I've been loaned a Shimano Bantam Curado SF to use for a short time to see if I might like Shimano baitcasters.  Would this reel be considered a typical Shimano product?  Does anyone know what the gear ratio might be on this reel (it's not written anywhere I can see)?  Anyone have any experience with this particular model? 

I used to own one some years back and if my memory serves it's 6.2:1.

The SF is a 6.2:1 ratio that takes in 26 ipt of the reel handle.  At the time the old green bantam curados where considered the best workhorse reel out there and they were bullet proof.  Shimano products as with everything got better as technology evolved and the products they put out today are obviously more refined than those old green curados.