I am looking to get a bigger bike for touring this year due to the VFR800 sports tourer being a little too far on the sporty side of things when it comes to riding position.   Finally narrowing down my options, I have a chance of getting a GSF 1250 GT Bandit. Ride position, luggage, fairing etc. are all fine, and reviews I have read are all promising, but . . . . .   Id be grateful for any info from people who have/have had one. Downsides at all? Build quality? Engine? Handling when fully loaded?(need it to get to Italy and back, with pillion) and anything else you cant really tell from a short test ride.   Thanks Slidy                                                                                                                                                                             

Build quality?  You're trying to compare one of the best Hondas ever made with a Suzuki!                                                                                                                                                                             

Slidy ... 

Bandit_Mr_P (my other half) has the 1250GT bandit, a 2008 model.

He loves it, and so do I as when we are off someplace camping, he can carry most of our stuff even with the luggage on.

I would say drop him a PM he will give you an honest review.

From a pilly's point of view ... the seat is  after an hour you began to feel like your backside belonged to someone else , after 2 you WISHED it belonged to someone else ! 

Ian invested in a gel seat which is a lot better I can pilly with him all day long now if we are out on just the 1 bike 

I am looking at changing my bike for the same reason as you Slidy, the miles we do touring a sports bike is not the best to be on, I have looked at the GSF650F for me but I am still looking as its a wee bit tall lol 

Geoff ... its each to their own ... I feel the same way about Honda !

                                                                                                                                                                             

Not trying to compare at all Geoff. I got one of the last pre-Vtech VFR's for build quality, and to be honest, all round riding experience. But now we are doing a lot more touring miles, I need a bit more riding comfort. Coming back from over 2000 miles in 7 days feeling like my left warm was going to fall off was not a fun end to a holiday. Being 2 up with full luggage = need for a physically bigger bike with a more upright position. Sh*t, am I getting old?!                                                                                                                                                                             

Thanks Shell, its a 2008 Im looking at too. Will pm Mr P when i get a bit more time . . . . point taken about the gel seat for pilly though, no point in me being nice and comfy, to have moans and groans in my ear everyday for a fortnight!!                                                                                                                                                                             

"Sh*t, am I getting old?!"

Yes mate lol!                                                                                                                                                                             

Slidy ... I'm biased here of course, but if you're looking at the Bandit "style" ... ie large, upright, semi naked ... then have you considered a CB1300S?

I can certainly vouch for their reliability and comfort.  I've done over 700 miles in a day on mine and yet it's still reasonably fun in the corners.  I've kept up with sporty 600s etc in the Alps without too much trouble.

Roachy has done roughly half that distance on the back in reasonable comfort as well.

Don't get me wrong, the Bandit is a good bike (despite being a Suzuki lol), but the CB is more powerful, has more torque, has a very similar riding position and seat height.  But it has a better tank range (important whilst touring) and doesn't suffer from the top box encroaching on the pillion seat.

Mine is showing just short of 60k on the clock, done in about four years, through all weather and ridden through every winter.  In that time not a single problem (other than a lot of tyres lol).  Very recently I decided to have it fully serviced by a good dealer and they were very impressed with the condition of the bike given the mileage.  It needed four shims replacing (the first ones ever) and they reckon the cam chain tensioner is only around a third of the way through its travel!

Like I said before, I'm biased and having one bad episode with the only Suzuki I ever bought* (admittedly they are much better nowadays), I know which one I'd go for lol!

(* Bought a GP100 once and within a week of living outside it was starting to rust!)                                                                                                                                                                             

Slidy I agree, Ians last bike I could go all day sat on, but even my pilly accustomed arse could not on the factory fitted seat on the bandit, on a long haul every full tank of fuel had to be accompanied by a long break to get the blood flowing again and the feeling back it's fine now tho I can do all day if out pilly.

I think the fact that they fully faired it has helped a lot with it's looks, I know a full tank matches my SV fully loaded , I would say as a pilly the top box has never encroached or dug into me when loaded, the first year we went two up to france which all the luggage was on and I had a large rucksack no probs at all.

I told Ian to look out for your PM as he doesn't come on often

I have a 2008 1250 bandit,it came with sat nav and hard panniers and top box fitted.We went touring France 2 up with all camping gear and kit for two weeks,travelled 3 to 400 miles a day with no problems at all.