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Suzuki GSF1250S Bandit as an Overlander ? Why not ? Suzuki GSF1250S Bandit as an Overlander ? Why not ?
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Equipping the Bike - what's the best gear? Anything to do with the bikes equipment, saddlebags, etc. Questions on repairs and maintenance of the bike itself belong in the Brand Specific Tech Forums.
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  #1  
Old 9 Jun 2022
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Suzuki GSF1250S Bandit as an Overlander ? Why not ?
I'm working in a Suzuki dealership at the moment and a 2007 1250 Bandit S (faired model) came along looking for a new owner.

One of these in black.

https://www.motorcyclenews.com/bike-...s-bandit/2015/

50,000 miles. A little rough around the edges. But a solid bike. Prime for some TLC and a long future. I've never had one but I know the motors are absolute power plants. Uber reliable long stroke motor. Tons of low grunt and midrange with almost 80 ft-lb of torque. Pull off in fourth gear torque.

The suspension is lacking and the seat isn't raved about. But as a road tourer, I bet it's an absolute king if adapted properly.

I'm guessing stiffer springs front and rear. Probably progressive on the front. And lighten the oil to balance the damping.

A custom made single seat ? I can't ever see it wearing knobbly tyres though.

I'd love to hear thoughts and experiences.
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Old 10 Jun 2022
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I toured on a Bandit 600, absolutely lovely bike since you could do everything in 6th gear because it pulled like a 750 from the low end (just ran out of breath further up). Zero seat problems, and I wasn't going over 70 so didn't need a screen.

The downsides - you have to let them rev high (3K or so) when first started to get oil in the top of the engine quickly, which doesn't ingratiate you to your neighbours. Exhaust bolts seize into the block. They're very heavy. The 600 has a sympathetic vibration which can be annoying but is mostly cured with decent handlebars and weighted bar ends
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Old 10 Jun 2022
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After Chris Scott converted an Suzuki GS500 to an overlander bike I believe that any bike could be converted if you have enough patience and money to do it. I imagine that the most difficult aspect for this kind of conversion on a Bandit would be to find a proper front fork and rear shock for it (from a Vstrom 1000 maybe?) and maybe relocate the foot pegs for a more comfortable position, but an totally doable proposition. For a light offroad good tires (knobbly tires I believe would be impossible, but maybe a set of Anakee, Scorpion Trail 2 or Tourance tires could be an option) and ground clearance are, in my view, are the most important aspect for an overlander bike (after tacking any possible reliability issues). I always had a good experience with Suzuki bikes, but an overlander bandit 1250 was never something I ever imagined.

EDIT: Looking online I just found this website. I will not deny that I found it a very interesting option for a tourer.

EDIT 2: I just found this video on Youtube. An Interceptor and Himalayan mashup. Quite interesting in my opinion and get's more or less the same bike I believe you are looking for.
Last edited by bkm_br; 11 Jun 2022 at 02:30.
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Old 11 Jun 2022
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Haha, reminds me of my wife’s first decent bike -a 600 Bandit.
First holiday was a trip to Spain, we ended up in the Cuenca mountains and she rode about 30 miles through deep gravel, by the time we reached Brittany (to meet some friends) her tyres were down to the canvas.
The following year 2001 we went to Slovakia, we were having such a great time we left it to the last minute and had 2 days to get to calais for the ferry. One of those days was a 700 miler.
All our trips are loaded up with camping gear.
Those were the days before ‘adventure bikes’ . The 600 Bandit was an awesome steed and only retired early due to someone doing an illegal right turn and writing it off.
As for knobblies, a few years later we went over the Parpallion pass (not a difficult off road route I know but not sealed by a long chalk) one of our friends was on a 600 Bandit, my wife on a TDM 900 - both on road tyres.
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