Suzuki GSF 1250 Bandit S 2007 — Specifications

Twenty years it had lasted. Twenty years that the air-and-oil-cooled four-cylinder, inherited from the 1986 GSX-R 1100, had been beating at the heart of the Bandit without anyone at Suzuki seeing fit to replace it. In 2007, Euro 3 emissions standards finally got the better of this engine from another era. The Suzuki GSF 1250 Bandit S therefore arrives with a completely overhauled powerplant: liquid cooling, electronic fuel injection, and 1255 cc under the hood. A small revolution for a motorcycle that had made standing still into a philosophy.

The inline four-cylinder gains 98 cc over the old 1200, thanks to a longer piston stroke. On paper, the 98 hp at 7,500 rpm won't set sportbike enthusiasts dreaming, but that's not where the Bandit plays its hand. The 107.9 Nm of torque available from just 3,700 rpm tells a very different story. This engine pulls hard and early, with a smoothness that makes urban riding and road trips remarkably fluid. The 6-speed gearbox accompanies this engine without jerks, and fuel injection replaces the carburetor with clear gains in fuel consumption and emissions. For those wondering what the fuel consumption of the Suzuki GSF 1250 Bandit S is, expect around 6 liters per 100 km in mixed riding, a reasonable figure for a big four-cylinder. In the city, the average fuel consumption of a 2007 Suzuki GSF 1250 Bandit S logically climbs toward 7 liters, the machine's weight and frequent acceleration not helping matters.

For the rest, Suzuki played the continuity card. The tubular steel double-cradle frame carries over the familiar architecture, but the tubes gain in diameter to offer 10% more rigidity. The 43 mm telehydraulic fork and rear monoshock get the job done without particular brilliance. The braking, with its two 310 mm front discs and a single 240 mm rear disc, proves adequate without matching what a Yamaha FZ1 Fazer or Kawasaki Z1000 offers in the same segment. ABS remains optional, a questionable choice on a machine weighing 250 kg wet. The seat, adjustable to 790 or 810 mm, accommodates a wide range of rider sizes, and the 19-liter tank allows decent range on the road.

The top speed of the Suzuki GSF 1250 Bandit S caps out at around 230 km/h. Nothing spectacular against the competition, but consistent with the mission of this versatile tourer that doesn't chase outright performance. Its playground is the winding back road on a Sunday morning, the daily commute swallowed without fatigue, two-up touring with luggage. The price of a new Suzuki GSF 1250 Bandit S at 7,999 euros positions it as one of the most affordable offerings in its category. Against a tamer Honda CBF 1000 or a sportier Yamaha FZ1, the Bandit occupies a middle ground that has proven itself.

Suzuki didn't reinvent its Bandit with the move to 1250. The brand modernized the bare minimum to stay within regulatory bounds while preserving the recipe that has won over thousands of riders since the 1990s: a generous engine, an unsurprising chassis, a tight price tag. Purists will mourn the disappearance of the cooling fins and the rough charm of the old air-cooled block. Pragmatists will appreciate a cleaner machine, more flexible at low revs, and still just as easy to live with. The GSF 1250 Bandit S doesn't make promises it can't keep. That is its greatest quality.