Thursday, September 30, 2010

2003 Yamaha FJR1300 vs. Honda ST1300

Source:http://www.ridermagazine.com/output.cfm?id=142849

2003 Yamaha FJR1300 vs. Honda ST1300
Battle of the light-heavyweights.
Bill Stermer
Rider Report
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Kevin Wing / Rider Report

There’s nothing like a major sporting event to stir the blood: The World Series, Super Bowl, Stanley Cup Finals, NBA Finals, World Cup or a good prize fight. By matching the new 2003 Honda ST1300 with Yamaha’s new FJR1300, we have motorcycling’s equivalent of a good light-heavyweight fight.

Going toe-to-toe here are two new models, each with a proud lineage. Each wants the title, and carries a load of the good technical stuff. They float like butterflies, sting like B-52s. Both are at the top of their game.

The 2003 Honda ST1300 ABS and Yamaha FJR1300 utilize different styles, like the classic boxer-vs.-puncher bout. The ABS-model Honda enters this fray wielding technology and tonnage to spare. Its focus is on luxurious long-distance comfort through adjustable rider seating, a huge range of windshield adjustability, anti-lock linked braking and suspension quality. Yamaha’s strategy is a hard-edged road burner with a less-is-more philosophy: more brute power, but less in terms of weight, price and level of luxury. The more Spartan Yamaha’s only counter to the above is an electric windshield, albeit one that offers much less range and protection. We’ll provide the front-row seat as to which bike works best for your needs.

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Because we’ve already covered each of these new machines extensively in recent road tests, the FJR1300 in the August 2002 edition and the ST1300 the following month, here we’ll start with a brief review, then take them on the road to let them slug it out.

Rider Report

Lineage

The Honda ST1300 is an update of the ST1100 that first appeared as a 1990 model and, with revisions, lasted through 2002. It was known for its smooth power, supple suspension, major avoirdupois, 7.4-gallon fuel tank and high gearing. Though still powered by a longitudinal, liquid-cooled DOHC, four-valve V-4, the new ST1300 now displaces 1,261cc with a 10.8:1 compression ratio, and utilizes PGM fuel injection.

The Yamaha FJR1300 is an update of the line of big air-cooled, four-cylinder road burners, the FJ1100 that first appeared in 1984, and the 1986 FJ1200 that lasted through 1993. The new 1,298cc model retains the in-line, transverse, DOHC four-cylinder layout with four-valve heads, but is now an all-new engine with liquid cooling and Mitsubishi electronic fuel injection. Both utilize shaft final drive.

Price

Rider Report

Though these bikes are both 1300-class, four-cylinder sport tourers with driveshafts, fairings, removable saddlebags and electrically adjustable windshields, the price differential makes this something less than an apples-to-apples comparison. Yamaha’s FJR1300 is available as a single model with an electrically adjusted windshield for an MSRP of $11,499 (we have heard rumors that for 2004 the standard ‘03 bags will become optional and the bike’s price remain the same or increase). The Honda ST1300 is available both as a standard machine ($12,999), the shield of which is only manually adjustable, and an ABS model ($14,499), which is the one we tested, featuring anti-lock brakes and an electrically adjustable shield. OK, let’s get to work.

Performance

Start them up and each four-cylinder engine is a marvel of smoothness and power. Out on the road the Yamaha feels aggressive, like a big-inch supersport that grew a fairing and bags. The Honda, by contrast, seems designed from the beginning as a sport tourer. Its pleasing mechanical purr becomes a snarl in the upper rpm ranges. While the Yamaha peaks at 124.5 rear-wheel horsepower at 7,850 rpm and puts out 90.1 pounds-feet of torque at 6,700, the Honda cranks out 111.3 peak rear-wheel horsepower at 7,700 rpm, and makes 83.6 pounds-feet of torque at 6,100 rpm. Both have steep horsepower graph lines and hugely broad powerbands, but the Yamaha’s torque curve has some rolling hills in it, while the Honda’s is as flat as Nebraska.

Roll-ons are a good measure of how midrange power interacts with gear ratios and weight. The lighter, more powerful FJR pulls away smartly from the Honda during third-gear roll-ons at 3,000 and 4,000 rpm. At 5,000 rpm, however, the Honda is coming into its power range and hangs much closer. In fifth-gear roll-ons, again, the FJR leaves the ST flat.

While the FJR, with its dual gear-driven counterbalancers, is acceptably smooth through most of its rev range, one high-speed romp left a tester with numb hands. The Honda, also with dual counterbalancers and slightly higher gearing, was always a gentleman in terms of engine vibes. However, excessive driveline lash and engine heat on the rider’s legs were annoyances on the Honda, while the Yamaha’s five-speed shifts well, the Honda’s shifts superbly.

Wind Protection

The first requisite of a sport tourer is long-distance comfort, a balance of wind protection, smoothness, ergo-nomics and seating comfort. Both of these machines offer good-sized fairings with adjustable windshields. The Yamaha’s is electrically operated by means of a thumb-operated pushbutton over a range of 4.6 inches vertically, and a 20-degree angle. While it offers adequate protection, we recommend the optional shield that is 4 inches taller and 2 wider. The standard-model Honda’s shield is fixed in place, but offers 2.3 inches of manual adjustment by repositioning the shield on its mounting brackets.

The shield on the ABS-model Honda is electrically adjustable up to 7.4 inches vertically and a 13-degree angle, and it can also be manually repositioned. As it rises from the low position, the wind at first comes over the top of the shield, then around the sides where it pushes the rider forward. The wind tends to be noisy until the shield’s top is at or near eye level, where the ST1300 rider sits comfortably in a pocket of still air. With its greater height and adjustability range, and because it sits closer to the rider, the Honda’s shield offers greater wind protection.

Seating Comfort

A multiadjustable rider’s portion of the seat gives the Honda rider not only three heights within a range of 1.2 inches vertically, but it also slides 1 inch fore-and-aft and adjusts for slant. We average-sized riders were able to find a very suitable position. The Yamaha, though its seat is non-adjustable, was very satisfactory to our staff, the right blend of cush with firmness, and with a fixed but nicely low height that makes the bike easy to paddle around.

Saddlebags

Both bikes come standard with hard-shell, lockable, easily removable saddlebags, and both look better with their bags in place. Each bag will hold a full-face helmet. Outwardly, the Honda’s bags appear to be larger and more fully integrated into the bodywork. However, what appears to be extra room toward the front is really quite shallow and of little use. The Honda’s also lack hold-down straps.

The Yamaha’s bags appear to be more stuck-on than integrated, yet hold approximately the same amount as the Honda’s and utilize convenient hold-down straps. The Honda’s remove and attach slightly more easily, and their latches work better. The Yamaha’s boxlike shape make them easier to pack. Each has a luggage rack, but only Yamaha offers an accessory top trunk.

Suspension/Brakes

These big bikes just beg to be ridden fast, and for that you’re going to want a capable set of suspenders. The FJR’s fully adjustable 48mm fork is certainly compliant. Its single rear shock offers two-position spring preload, and is adjustable for rebound damping. At very aggressive speeds, you may wish for more firmness and less fork dive. Still, for 95 percent of your sport-touring needs, it’s right where you want it.

The ST’s single rear shock is adjustable for spring preload and rebound damping, and offers a very solid feel with good control and damping. Despite its non-adjustable, 45mm cartridge fork, the ST delivers that rare plush/controlled feel, and throws in remarkable anti-dive qualities to boot.

The latter is partly because of the Honda’s linked braking system; using either the front lever or the rear pedal activates the stoppers at both ends. Through a proportional control valve, the majority of braking force is delivered to whichever brake was actuated with more force. A delay valve in the fork slows initial braking response to minimize fork dive, and it all works very well.

Our test ST was equipped with anti-lock brakes, which of course can be paint-savers (or better) under tricky traction conditions. It provided quick, short, secure stops on a variety of surfaces. The Yamaha’s brakes, though off the R1 sportbike, did not offer quite the bite we wished, and the rear locked too easily.

Handling

Perhaps the most remarkable difference between these bikes is in their handling. The FJR, with its 26 degrees of rake, 4.3 inches of trail and 60.6-inch wheelbase, turns by means of aggressive inputs from the rider’s upper body and pressure on the handlebars. It loves fast sweepers but demands work in tight turns. The Honda, by contrast, combines its shorter 58.7-inch wheelbase with a 26-degree rake and 3.9 inches of trail. These, along with the new lower, more forward-weight bias and tire choice, result in much more responsive, relatively low-effort steering despite the bike being 81 pounds heavier than the Yamaha. With a swing of the rider’s hips the Honda delights in tight turns.

Passenger Accommodations

A major consideration for couples is how well a prospective ride treats its co-rider. A passenger aboard the Yamaha finds a relatively short rear seat that tucks him or her into the rider and forces the knees out to the sides. The seat is firm, and the windblast relatively unaffected by the position of the windscreen.

Rider Report

The Honda’s passenger has roomier accommodations, on a cushier seat, with the feet lower and more relaxed. They experience a similar amount of benefit as the adjustable shield slides up and down. Load capacity is 415 pounds on the Yamaha, and 395 on the Honda.

Range

With these two silver bullets the lighter, more powerful Yamaha burned a gallon every 38.4 miles, while the porkier Honda offered 42.6 miles per gallon on the same ride. With its 6.6-gallon tank the Yamaha offers a very respectable range of 253 miles per tank. A 5.5-gallon conventional tank on the Honda, combined with another 2.2 gallons below the seat, delivers a remarkable range of 328 miles. That should be enough for anyone’s loneliest road.

The Little Things

Two small fairing compartments, one lockable, and a larger underseat area, allow the ST1300 rider to bring along perhaps two pairs of midweight gloves, a U-lock and some road food. It also offers hidden tipover bars, two helmet hooks, a 660-watt alternator and electric headlight adjuster—but no available trunk.

The FJR1300 offers a U-lock/glove compartment, no helmet hooks and a 490-watt alternator. Both have centerstands and catalysts. According to their makers, the Yamaha meets U.S. and California 2006 emissions standards; the Honda meets 2008 standards.

Rider Report

Split Decision

It’s no cop-out to say that each of these bikes is a winner. Which you choose will depend upon your performance/luxury/price balance. If you invested heavily in dot.coms, Worldcom and Enron stocks, and are just scraping by, the Yamaha’s 20 percent price advantage makes it an easy call. It is also the slugger, the sportier of the two, and at 635 pounds wet weighs 81 pounds less than the 716-pound Honda. You can certainly feel that weight as you paddle around the parking lot, but in turns it’s less of a factor.

If on the other hand you like sporty riding but have come to prefer it mixed with some degree of luxury, as long as you’re willing to pay the price to obtain it the Honda’s quick steering response more than makes up for the weight difference. With its better weather protection and well-controlled, squash-butt comfort, the Honda ST1300 is the finesse fighter.

So what will it be, great performance with some luxury, or luxury with a good deal of performance? If your sport-touring preferences lean toward the former, and you like your bikes leaner, meaner and less expensive, remember these three little letters: FJR. Or if you can justify it, choose the Honda ST1300. Stay tuned for long-term reports on both bikes ASAP.

2003 Honda ST1300

Rider Report

Base Price: $12,999, $14,999 w/ ABS

Engine Type: Liquid-cooled, long. 90-degree V-4, DOHC, 4 vales per cyl.

Displacement: 1,261cc

Bore x Stroke: 78.0 x 66.0mm

Transmission: 5-speed, hydraulically actuated wet clutch

Final Drive: Shaft, 2.833:1

Wheelbase: 58.7 in.

Rake/Trail: 26 degrees, 3.9 in.

Seat Height: 30.5, 31.1 & 31.7 in.

Wet Weight: 716 lbs.

Fuel Capacity: 7.7 gals., warning light on last 1.2 gal.

Average mpg: 42.6



2003 Yamaha FJR1300

Base Price: $11,499

Engine Type: Liquid-cooled, transverse in-line four, DOHC, 4 valves per cyl.

Displacement: 1,298cc

Bore x Stroke: 79.0 x 66.2mm

Transmission: 5-speed, hydraulically actuated wet clutch

Final Drive: Shaft, 2.773:1

Wheelbase: 60.6 in.

Rake/Trail: 26 degrees/ 4.3 in.

Seat Height: 31.7 in.

Wet Weight: 635 lbs.

Fuel Capacity: 6.6 gals., warning light on last 1.3 gal.

Average mpg: 38.4

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Monday, September 13, 2010

Keperluan untuk beli motor Singapore

Keperluan untuk beli motor Singapore
1.Lesen Antarabangsa
-boleh dibuat di JPJ di sempadan dengan harga rm150/year
-sebelum buat lesen antarabangsa ini,lesen Malaysia perlu hidup paling kurang setahun.So.seeloknya hidupkan 2 tahun(..senang cerita)
-tujuan dibuat lesen antarabangsa ini adalah kerana untuk tukar nama motor dan tujuan insuran motor.
-kedai motor singapore perlukan lesen antarabangsa untuk motor itu dijual pada kita.

-bawak 2-3 keping gambar passport utk buat lesen antarabangsa ini

2.COE
-seeloknya hidupkan untuk 10tahun..kosnya SD1000=RM2360/per 10year

3.Insuran
-SD300=RM708/year

4.Road Tax
600cc-->SD150=RM354/year
1300cc--->SD450=RM1040/year

5.Inspection
-SD17=RM40/year
-pemeriksaan dilakukan di puspakom Singapore(lebih kurang ler..)

6.Kita perlukan alamat di Singapore untuk beli motor Singapore.
-Jika tidak ada alamat di Singapore,boleh pakai alamat kedai motor untuk surat menyurat.

So anda sendiri boleh totalkan kos setahun untuk pakai motor Singapore ini.

Sekian Terima Kasih
-PG

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Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Honda CBR 1100 XX Super Blackbird 1998

98 Honda CBR 1100 XX Super Blackbird specificationsHonda CBR 1100 XX Super Blackbird 1998


1998 Honda CBR 1100 XX Super Blackbird photo
Picture credits - Jack Edwards. Click to submit more pictures.
Show big 1998 Honda CBR 1100 XX Super Blackbird imageShow more 1998 Honda CBR 1100 XX Super Blackbird images
1998 Honda CBR 1100 XX Super Blackbird

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General information
Model:Honda CBR 1100 XX Super Blackbird
Year:1998
Category:Sport touring
Rating:78.9 out of 100. Show full rating and compare with other bikes
Engine and transmission
Displacement:1137.00 ccm (69.38 cubic inches)
Engine type:In-line four, four-stroke
Power:164.00 HP (119.7 kW)) @ 10000 RPM
Torque:124.00 Nm (12.6 kgf-m or 91.5 ft.lbs) @ 7250 RPM
Top speed:295.0 km/h (183.3 mph)
Valves per cylinder:4
Cooling system:Liquid
Gearbox:6-speed
Transmission type,
final drive:
Chain
Chassis, suspension, brakes and wheels
Front brakes:Dual disc
Rear brakes:Single disc
Physical measures and capacities
Dry weight:223.0 kg (491.6 pounds)
Power/weight ratio:0.7354 HP/kg
Seat height:810 mm (31.9 inches) If adjustable, lowest setting.
Other specifications
Starter:Electric
Further information
Parts and accessoriesCheck out parts and accessories from our partners.
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Insurance, loans, testsCheck out insurance here. Search the web for dealers, loan costs, tests, customizing, etc.
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Macamana nak beli motor singapura?

Source:http://selesamotorsport.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-07-14T10:42:00-07:00&max-results=7
Anda perlukan passport antarabangsa untuk memasuki negara singa dengan bayaran RM 100 untuk tempoh 2 tahun, jika beli dengan kami tak perlu buat passport sebab kami yang akan masuk dan bawa motor balik ke Johor. Buat lesen antarbangsa di JPJ berdekatan dengan bayaran RM 150 setahun, sediakan 2 keping gambar berukuran pasport dan lesen Malaysia anda mestilah mempunyai tempoh sah lebih setahun. Sekiranya anda tidak mempunyai lesen antarabangsa pihak kedai motor tidak akan dapat membuat insurans atas nama anda dan membuat tukarnama. Motor dan insuran adalah atas nama anda dan alamat surat menyurat gunakan alamat kedai motor sekiranya anda tidak mempunyai alamat di sana. Perlu diingat anda tidak akan mendapat geran seperti di Malaysia kerana geran di Singapura adalah secara maya iaitu anda boleh melihat secara online di internet. https://vrl.lta.gov.sg/lta/vrl/JSP/errorFrame.jsp?theURL=/JSP/serviceNotAvailable.jsp&userType=P&a=1277231689636

Selain membayar tukarnama, cukai jalan dan insurans anda juga perlu mengetahui bilakah COE motor akan tamat (motor 2nd hand). Setiap COE adalah 10 tahun dan anda boleh renew COE sekiranya telah tamat tempoh 10 tahun. Sebagai contoh sekiranya anda ingin membeli motor 2nd hand tahun 2001 maka anda perlu renew COE pada tahun 2011. Harga untuk renew COE berbeza2 mengikut tahun, mungkin SING 600 dolar atau SING 100 dolar.

Anda perlu membuat inspection setiap tahun untuk renew roadtax dan insurans dan sekiranya anda tidak mahu membuat sendiri(masuk ke seberang tambak) kami boleh uruskan dengan kadar bayaran yang berpatutan.

Yang paling penting anda mempunyai dokumen yang lengkap seperti lesen memandu antarabangsa, roadtax dan insurans pastu boleh memecut tanpa ragu.

Tepuk dada tanya selera, adakah anda hendak menunggang kapcai seumur hidup atau menjadi penunggang superbike....

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Monday, September 6, 2010

Bandit1200s spec

Source:

05 Suzuki Bandit 1200 S specificationsSuzuki Bandit 1200 S 2005



2005 Suzuki Bandit 1200 S photo
Picture credits - Suzuki. Click to submit more pictures.


2005 Suzuki Bandit 1200 S

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Suzuki's profilation of this bike
This standard-styled machine features an aerodynamic, aggressively styled fairing with bright projector-beam headlights and protective windscreen. Other highlights include a comfortable seat and stylish tail section, lightweight components and a powerful four-stroke engine.

General information
Model:Suzuki Bandit 1200 S
Year:2005
Category:Allround
Rating:77.2 out of 100. Show full rating and compare with other bikes
Price as new (MSRP):US$ 7399. Prices depend on country, taxes, accessories, etc.
Engine and transmission
Displacement:1157.00 ccm (70.60 cubic inches)
Engine type:In-line four, four-stroke
Compression:9.5:1
Bore x stroke:79.0 x 59.0 mm (3.1 x 2.3 inches)
Valves per cylinder:4
Fuel system:Carburettor
Fuel control:DOHC
Cooling system:Oil & air
Gearbox:5-speed
Transmission type,
final drive:
Chain
Chassis, suspension, brakes and wheels
Front suspension:Telescopic, oil damped, preload adjustable
Rear suspension:Link-type suspension, 7-way adjustable preload, 4-way adjustable rebound
Front tyre dimensions:120/70-ZR17
Rear tyre dimensions:180/55-ZR17
Front brakes:Double disc
Rear brakes:Single disc
Physical measures and capacities
Dry weight:221.0 kg (487.2 pounds)
Seat height:790 mm (31.1 inches) If adjustable, lowest setting.
Overall height:1,220 mm (48.0 inches)
Overall length:2,070 mm (81.5 inches)
Overall width:765 mm (30.1 inches)
Ground clearance:130 mm (5.1 inches)
Wheelbase:1,430 mm (56.3 inches)
Fuel capacity:20.00 litres (5.28 gallons)
Other specifications
Color options:Blue/White
Further information
Parts and accessoriesCheck out parts and accessories from our partners.
Ask questionsJoin the 05 Suzuki Bandit 1200 S discussion group.
Insurance, loans, tests Check out insurance here. Search the web for dealers, loan costs, tests, customizing, etc.
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Before you buy this bike, you should view the list of related motorbikes Compare technical specs. Look at photos. And check out the rating of the bike's engine performance, repair costs, etc.

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Bandit1200s review

Source:http://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/suzuki/2001-suzuki-bandit-1200s-16413.html
Los Angeles, July 18, 2000 -- A normal part of any new bike intro is a photo session somewhere around the mid to late portion of the day's ride. This particular intro saw Tom Riles behind the lens, pointing away at various riders taking their turns through bends in the road until, in one particularly off-camber and nasty corner, Master Riles got the living stuff scared out of him when we came towards him at a high rate of speed sounding like we were towing an anvil along behind us; complete with sparking light show and a little bob-and-weave of the chassis to add just a little more drama to the moment.

No worry, Tom, we're professionals; and that's just the foot pegs carving a little niche for themselves in the pavement while the

front end sticks to the road and the Macadam 90X tires let us know pretty much everything but the half-life of the pebbles they're coming in contact with. Granted, this is no racebike - or even a real sport bike when you get down to it - but for a semi-faired standard, it does a remarkable impression from time to time, given a bit of impetus from, lets say, a photographer in close proximity with a loaded camera pointed your way?

What's so impressive about this Bandit compared to previous iterations is not so much what it does well, as much as what it doesn't do:

The mirrors don't turn your rearward view into something that resembles a kaleidescope at anything above idle; the minimalist-looking fairing doesn't buffet your helmet until the paint job starts flaking off; the motor doesn't buzz your hands to the point that you're willing to clamp them in a vice just to see if there's a chance of ever recovering some feeling in them; and the front end doesn't turn to junk after 600 miles of fun - which is what this bike delivers far more frequently and in much greater quantity than you'd ever suspect.

When we sampled Suzuki's Bandit 600S a few months ago we were please with the bike, but not overly impressed. It was a good commuter and could pull off mild sport duty pretty well, but the motor was a bit on the wheezy side and, paired with an obnoxious buzz, not all that fun to do the highway drone on should there be ample mileage between your chosen set of curves. We expected similar things from the 1200 but, once again Suzuki has surprised us with a bike that is, pardon the cliche, more than the sum of its parts.

Bandit 1200 sales started off at a rather lowly 18,160 units in 1996 only to surpass the 60,000 mark for 1999 which is a three-fold increase in only three years, but Suzuki doesn't plan on stopping there. Having done extensive market research, they found that the average Bandit buyer is 35 to 44 years of age, has over 15 years of riding experience and uses the bike as a secondary vehicle primarily for sport touring duty which goes a long way towards explaining the focus of the Bandit's changes. At a retail price of $7,399 (an increase of only $150 US Dollars), it's no surprise that 87 percent of buyers say their number one reason for choosing the Bandit is value. But, thankfully, a neutered price tag does not come at the expense of diminished fun.

The design goal for the new Bandit was to, "maintain the Bandit's originality and distinctive character while refining performance and features." There was a paradox created in the execution of these parameters in that the design team wanted not only sportier performance, but a comfortable ride as well; the two of which rarely, if ever, go hand in hand.

"Yeah, baaaby. This bike is all about me. I am this bike on so many levels it's scary."

Suzuki hopes that they addressed most of the complaints from earlier models with this Year 2001 Bandit 1200S, starting with the larger fuel tank capacity. The new model carries 20 liters which is a one liter increase over the previous model. While this is definitely a good thing in the long run, a few of us on the intro noted a slightly more top-heavy feel to the (fully fueled) bike when compared - seat of the pants - to the previous version. As for the other improvements, there were fewer side-effects than with the larger gas tank.

The main targets with the motor were to improve what was not only sluggish throttle response, but carburetion that was excessively lean and was sometimes surge-happy when cruising along at certain RPM. Along the way, Suzuki felt it wise to empower the old mill with a few more foot-pounds of torque as well as some more horsepower at low and mid-range speeds, and who are we to argue with a notion like that?

Again, a caveat in that Suzuki - while addressing the lean surging - would attempt to clean up emissions even further, seemingly leading to even worse surging. But Suzuki was able to attain their lower emissions goal while not only eliminating most - if not all - of the surging and what was previously a rather wicked flat spot in the power with the help a new throttle position sensor (TPS) on the Mikuni BSR36 carburetors. Mated with ignition timing maps which are different not only from the previous year's version, but from each other as well. The number two and three cylinders and the number one and four cylinders have different maps that vary dependent upon throttle opening as well as engine RPM.

Even more power was found by changing the cam profiles and a few changes were made to stand up to the added oomph as well as to ensure longevity. The new oil cooler has grown from 280 mm tall to 355 mm tall while maintaining the same width which should allow the engine to make incrementally more power and last a bit longer. There's also a clutch release cylinder which grew from 35.7 mm in diameter to 38.1 mm that, coupled with stronger clutch springs should make for a clutch assembly that will be able to stand up to a few aftermarket add-ons without much in the way of fanfare. Only a few whiny people commented on a perceived increase in the force required to pull in the clutch lever. But they're weak and you're not. Right? Aaargh.


Adopting a similar system to that of Yamaha's Air Induction System (AIS), Suzuki has been fitting its Pulsed Secondary Air Injection System (PAIR) to California-bound Bandits, Hayabusas and GSX-Rs, that will now be standard issue on all Bandits in all markets. The PAIR system does not effect power output but it does add a few extra pounds to a machine which could already stand to lose a few pounds.

In Suzuki's efforts to endow the latest Bandit with "better stability and cornering performance," a few key dimensions have been tweaked. Unfortunately, American Suzuki doesn't have all the details as to what has been changed with the chassis so we can only give you a glimpse into what is the catalyst for a noteworthy increase in sporting performance.

The wheelbase has been shortened by five millimeters and now measures 1,430 mm, helped by the reduction in trail by three millimeters to 104 mm. To quicken steering the caster has been decreased by 0.2 degrees, and to help keep rider weight and overall mass lower to the tarmac, the seat height was reduced by 45 mm to 790 mm. This seat provides not only wonderful support for burning through consecutive tanks of gas, but also enough firmness to allow mobility when shifting body weight in the twisties. Unfortunately, the seat cover looks like something off of a mid-eighties Volvo station wagon; but it goes well with the metallic silver paint on our bike whose enormous glitter flakes remind us of this girl who dances at this seedy little joint down the road from our offices.

All we know about the changes to the front suspension so far is that it received fork tube guards. As for the rear, there's now a movable gas/oil separator in the shock. The front end features only pre-load adjustment while the rear features pre-load as well as rebound adjustment. Though that doesn't seem like anything substantial, the new Bandit feels surprisingly planted on twisty roads when you chose to elevate the speeds to the point that the footpegs start dragging just before picking up the throttle and whooshing out of the apex of a turn. The cornering clearance is ample as long as you ride the bike like a sport-tourer even though, with a good rider aboard, El Bandito can catch a far sportier bike with its newfound cornering prowess and strengthened motor which is about as smooth as any inline motor of this size has a right to be. Above 85 mph this thing is turbine smooth and makes triple-digit cruising law-breakingly simple.


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