I need help from Bandit 600 owners and former owners

[Big_Jim59]

Some of you may have read my posts "Bandit In A Box" where I have documented the rise of my 2001, 600 Bandit that was an unexpected surprise from my daughter. I have gotten it back together in running and riding shape. It is ugly but it runs great. Here is my problem. I have never owned a Bandit 600. I don't know what they are supposed to sound like and I don't know if i am missing something. Here is my impression of riding and please let me know if something seems amiss.

It has 5 gears but seems like it only needs the fifth one. Cruising at 5 grand gets you 60 mph and 7K gets you close to 80 mph. I keep wanting to shifty up to a non-existent 6th gear. It pulls reasonably hard if you wind it up and bang through the gears. It makes that really nice growl as the revs climb like all Japanese multies.

I have what sounds like road noise from dual sport tires but I don't have dual sport tires. It is the engine making a sound like tires on a rough road and since I have never ridden this machine I don't know if i should be concerned or not. It seems to run good, carbonates smoothly and has zero torque. It seems to make no power below 5000 rpm. (I am used to riding a Norton Commando and it is a torque monster.)

I am interested in hearing for owners and previous owners of Bandit 600s.

[bullet5]

Hi there, I've got a '99 Mk1, you've got yourself a Mk2 so things may be a tiny bit different, but I believe these points are the same.

The B6 usualy has 6 gears, however depending on what country it was first bought in, it could have 5 gears.

I use the 5 for 6 rule to tell i'm in 6th gear. This translates to 5k revs = 60mph.
A rather daft question, but are you kicking down first to put it into 1st then up (through neutral) to get to 2nd? My B6 doesn't appreciate taking off in 2nd, and like you say, doesn't feel all that grunty before about 5k where the power develops (from a standing start in 2nd) However in first it has power all the way upto the 13k rev line.

The Bandits (even the 6) do like to sit in top gear (5/6) and just pootle around. Usually 6th on mine will pull from about 40 up. Rather slowly I'll admit, but the revs are nice and low for going through town/giving the engine a rest after a motorway stint.

The tyre noise doesn't sound right. They are loud engines and do rattle, but I don't remember hearing a tyre noise coming off it. Although saying that I have an aftermarket exhaust fitted so it drowns out most engine & wind noise below 60. :)

Hope this helps somewhat,
Bullet5.

[Big_Jim59]

Hi Bullet5,  It does help and yes, I would think the MKI '99 model would have a similar feel.

I went riding this morning before the heat set in and made a few more observations.
1) You are very correct. It is a 6 speed. I don't know what I was thinking and I even thought I counted them correctly.
2) It likes to be in 6th at any sustained highway speed. Like you said, it will just "pootle around" all be it with slow acceleration from 40. Kick it down a gear or two and it pulls, well. . .like a Bandit.
3) The road noise is just that road noise. I rode the twisty road from Leonard to Wolf City and then on to highway 11 which is arrow straight with a tar surface. On highway 11 I heard an oscillation that started around 60 and continued so upwards in speed. I rode back to Leonard on highway 78 and then on to Trenton in highway 69. Each of these roads has a different surface texture and only highway 11 exhibited the initial oscillation noise. I was a little worried that it might be the engine make that sound but it's not. The tires are new so I never considered that an issue.
4) I found that my passenger pegs rattled so I tied them in the up position with zip ties. The bike sounds tighter.

Over all I am very impressed. I am running a Motocross style handlebars with some aftermarket rear sets. It is kind of a hybred with and adventure bike front end and a sport bike back end. The riding position is surprisingly comfortable. I have found the the bars tend to get a bit buzzy at speed.

[bullet5]

Glad to have been of assistance

The bar vibration can be solved easily. First off you want some decent weighted bar ends, then if it's still a little too buzzy, you need to get a bar snake. This is a long piece of flexible rubber that sits inside the bars eliminating the vibration at higher rpms.

Another solution is to spray expanding foam inside the bars (after taping up the holes, the switch gear use to stay in place). I believe polyester balls work a treat too.

Someones method on another bandit forum: http://www.banditforum.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=51487.msg522295#msg522295

Hope this helps,
Bullet5.

[Big_Jim59]

Since I had a can of expandable foam from my kitchen renovation, I decided to try it out on Roller Girl. My handlebars are aftermarket items that have a hint of motocross heritage to them. I pulled the bar end mirrors and felt around in there to find what felt like rubber plugs. I used compressed air to try and shift them and it’s a good thing no one was on the other side. It went off like a potato gun. I think they were plugs but I have yet to find them. They went someplace in the shop and scared hell out of me.

I used a piece of clear plastic aquarium tubing on the foam spray can and fed it down until it reached the bar end that I had reinstalled. Then I injected the foam as I slowly pulled the tubing out. It pooped out a little around the bar end insert, which is cool because that means it is under pressure. It also expanded and made a mess on the open end which I expected. It has dried and I carved it out to get the mirror back in.

I am really interest to see if this works. The vibration in the bars was pretty bad. If it takes it down even a little I will be happy.