Making a Bandit 1200 Handle - Any suggestions?
Robert Wenban
Bandit to handle a little better? It doesn't have to be a track-day
weapon, just a little less squishy when pressed. I know this is the
perfect opportunity for some smart arse to say "yeah push it off a
cliff" or something similar, but I really would appreciate any advice.
Thanks,
Rob
Zebee Johnstone
Well, first you have to try and figure out what is causing the
feeling you don't like.
Frame flex?
Rear shock damping (rebound or compression) or bottoming?
Front shock ditto?
Tyres?
If it is frame flex, there's bugger all yuo can do without getting
silly and welding stuff up. So ignore that.
If it has suspension settings you can vary, then vary them. Once
change at a time and keep notes. Get a feel for what the changes
you can easily make do, as that will help you decide what
difficult changes to do.
If changing its settings or tyres doesn't fix it, then you get to decide
how much money you want to spend. New bits cost money....
But work with what you have first. GEt that notebook out, go to your
favourite bit of swervery and spend a few weekends.
Zebee
Geoff Hansford
>In aus.motorcycles on Sat, 10 Oct 1998 13:58:58 +1000
>Robert Wenban <jtw...@connexus.net.au> wrote:
>>Has anyone got any brilliant (and cheap) ideas on how to get a 1200
>>Bandit to handle a little better? It doesn't have to be a track-day
>>weapon, just a little less squishy when pressed. I know this is the
>>perfect opportunity for some smart arse to say "yeah push it off a
>>cliff" or something similar, but I really would appreciate any advice.
>
>Well, first you have to try and figure out what is causing the
>feeling you don't like.
>
>Frame flex?
>Rear shock damping (rebound or compression) or bottoming?
>Front shock ditto?
>Tyres?
>
>If it is frame flex, there's bugger all yuo can do without getting
>silly and welding stuff up. So ignore that.
The frame is pretty rigid, they don't flex unless you hoon into turn one at
phillip island at 230 or similar :)
>If it has suspension settings you can vary, then vary them. Once
>change at a time and keep notes. Get a feel for what the changes
>you can easily make do, as that will help you decide what
>difficult changes to do.
The rear shock is underdamped and the rear spring is soft for anyone of
heavier weight. You can try and set the static suspension sag but the
damping is the real problem, either re-building the shock or replacing it
are the most recommended modifications on the Suzuki Bandit mailing list. I
had mine rear shock re-built with race tech suspension bits.
>If changing its settings or tyres doesn't fix it, then you get to decide
>how much money you want to spend. New bits cost money....
Yep they do, but I think for track days with a bandit they are necessary
(unless you are a 70 kg lightweight anyway). Also a set of good tyres like
D207's or perhaps BT57's will make a big difference.
>But work with what you have first. GEt that notebook out, go to your
>favourite bit of swervery and spend a few weekends.
The trouble is that the suspension on the Bandit is designed for a fairly
gentle style of riding and for lightish riders, if you ride like that then
it's fine. Most people find the preload at the rear wound right up and the
preload at the front wound half down works best for stock. But best to
measure it :-)
Geoff Hansford
Suzuki Bandit 1200 ABS (Doolan)
IRC Nick Geoff_San
Ray Thomas
Front FMGV S2040 20 x 6mm Fork Gold Valve Kit
S3732 Series Fork Springs 37.0 od1 x 34.5 od2 x 315mm
(available in .85, .90, .95, 1.0 kg/mm)
Rear ?????
Haven't a clue on cost, but fixing suspension properly is never cheap.
You can probably get a remote reservoir with compression damping fitted at
either a Race Tech dealer oe else some one like Sigra in Sydney (an outer
northern suburb of Melbourne). I understand that the suspension is
basically RF900 derived so I suppose whatever works for an RF900 would work
for a Bandit 12.
Have you tried setting the correct sag measurement? Put the bike on the
centre stand and measure from a point on the frame to the rear axle, for
the front, tie something around the forks that will move up the forks as
the forks compress and stay when the forks are returned to max. Now sit on
the bike dressed in your normal riding gear, get a friend to measure how
much the bike has sagged, compare this to the bikes full travel. Knowing
Suzuki you will probably have figures of something like 30 - 40% sag at the
front and 40 - 50% sag at the rear. Increase the spring preload front and
rear until that figure is something more like 20 - 30% front sag and 30 -
40% sag at the rear (this figure varies according to style of riding).
You can now start worrying about damping. Try 10 wt oil in the front, if
that's still a bit soggy then go up to 15 wt. BUT find out what the
correct oil level is first !!! ALWAYS set the fork oil level at the figure
Suzuki quotes - it will be "xxx" mm from the top of the forks (probably
approx 90mm) with the forks fully compressed and without springs. If you
just put in the number of cc's the book says you will always be at the
wrong oil level. Dont get sucked into believing that 20 wt fork oil will
fix everything quickly, suspension is supposed to move but be controlled
not rigid like some guys set their bikes up.
This is gunna take time I can assure you but it will be worth it. I think
that the front forks have NO drain holes so they have to come out each oil
change, and the rear spring will probably have to come out each time. But
Suzies are generally easy to work on (compared to *#@! Honda's).
Ray Thomas
Johno
I am sorry I can't help on handling.......however, I could suggest what to
with Bandit but I am sure Geoff_San would be very unhappy with me :-)
> I know this is the perfect opportunity for some smart arse to say "yeah
push it off > a cliff" or something similar, but I really would appreciate
any advice.
Your suggestion above does have some merit......maybe we could get together
and see which Bandit hit the ground first :-) Mine probably would as it is
a heavy heap of shit...........
Cheers
Johno <who is unfortunately a Bandit 1200 owner>
Ken O'Brien
<jtw...@connexus.net.au> wrote:
>Has anyone got any brilliant (and cheap) ideas on how to get a 1200
>Bandit to handle a little better? It doesn't have to be a track-day
>weapon, just a little less squishy when pressed. I know this is the
>perfect opportunity for some smart arse to say "yeah push it off a
>cliff" or something similar, but I really would appreciate any advice.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Rob
>
The magazine Streetbike had a series of articles on modifying the
Bandit for power and improved handling . It started about 9 months
back and lasted for about 4 issues. They used an ohlins shock for the
back from what I recall. A lot of $ for this though. As suggested,
changing the fork oil and adjustment is about it for the front.
Rgs
Ken
Stuart Thyer
sidecar on it. Still has tele forks on the front, uggghhhh. I dunno, I
just don't think a bandit frame will take it, especially the bolt up
section for motor dropping. Then again, plenty of Suzi Gs's and Yammy
XS's are in shackle with a chair, so I guess nothing is impossible.
--
Stuart Thyer
Photographer-Department of Anatomy
University of Melbourne
One time winner of the 'Imaginary chocolate frog of discretion'
Ian Dodds
Johno wrote in message <01bdf452$666f2ea0$288d26cb@varcs>...
>Hi Rob,
> I am sorry I can't help on handling.......however, I could suggest what to
>with Bandit but I am sure Geoff_San would be very unhappy with me :-)
>
>push it off > a cliff" or something similar, but I really would appreciate
>any advice.
>
>and see which Bandit hit the ground first :-) Mine probably would as it is
>a heavy heap of shit...........
>
>Cheers
>Johno <who is unfortunately a Bandit 1200 owner>
>
Ian CB900F OLDGUY ;-)
Geoff Hansford
Stuart Thyer wrote in message ...
>The 'ultimate' bandit modification. I saw a Bandit 1200 on sunday with a
>sidecar on it. Still has tele forks on the front, uggghhhh. I dunno, I
>just don't think a bandit frame will take it, especially the bolt up
>section for motor dropping. Then again, plenty of Suzi Gs's and Yammy
>XS's are in shackle with a chair, so I guess nothing is impossible.
There is a Bandit 1200 with a colour matched sidecar (in the Bandit red)
that I keep seeing near Malmsbury about 20 kms south of where I am... I keep
meaning to stop and say hi (but everytime I see him I've been too busy).
Would this be the same rig?