LONG TERMERS- Suzuki Bandit 1250

MAKING MY 2011 SUZUKI Bandit 1250 into a bike that just about no one will be able to catch (especially those ‘Buford T. Justice’ types) on the road is what I’m doing to this already amazingly good machine. I will say it again, the Bandit is a highly underrated motorcycle and one that will tow up and out-tour the majority of other motorcycles on the road, in one package. My mate, Chris, has long banged on about “Bandit this, and Bandit that”, and nowSTREETthat I own one and don’t just have one as a test bike, I am overjoyed with thepurchasen’tt you tell. In issue #108, I gave you a report on the fabulous Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV tires, and now it’s on to the brakes.

In particular, I have replaced front and rear discs with high-quality DiG scs and fitted SBS Sinter EVO pads front and rear. I am yet to fit the Venhill braided lines, though. The amazing crew at Kenma have long been supporters of whatever project I’ve put forward to them to request items for test,t an andom the beastly FZR1000 race bike to now the Bandit NG Discs sit in pride of place.

NG Discs are made in Spain and have been in business since 1969. They have a reputation for producing very high- quality OEM, wave and oversized brake discs, NG Discs are also used worldwide for those looking for better braking as the secret is in the proportion of the materials used, namely, a little more iron to give you better performance, There’s also that thing called technology and the latest in machinery to produce the highest level of quality available. If you look at the photos of the standard Suzuki disc versus the NG Disc, you’ll instantly notice there are more holes for cooling, the carrier is lighter, and the floating disc bobbins feature two more (10 in total).

This all means that overall the disc is lighter-producing better handling, and with more cooling holes and bobbins, the chance of having a straight disc years after your purchase is near complete. To give you an example, the NG Discs on my FZR1000 race bike have been on therefor for around five years and are as straight as the day they were taken out of the box! And, if you’ve seen anyone racing this beast, you’ll know they don’t pass it in the braking area a.Fitting discs to your bike is straightforward- remove the wheel, undo the bolts, take the old discs off. Pop some Loctite on the threads of the bolts, place new discs on, and torque up the discbolts to the recommended setting. Make sure you give the discs a good wipe over with some brake cleaner, as you don’t want any greasy paw prints changing the disc’s performance. Next up was fitting the SBS brake pads; I’ve used the Sinter EVO pads previously and can vouch that they are among the best (if not the best) road-legal brake pads you’ll find.

The Sinter EVOs give better initial bite and overall far greater stopping performance. I strongly recommend you put a set in your calipers. The rear disc, being solid, is a direct OEM replacement. Of course,,e there are those secret herbs and spices in the materials used to create the disc, and when matched with the SBS Sinter EVO pad, amazing! On the road, you will use the rear brake quite often, and if you’ve never tried it, if you’re pushing a little too hard into a corner, a light amount of rear brake can help turn the bike. In other words, don’t just smash the rear lever- be smooth and progressive. As mentioned, I haven’t yet fitted the awesome Venhill braided brake lines’ve installed them on just about every motorcycle I’ve owned, and they are fitted to my two race bikes. I will have a little report on them as soon as I bang them on, and next issue I have the new gearing and chain to discuss.