Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: Bandit 400 Help

  1. #1
    Board Newbie
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Posts
    2

    Bandit 400 Help

    I have little experience with carbs, and unfortunately don't really have time to work on them or get to know them although I would really like to :/
    Anyways, my girlfriend got a 91 bandit 400 last fall that was running well when we first got it and has since become a giant PITA.
    It supposedly had the carbs recently cleaned, and there wasn't any issue with throttle response.
    The first problem we experienced was attributed to the vacuum hose coming off, and after that was replaced the bandit had some crazy idling and revving issues. From what it sounded like, it seemed to be a vacuum leak. The idle was just wild, like anywhere from idling at 1800 to redline, and would change sporadically just as I thought I had dialed it in. Letting on a little bit of throttle would bring it way up and it would always just stay in the high rpm's for a while and slowly come back down (like 10-20 seconds).
    This was in early winter and eventually it was time for storage, so we threw in some stabil and brought it to its winter resting spot. Now as the weather has been nice, we have tried multiple times to get the bandit started again but to no avail. I checked the boots for cracks and found none, and aside from the vacuum hose am not too sure what else to check for a vacuum leak. I also did the carb cleaner test and it was concluded that there was no vacuum leak (at least from there).

    Anyone have any suggestions or advice for a couple of newbies who are stuck in the mud? Anyone with experience to a similar machine near Golden want to come take a look? We'd be willing to offer beer as compensation for the time

    Thanks

  2. #2
    Senior Member Wrider's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Colorado Springs, CO
    Posts
    2,645

    Re: Bandit 400 Help

    Did you check the balance of the carbs? I've found bandits to be pretty picky on that. I owned a 400 myself for a short time, they're pretty awesome bikes. Hard to come by.
    Have owned: '01 Volusia
    Currently own: '05 Z750S

  3. #3
    Gold Member asp_125's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Larkspur
    Posts
    6,532

    Re: Bandit 400 Help

    You're in Golden? If you give up on it, take it to Jim at TFOG. He'll set you right.
    When life throws you curves, aim for the apex
    Current stable:09 Thruxton \ 09 FZ6S2
    Sold List:97 Ninja500R, 03 SV650K3, 01 Ducati 750Sport, 73 CB350/4, 03 F650GSA, 08 Gixxer600, 03 Gixxer600, 91 VFR750F, 09 KLX250, 06 Thruxton 900, 02 VFR800, 08 Spyder RS, 12 Street TripleR, 09 KLX250S, 16 KTMRC390, 10 F650GS
    my Facebook, SpeedShots
    Quote Originally Posted by salsashark View Post
    ... Motorcycles are kind of like Baskin Robbins... You're looking at 31 flavors of ice cream, don't you kind of want to know what they all taste like?...

  4. #4
    Board Newbie
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Posts
    2

    Re: Bandit 400 Help

    The carbs seemed well balanced right when we got it, and that lasted a few weeks. Then in a period of about a day or two (when we figured out the vacuum hose had disconnected) everything turned sour and just has not been the same, so am i wrong to assume that it wasn't the balance of the carbs?

    Thanks for the heads up about TFOG! The easiest route seems like the best route for us right now, although I really wish I had the time to clean or rebuild the carbs..

  5. #5
    Senior Member Nolan's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Arvada, Co
    Posts
    701

    Re: Bandit 400 Help

    +1 on TFOG... Took a bank of carbs from an 86 gsxr and aside from parts was under $100 to rebuild and once I put them back on I dropped the bike off to be synced for another hour of labor. Starts flawlessly....

  6. #6
    Senior Member Moderator Spooph's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Golden, CO.
    Posts
    883

    Re: Bandit 400 Help

    yea, if you're not particularly comfortable with carbs I wouldn't mess with it. TFOG can straighten you out.

    I say this from plenty of experience hunting down issues with carbs and it's a long list of things to go through. If it were me, I would remove the carbs and rebuild them simply to inspect them and make sure everything is good.

    The long time to come back down to idle sounds like an air leak as that's typical extreme-lean behavior, so somewhere, way too much air is getting into the carbs.
    Respect and truth trump all!
    I don't get lost. I explore.

  7. #7
    Senior Member Wrider's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Colorado Springs, CO
    Posts
    2,645

    Re: Bandit 400 Help

    I have a bank of carbs sitting on my bookshelf at the moment. They're either from the Bandit 400 or an early Ninja 600. Are yours Keihin CVKs with the throttle adjustment on the left side of the bike? If so you're welcome to these ones.
    Have owned: '01 Volusia
    Currently own: '05 Z750S

  8. #8
    Member Jim_Vess's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Lafayette, CO
    Posts
    416

    Re: Bandit 400 Help

    I had similar symptoms a few years ago on a 1981 Yamaha Seca 550. It turned out to be the butterfly shaft (some call them throttle shaft) seals were leaking. If that's the case and you're not comfortable taking the carb bank apart, let someone else do it. It can be done (I did mine) but it's a time-consuming. PITA task.
    2005 Yamaha YZF-R6 (SOLD)
    2013 Yamaha FZ6R
    Stupidity should be painful.

Similar Threads

  1. Anyone here have a Bandit 400?
    By Wrider in forum Bike Tech
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: Tue Mar 22nd, 2011, 01:27 AM
  2. How to set the clock on a Bandit
    By Knuckle Dragger in forum Bike Tech
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: Mon Apr 30th, 2007, 11:43 AM
  3. Bike Bandit!
    By HIX in forum Shop Experiences
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: Wed May 28th, 2003, 05:32 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •