[junk]

So, as you can see, I'm new here. Hopefully this is the right place to start. Oh yeah, hi!

So I have a '96 Bandit 600 sitting in my garage collecting dust. I tried to sell it, but came to the realization that, for the money people were willing to pay, I might as well just keep it. I have another bike ('06 600RR) so I'm not worried about how long it'll take to make the Bandit fun again.

Now, the real question... where the f' do I start? I decided a while ago that a naked fighter was probably the coolest option, but I don't know much about the aftermarket. Wild Hair has some cool replacement rear, but they're crazy expensive. They also have some nice headlight replacements that, I guess, are pretty reasonable. But I figured I'd ask some people who are probably more in the know.

Hope that was long winded enough. So... suggestions?

 

[dogbreath]

A new headlight is the first step to setting the bike apart. Remove all the fairings and put a new headlight on it - either buy one, or make one of your own.

Decide what you want to change about the bike. Making it different is going to require ingenuity and creativity. A different tail, swingarm, forks, gauges are the best places to start after changing the headlight.

 

[dogbreath]

If you want it to be a completely custom bike, the best thing to do is take it all apart and as you build it back together, replace as many parts as you can with something different, to fit a general vision in your head.

 

[Wolfman]

If you want it to be a completely custom bike, the best thing to do is take it all apart and as you build it back together, replace as many parts as you can with something different, to fit a general vision in your head.

and don't forget to paint everything black

 

[dogbreath]

Or leave it bare metal!

 

[Wolfman]

that works too

 

[Candyman]

B12's are extreemly popular fighter platforms in the UK. Look around for some B12 fighters, since your 6 is the little brother you could get some good ideas there. Haelo already oultined the standard components for a fighter, go from there.

Heres a good site with some bandits on it:
http://www.spartgsxrspecials.com/

Also google "bandit alley" maybe??? I've heard its a good bandit info site.

 

[Gunslinger]

man.....being a bandit man myself....the options are endless...to a point......there are more parts out there for gixxers and other bikes than bandits but custom mods are the way to go anyway.....like everyone else has said....strip the plastic and change the head light and for the love of god....cut bob that bitch......if you go to the garage section of the site you can see my mods just as an example of what i've done and maybe a hint to as what some options can be....

 

[Sevulturus]

I think the place to start is to look at as many different fighters as you can. Decide what you like, and what you hate - go from there. Try not to out and out copy anyone else, but if you see something that looks kind of neat make your own interpretation of it.

Once you've done that start visiting bike wreckers. Look for anything that you like and ask yourself how it'll fit on your bike, or where you could make it look good. If you like that YZF tail see if you can make it fit. If that exhaust looks cool start cutting on yours.

By way of example, endo recently made spacers for his handlebar risers by sticking old valve springs in there. The idea is to be as creative as possible while still holding true to a specific theme or goal. You'll shortly find that you have more ideas then places to put them. Probably start on your next bike as a result of that.

 

[kwakanut]

Yeah you definately need to have a good idea of what you want the finished product to look like BEFORE you start, otherwise you'll wind up wasting a lot of time and money and end with crap.

If I were you I'd start with this:
http://www.spondonengineering.co.uk/suzukibandit.htm

:evilred:

 

[skr00zloose]

dude.. you trying to kill the guy??? that thang ain't gots no front brakes mang!!! lol

sweet looking bike though

 

[Dudad]

Sell it to me......I want to use a bandit as my next platform

sexy

 

[929_adam]

dam.. i was gonna say 'donate it to custom fighters so we can build it and raffle it off'

dam you dudad!

how about strip the bike down, take some pics, then go to the web find pics of bikes you like, save em. and post the pics of your bike stripped and the bikes you like, then we can work on the ideas you wanna use!


oh yah WELCOME TO THE SITE!

 

[trav72]

sexy

That bike was for sale on Ebay last summer. I know it didn't sell the first time....can't remember if it sold the second. Damn good lookin bike!

 

[junk]

Awesome. Tons of good links. As for brakes... who needs brakes anyway? My truck barely stops and I'm OK with it.

The links are probably more of what I was looking for. That bike above is pretty sexy though. Now the question becomes how much of my yearly bonus I just got that goes into this... time to start playing I guess.

 

[chandler]

absofugginlutely beautiful bike. love the monster tail and how it covers the ugly bottom of the tank. my favorite bandit so far. young kids in thailand are creamin in thier pants over that pic

 

[chandler]

ive been lookin forever on ebay for a monster back end but nothin. the subframe is part of the frame so i guess im makin a subframe. no point in buying a 1000 buck salvage frame just to hack it up

 

[dogbreath]

Making a subframe ain't that bad.