Time to accept the inevitable...
Discussion
The bike has to go. I don't use it (Not for over a year
) as my job has changed, and requires me to move around regularly during the day and carry bulky and expensive kit around. That and Bristol traffic, which is rarely bad enough to justify changing in and out of leathers, and the fact that the wife hates going on the back. I also want a Caterham so I need the space.
So, it's a 2 owner 20k 97P unfaired Bandit 600, worth £1500 mint. The good bits are: It's got most of the history, but I did some of the servicing myself, newish front discs, braided hoses on the front, new non s/s exhaust just over a year ago. The bad bits: No MOT/tax, the chain has more tight spots than Prescott's suit, it runs fine, but hasn't been out of the garage for a year, so I expect the calipers need some work, and it has spent a great deal of it's life outdoors, so the chrome etc is a bit tatty.
What does the PH collective think it's worth, as is?
And does anyone local (Bristol) have a chain tool, so that I can sort it myself?
) as my job has changed, and requires me to move around regularly during the day and carry bulky and expensive kit around. That and Bristol traffic, which is rarely bad enough to justify changing in and out of leathers, and the fact that the wife hates going on the back. I also want a Caterham so I need the space. So, it's a 2 owner 20k 97P unfaired Bandit 600, worth £1500 mint. The good bits are: It's got most of the history, but I did some of the servicing myself, newish front discs, braided hoses on the front, new non s/s exhaust just over a year ago. The bad bits: No MOT/tax, the chain has more tight spots than Prescott's suit, it runs fine, but hasn't been out of the garage for a year, so I expect the calipers need some work, and it has spent a great deal of it's life outdoors, so the chrome etc is a bit tatty.
What does the PH collective think it's worth, as is?
And does anyone local (Bristol) have a chain tool, so that I can sort it myself?
Hmmm. Im quite tempted - i like a good project!
You say its worth £1500 if it were mint? Presumably you'll be selling it for a fair bit less than that in present condition?
If you have a price in mind, could you drop me a mail with it please? The reason i ask, is im currently considering flogging my MR2 in favour of a cheapy day to day car and a bike
You say its worth £1500 if it were mint? Presumably you'll be selling it for a fair bit less than that in present condition?
If you have a price in mind, could you drop me a mail with it please? The reason i ask, is im currently considering flogging my MR2 in favour of a cheapy day to day car and a bike
Mad Dave,
you do realise that a condition of having that bike is that you have to go on track & ride like an arse terrorising sports bike riders at a track day. Well thats well thats what Bill & I have done with Bandits anyway
Oh and you have to get a race can on a Bandit- its in the rules of biking- page 195, just under the section about bikers showing scooter riders absolute scorn when ever the 2 shall meet
you do realise that a condition of having that bike is that you have to go on track & ride like an arse terrorising sports bike riders at a track day. Well thats well thats what Bill & I have done with Bandits anyway
Oh and you have to get a race can on a Bandit- its in the rules of biking- page 195, just under the section about bikers showing scooter riders absolute scorn when ever the 2 shall meet
Mad Dave said:
Are you telling me that bikes been thrashed to within an inch of its life? 
Hmmm its dificult to be accurate with imperial measurements, lets use metric & say thrashed within 0.000005mm of its life
Getting a race can on a Bandit is not an option, its the law
sounds like a particually camp sewing machine without one. 
That's why it has a nexxus can - not a race can but feck loads better than the OE one.Well ive spent all afternoon working on the bike and im pleased to say it shines up better than i expected - theres no hiding the scratches but it does have a rather good shine now I also polished the exhaust and that came up quite well too. Ive not yet managed to fix the rear brake light switch and the brakes are still sticking despite cleaning the disks so i guess at least one of the calipers will need to be rebuilt.
Ive had the bike running and the oil in the sightglass starting to look a bit milky which is a bit worrying, but as its not water cooled i guess its just condensation!
How easy is it to remove the wheel? I guess i probably need to disconnect the calipers?
Ive fitted the new front brake lever too, so that looks better.
Jobs list:
Fix rear brake light
sort out front brakes
remove and grease the chain
MOT
License
It was nice to meet you Bill and great doing business with you - thanks very much, im sure ill get hours of fun out of the bike - enjoy your next toy
I also polished the exhaust and that came up quite well too. Ive not yet managed to fix the rear brake light switch and the brakes are still sticking despite cleaning the disks so i guess at least one of the calipers will need to be rebuilt. Ive had the bike running and the oil in the sightglass starting to look a bit milky which is a bit worrying, but as its not water cooled i guess its just condensation!
How easy is it to remove the wheel? I guess i probably need to disconnect the calipers?
Ive fitted the new front brake lever too, so that looks better.
Jobs list:
Fix rear brake light
sort out front brakes
remove and grease the chain
MOT
License
It was nice to meet you Bill and great doing business with you - thanks very much, im sure ill get hours of fun out of the bike - enjoy your next toy
Dave welcome to the world of Banditing, they are ace- cheap & reliable & as long as you change the oil regually, pretty much bombproof.
As you improve your riding, upgrade the suspension & you will be suprised quite how well the old girl can go.
Then again Bill had it totally standard vs my dyno jetted, race canned, suspension improved bike & he still whoopped me at Castle Coombe!
I seem to remember I had a very slight performace edge bhp wise when I was absolutely flat out, but my woeful riding made up for that slight advantage
Ref milky oil- oil is important to this engine its the lube & the coolant so give the old girl an oil & filter change its cheap & very very easy to do. Castrol GPS semi synth well recomended (don't use a car oil- it kills wet plate clutches)
Ref the brakes- don't take this the wrong way but you have confessed before you are not the greatest mechanic, so its really best to leave cailper rebuilds & other brake stuff to people who really know what they are doing- its your life after all.
Oh don't get Carbon Lorrane pads either, some people rave about 'em but I thought they were sh*te, no better braking performace than standard & lasted a pi$$ poor distance- somat like 2000 miles I think, replaced em with EBC (tho I cant remember which grade) & they have lasted an absolute age 10k+ miles think) and same braking performance.
Chain- might be worth a new one- plus sprockets- they are quite cheap after all, rather than lube up an old rusty one. Mate had an old chain snap a link on him- the result was really quite nasty.
One thing ive found that made the biggest difference to my bandit is the spark plugs, the performance seems to drop off well before the plugs were due a change, pop a new set in & its like the old girl has had a sniff of viagra
Oh only other thing i'd advise is flat bars, i hate the standard set up & feel its like riding an old penny farthing, flatter jobbies also give a better riding position if you are a lanky gimp like wot I is (I did prefer the standard bars over the flat's it came with when I was new to the bike tho, but ditched 'em after a month or so)
Enjoy your first ride, after cars you will feel its the quickest thing on earth for quite a while, & the first time you go past 9k revs you will have a bigger smile than a big smiley thing
>> Edited by iguana on Sunday 8th February 19:31
As you improve your riding, upgrade the suspension & you will be suprised quite how well the old girl can go.
Then again Bill had it totally standard vs my dyno jetted, race canned, suspension improved bike & he still whoopped me at Castle Coombe!
I seem to remember I had a very slight performace edge bhp wise when I was absolutely flat out, but my woeful riding made up for that slight advantage
Ref milky oil- oil is important to this engine its the lube & the coolant so give the old girl an oil & filter change its cheap & very very easy to do. Castrol GPS semi synth well recomended (don't use a car oil- it kills wet plate clutches)
Ref the brakes- don't take this the wrong way but you have confessed before you are not the greatest mechanic, so its really best to leave cailper rebuilds & other brake stuff to people who really know what they are doing- its your life after all.
Oh don't get Carbon Lorrane pads either, some people rave about 'em but I thought they were sh*te, no better braking performace than standard & lasted a pi$$ poor distance- somat like 2000 miles I think, replaced em with EBC (tho I cant remember which grade) & they have lasted an absolute age 10k+ miles think) and same braking performance.
Chain- might be worth a new one- plus sprockets- they are quite cheap after all, rather than lube up an old rusty one. Mate had an old chain snap a link on him- the result was really quite nasty.
One thing ive found that made the biggest difference to my bandit is the spark plugs, the performance seems to drop off well before the plugs were due a change, pop a new set in & its like the old girl has had a sniff of viagra
Oh only other thing i'd advise is flat bars, i hate the standard set up & feel its like riding an old penny farthing, flatter jobbies also give a better riding position if you are a lanky gimp like wot I is
(I did prefer the standard bars over the flat's it came with when I was new to the bike tho, but ditched 'em after a month or so) Enjoy your first ride, after cars you will feel its the quickest thing on earth for quite a while, & the first time you go past 9k revs you will have a bigger smile than a big smiley thing
>> Edited by iguana on Sunday 8th February 19:31
Cheers mate, all good advice.
Oil and filter change is first on my list but i dont yet have a Haynes manual so could you point me in the direction of the oil filter?! I couldnt find it! My guess is its somewhere tucked away to stop it falling off (and coating the road in oil) in the event of a crash!
No offense taken re Brakes - youre quite right. Ive changed pads and stuff before though on cars. Ill remove the calipers from the wheels (leaving all the hydraulic gubbins still attached to the calipers) and just take the pads out and see if the pistons are moving etc, i might be able to free them up nicely. if not, its rebuild time - from looking through the service history it doesnt appear to be a particularly expensive job, and as you say, its my life at stake!
Ill leave changing suspension/bars etc until ive got a bit of experience, but thanks for the tip, ill bear it in mind!
Cheers mate
Dave
Oil and filter change is first on my list but i dont yet have a Haynes manual so could you point me in the direction of the oil filter?! I couldnt find it! My guess is its somewhere tucked away to stop it falling off (and coating the road in oil) in the event of a crash!
No offense taken re Brakes - youre quite right. Ive changed pads and stuff before though on cars. Ill remove the calipers from the wheels (leaving all the hydraulic gubbins still attached to the calipers) and just take the pads out and see if the pistons are moving etc, i might be able to free them up nicely. if not, its rebuild time - from looking through the service history it doesnt appear to be a particularly expensive job, and as you say, its my life at stake!
Ill leave changing suspension/bars etc until ive got a bit of experience, but thanks for the tip, ill bear it in mind!
Cheers mate
Dave
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