[Tyler33]

I picked up a 2001 Bandit 1200s yesterday and I'm planning on doing another winter basement build. arty-smiley: The bike is un-named at this point but the build thread is called BSB for Blood, Sweat, and Beers. I don't expect too much blood or sweat but plenty o' beers throughout the winter while I'm working on this beast.

Here are the obligatory driveway pics. The bike is pretty clean, it looks like it tipped over to the right once. Only has 9000 miles. Long ass Yoshi can that makes it sound like a golf cart.

Pre build plans are to get the title switched over while it has factory gauges on it and run some sea foam or carb cleaner through the gas. I may run sea foam in the crankcase for a few miles (should I?) since it was filled with gas due to storing the bike with the petcock in the prime position.

Once the bike goes into the basement I'll pull off and sell everything I don't need. The bike came with a Givi trunk which will be sold as well. Then tentative plans are 07 GSXR 1k forks (picking up complete front end minus brakes today), aftermarket gauges, dirt bars, different exhaust, custom CAD designed sheet metal stubby tail, maybe upgraded rear shock, and the rest of the money will go to intake/jetting/cams/etc.

 

[CK 187]

land yacht



chop it up!

 

[Mustapha dump]

I would just drain the old oil and then fill it with some cheap shit mineral oil, and run it until it is nice and warm, then drain the cheap shit, and refill with a good quality semi synthetic and a new oil filter, and you should be good to go. Don't run the bike if it still has fuel in the oil it will have thinned it out and will trash the crank bearings in no time at all, apart from being a fire risk as well.
If you are looking for another exhaust the Delkevic stainless system for the Bandit 1200 is a pretty good system and seems to make good power, it is closely based on the Akrapovic system. With a K&N panel filter, airbox lid cut down, and stage 3 Dynojet kit, the last Bandit I set up was making 128bhp and 82lb/ft of torque.
If you want more power easily then drop the cylinderhead and cams from the GSXR750J/K 88/89 which will boost the C/R from 9.5-1 to approx 11-1, and with the other mods will see power up close to 140bhp and 87lb/ft of torque.
The 1000K7 rear wheel will fit into the Bandit 1200 swingarm with a bearing swap to a 6304, and some new spacers making, you can fit the Bandit 240mm disc to the K series wheel and still use the bandit caliper and hanger.
You can also use the earlier K series diamond spoke wheels in the back, and in the K7 forks, which gives you a greater choice of discs, 300,310, or 320mm rather than just the 310mm of the later K series.

 

[Tyler33]

Such a wealth of info on these bikes. The oil has been changed it was only run a minute or two before the PO found there was gas in it. I figured I'd put a few miles on it with sea foam in the oil before the bike goes into hibernation.

For the exhaust I was thinking maybe the v&h pro pipe for something different and cheap.

I was leaning toward pod filters mainly for the appearance and because I'm not sure if the airbox will be able to stay with the mods I want to do.

Good info on the wheels as well. I have access to all sorts of machining equipment at work so spacers would be easy. Are the newer wheels much lighter?

 

[Tyler33]

Spent some quality time with the bike today. I figured I'd take a look at the spark plugs because it didn't seem to have full power. Cyl 2,3, and 4 spark plugs all looked pretty good:

When I tried to take out the #1 spark plug the tool would not slide over the hex part of the plug. I tried different sized sockets and no luck, I couldn't get onto the plug far enough to loosen it and I couldn't get my big head in line to see down to the plug so I had to pull the fairing off. I ended up leaving the wiring attached and setting the fairing on the front fender on a towel. Pain in the ass when you are hungover.

Once I got the fairing out of the way I could just barely see down to the plug and i noticed a piece of metal sticking up next to the plug. I didn't get a pic but it looked like a little strip of metal lying next to the plug. I monkeyed with it for probably an hour trying to get that thing out because I didn't want to pull the plug and have it fall into the head. Finally I said screw it and took the plug out and I found that the little piece of metal was actually a crush washer from an old spark plug.

I don't know why it was in there but it's pretty mangled up and I'm assuming the spark plug wasn't sealing very well with it in there. When I got the plug out it was wet but didn't look horrible.

So I put the plugs back in and fired up the bike. I had a bit of a scare because the bike had a miss for a few minutes. I assume it was a miss anyway because it stopped after 3 or 4 minutes of idling. I took it out and rode maybe 5 miles and it definitely sounds better. Less Subaru-ish but it still doesn't power wheelie like I thought it would.

The original tool kit was with the bike plus I got a bonus

 

[piester]

nice score in the tool kit. i really liked how your 636 came out so im pumped to see what you do with this.

 

[shotgun]

The B12 makes 98 hp stock, your going to have to pump it up some or maybe some shorter gearing to get power wheelies out of her. Nice clean bike.

 

[Tyler33]

It sounds like I'm getting k7 gsxr 1000 complete front end minus brakes, rear shock, and rear wheel today for $450. Yahtzee

 

[blensen]

Nice score on the suspension parts. Get a K&N and chop the air box or pods, aftermarket header, and jet correctly and you'll be in business. I put 14/47 gearing on mine and the front end comes up at will now.

 

[Tyler33]

Got the goods. Bummer, might need fork seals. Tires are good though. No rotors or damper apparently.

 

[Br1ev8]

Sweet. Looking forward to seeing your progress on this..same color as mine was. Strange yours doesn't power wheelie..mine did with no effort..of course only in first. Don't forget to change your sig.

 

[Tyler33]

Fixed my sig. I don't think it's running right yet. It still kinda sounds like a triple cyl or something. I haven't heard another one in person yet so I don't know if it sounds right or not but that muffler needs to be about half as long as it is. My 636 had a lot smoother sound this one has more of a rumble to it like a twin or triple.

Do you guys think I should check the valves this winter? It only has 9k miles but when the motor is cold it kinda farts back through the airbox when I hold rpm around 1500-2000. It doesn't do it when warm. Just not sure if it would be worth my time or how much work it is.

 

[gsf1200R]

spray the headers with water should mist and evap almost immediately...
another way is to attach a liong hose to the carbs and crack em open to see if your gettin flow.

the valve check is every 7500 miles i go a tad longer but thats because im lazy. checkem this winter.

 

[Tyler33]

spray the headers with water should mist and evap almost immediately...
another way is to attach a liong hose to the carbs and crack em open to see if your gettin flow.

the valve check is every 7500 miles i go a tad longer but thats because im lazy. checkem this winter.

Actually tried a wet paper towel when I got home from work. All 4 sizzled but #2 was definitely hotter than the rest. I might pull the plugs out again and see how they look. I'm gonna borrow a compression tester tomorrow.

 

[Nailhead]

On mine i did a throttle tube mod and made it into a 3/4th turn.


Also randy gave me great advise on here and i am glad i followed it so i will pass it along to you. If you plan to change the gearing, start with the -1 up front. That is what they told me and i thought "eh whatever" and listened due to it being pretty cheap

I can't believe the difference this bike makes with just 1 less tooth up front.


these bikes need a little work but they go from long legged touring bike to snarling frighting animal pretty quick.


I rode with some friends the other night and there is a long bridge about a mile and a half long. I wanted to show my one buddy what the bandit could do. we were in traffic of course (when is there never traffic when you want to get on it?) so i got in front and began to pick up speed, for whatever reason i kicked down and cracked the throttle open and i happen to be a bit further back on the seat and i felt that scary but exhilarating feeling of the bars just lose all their weight and i hung in the throttle let go, and smashed it up into 5th as i was in my wheelie then got back on the gas. it felt solid so i let the bike ride like that for the rest of the bridge.

 

[Tyler33]

Good motivation to get mine running right, I'm hunting down a shop manual now. Going to check compression soon. Maybe check the valve clearances if it doesn't take too much work. And rig up a carb sync tool.

I really need to get it running decent before I tear it down.

 

[Tyler33]

I'm working late and decided to take a break and throw a paint-chop together. Thanks to Cam's photoshop thread for the starter pic with shortened subframe. I'm thinking a roundish tail and utilize the factory subframe with a hoop at the back so I don't fuck up the lines of the frame.

 

[Tyler33]

Ran a compression test tonight. The motor was not warm but I still got 165, 155, 155, and 160 psi readings. I drained all the carbs before the test to make sure the floats weren't stuck, all 4 had fuel. Have to tinker with it some more.

 

[gsf1200R]

drain the tank. put.sea.foa
m and in and top off with gas. also try just running the piss out of it

 

[piester]

check the valves. even if they are a little out of spec they will still give a good compression test but still can run like doo doo. i have a gsx 750 which has a similar engine and went through everything you did. cleaned the carbs a few times. re jetted them. checked spark, replaced coils, plugs, and wires, compression test. all helped a little but it still ran like crap. adjusted the valves and boom it ran like new.