Regular safety checks

I happened to be looking through the owners manual for my new GSR600
because I was wondering where the radiator filler cap was. Apparently
access to it involves releasing the fuel tank. Later in the manual you
are instructed to check the coolant level everyday before you riding
the bike.

Most bikes have an external coolant expansion or 'header' tank, which
is where you're supposed to check the coolant levels, and which is
invariably a lot more accessible than the radiator itself.

I just checked you are of course right it was rather a long way from
the rad itself and fairly well hidden. The manual doesn't help at all
here.

Oh well... at least you know now.

I've not really looked at those GSRs in great detail - apart from 50ccs
less capacity, what's the main differences with the current Bandit 650,
and how do they compare with each other?

I believe the motor in a GSR6 is a detuned gixxer 6 unit and makes
90BHP.

The Bandit 650's motor is a bored-out sleeved-down gixxer 750 unit of
some 13-odd years vintage, there or thereabouts, and makes 75BHP.

Older than that, really. It's a GSX600F engine, which is in turn simply
a sleeved-down version of the original oil-cooled GSXR750. So 21 years
old.

Is there anything they don't turn their old 750 lumps into?

Dynamically, I've no idea what the differences are. The GSR is a lot
more modern, I think you'll find. I probably should have bought one of
those rather than what I did buy.

As I've only owned the GSR for a few days and only had the Bandit as a
Loaner I'm not well qualified. However I preferred the handling on the
GSR which is what sold it for me I'm not likely to be testing the
engine limits around town but there are sufficient corners, bends and
poor road surfaces to make good handling desireable.

The engine is of course very different from the SV650 that I had, I
keep thinking I'm revving the nuts off it and discover I've got it up
to a scant 5K. And as one of my (many) riding faults is to stay in too
high a gear I'm trying to get used to the need for revs.

My mate is the sales manager at the local Suzuki dealers, and reckoned
the new Bandit was the most fun he'd had on a bike in years when he
blagged the demo off their fleet as his personal transport during the
summer... so I wouldn't feel too hard done by, given he gets to ride a
lot of different bikes as part of his job.

So I'll be doing that then.

Hasn't it got a header tank somewhere? The Zed has its rad cap under the
tank, but the header can be seen by simply looking through the slot in the
side panel.

I must look through it myself some day.

Filler cap access probably needed every two years to change the coolant.
Coolant level checked at the expansion tank/bottle. This is usually white
plastic somewhere between the seat and rear wheel.