Suzuki Gsf600 Bandit

The air-cooled inline-four pulls cleanly from 4,000 rpm and rewards you with a satisfying mechanical howl as it climbs toward the 10,500 rpm redline — nothing exotic, just reliable, predictable power that inspires confidence rather than terror. Chassis feels planted and neutral through corners, though the stock suspension goes vague mid-corner if you're carrying real pace; first thing I did was fit stiffer fork springs. Carbs need a good 10 minutes to warm up properly in winter or you'll be fighting surging and stalling at junctions, and the seat turns your backside into concrete after about 90 minutes on motorways. What keeps me coming back to the Gen 1 is that round headlight, that honest upright riding position, and the fact that nothing on this bike feels like it's trying to impress you — it just works, every single day.

I put 22,000 km on a 2002 naked over three years and the Bandit never once made me regret it — that air-cooled four pulls cleanly from 3,000 rpm and doesn't run out of ideas until well past legal limits. The Gen 2 chassis geometry tightened things up noticeably over the original; it turns in with more intent and feels planted through fast sweepers without going nervous on you. That said, the front forks are underdamped for anything beyond spirited road riding — hit a mid-corner bump at pace and you'll feel it in your wrists and your confidence simultaneously. The S model's fairing is worth having if you do any real distance, but the naked version's wind exposure past 140 km/h will hollow you out on a motorway run.