[Group] SUZUKI Bandit

[stanco]

well

stanco

i think u can take the title of "nobody"

and start making things happen

 

 

then are you "Anybody"?

 

It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when actually Nobody asked Anybody.

 

[Gauntlet]

i wonder other bandits have this problems, i am having vibrations at speeds above 100km/h, feels ike having electric shocks that kind, on the handlebar, frame, seats... not really nice. do u guys have that too? any solutions? realise that rpm 5 and below smooth. 6 and beyond, i experience the above.

 

common prob?

[stanco]

i wonder other bandits have this problems, i am having vibrations at speeds above 100km/h, feels ike having electric shocks that kind, on the handlebar, frame, seats... not really nice. do u guys have that too? any solutions? realise that rpm 5 and below smooth. 6 and beyond, i experience the above.

 

common prob?

 

i think i do as well. was worse initially... until i changed to a heavier balancer. does help to a certain extend. but still feel some vibrations at high rpm.

[C.S]

i wonder other bandits have this problems, i am having vibrations at speeds above 100km/h, feels ike having electric shocks that kind, on the handlebar, frame, seats... not really nice. do u guys have that too? any solutions? realise that rpm 5 and below smooth. 6 and beyond, i experience the above.

 

common prob?

 

seats?

i not sure ley

cos

i put windshield to prevent the helmet vibrations

so

at speed above 130

i actually bend down so that i am in a "racer-alike" posture

and

i am actually more concentrated vibrations on the head than on the bike

LOL

anyway

the layer of fats on me

might have created damping effect, that i dun feel the vibrations

LOL

[Gauntlet]

sorry, just checking, how to remove the fuel tank without leaking fuel if there is no "off" position on the fuel ****, any ways to improvise the situation? i wanna access my plugs for a plug change.

 

thanks in advance.

[chansk]

Hi Gauntlet,

 

First to address the vibration problem - if it is more than just handlebars that are tingling, it might be worthwhile to check all the engine mounting bolts and nuts. Loose engine mounting bolts can cause the engine to vibrate against the frame and transmitting the vibes to all over the bike.

 

Second, about the fuel leaking out of the tank. Don't worry. The fuel system is activated by vacuum suction created by the carbs once your engine is started. This means when the engine is off, there is no vacuum, and fuel will not flow from the fuel tank. You can safely remove the fuel tank from the bike by removing all the hoses and tubes. Just remember to put them back in the correct places - the fuel hose, the carb vacuum hose and a fuel tank breather hose.

 

Cheers!

[Gauntlet]

oooo thanks dude ! will check out some of the mentioned stuff tonite.

[zac__]

Vroom vroom~

[xjrredbull]

Vroom vroom~

 

meow meow?

[C.S]

kok kok kay

[yaz_03]

Hey guys, I've been riding a Bandit GSF P for over a year and I follow this thread once in a while.

 

Recently, my Bandit has been starting to overheat (as in the red temperature warning light comes on) pretty easily. At least 3 times it has happened and I'm getting pretty worried. I'm not sure what the problem is and I'm planning to go to GH soon, once I'm free.

 

I've read that it could be faulty thermostat maybe? Also I'm not sure if its cause I changed coolant to Engine Ice about few months back. Cos I noticed the bike heats up real fast on Engine Ice. In my opinion that is.

 

Meanwhile can anyone help? Thanks alot guys.

[chansk]

Hey guys, I've been riding a Bandit GSF P for over a year and I follow this thread once in a while.

 

Recently, my Bandit has been starting to overheat (as in the red temperature warning light comes on) pretty easily. At least 3 times it has happened and I'm getting pretty worried. I'm not sure what the problem is and I'm planning to go to GH soon, once I'm free.

 

I've read that it could be faulty thermostat maybe? Also I'm not sure if its cause I changed coolant to Engine Ice about few months back. Cos I noticed the bike heats up real fast on Engine Ice. In my opinion that is.

 

Meanwhile can anyone help? Thanks alot guys.

 

Sounds like your coolant is not circulating. Can be caused by of the components in the entire cooling system, such as:

a. thermostat not working properly

b. coolant pump defective

c. hose stuck or leaking (meaning, no more coolant)

d. coolant not circulating due to other reasons

 

Better repair ASAP before damage is done to engine due to overheating (such as engine seizure) which can be very, very expensive.

 

GH is till in Eunos. They will be shifting to the new location next month.

[yaz_03]

Hey thanks alot. Also, I'm wondering how the thermostat works.

 

Cause around a month ago, my friend riding a VV went to GH to change coolant cos he also changed to Engine Ice with me, and Uncle and Hassan ask him to remove his thermostat as well saying it wouldn't affect the bike as its main use is in European countries where they have winter seasons.

 

Not that I don't trust them, haha, but would be good to understand. Uncle explain I also rarely understand ah.

[C.S]

Hey thanks alot. Also, I'm wondering how the thermostat works.

 

Cause around a month ago, my friend riding a VV went to GH to change coolant cos he also changed to Engine Ice with me, and Uncle and Hassan ask him to remove his thermostat as well saying it wouldn't affect the bike as its main use is in European countries where they have winter seasons.

 

Not that I don't trust them, haha, but would be good to understand. Uncle explain I also rarely understand ah.

 

hahahah

here we go again

Super4 (version S or older) also tend to have such problems

 

 

depends on whether u believe or not

 

A thermostat is a device for regulating the temperature of a system so that the system's temperature is maintained near a desired setpoint temperature. The thermostat does this by switching heating or cooling devices on or off or regulating the flow of a heat transfer fluid as needed to maintain the correct temperature.

 

A thermostat may be a control unit for a heating or cooling system or a component part of a heater or air conditioner. Thermostats can be constructed in many ways and may use a variety of sensors to measure the temperature. The output of the sensor then controls the heating or cooling apparatus.

 

Uncle and Hassan ask u remove thermostat becos:

 

When thermostat is working, it will "activate" the cooling system to start circulating -- meaning, even a few degreee below its "activationg temp", the cooling system will not circulate

without the thermostat, this "control" will not be in use

in local weather, warm mostly, the coolant will start flowing almost the moment ur bike warms up

 

so

ur coolant will not have "the trigger"

but

just start cooling ur bike even when it is not so warm yet

 

 

so

they recommend u to remove this thing

cos

usually when we ride

confirm we ride till the temp where the "trigger" is reached,

 

hope this is clearer

[chansk]

hahahah

here we go again

Super4 (version S or older) also tend to have such problems

 

 

depends on whether u believe or not

 

 

 

Uncle and Hassan ask u remove thermostat becos:

 

When thermostat is working, it will "activate" the cooling system to start circulating -- meaning, even a few degreee below its "activationg temp", the cooling system will not circulate

without the thermostat, this "control" will not be in use

in local weather, warm mostly, the coolant will start flowing almost the moment ur bike warms up

 

so

ur coolant will not have "the trigger"

but

just start cooling ur bike even when it is not so warm yet

 

 

so

they recommend u to remove this thing

cos

usually when we ride

confirm we ride till the temp where the "trigger" is reached,

 

hope this is clearer

 

The following is just my version of a technical explanation for sharing purposes.

 

The Bandit engine is designed to be air-cooled as well as liquid-cooled. This explains for the fins on the engine block (like the fully air-cooled engine of the Honda Phantom). Notice that other liquid-cooled bikes like the S4, Fazer and R1s do not have fins on the engine?

 

The aim of the thermostat is to regulate the coolant flow so that the engine will be running at an optimal temperature all the time. We all know about the problems with overheating. However, running the engine too cold is also bad because the engine has been designed to work at an optimal temperature range.

 

Running the engine below the operating temperature means that the engine parts have not expanded sufficiently, eg, pistons and other parts have not sufficiently to provide the required seal for optimal compression. Also, when the fuel-air mixture reaches the combustion chamber that is too cold, the fuel-air mixture will not "explode" optimally to provide power (notice how the exhaust smells of unburnt petrol when you first start the engine in the morning?). Another area is the engine oil will be at the thicker in a colder engine than a warm engine (affects oil flow, oil-pressure, lubricating properties of the oil).

 

Having said that, in the case of Singapore, we have 2 scenarios - urban riding and highway riding.

 

For riding mainly around the urban areas, where there is a lot of start-stop traffic, there will be lots of time when the bike is stationary and the engine will be hot due to the lack of cooling air passing through the engine fins to assist in the cooling. Under this circumstance, removal of the thermostat should not adversely affect the bike engine because the engine will mainly rely on the liquid-cooling mechanism.

 

For riding on the highways, when the bike spends its time moving, the air moving past the bike helps to cool the via the engine fins. As a result there will be times when the engine is cool enough not to have to rely on the liquid cooling. In this case, if the thermostat has been removed, the liquid-cooling will continue to work and it is possible for the bike engine to be running too cold.

 

All said, I'm sure the technicians from GH have valid reasons, through their years of experience, for removing the defective thermostat instead of replacing them because in our hot climate and the traffic conditions (we tend to ride more in urban areas than on highways), we have a higher risk of engine damage due to over-heating than over-cooling.

[Gauntlet]

has anyone had a clutch prob before? namely the clutch housing area covering the front sprokets. the bracket holding onto my clutch wire are half split opened. has anyone DIYed one or repaireed it before? or strengthened that particular area? seems to be prone to damage.

[Gauntlet]

Hey guys, I've been riding a Bandit GSF P for over a year and I follow this thread once in a while.

 

Recently, my Bandit has been starting to overheat (as in the red temperature warning light comes on) pretty easily. At least 3 times it has happened and I'm getting pretty worried. I'm not sure what the problem is and I'm planning to go to GH soon, once I'm free.

 

I've read that it could be faulty thermostat maybe? Also I'm not sure if its cause I changed coolant to Engine Ice about few months back. Cos I noticed the bike heats up real fast on Engine Ice. In my opinion that is.

 

Meanwhile can anyone help? Thanks alot guys.

 

 

bro, in the event that u need a replacement of your water pump, which i of course dun hope that u need to, contact me if you need a 2nd hand one or something. i have gone thru a heart wrenching one of replacing one new one today and definetly crying like mad now. with a feeling of being chop like a carrot :cry: dun want another bro to go down like me....

 

at least, cooling is my least of my worries for now.

[xjrredbull]

The following is just my version of a technical explanation for sharing purposes.

 

The Bandit engine is designed to be air-cooled as well as liquid-cooled. This explains for the fins on the engine block (like the fully air-cooled engine of the Honda Phantom). Notice that other liquid-cooled bikes like the S4, Fazer and R1s do not have fins on the engine?

 

The aim of the thermostat is to regulate the coolant flow so that the engine will be running at an optimal temperature all the time. We all know about the problems with overheating. However, running the engine too cold is also bad because the engine has been designed to work at an optimal temperature range.

 

Running the engine below the operating temperature means that the engine parts have not expanded sufficiently, eg, pistons and other parts have not sufficiently to provide the required seal for optimal compression. Also, when the fuel-air mixture reaches the combustion chamber that is too cold, the fuel-air mixture will not "explode" optimally to provide power (notice how the exhaust smells of unburnt petrol when you first start the engine in the morning?). Another area is the engine oil will be at the thicker in a colder engine than a warm engine (affects oil flow, oil-pressure, lubricating properties of the oil).

 

Having said that, in the case of Singapore, we have 2 scenarios - urban riding and highway riding.

 

For riding mainly around the urban areas, where there is a lot of start-stop traffic, there will be lots of time when the bike is stationary and the engine will be hot due to the lack of cooling air passing through the engine fins to assist in the cooling. Under this circumstance, removal of the thermostat should not adversely affect the bike engine because the engine will mainly rely on the liquid-cooling mechanism.

 

For riding on the highways, when the bike spends its time moving, the air moving past the bike helps to cool the via the engine fins. As a result there will be times when the engine is cool enough not to have to rely on the liquid cooling. In this case, if the thermostat has been removed, the liquid-cooling will continue to work and it is possible for the bike engine to be running too cold.

 

All said, I'm sure the technicians from GH have valid reasons, through their years of experience, for removing the defective thermostat instead of replacing them because in our hot climate and the traffic conditions (we tend to ride more in urban areas than on highways), we have a higher risk of engine damage due to over-heating than over-cooling.

 

i like this, very informative!

[xjrredbull]

hahahah

here we go again

Super4 (version S or older) also tend to have such problems

 

 

depends on whether u believe or not

 

 

 

Uncle and Hassan ask u remove thermostat becos:

 

When thermostat is working, it will "activate" the cooling system to start circulating -- meaning, even a few degreee below its "activationg temp", the cooling system will not circulate

without the thermostat, this "control" will not be in use

in local weather, warm mostly, the coolant will start flowing almost the moment ur bike warms up

 

so

ur coolant will not have "the trigger"

but

just start cooling ur bike even when it is not so warm yet

 

 

so

they recommend u to remove this thing

cos

usually when we ride

confirm we ride till the temp where the "trigger" is reached,

 

hope this is clearer

 

Hey thanks alot. Also, I'm wondering how the thermostat works.

 

Cause around a month ago, my friend riding a VV went to GH to change coolant cos he also changed to Engine Ice with me, and Uncle and Hassan ask him to remove his thermostat as well saying it wouldn't affect the bike as its main use is in European countries where they have winter seasons.

 

Not that I don't trust them, haha, but would be good to understand. Uncle explain I also rarely understand ah.

 

good infos.

 

there was once in late last November, my P overheated. I flush my coolant & it was like a teh-o!

thereafter replacing the coolant, i have no such problems anymore.

[chansk]

Sorry guys, I was thinking this afternoon about what I had written and I think I made some technical errors, so I'd better correct them. The corrected version is in Bold Yellow

 

The Bandit engine is designed to be air-cooled as well as liquid-cooled. This explains for the fins on the engine block (like the fully air-cooled engine of the Honda Phantom). Notice that other liquid-cooled bikes like the S4, Fazer and R1s do not have fins on the engine? S4 have cooling fins partially on selected parts of the engine, but the existence of fins depend on the year of the model. Some models have more fins, and in different areas of the engine, than others. My guess is that Honda is experimenting with the "natural air" cooling configuration requirements for various countries

 

The aim of the thermostat is to regulate the coolant flow switch the radiator fan ON and OFF so that the engine will be running at an optimal temperature all the time. The technique of removing the thermostat will mean that the radiator fan is always ON to provide airflow to the radiator to cool the coolant. Some technicians may also implement a manual (rider-operated) on-off switch for the radiator fan in hot weather. We all know about the problems with overheating. However, running the engine too cold is also bad because the engine has been designed to work at an optimal temperature range.

 

Running the engine below the operating temperature means that the engine parts have not expanded sufficiently, eg, pistons and other parts have not sufficiently to provide the required seal for optimal compression. Also, when the fuel-air mixture reaches the combustion chamber that is too cold, the fuel-air mixture will not "explode" optimally to provide power (notice how the exhaust smells of unburnt petrol when you first start the engine in the morning?). Another area is the engine oil will be at the thicker in a colder engine than a warm engine (affects oil flow, oil-pressure, lubricating properties of the oil).

 

Having said that, in the case of Singapore, we have 2 scenarios - urban riding and highway riding.

 

For riding mainly around the urban areas, where there is a lot of start-stop traffic, there will be lots of time when the bike is stationary and the engine will be hot due to the lack of cooling air passing through the engine fins to assist in the cooling. Under this circumstance, removal of the thermostat should not adversely affect the bike engine because the engine will mainly rely on the liquid-cooling mechanism. My assumption is that the GH technicians implement the radiator fan always ON (play safe mode).

 

For riding on the highways, when the bike spends its time moving, the air moving past the bike helps to cool the via the engine fins. As a result there will be times when the engine is cool enough not to have to rely on the liquid cooling. In this case, if the thermostat has been removed, the liquid-cooling will continue to work and it is possible for the bike engine to be running too cold. In this case, it may be better to implement the manual rider-operated switch to turn the radiator fan ON and OFF as required. Disadvantage is that it will need the rider to make a deliberate decision to activate/deactivate the fan - needs a idiot-proof rider, which is an unrealistic expectation.

 

All said, I'm sure the technicians from GH have valid reasons, through their years of experience, for removing the defective thermostat instead of replacing them because in our hot climate and the traffic conditions (we tend to ride more in urban areas than on highways), we have a higher risk of engine damage due to over-heating than over-cooling.

 

I hope this provides a better explanation for the benefit of all.

[chansk]

has anyone had a clutch prob before? namely the clutch housing area covering the front sprokets. the bracket holding onto my clutch wire are half split opened. has anyone DIYed one or repaireed it before? or strengthened that particular area? seems to be prone to damage.

 

 

Speaking from experience, it is better to get it replaced (if you can find a spare part), or get it strengthened by welding a piece of metal over to beef up the weakened area.

 

You cannot ride the bike without being able to control the clutch, and bike tow service will cost you about $20-$40, depending on the agency.

[yaz_03]

awesome possum replies. =)

 

thanks alot guys. understood after reading.

 

i've sent the blue bandit in today, hopefully they can figure out the problem. and yeah i hope its not the water pump. heh.

[kostya_sing]

Hi, guys,

my Bandit for sale, lots of COE to go, till 2018. Asking 2k negotiable after viewing.

Smooth engine, nice machine but I have upgraded.

 

more info

[newcomer]

Hey guys, me considering getting a bandit. Can I know roughly what's the market price for a 1998 model?

[newcomer]

Excellent write up bro. Some pointers though... I think the thermostat is indeed to regulate the coolant flow, which in turn maintains the temperature of the engine.

The radiator fan is an on/off switch which is controlled by the thermoswitch which is typically located at the bottom left of the radiator. the fan will come on when the thermoswitch senses the coolant temperature is too high.

Another function is to allow a cold engine to heat up to its operating temperature as soon as possible by remaining in the closed position.

I think the only valid reason one should remove the thermostat and allow the radiator fan to run full time is when one has a faulty radiator or the cylinder coolant passages are badly "scaled", drastically reducing its cooling capabality. As replacing a radiator and block is vastly expensive, performing such mods make more economical sense. however, having a full time radiator fan draws unneccesary power and reduces fan motor life.