Bandit Nirvana

ananthkamath · 10th April 2007, 20:13

hey graph,

thanks for the link. yeah i know about the SV650, its a nice bike and many were available when i was in the market for a bike. but its been a dream of mine to own a high-revving multi for a long time and the SV is two cylinders. by the way, the bandit makes 80 hp stock and can be easily boosted to 95+ using off-the-shelf GSX-R parts.

black12rr · 10th April 2007, 23:02

ye anantha ...got the helmet , keen guard ,jacket..and all ?
Get some hig resolution pics man , the ones in you gallery are no good.
I wanted to ask , when u get a brand new bandit 1200 cc and all , why the 2000 model ? cost cutting (insurance and all ) ?

highwayblaze · 10th April 2007, 23:34

get a k&N or BMC filter. Btw for the camera mounts use ebay. just search for suzuki camera mount and you'll find it. you should also get Ivan's jet-kit. He's a chap from ny and very famous all over for his carb jet'ing. He's got a website Ivan's Performance Products
good luck. also need to upload videos of you idling it mannnn c'mon

upload it on video.google.com asap.

rider60 · 11th April 2007, 00:39

is a new bandit still avaliable? or has suzuki stopped its production? my cousin wanted to get one too for its riding posture.

well i also wanted to know the average it returns... kpl?

ananthkamath · 11th April 2007, 07:20

yeah i think you can buy a new bandit. mileage...hmm let me see it gets 45 mpg so that's like 19 km/l. but i dont know if it will improve with 93 octane, right now i m running 87, plus I have to set the valve clearances, change oil & filter, clean the air filter and sync the carbs so it may improve.

Quote:

Originally Posted by black12rr

Get some hig resolution pics man , the ones in you gallery are no good.
I wanted to ask , when u get a brand new bandit 1200 cc and all , why the 2000 model ? cost cutting (insurance and all ) ?

I fixed the pics in the gallery. check them out.

cost cutting is right. i dont have that kind of money to buy a brand new bike. i m still supposed to be a student you know.

PS: I am not as fat as I look in the pics. I was wearing 4 layers underneath the jacket cause it was 2 degrees. I have a rather large head, though. LOL

n_aditya · 11th April 2007, 10:48

Nice bike Ananth. Here's something to tempt you.

Spotted this during my trip to France last year.

graphreak · 11th April 2007, 13:02

@rider60
Current '06 Bandit 1200S as available in the US-
Suzuki Bandit 1200s Pictures & Specs
(S in the model signifies the mini fairing, bike also available without it.)
Similar in riding posture is this one too- 2007 Kawasaki Z1000.
http://www.kawasaki.com/Products/Det...t=introduction
But, the riding experience is beyond actual comparison to the 1200S.

2 upcoming '07 Suzuki models here- the B-King and the Bandit 1250S:
2007 Suzuki Bandit & B-King - First Look - MotorcycleUSA.com

Enjoy!

ananthkamath · 11th April 2007, 20:00

liquid-cooling is probably the best thing to happen to the bandit. the air-cooled bandit engines are a little noisy specially if the valve clearances are out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by n_aditya

Nice bike Ananth. Here's something to tempt you.

thanks. that sure is tempting but no money for exhausts. :(

ananthkamath · 17th April 2007, 21:29

A little more Bandit Nirvana for me yesterday. Had an interesting traffic light duel with a Corvette C6. I would be lying through my teeth if I said he couldnt catch me, but I outran him till about 75 mph (naturally, the speed limit was much, much lower ;0) when I chickened out. The car didnt sound like a stock Corvette at all. Anyway, this gives me more motivation to make the bike faster. It definitely sounds lean at the top end.

ananthkamath · 20th June 2007, 06:33

The trauma of living with a stock motorcycle was getting to me, so I finally decided to do something about it.

The first thing to do was some routine maintenance. Out came the toolbox and in went the fresh oil (GTX 20W50 for now, next in line is Rotella 5W40 diesel synth) & oil filter. God, that made a difference to the shift action!

I also replaced the chain and sprockets with aftermarket ones (a lot cheaper and better than OEM). The 47 tooth rear was replaced with a 45 tooth one from the 1200 model to bring me out of the 4-5000 rpm "buzzy" range when cruising. Let me tell you guys who want to change an endless chain (ie no master link) & sprockets by yourself. It is a real bitch and you will be in depression for several days specially if you do it alone without any help, and you break the $25 tool that is meant to break the chain LOL.

I also removed the rubber snorkel from the airbox because it is said to give some gains in the top end. And the intake sound is much louder when accelerating hard.

Then I solved the mid-range lean problem (emissions) by raising the needle using 0.5 mm shims from radioshack. God-damn EPA prevents adjustable needles and any kind of external adjustment on the carbs including airscrews!! Ridiculous, what is mankind coming to? Anyway that made the bike much smoother and driveable too. Possibly I picked up a couple of midrange hp there.

But the piece de resistance is the exhaust. Since I call myself The Pipefather (apparently funny to some people who dont get it), ideally I would have done my own exhaust. But the labor costs are too much in this country to do anything custom. I was planning a full custom bent 4-2-1 header (copied from the best of course) & exhaust can of my own design (NOT straight thro filled with fiberglass, anyone can make that). I was even going to have it dynoed in the place nearby till I was given an estimate of the costs involved.

And then I found this for $100 and picked it up:

Its made by a guy called Dale Walker and he specializes in sport tourers like the Bandit and FZ1.

The package arrived today and almost immediately I installed it on the bike:

Well what can I say guys. The workmanship on the exhaust is absolutely flawless. That exhaust is from 1997 by the way. And even after all these years not a single spec of rust. Very well kept and an excellent value I must say. If I one day started making aftermarket exhausts, this is the product I would benchmark. No gimmicks, no carbon fiber, titanium crap, just plain well-engineered. An ideal aftermarket exhaust.

To give you an idea of how badly made the stock exhaust is performance-wise look at these pics of the midpipe:

its a lot bigger in diameter than it needs to be cause it contains the cat con, and look at all those dents in there so that it clears various chassis parts. Bad for flow, and bad for velocity. Phew!! Talk about badly made.

I havent ridden the bike yet after the exhaust install (just started to check for leaks and it sounds like a bike should already) so I will keep you guys posted on the bum dyno results (not that many are interested).The next step of course is to completely re-jet the carbs by overriding the stupid EPA system.

n_aditya · 20th June 2007, 11:00

Nice pics there ananth. Nice detailed report and the attention ur showering upon ur ride is appreciable. She looks like a real killer. Glad ur enjoyin urself with the bike.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ananthkamath

Couldnt help noticing the BBS wheels in the background. Looks like the ol' gen 3 series beemer to me if I'm correct.

sammyboy · 20th June 2007, 11:03

lovely bike Ananth , seems you are having a ball with all the after market mods ...let us know the improvements over the old exhaust .

Ride safe and may the torque be with u

iraghava · 20th June 2007, 11:21

Lovely job there Ananth, the exhaust looks good! And were the dents in the stock pipe factory made?

P.S. Your BBS equipped Jetta seems to be missing the rear bumper & has a dent on the fender too!

Quote:

Originally Posted by n_aditya

Couldnt help noticing the BBS wheels in the background. Looks like the ol' gen 3 series beemer to me if I'm correct.

I think it's an old Passat/Jetta.

black12rr · 20th June 2007, 12:32

yo ananth ,lovely man ,just lovely , what the tool set that is lying around , which brand is it and cost please . I am searching for that kind of tool kit here in bangalore . The bike looks damn good , i too like naked street fighter looks . Did u change tyres , they look brand new .Keep us updated .
Keep it up ...da front wheel

ananthkamath · 20th June 2007, 21:54

thanks people. the tools arent top class but good enough. The brand is performance tool. and it cost me like $40. the tyres were changed by the previous owner just before he sold it to me.

dents in the pipe were factory made like i said before.

i rode the bike to school today morning and wow, does it sound nice. Not overly loud, but pretty mellow in the higher rev range. The bum dyno says there definitely are gains in the midrange (still havent taken above 7500 rpm) but a rejet might be needed cause i felt a slight hesitation around 6000 upwards.

yeah thats the jetta in the background. unfortunately it was hit sometime ago in the back when i was stopped at a stop sign. there s no suspension damage and i use the car everyday, i even did a 2000 mile roadtrip recently but technically its a total. costs more money to fix it than buying a similar one.

10th April 2007, 20:13	#16
ananthkamath Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mangalore Posts: 1,209 Thanked: 80 Times View My Garage	hey graph, thanks for the link. yeah i know about the SV650, its a nice bike and many were available when i was in the market for a bike. but its been a dream of mine to own a high-revving multi for a long time and the SV is two cylinders. by the way, the bandit makes 80 hp stock and can be easily boosted to 95+ using off-the-shelf GSX-R parts.
	() Thanks

10th April 2007, 23:02	#17
black12rr Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Ridin earth now Posts: 1,278 Thanked: 339 Times	ye anantha ...got the helmet , keen guard ,jacket..and all ? Get some hig resolution pics man , the ones in you gallery are no good. I wanted to ask , when u get a brand new bandit 1200 cc and all , why the 2000 model ? cost cutting (insurance and all ) ? Last edited by black12rr : 10th April 2007 at 23:04.
	() Thanks

10th April 2007, 23:34	#18
highwayblaze BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Chicago/Mumbai/Pune Posts: 771 Thanked: 2 Times View My Garage	get a k&N or BMC filter. Btw for the camera mounts use ebay. just search for suzuki camera mount and you'll find it. you should also get Ivan's jet-kit. He's a chap from ny and very famous all over for his carb jet'ing. He's got a website Ivan's Performance Products good luck. also need to upload videos of you idling it mannnn c'mon upload it on video.google.com asap.
	() Thanks

11th April 2007, 00:39	#19
rider60 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Bhagyanagaram. (A.K.A. Hyderabad) Posts: 1,620 Thanked: 56 Times View My Garage	is a new bandit still avaliable? or has suzuki stopped its production? my cousin wanted to get one too for its riding posture. well i also wanted to know the average it returns... kpl?
	() Thanks

11th April 2007, 10:48	#21
n_aditya Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Namma Bengaluru Posts: 5,348 Thanked: 3,684 Times View My Garage	Nice bike Ananth. Here's something to tempt you. Spotted this during my trip to France last year.
	() Thanks

11th April 2007, 13:02	#22
graphreak Newbie Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: LA Posts: 5 Thanked: 0 Times	@rider60 Current '06 Bandit 1200S as available in the US- Suzuki Bandit 1200s Pictures & Specs (S in the model signifies the mini fairing, bike also available without it.) Similar in riding posture is this one too- 2007 Kawasaki Z1000. http://www.kawasaki.com/Products/Det...t=introduction But, the riding experience is beyond actual comparison to the 1200S. 2 upcoming '07 Suzuki models here- the B-King and the Bandit 1250S: 2007 Suzuki Bandit & B-King - First Look - MotorcycleUSA.com Enjoy!
	() Thanks

17th April 2007, 21:29	#24
ananthkamath Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mangalore Posts: 1,209 Thanked: 80 Times View My Garage	A little more Bandit Nirvana for me yesterday. Had an interesting traffic light duel with a Corvette C6. I would be lying through my teeth if I said he couldnt catch me, but I outran him till about 75 mph (naturally, the speed limit was much, much lower ;0) when I chickened out. The car didnt sound like a stock Corvette at all. Anyway, this gives me more motivation to make the bike faster. It definitely sounds lean at the top end.
	() Thanks

20th June 2007, 06:33	#25
ananthkamath Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mangalore Posts: 1,209 Thanked: 80 Times View My Garage	The Games Begin....... The trauma of living with a stock motorcycle was getting to me, so I finally decided to do something about it. The first thing to do was some routine maintenance. Out came the toolbox and in went the fresh oil (GTX 20W50 for now, next in line is Rotella 5W40 diesel synth) & oil filter. God, that made a difference to the shift action! I also replaced the chain and sprockets with aftermarket ones (a lot cheaper and better than OEM). The 47 tooth rear was replaced with a 45 tooth one from the 1200 model to bring me out of the 4-5000 rpm "buzzy" range when cruising. Let me tell you guys who want to change an endless chain (ie no master link) & sprockets by yourself. It is a real bitch and you will be in depression for several days specially if you do it alone without any help, and you break the $25 tool that is meant to break the chain LOL. I also removed the rubber snorkel from the airbox because it is said to give some gains in the top end. And the intake sound is much louder when accelerating hard. Then I solved the mid-range lean problem (emissions) by raising the needle using 0.5 mm shims from radioshack. God-damn EPA prevents adjustable needles and any kind of external adjustment on the carbs including airscrews!! Ridiculous, what is mankind coming to? Anyway that made the bike much smoother and driveable too. Possibly I picked up a couple of midrange hp there. But the piece de resistance is the exhaust. Since I call myself The Pipefather (apparently funny to some people who dont get it), ideally I would have done my own exhaust. But the labor costs are too much in this country to do anything custom. I was planning a full custom bent 4-2-1 header (copied from the best of course) & exhaust can of my own design (NOT straight thro filled with fiberglass, anyone can make that). I was even going to have it dynoed in the place nearby till I was given an estimate of the costs involved. And then I found this for $100 and picked it up: Its made by a guy called Dale Walker and he specializes in sport tourers like the Bandit and FZ1. The package arrived today and almost immediately I installed it on the bike: Well what can I say guys. The workmanship on the exhaust is absolutely flawless. That exhaust is from 1997 by the way. And even after all these years not a single spec of rust. Very well kept and an excellent value I must say. If I one day started making aftermarket exhausts, this is the product I would benchmark. No gimmicks, no carbon fiber, titanium crap, just plain well-engineered. An ideal aftermarket exhaust. To give you an idea of how badly made the stock exhaust is performance-wise look at these pics of the midpipe: its a lot bigger in diameter than it needs to be cause it contains the cat con, and look at all those dents in there so that it clears various chassis parts. Bad for flow, and bad for velocity. Phew!! Talk about badly made. I havent ridden the bike yet after the exhaust install (just started to check for leaks and it sounds like a bike should already) so I will keep you guys posted on the bum dyno results (not that many are interested).The next step of course is to completely re-jet the carbs by overriding the stupid EPA system. Last edited by ananthkamath : 20th June 2007 at 06:36.
	() Thanks

20th June 2007, 11:03	#27
sammyboy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Ggn/Dehradun Posts: 1,842 Thanked: 521 Times View My Garage	lovely bike Ananth , seems you are having a ball with all the after market mods ...let us know the improvements over the old exhaust . Ride safe and may the torque be with u
	() Thanks

20th June 2007, 12:32	#29
black12rr Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Ridin earth now Posts: 1,278 Thanked: 339 Times	yo ananth ,lovely man ,just lovely , what the tool set that is lying around , which brand is it and cost please . I am searching for that kind of tool kit here in bangalore . The bike looks damn good , i too like naked street fighter looks . Did u change tyres , they look brand new .Keep us updated . Keep it up ...da front wheel
	() Thanks

20th June 2007, 21:54	#30
ananthkamath Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mangalore Posts: 1,209 Thanked: 80 Times View My Garage	thanks people. the tools arent top class but good enough. The brand is performance tool. and it cost me like $40. the tyres were changed by the previous owner just before he sold it to me. dents in the pipe were factory made like i said before. i rode the bike to school today morning and wow, does it sound nice. Not overly loud, but pretty mellow in the higher rev range. The bum dyno says there definitely are gains in the midrange (still havent taken above 7500 rpm) but a rejet might be needed cause i felt a slight hesitation around 6000 upwards. yeah thats the jetta in the background. unfortunately it was hit sometime ago in the back when i was stopped at a stop sign. there s no suspension damage and i use the car everyday, i even did a 2000 mile roadtrip recently but technically its a total. costs more money to fix it than buying a similar one.
	() Thanks