Hey all, so i bought a suzuki across a while back and recently bought a gpx250r-11 but yesterday i bought but havnt picked up yet a 1988 suzuki 250 bandit. Its got slingshot written on the tank and the previous owner said that it was the slingshot model. Is that right, were there such a thing? Any differance to the standard one?
Cant be 100% sure, but I read this somewhere ,the "Slingshot" term came from the plastic carb slides, the slide cross section resembled the shape of a slingshot.
I think they all have slingshot written on them. My '92 did as well which was a GSF250P. You need to go by the engine number to identify, probably will be a GJ74A something as there's a few models, see this:
So a GSF250ZM? Hmm that should be easy to identify if it looks like this: Might have had an engine change out though. My engine number says its a GSF250ZP but the frame is a GSF250P heh
Thanks for your help bud. The bikes naked. Ill post a pic up on Saturday. It is a grey import if it makes a difference
My son backed in to my driveway with a Slingshot on a trailer 2 weeks ago. He bought it for a song. Although it isn't running, it is complete (mouse nest in air filter included) with the exception of the plate the seat lock fastens to. The tank decal says "Suzuki Slingshot". Tags I've found read "Model: GSF250p" (where p reads 1993) and the frame reads "GJ74A". I'm new to the bike, but have discovered it supposedly is a Canadian issue of the American Bandit, but not sure of the accuracy of that statement. I'm gradually beginning research, and am having a great difficulty in sourcing info, manuals, and parts. Any online catalogues I've scanned don't recognise the 250 Slingshot / Bandit. I have a feeling there may be some time spent here with the rest of you Bandits.
What you have is exactly the same model as I had, same engine etc. I dont know about Canada, all i know is it was a japanese import. The problem with them is exactly what you mentioned... limited info and parts. Some are around but very expensive. The bike was worth more to me wrecked than running despite being kind of cool, most of the bike I sold to a guy in California. You can run off a gj73a or gj72a manual as they are close... there is a website somewhere with general specs, I'll see if I can find it. If you decide to persevere, patience and coin will be non negotiable.
Thanks for the direction towards the manuals. Your comment about the "cool" factor hints toward what may be described as a cult bike. Something rare and unique. I'm not strange to this concept as I'm presently riding a Honda NT700V, which was not released for sale in Canada, and to the best of my abilities have found possibly 6. No one knows what they are here, and pars and service is pretty much left to me. The saving grace is the parts are found on other bikes. I'm hoping this to be true with the Slingshot. As I find my way around the forum (IT challenged) I hope what I learn I can share and be of help to the community.
Maybe, I'm not sure rarity always corresponds to "cult" though. In my experience they are hyper sensitive to compression issues (rings) and they just seem to be really temperamental at sorting out. Some have succeeded though for sure, I got mine running but by that stage I had just had enough. This may help you: http://www1.synapse.ne.jp/s-hara/bandit/ban-spece.html Why not start a build thread? Guys around here will help as much as they can
Just a quick note to let everyone know I haven't abandoned the forum, or the bike. I've spent some time building a cradle to enable me to pick it off the floor and get to a more comfortable height to work on, as well as push it around my work space. The cradle allows me to use an inexpensive lift to achieve this and still have the versatility of using the lift for the NT, and other uses. I have taken photos, and do have intentions of providing a step by step, how to as part of the intro to a thread regarding the work I will do on the bike.
