Years sold: 1996-2006
MSRP new: $7099
Blue Book retail value: $2800
Basic specs: An 1157cc inline-Four that made 101.7 hp at 8500 rpm, 69.5 ft.-lb. of torque at 6250 and weighed 490 pounds dry. It shot through the quarter-mile in 11.15 seconds at 120.24 mph and registered a measured top speed of 144 mph.
Why it won: There was practically nothing the big Bandit could not do, and it did all of it very well. On a bang-for-buck basis, it put everything on the trailer, thanks to its Freightliner-class torque output, ride-to-the-horizon comfort, surprising backroad handling and excellent over-the-road capabilities, all for fewer greenbacks than a whole lot of smaller bikes.
From the Ten Best Story: “A super-standard with a big-bore GSX-R1100 motor that pumps out so much low-end and midrange power that it’s downright difficult to keep the front wheel down. We call that fun. The Bandit also has an upright seating position that makes it all-day comfortable. We call that practical.”
Useful resources: You can find quite a few Bandit 1200S models of different years for sale online at sites like eBay, craigslist and Cycle Trader. Google “Suzuki Bandit 1200 forums” to gain access to numerous forums devoted to this popular Suzuki model.
