My first big bike!

phi1

phi1

phi1

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Joined
28 Oct 2006
Posts
1,428
Location
Cambs/Florida
Hi there,
I am 17 in august so been saving hard and always looking for a right bike. Parents were a little worried about me buying a 600 sports so we saw this 400cc bandit import on ebay I was a bit worried at first. We went to see it today and it was a minter had 38k on it but sounded strong. I rode it and went through the gears etc just had new tyres etc. There are a couple small problems I want to get a jackup kit because it's a little low on the rear end but I am sure I can from ebay etc? Does anybody know where I will buy one? And then a choke cable as that was missing!

Here it is!

bandit400.jpg


bandit4002.jpg


I payed £550 for it so I didn't think it was to bad and should be really good once I smarten it up a little. Comments and suggestions are welcome!
 
Looks like a nice one and a cracking buy for £550.

Make sure you keep the downpipes clean especially if taking it out when the roads are salted as they will rot unless cared for.

Other than that take it easy and stay shiny side up! :cool:
 
The reason it's low at the back is because IT'S A GIRL'S BIKE!

I jest. I like them, I always liked the frames on them. Ditch those daft mirrors though.

It looks like it's been lowered with a dogbone thingy, I bet if you have a gander, you'll be able to take it off to get it back up to full height. Definitely looks like it's been lowered, as opposed to always having been that height.
 
looks good, unless it's been lowered don't jack it up... that will shift weight forward, make the front feel like it's gonna tuck in corners and lose you traction on exits.

weight distribution on a bike is crucial to how it handles, even the smallest adjustment (just with preload) totally changes the bike.

if it has been lowered then restoring it to OEM settings will make the bike handle how it's meant to... lowered bikes will run wide on corners and not hold lines very well
 
It has been lowered slightly before I have jsut had a look. On the bandit forums they all seem to run the jackup kits and say it handles a lot better I have a option of 25mm or 45mm? I have my therory this friday so just working towards that a lot. Then module one on the 14th august and booking test as soon afterwards!
 
Some bikes deffinately do benefit from raising the rear end, a 25mm kit made a massive improvement to the handling of my Fazer 1000, made it less barge like and more responsive. I got mine from the auction site, a user called banditrob12 he does both the 25mm and the 45mm ones for your bike at £15 a set. Personally I'd see what the riders on the forums reccomend as to me 45mm seems excessive.

Edit> You may be able to buy the original length dogbones from a user that has upgraded theirs if you want to go back to stock.
 
I have ordered some 45mm thats what they were saying on the bandit forums so we can see. If it's no good Ill go back down or try the 25mm got to pass test first though!
 
It is amazing how such small changes to a bikes geometry can radically alter the handling. I dropped the forks 1cm through the yoke on my vfr800 and it transformed it from me wrestling it round every corner to it perfeclty tipping itself in, difference bike. Of course you can often do more harm than good if your not careful.
 
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