Newbie to the forum and the bike

Hi All

After 20 odd years off bikes while my kids grew up, I am getting back to having a bike for casual country rides with like minded mates.
I have borrowed a 2004 Bandit 1200 off a mate who doesn't have a licence and it has just sat in his shed (well protected) for a couple of years. He said I can borrow it indefinitely and I can buy it as well. It has done 95,000 mostly country k's between Perth and Port Hedland.

The bike starts and runs fine. It pulls hard from low revs and brings out the grins I remember from my younger days. It does feel very harsh though. At 100km/h around 4,000RPM it is particularly harsh. There is no sensation of missing, etc, so much as a feeling of poor isolation between frame and engine. I am sure the carbies will need to be balanced and I have yet to get out for a good blast to blow out the cobwebs, but I am also a bit concerned that maybe the bushes are all hardened and need replacing. It has an aftermarket 4 into 1 with no balancing pipes, so I am wondering if this is a contributing factor also. The engine is remarkably quiet, even when cold. No timing chain rattles, etc.

What I would like to know is 

1. What would be a good price for a high km, good condition Bandit circa 2004?
2. Are they known to feel harsh through the handlebars?
3. Is it expensive to go through and replace bushes and other recommended wear points?
4. Any other general pointers to look out for, or consider?

I like that it is simple. I have always liked working on my own engines, be they cars, boats or bikes, so I look forward to tinkering and bringing it back to its former glory, but I just want to be sure I am not on a fool's errand.

Thanks in advance guys

Mark

Welcome to the forum Mark. Sorry I can't help with the questions, as mine is a 1250. 

Welcome Mark, just like Ewok, I've got a 1250, there's plenty of 1200 (or former 1200) riders on here, hopefully you'll get your answers

Hi mate,  and welcome. 
95k is nothing,  as long as it's been treated well,  meaning,  regular oil changes (clean blood, clean heart), along with a clean air filter. 
A quiet engine isn't always a good thing with the 1200, they should make some kind of noise. ..not erratic of cause, but you should check valve clearances, if you have no idea of its service history,  and by the sounds  of it,  you should, as you know the guy.
Bushes...which bushes are you referring to????...suspension,  forks internal. 
If the forks have never been serviced,  then do that.  
Pull suspension links apart,  along with the head set, and grease the hell out of the bike, cause suzuki didn't do a good job from the factory. 
Price. ..ohhh god...what do i say there....my bikes just about to crack 200 000km's. If i ever sold it,  i want $10 000 for it....ha ha.  Look at bikesales,  and gumtree, and feel the vibe.
If treated well,  they will last a long time.  One that hasn't been treated well,  95 000km' can be allot. 
I've got 1200's. One a bought with 6000km's on it (the one that's just about to crack 200)
And the other one i bought with 95 000km's on it.  I knew the guy,  and knew how he rides,  and looks after his bikes.  That bike now has 130 000km's on it,  and it is without doubt, my favourite bike.
If the bike has been sitting along time,  it may have build up of shit in the carbs, but if its not missing,  don't worry about that until it does. 
They do vibe at 4000rpm, so don't worry about that,  as it's the nature of the beast. 
Sync the carbs for piece of mind, but they shouldn't go out that often, unless the carb is stuffed. I only bother every 50 000k or so,  and even then they're hardly ever out.
If it's been sitting along time,  the tyres will be hard, so watch that. 

Happy riding.....

Another option is foam grips as they nearly eliminate the vibration. 95k is just run in for a bandit 1200. Listen to the guys that have posted above. All good advice

Flush the brake lines  and clutch line.
Check the brake pads for thickness....you don't want to score your discs. Check the discs for thickness....look for a lip on the edge off the disc. This can fail road worthy.
Also look at general ware on the discs.  
The headlights, being projector lights, do get dust in them, which creates a poor beam.  This can be fixed,  but don't jump into pulling the light apart yet  worry about mechanical things first.

Welcome to the forum Mark ......+ 1  to what mtbeerwah said, he seems to have covered enough to keep you busy for a while.

Welcome to the forum Mark

Welcome to the forum and to bandit "loanership".
Whats the chain and sprocket condition like? Problems here show up at certain speeds. The chain could be too tight or have tight spots.

EDIT: Oh and $3000 should buy it even with WA pricing. 1250's are going for $4000

Thanks for the advice everyone.

I have been going through and fixing things that look obvious first. The first thing I did was service it. New oil and filter. First shock came when I drained 5.5L of oil out of it! With the correct amount, the gearbox is quite whiny, so I reckon there may have been some stupid attempt to quieten it down a bit. New air filter, cleaned the plugs, drained and cleaned out the tank, degreased it, etc. My mate is doing alright out of this loan.  

It leaks petrol when turned off. Probs because it sat around for so long. I would say a combination of the tank valve not sealing when the engine is off and the needles and seats on 1 & 2 are not sealing. I have done a few hundred km and I was hoping it would sort itself out, but looks like I may need to remove the carbs, although I suspect if I can clean out the tank valve and get it sealing at shutoff, that will do the trick.

One thing that surprised me is that after 20 years being absent from riding, within a hundred kms, it is like I never stopped riding and this bike feels more nimble than I remember my old GPZ900r. The real treat is the torque of the engine. It is so strong across the band.

The vibration is going to be the show stopper for me I think. It is nuts tingling at 110km/h. I'm also getting on a bit now and the lean forward position is a bit much. Are there any retro fit handlebar setups to bring them up and back without making it look stupid?

chopsywa wrote:Thanks for the advice everyone.


It leaks petrol when turned off. Probs because it sat around for so long. I would say a combination of the tank valve not sealing when the engine is off and the needles and seats on 1 & 2 are not sealing. I have done a few hundred km and I was hoping it would sort itself out, but looks like I may need to remove the carbs, although I suspect if I can clean out the tank valve and get it sealing at shutoff, that will do the trick.

Make sure the fuel tap is in the on position , not the prime position .

chopsywa wrote:Thanks for the advice everyone.

I have been going through and fixing things that look obvious first. The first thing I did was service it. New oil and filter. First shock came when I drained 5.5L of oil out of it! With the correct amount, the gearbox is quite whiny, so I reckon there may have been some stupid attempt to quieten it down a bit. New air filter, cleaned the plugs, drained and cleaned out the tank, degreased it, etc. My mate is doing alright out of this loan.  

It leaks petrol when turned off. Probs because it sat around for so long. I would say a combination of the tank valve not sealing when the engine is off and the needles and seats on 1 & 2 are not sealing. I have done a few hundred km and I was hoping it would sort itself out, but looks like I may need to remove the carbs, although I suspect if I can clean out the tank valve and get it sealing at shutoff, that will do the trick.

One thing that surprised me is that after 20 years being absent from riding, within a hundred kms, it is like I never stopped riding and this bike feels more nimble than I remember my old GPZ900r. The real treat is the torque of the engine. It is so strong across the band.

The vibration is going to be the show stopper for me I think. It is nuts tingling at 110km/h. I'm also getting on a bit now and the lean forward position is a bit much. Are there any retro fit handlebar setups to bring them up and back without making it look stupid?

The reason you got so much oil out of it is due to the leaky float valves. It has flooded the motor and got past the rings into the sump. The oil that came out would have stunk. So you need to replace the valves before much more riding, then do another oil change. Gearbox and main bearings dont spin well on petrol. 

Once this is done then do a carb sync. This could well fix the vibs. Unless of course nuts tingling is your thing, far be it from me to judge the lifestyle choices of others.....

I have up and back risers on my 1250fa. Dont give a monkeys what it looks like as long as Im comfortable.

reddog wrote:Another option is foam grips as they nearly eliminate the vibration. 95k is just run in for a bandit 1200. Listen to the guys that have posted above. All good advice

I've got foam grips on my 1250, will never be without them again, reduce vibration and the extra diameter is awesome for aging hands

What bar ends are on the bike? If they are light aftermarket one that can also make vibrations through the bars worse. As for risers I run rid risers on my drz https://roxspeedfx.com/collections/adv-dual-sport-dirt-bike-handlebar-risers

Id say you'll only need short risers or you'll have issues with cable lengths. 1" up and back should be stacks