 2peneth...

I started out on cusoms, for looks and to control my speed! 535Vargo(A dirty used whore of a beast!) and then onto 650 Dragstar... It was shiny, OK.
But 18mth ago i bought a Little naked B6 02.

...And I aint going back!

I'm totaly converted, yes i no shes not the fastest and yes other bikes handle better, but the B6 is versatile and fun. I'm like many riders and have a Jackle and hide personality. I use her for the work run, and i give her some stick at the weekend. And do ya know what? She loves it! What else can you say?

Cheap and cheerfull, what else can you get for 3 1/2k that gives you such a rush?