Saving an abused soul from being parted out. Canadian Bandit

[Waterbuffalo]

Heres a 98 model Bandit I found just outside of Calgary Alberta back in late 2010. These first couple of photos show some detailed parts of the bike in less than decent shape when I got it. Its easy to see its definitely had a hard life.


This photo makes the bike look decent, its really a 20 foot bike, on a good day.


Looking ok but its a photo and its hiding loads of issues.


As you get closer things start looking rusty and rough. The forks are leaking and the lower legs paint is corroded, not to mention those pipes and engine.


Every plastic body panel was broken, cracked or had missing tabs, two large cracks are seen here on this one by the indicator hole. It was a lot cheaper to buy new ones than repair and repaint these.


Was this ever cleaned at some point in the past, the linkage was never lubed thats for sure. The chain and sprockets were the first items in the garbage.


Theres no place the previous owner did not scratch with the ignition key.



Instead of showing photos of this restored bike, heres a short video of how it looks after all of the restoration and refurbishment work was done to it. The seat was off in the video but the Corbin seat that was on the bike was replaced with a stock seat base/sponge I got from Ebay and recovered with a custom built cover.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q3_FIK9FgM

[crazy4557]

Nicely turned out in the video, just one question: bike shows 17k in the pictures but 24k in the video. Did you use it in between pic and video in it's original state?

I bet that makes a great touring bike for not a lot of money if you can find a tidy one.

[PaulD738]

That's quite a transformation WB, the Bandit 12 is one of my all time favourite bikes despite never actually owning one. Although it was a parts bin special that engine makes up for any shortcomings. I had a GSXR1100 and that was a brilliant bike and that's where the Bandit gets its engine from, loads and loads of power from tickover without any dips or holes probably the best four stroke four cylinder engine on the planet.

[yeadon_m]

Allan,
Thats astonishing, I am amazed you could do it. I have only once had a new bike (GSX1400) and I don't think it looked as good as your resto even when new from the dealer Your finishes are better than factory.
On the ignition key scratches, once possibility is the PO was fed up much of the time and it took a few stabs to hit the key slot
Mike

[Waterbuffalo]

Thanks for the comments guys, that restoration was done in under two weeks. I started from the front and worked my way to the back swapping out parts for ones I'd restored as I went along. There was lots of rebuilding of components and fitting of repainted parts as I progressed rearwards, but I got through it as I needed to take the bike on a tour. I set it all up and rode it for about 600 yards to give a quick check of everything and then took off the next day for the tour.
After that I've only adjusted the chain a few times in approx 15.000 miles of touring, adjusted the idle etc, although I did re-gear the bike twice, so its now on 16/43.
Its a "sleeper" and has surprised quite a few other bikers with just how quick it now is. The video was taken after I had done a few tours on the bike, thats why the mileage was higher than the original shown in the photos.
The speedo is registering in miles not kilometers being the bike was originally a US model brought to Canada, althought there is the equivalent inner kmh scale.
Since I only use it in August while I'm in Canada, my mileage is not a lot higher, at present its now in the mid 30.000 mile range on the speedo.
Since 2011 when it was completed, the bikes travelled around Alberta, British Columbia, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington State and Wyoming, so its been heavily used, once I'm there to ride it. This summer I'll be fitting my third rear tyre and next summer my third front tyre.
If you look at some of my channel videos you can see a few of the places the Bandit and I have been to in the past five summers.

Heres a photo from a 2015 tour taken at Beartooth summit 10.947 ft, this is close to the state line between Wyoming and Montana. Its a road every biker would love to ride on, especially the northern section down from the summit into Montana.