I never rode a Suzuki GSF1200 Bandit, available 1996-2007, but I feel like I did for one simple but wide-ranging reason: it popped up in every biker pub conversation.
But especially so maybe fifteen years or so after its launch, when, for some reason, everybody in my biking circle suddenly decided its honest and relative simplicity combined with, as MCN put it, "more grunt than a pig farm" seemed to give it a second wind.
And it was a bargain. £5,000 new for the basic naked, £6,000 bought a GT version with fairing, top box and panniers. And that meant it went through the inevitable price plunge, which seemed to drop to between £1,000 and £2,500 by around 2010 - and stayed there.
Its air/oil cooled motor produced around 100bhp, but a mountain of mid-range torque - helped by carbs rather than fuel injection - meant it needed only five speeds in its gearbox.
That monster torque combined meant different things to different riders. To owners of the GT version, combined with it the comfy ride meant continent-crossing capability. To commuters it meant easily punching through traffic. "Bandit" was a misnomer.
But to the more, well, shall we say, edgy riders, it had the potential for some lairy modifications and upgrades.
Hanging out at a weekend biker meet a 1200 Bandit would fire up, an aftermarket exhaust and baritone engine note announcing an imminent departure; a custom seat, pared-down rear mudguard and mini number plate creating space around the rear wheel gave it an aggressive stance.
Then there was the cowhorn handlebars, and the carefully-curated grunge look of the rider.
You just knew he'd pull out of the car park and wheelie down the road. Then he did. Probably an accountant.
You can't help but think Suzuki knew exactly what some owners would do to and with their Bandits when they named it. You also wonder would owners behave differently, whether in terms of tweaks or riding style if it had been called - in that way Japanese domestic market cars and bikes can end up with some very strange names - the GSF 1200 Nice Person.
And for those who preferred touring to wheelies, how would modern-day AI and social media monitoring have reacted to, and in some cases reported to authorities, when you posted you were taking your Bandit on a road trip through Central and South America?
