Suzuki GSF 650 Bandit S 2010 — Specifications

Who would have bet, in 2010, that the Bandit would still manage to surprise us? Since its birth in the 90s, the roadster from Hamamatsu has been charting its course with that typical humility of star students who never brag about it. For this vintage, Suzuki revolutionizes nothing and that's exactly what we were expecting. The Suzuki GSF 650 Bandit S 2010 receives a measured, surgical facelift, which mainly tends to the fairing and the headlight cowl. The face becomes more civilized, the flanks soften, and the small glove box tucked away in the windscreen proves that the engineers think about commuters before show-offs.

Under the plastic, no upheaval and that's all the better. The 656 cc inline four-cylinder, liquid-cooled for barely two seasons now, retains its 85 horsepower at 10,500 rpm and its 61.8 Nm at 8,900 rpm. An engine that thrives on revs, admittedly, but whose cavalry remains accessible thanks to a well-spaced six-speed gearbox. The short bore of 65.5 mm for a stroke of 48.7 mm and the compression ratio of 11.5 to 1 give it that lively character that the old air-oil cooled version lacked. The 210 km/h claimed top speed isn't there to impress the neighborhood, it simply reflects the versatility of a machine designed to swallow highway miles without wearing out its rider.

That leaves the sore question, the one about weight. At 243 kg fully fueled, the lady isn't playing in the ballerinas' league. The Kawasaki ER-6 concedes about twenty kilos on the scale and the Yamaha XJ6 Diversion proves just as sharp. In the city, the Bandit S betrays its unapologetic touring origins and demands a firm wrist during maneuvers. On the highway and on long secondary roads, the tide turns, stability becomes exemplary and the 19-liter tank promises real legs between stops without the stress of watching the gauge. The seat height of 770 mm remains a knockout argument for smaller builds or for riders returning to motorcycling after a break.

On the chassis side, the steel tubular double cradle does its job without flattery, assisted by a 41 mm telescopic fork with 130 mm of travel and a rear monoshock offering 126 mm. Nothing exotic, no hydraulic cartridge that costs an arm to service. The front braking pairs two 310 mm discs bitten by four-piston calipers, the rear makes do with a 240 mm disc. The optional ABS really deserves to be ticked on the order form, especially for the daily use this bike is intended for. The 120/70-17 and 160/60-17 tires open the catalog of standard rubber, which seriously lightens the maintenance bill.

What is the price of a Suzuki GSF 650 Bandit S 2010 in France, the real question that settles barroom debates? Suzuki posts 6,249 euros, a price that breaks the back of the competition and which alone justifies interest in the machine. The same pricing logic will apply to the Suzuki GSF 650 Bandit S 2012 and even to the Suzuki GSF 650 Bandit S 2015, the last of the line before Suzuki pulled the Bandit from the catalog. For the young license holder eyeing a versatile machine, for the broke long-hauler who wants to ride far without selling a kidney, for the rider who prefers efficiency over bling, the proposition holds up. The match stays tight against the more playful ER-6 and the more modern XJ6, but the Bandit retains that Swiss Army knife soul that many envy it for.