Quick Ride
QUICK RIDE
ROUNDUP
SUZUKI BANDIT 400 Backroad bushwhacker
HEY, WE ADMIT IT: ONE OF the greater joys derived from riding small-displacement sportbikes is the satisfaction of whipping the big-bore boys down a tight stretch of road that by all rights they ought to own.
Suzuki’s Bandit 400 makes an ideal partner in crime when committing such weekend canyon capers, but don’t get the wrong idea that the Bandit is just another narrow-focus motorcycle. It offers the model citizen a reformed and respectable mode of transport for scooting about town on a daily basis, too.
Now into its third year of production, the Bandit remains virtually unchanged from last year’s bike, which finished in a respectable runner-up position to the Yamaha Seca II in our “Bargain Blasters” comparison (CW, February, 1992). When a bike is as right as the Bandit, there’s no need to change just for change’s sake, and there is a lot to be said for the bike’s sexy, Italianesque styling, sub400-pound dry weight, nimble handling, strong brakes and affordable, $3699 price tag.
Not that Suzuki’s small-bore superbike is perfect. The Bandit’s ergonomics don’t lend themselves to long stays in the saddle, especially for riders over 5 foot 8. The seat’s shape and thin padding conspire with fairly high-mounted footpegs as the major perpetrators of rider discomfort. At least the Bandit’s tubular handlebar places the rider’s torso in a natural, upright position. Passenger accommodations are also tight, although adequate for the occasional two-up jaunt, providing both rider and passenger are smallish in size.
Short freeway hops are pleasant enough, with the KYB suspension delivering adequate ride compliance over expansion joints, and the Dunlop tires tracking well through rain grooves. Only a mild level of engine vibration reaches the rider while cruising at 65 mph in top gear; vibration levels never become uncomfortable, even when the Bandit’s GSXR-style motor is spun to its 13,000-rpm redline.
Sadly, the Bandit continues to be one of the coldest-blooded motorcycles CW has tested recently. Getting the 398cc, liquid-cooled, 16-valve, dohc inline-Four to fire when cold isn’t really a problem, but leaving the choke on for any length of time will result in fouled sparkplugs. Expect, however, a few minutes of choke-off warmup before you can pull out into traffic, and another few minutes before the engine is thoroughly warm.
Once thoroughly warm, the engine runs well right off the bottom, aiding in-town travel, with very little clutch slip needed to pull cleanly away from a stop. Keep the engine singing between 8000 rpm and redline, and the Bandit can be a real weapon. It’s also one of the most enjoyable motorcycles to ride quickly, a true backroad scratcher’s delight that repays in kind proper gear selection, aggressive braking and a wellchosen line through corners.
So, Open-class sportbike riders beware, there just may be a Bandit lurking in the shadows.
Don Canet
