Just bought a '91 Bandit 400V......

[GooseMan]

Can I bring my bike to your place in Toronto, so we can clean my carbs together?  (I'm half serious).....

[PitterB4]

I usually unhook the throttle cable at the handlebars or work with the carbs on the bike... getting that cable back on the carb sucks.

+1

[PitterB4]

Tank hoses - one feeds the carbs, one goes to the vacuum port on the first carb, the other is a drain that leads down below the bike.

For the air filter, I've used the solvent designed for K&N filters on foam elements like that.

[Vanishing_Point]

Ok so the L shaped longer pipe on the petcock is for the fuel hose and the smaller straight one is for the vacuum, the one comig off the tank is a drain. Thanks Pitter.

As for the spark leads I read elsewhere on the forum that the two coming from the left coil (when looking as if sitting on the bike) are for plugs 1 and 4 (does it matter which one goes where?) and the leads from the right coil go on 3 and 4.....is this correct?

So I need to get some special solvent for the air filter then, do I also need special oil?

And Gooseman if you can pay for a ticket from Aberdeen, Scotland to Toronto, Canada then I would be more than happy do clean them with you!

P.S Interfuse thats a very good idea..thanks!

[interfuse]

Can I bring my bike to your place in Toronto, so we can clean my carbs together?  (I'm half serious).....

I'd gladly help you clean the carbs. But I just moved into a condo and no longer have anywhere to work on my vehicles (my old studio had a freight elevator and I could bring the bike inside...). If your girlfriend has a driveway or something I can show you how to clean them. Only problem would be if something went wrong you might be walking home. LOL.

[Red01]

As for the spark leads I read elsewhere on the forum that the two coming from the left coil (when looking as if sitting on the bike) are for plugs 1 and 4 (does it matter which one goes where?)

Nope, not electrically anyway. 

Might be a slight difference in length though.

[PitterB4]

You got the hoses right.   

The short one on the left goes to #1 and the short one on the right goes to #3.  The lengths should make it pretty obvious now that you know which coil goes to which cylinders. 

[GooseMan]

Can I bring my bike to your place in Toronto, so we can clean my carbs together?  (I'm half serious).....

I'd gladly help you clean the carbs. But I just moved into a condo and no longer have anywhere to work on my vehicles (my old studio had a freight elevator and I could bring the bike inside...). If your girlfriend has a driveway or something I can show you how to clean them. Only problem would be if something went wrong you might be walking home. LOL.

Yeah...she has a nice garage, actually! :D You wanna come to Montreal instead?  hehehee....

[interfuse]

How come I never date girls with nice garages??? I love montreal, but I don't trust my bike enough to ride it that far... we've got a love hate relationship going on... if you get replacement o-rings it's probably safe to clean them in T.O. I've got all the tools and a spare carb and a 1/2 here.

[gsxr400 racer]

he just want to see the vv

[Forde]

hey dude well done on buying a b400

dont clean your air filter a new one will be like £2 and the cleaning stuff costs more than that and wont get it as good as a new one.

[Vanishing_Point]

Just a quick update really.....

I had my CBT the Saturday before last and managed to pass despite having a lot of difficulties changing gear and braking due to a pair of massive army boots I was wearing! I then had 3 days intensive DAS training on a Kawa ER-5 (with proper boots) which was great fun and I learnt a hell of a lot throughout (used Biketec, Aberdeen - very good and inexpensive!).

I had the dreaded practical test this morning, and tbh I was a bit worried waking up and seeing the weather (very blustery and rainy) but having ridden in this weather before I was still confident. After a quick 30 minute warm-up it was time for the test............and I passed with only two minor faults! Not bad for someone who had never ridden a motorbike before just over a week ago!

Anyway I am still on a high and cannot wait to get my Bandit out on the road. The carbs should be coming back in a couple of days all cleaned up; then it's just a case of replacing the fork seals, giving it a good clean up and getting it through it's MOT. I hope there are no serious problems that will cost a lot of time/money so I can get out riding pretty quick.  I'll let you know of any developments, and there will probably many more occasions where your advice will be invaluable! 

[PitterB4]

Best of luck and BE CAREFUL out there.  Take it slow and wear your gear.  Good luck with the MOT! 

[Vanishing_Point]

Well i got the carbs back the other day and promptly installed them. I also replaced the air filter, drained the oil, put in a new oil filter and topped the oil back up with some fresh stuff. I took the battery off and gave it a charge overnight. I also checked all 4 plugs for sparking, which they all had. I have correctly installed the tank as there is definately fuel going into the carbs when i set the petcock to prime and then drain the float bowls.

Yet it still will not start? I am starting to get very annoyed, as the damn thing started when I 1st got it (albeit wouldnt rev) just by replacing the battery. Have I overlooked something obvious?

[Banditmax]

Try new plugs.