winter and my 600 bandit

fingers · L Plate Warrior Joined: 07 Feb 2007 Karma :

hi everyone. got a question that needs answered by someone in the know. i ride a 600 bandit 95 model. it runs sweet as a nut with no problems, until winter comes and then it runs like a dog!. the problem is when i start the bike in the garage i get no problems until i start to hit the road in the cold and then the bike feels like its running on 3 cylinders!.if i stop revving it cuts out . if im riding above 5000 revs it picks up again and shoots off. any Mr. Green

help would be great, someone has said it could be carb icing. if it is , how do i combat this , as when i work nightshift, the bike is left outside witha cover on but runs like shit. cheers and thanks.

veeeffarr · Super Spammer Joined: 22 Jul 2004 Karma :

Do you have Carb Heaters?

fingers · L Plate Warrior Joined: 07 Feb 2007 Karma :

how do i know? ive heard this before but not sure what to look for

finpos · World Chat Champion Joined: 13 Sep 2005 Karma :

Carb icing tends to work (not work?) the other way around - the bike will run fine until you cane it at high revs for a long time. Are you saying that when you come out of work it does not run well? If so I'd be more inclined to think that the damp gets to it and you have an electrical misfire.

finpos.

fingers · L Plate Warrior Joined: 07 Feb 2007 Karma :

the bike only runs poorly when its freezing outside. get no trouble in wet. i ride bike in all weather and even torrential rain, and get no trouble until its about minus degrees, which is often in newcastle Laughing

and when the weathers ok the bike rides like new.

finpos · World Chat Champion Joined: 13 Sep 2005 Karma :

Just not convinced about the icing - it's possible, but it's rare.

Another alternative is that the bike runs a little bit lean which will be compounded by cold air (I hope I've got that the right way round Smile

). You could try running it with the choke on exactly one smigin, see if that helps it.

If you are desperate to look for carb heaters, then they will work either off the cooling system or electrically, so look for small tubes or wires going to the carbs. A lot of bikes simply don't have them, don't know for sure about the Bandit.

finpos.

veeeffarr · Super Spammer Joined: 22 Jul 2004 Karma :

Bezzer · World Chat Champion Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Karma :

finpos · World Chat Champion Joined: 13 Sep 2005 Karma :

instigator · Super Spammer Joined: 19 Oct 2004 Karma :

Carb Icing is Sickpups speciality. Mr. Green

Bezzer · World Chat Champion Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Karma :

fingers · L Plate Warrior Joined: 07 Feb 2007 Karma :

right, so from all this knowledge, i presume an additive in me tank of petrol should cure the problem. if so how much do i add per tank of petrol? thanks for all your suggestions. Laughing

JonB · Afraid of Mileage Joined: 03 Jun 2004 Karma :

I'm seriously assuming it is Carb Icing as well, especially seeing as your Bandit is a very early 95 model, this model did not have the carb heaters that later Bandits had. Use this additive as a temporary fix and if I was you, I'd go to a Suzuki dealer and ask how much it would cost to buy and install carb heaters for your Bandit. Smile

____________________
Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.

Kris · World Chat Champion Joined: 03 Feb 2002 Karma :

Well I can definately sympathise with the original poster on this topic.

I've got a '99 Bandit 600 S and recently the bike has been running absolutely terribly. It happened last year as well so before this winter I replaced the carb heater loom and two of the actual brass collars/ connections as they had fallen off. Unfortunately this still hasn't cured the problem, quite often the bike will die if I slow for a junction/ roundabout etc with exactly the same symptoms as previously mentioned up ^^. It's a shame really as the bike is otherwise ideal as a daily commuter.

I also have a sneaky suspicion that the carb rubbers are leaking ever so slightly, but the bike still ran in summer and on warmer days like today.

I'm going to give the additives a try next time the temperature drops - maybe it's worth adding the results to this post afterwards?
____________________
NSR125RR - ZXR750H1 - ZX9R E1 - GSF600S - GSF600SK3 - VFR400-NC30 - SV1000N - ST1100-R - CBR900RR-R - GSF1200SK5 - GSF600SK1 - VFR1200FA - GSXR1000K2 - ZZR1400 D8F
www.prisonplanet.com

bigwill · Trackday Trickster Joined: 06 Aug 2006 Karma :

bonehead · Scooby Slapper Joined: 16 Nov 2004 Karma :

Im having the same probs and have been since before xmas ( cutting out at low revs, not reving past 9k fow a second or two, sounds really loud as if running out of fuel, alittle choke on for a whole 1 hour commute is normal) and its been driving me mental. Im on a 95 600n with no carb heaters
Frank Dunstall in beckenham whacked half a bottle of the silkolene stuff in my tank for free and bikes been amazing for the last two days. Feels like summmer again (touch wood).

goatrider · Renault 5 Driver Joined: 14 Feb 2007 Karma :

Bezzer is spot on again Wink

.....

Sounds like a definate case of carb icing.

As you say the bike runs fine in the garage (warmish and dry) and then it all goes tits up outside (cold with just a touch of moisture in the air) so its definately an atmospheric effect and that means carb icing.

Moisture in the air gets into your carbs and then the cold air being forced in while riding freezes the moisture causing the idle jets to block up a bit (thus the feeling of the bike being fuel starved).

Not sure how much the carb heaters cost but from what I have read and heard they aren't much cop anyway.

Pro FST is definately the best way to go at the moment - not sure on how much you are meant to use in each tank full of fuel but there must be a guidelines on the FST bottle so best plan is to follow them. It should solve your problem.

All the best.
Goat Wink

____________________
Honda NS125R 1987, Suzuki GS500EW 1998, Honda CB750F2N RC42 1992
"I dont give a shit who your dad is......quit walking on the water while I'm fishing......."

fingers · L Plate Warrior Joined: 07 Feb 2007 Karma :

cheers goat.im off to bike shop tomorrow for the pro fst. funnily en thanks a lot mate.ough, the bikes running sweet as a nut now the cold snaps gone. still going to try it though.

Kaben · World Chat Champion Joined: 09 Mar 2005 Karma :

out of interest, why do you have Flips avatar?
____________________
Its Not a Melon, Its Clearly a Lime!!
Yamaha Fazer 600Now dead, MZ 125 SM
My Deviant Art homepage https://robabloke.deviantart.com/