Introduced in 1996, the Suzuki Bandit 1200 took the bulletproof air/oil-cooled GSX-R1100 engine, bumped it to 1152cc, and dropped it into a steel frame for a naked streetfighter.
The formula was simple: big torque, cheap purchase price, and nearly unlimited modification potential.
What Colin Worth Built
Colin Worth bought his 1996 Bandit 1200 N in 2003, drawn to the British streetfighter scene that favored GSX-Rs, Bandits, and Fireblades.
His father introduced him to motorcycles as a 12-year-old in 1992, after buying a collection of neglected bikes from a deceased owner’s estate in Croydon.
Over 20-plus years of ownership, Colin replaced nearly every component on the Bandit. Only the carburetor bank survives from the stock bike.
The steel frame is gone, replaced by a Gia Engineering aluminum unit that drops 24 pounds. K-Tech KTR4 DDS superbike forks, Dymag wheels, ISR brakes, and an Öhlins rear shock handle the chassis duties.
An aluminum fuel tank was fabricated by Graham at Coba Valley Cycles in Devon. Carbon fiber covers the tail section and front fender.
The Turbo Engine
The original 1200cc engine has been swapped for a GSX-R1100 block bored to 1340cc and fitted with a homemade turbo system.
Colin built the exhaust himself from 70mm thin-wall titanium. It consists of 53 separate pieces welded together over 40-plus hours.
At low boost the bike produces 200 horsepower. Fully fueled, it weighs 440 pounds, which is 65 pounds lighter than stock.
His best quarter-mile time is 11.1 seconds at 140 mph.
An MTC lock-up clutch manages the turbocharged torque. Colin says the bike feels like a stock Bandit 1200 below 3,000 rpm.
Above 6,000 rpm the external wastegate opens and the front wheel lifts through the first four gears. He has seen it leave the tarmac at 150 mph in fourth gear on an airfield near Corby.
This kind of hands-on fabrication reminds me of Marc Wilmington’s Ducati Hypermotard custom we featured recently.
Source: BikeBound
