Considering a FZ1

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blokv1100

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Newbie here. I am a long time member of theGSResources.com forum.
I am 41 and have owned a number of Suzuki GS bikes, I now own a GS1100L.

However, I am in the market for a Sport Tour bike.

It is down to two bikes now. I will own in the near future either a FZ1 or a Bandit 1200S. :D

Here is where I need your help.

Please tell me what advantages the FZ1 has over the 1200 Bandit S.

Please don't post about how Bandits suck, etc.
I am interested in riding comfort, performance, dependability, etc. I would be interested in hearing from someone who has owned both and why they stuck with the FZ1. I am interested in someone who was comparing these to bikes also.
On weekends, I typically ride 150 - 250 mi. a day and I'm looking for a bike that will give me comfort and performance.

Your input is appreciated, thanks for taking the time to post your reply.
 
better value when you want to sell it
better regional
better company(yamaha) on issues guarantees
better quality of manufacture , with new lines

for me the only reason that the particular machine(1200s) sells is the price , very cheap!
 
It depends what you want from the bike, tour or sportish kind

the bandit is more on the touring side comfortable, the tourqe is more linear while the FZ1 is a mounted R1 engine the tourqe comes at higher rev.

FZ1 has 150 HP
Bandit 98 HP

The FZ1 has a aluminum body while the bandit is steel. Peaople say quite soft when driving hard.


Even looking at the pictures you can see the difference in the quality.
although both are very relayable.

Best things:
1. Is to know yourself and your nature of riding. The FZ1 people tend to be
more Hooligans ;)
2. Go and do a test ride on both, recomanded in the same day.

Good luck!
 
the Bandit is a decent bike , that is made to a budget price . it is reliable & has enough poke to keep you happy , but it suffers from low resale & isnt anything special IMO .

the FZ1 is a high build quality bike , with a stonking engine . it has a great chassis , suspension / brake package & has good resale value .

p.s. the FZ1's styling is one of its key features .. :)
 
Comparing an FZ1 and a Bandit is like chalk and cheese. The FZ1 is a stonkingly quick bike with a great chassis, a technological tour de force. The bandit is a tourer, not that that is bad just not the same type of bike.
 
Coincidentally, I rode the 2008 Bandit 1250 S and 2008 FZ1 back to back before buying the FZ1 two weeks ago. This after riding a 2007 Suzuki SV 650 for a year (so I was open minded to Suzuki) and multiple Honda motorcross bikes over the years.

The Bandit impressed with it's linear torque, as mentioned above, and sewing machine-like smoothness. The six speed tranny felt more positively engaged when shifting thru gears and trying to find neutral, and the wind coverage was about the same as the FZ1. But the bike felt heavy overall and was relatively uninspiring thru the twisties relative to the FZ1.

I ultimately bought the FZ1 because it was so much more sporting. I too put a couple hundred miles on the bike over a weekend (maybe not in the same day, but I did order the gel seat :)). And I really appreciate the FZ1's stiff, modern frame, wicked acceleration, and sense of urgency conveyed by the rumble at idle or when blipping the throttle. Overall, I just found the FZ1 more exciting.

From a cost perspective, I could have gotten the Bandit for about the same price as the FZ1 -- with ABS which isn't offered on the FZ1 in the States, but the FZ1 was mathmatically a better deal --- deeper discount.

The only other bit of info that I'd offer is that I test rode most new bikes in similar categories from Ducati, Buell, Triumph, Kawasaki and even Harley, but pulled out my checkbook for the FZ1 and am now registering a ton of smiles to the mile.

Best of luck in your decision.
 
I think I already replied to your post over at thegsresources.com. I have owned both and have settled on a gen 2 FZ1. It's a better sport bike. I think the build quality is a lot higher as well.
 
^^
i work for a Suzuki motorcycle dealership & sell Suzuki's for a living , i can honestly tell you . the Bandit 1250 has nothing & i mean nothing on the FZ1 in terms of build quality , suspension components , braking , performance & style , i could have purchased a new Suzuki @ cost price . but ultimately i purchased a new FZ1N & paid a lot more $$ but you cant put a price on quality & style can you now .. ;)

p.s. i have no regrets & am glad i went with a Yamaha FZ1N "money well spent" ..
 
Quality always wins in the long run!

MEAN 1 said:
^^
i work for a Suzuki motorcycle dealership & sell Suzuki's for a living , i can honestly tell you . the Bandit 1250 has nothing & i mean nothing on the FZ1 in terms of build quality , suspension components , braking , performance & style , i could have purchased a new Suzuki @ cost price . but ultimately i purchased a new FZ1N & paid a lot more $$ but you cant put a price on quality & style can you now .. ;)

p.s. i have no regrets & am glad i went with a Yamaha FZ1N \"money well spent\" ..
Click to expand...

Well there you have it: I always prefer to do business with people who put their own money behind the products they sell, and while I quite agree that the Bandit is a fine machine, I wouldn't have bought the GenII I ride now, if I hadn't enjoyed the GenI I had before it. I think you just get a better product with the Yamaha, and well if it's good enough for Valintino Rossi, I guess it's good enough for me, although, Suzuki people might say if it's good enough for Ben Spies...., but I think if you get the opportunity to ride both before buying, well it should make it obvious what everyone here is yodeling about, good luck.:D
 
I too have had many different bikes, but have really fallen hard for the FZ. I have used it for a track day and recently rode 800 miles over a long weekend. It is an outstanding motorcycle.
 
I have owned bikes from all of the jap 'big four'. The last bikes, R6, R1 and now fz1s were bought without being blinkered or biased: The yamaha just seems to have the balance of fun/cost AND top build quality. Recent Suzukis seem to have taken a step backwards with quality, Honda just doesnt seem to have the depth of finsih as it had in the past, where Yamaha just seem to get better and better.
The Bandit has little to commend it excepet a torquey motor. It makes no sense as as a brand new purchase, but is good value 2nd hand (because of heavy discounting and depreciation!)All components look cheap and cheerful.

Buy the fazer, you wont be sorry!
 
and some feedback from a Belgian FZ1 rider. I've been riding Suzuki GS, Honda CB, Kawasaki KZ and GPZ, and after a Yamaha XJ900S, I got myself now an FZ1 2008. I've been able to compare the quality of different Japanese brands, and must confess that I regret now not going immediately for Yamaha. In general their quality of the engines and bike setup off-factory is already damn good and the riding experience puts a bigger smile on your face than other brands.
Honestly, if money was not a limited factor, I'd may opted for a BMW GS or K-series, but the FZ1 is for me the ideal bike. I can use it for commuting, weekend trips in the Belgian Ardennes, long distance travels, low speed al kind of exercises and even on the race track. I mean 150HP will get you very fast at the next corner:).
I agree with some previous comments, a gelsadle may be a next mod and the ABS on the rear brake kicks in a bit too quick, but other than that, it's a great bike.
My friend rides a Suzuki BAndit 1200, and he's pretty pleased with it, but I let him ride my FZ1 round the block, and now he's getting him scheduled a proper testride

It all depends on what you wanna do with your bike, enjoy the trill of the torque and speed and cornering kicks with the FZ1, or the comfortable linearity of the Bandit. PS on cornering, also my FZ1 (just got 1200km on the clock) is scraping it's peg-antennas on the ground too soon to my liking :confused:
 
HIJACK....

DenArnold said:
....... PS on cornering, also my FZ1 (just got 1200km on the clock) is scraping it's peg-antennas on the ground too soon to my liking :confused:
Click to expand...

Have you done anything with the suspension? I don't own a GenII, so I can't speak from experience, but I've heard/read, from the FZoa forum, that the shock is not the best thing that money can buy, and I think I've read that it can't really be serviced for the proper weight (any others chime in if I'm wrong, tis still early in the am, and can't reference since the site is down at the moment). It might operate just fine for someone @ or around 150, but if you start creeping up closer to 200+lbs, it cannot function like it was intended.

I own a Gen I, and my rear shock went kuput (it is an aftermarket FOX racing shock), and I'm sending it off to be rebuilt for me, around 225lbs. I found a replacement yamaha factory shock, Gen I for under 35.00 off an '05, and I shall get to compare the two to see if there is truly a difference that can be felt. It is not comparing apples to apples, GenI vs GenII, but there should be something to report when all is through.

Hijack over...

Thanks,
BroHay
 
I test rode the Bandit while comparing it to the FZ1. The Bandit has more torque, but the FZ is IMHO a better bike. Better build, newer technology, better resale. I'd take the FZ again in a heartbeat. Here, near LA, new '08 FZ1's are being advertised OTD for $8599, plus the Yamaha zero, zero, zero financing. You can't go wrong! (I even saw a new '07 for $7999)
 
Apparently, dealers ordered more units of all cycles than usual because of the run-up in gas prices this spring/summer. Now that prices have fallen and the economy has slumped they are really, really hurting. The credit crisis isn't helping either!

I was quoted some crazy $OTD prices (all cash).

'08 GSX-r1000--$10,099 in writing--$9599 verbal (orange only)
'08 Busa--$10,899
'08 B-King--$10,799

I bought my FZ1 for $8119.23 OTD. I brought in the add for the '07 FZ1 mentioned earlier and told them I wanted the '08 for the same price. I had a Cashier's check for $8000 made out to the dealer and other dealers in the area (having multiple names on the check works). Finally, after playing the game for an hour. I opened up my wallet, took out all my cash--$119.23 and added that to my offer and they took it!
 
Last edited:
FZ1IL said:
It depends what you want from the bike, tour or sportish kind

the bandit is more on the touring side comfortable, the tourqe is more linear while the FZ1 is a mounted R1 engine the tourqe comes at higher rev.

FZ1 has 150 HP
Bandit 98 HP

The FZ1 has a aluminum body while the bandit is steel. Peaople say quite soft when driving hard.


Even looking at the pictures you can see the difference in the quality.
although both are very relayable.

Best things:
1. Is to know yourself and your nature of riding. The FZ1 people tend to be
more Hooligans ;)
2. Go and do a test ride on both, recomanded in the same day.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

Well, are you ready to join the ranks of us Hooligans!:hug:
 
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