Suzuki GSF 650 Bandit N 2015 — Specifications

Who still remembers the era when the Suzuki GSF 650 Bandit N reigned over the middleweight roadster segment? In 2015, Hamamatsu tries to keep its veteran alive with a cosmetic restyling, but the world has changed around it. The 656 cc inline-four still spits out its 85 horsepower at 10,500 rpm for a torque of 61.8 Nm set at 8,900 revs. Honest figures, nothing more, which place this mechanical unit in a comfort zone rather than a performance one. The water-cooled engine block, which arrived late in the Bandit lineage, remains a reliable and smooth mill, perfect for swallowing kilometers without asking questions. But faced with the Yamaha MT-07 and MT-09, the Kawasaki ER-6n or the Triumph Street Triple, this technical sheet reeks more of the mid-2000s than of modernity.

On the styling side, Suzuki has nonetheless made an effort. The historic round headlight, signature of the Bandit since 1995, gives way to a more refined optic, vaguely evoking the SVF Gladius. The dashboard gains in readability with a gear indicator and a neat typography. The indicators and mirrors become slimmer, the side panels adopt more flowing curves, and the engine block receives a black treatment that gives it a bit more character. The rear light recalls that of the old GSX-F, a nod to insiders. All this remains superficial, admittedly, but contributes to giving a fresh touch to a machine whose architecture has not fundamentally changed.

The chassis, precisely, is showing its age. The tubular steel double cradle frame carries the whole to 240 kg fully fueled, a substantial weight that is felt in the city as well as through sequences of curves. The 41 mm telescopic fork and the rear mono-shock offer correct travel of 130 and 126 mm respectively, but without advanced adjustment. The braking, entrusted to two 310 mm front discs gripped by four-piston calipers, does the job, without providing any particular sensations at the lever. The low seat at 770 mm reassures small statures and beginners, a real strong point for a machine that clearly targets this audience.

And what about the price in all this? At 6,249 euros new, the Bandit 650 played the accessibility card. It is moreover on the second-hand market that it takes on its full meaning today. Whether you are looking for the price of a Suzuki GSF 650 Bandit N 2010 in France, that of a 2009 version, or even of a Suzuki GSF 650 Bandit N and S from 2007, you will find particularly gentle prices, often below the 3,000 euro mark for a well-maintained example. Reviews of the Suzuki GSF 650 Bandit N and S 2008 all converge towards the same conclusion: a motorcycle without surprises, robust, economical in use, with a 19-liter tank that allows a comfortable range. Not the most exciting in the garage, but the one that will never leave you stranded.

The Suzuki GSF 650 Bandit N remains a rational proposition in a market that has tipped towards emotion and low-end torque. It no longer rivals the current references of the segment, that is a fact. But for an A2 license, a first big motorcycle or a daily use without fuss, it retains solid arguments. Its linear four-cylinder pushes smoothly up to 210 km/h at top speed, its six-speed gearbox shifts without snagging, and its chain drive only requires basic maintenance. A tool motorcycle, sincere and without pretension, which has trained generations of riders and continues to roll without flinching on French asphalt.