Bandit 1200-----Revs drop slow

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midrangetorque · Tue May 08, 2007 4:05 pm

My dad recently got a good deal on a Suzuki Bandit 1200. The bike was sitting for almost a year when he brought it home. When we first got it It would only idle with the choke fully on, and we couldn't rev it at all or it would just die out. We drained the old gas out of the tank and float bowls and put fresh gas in. Now the bike starts up and is rideable, but something still isn't right. Now when I rev the bike it revs up quickly but it takes a while for the rpm's to drop back down. Also when I was riding it and pulled in the clutch to switch gears the rpms would go up a little even though no gas was applied. Also when you let off of the throttle the bike doesn't really decelerate, it kind of keeps going.

I know it has something to do with the carbs but have no idea what (probably a clogged jet?). Does this sound like something that would clear up as he rides it, or does it sounds like some work has to be done, and if so what? I am a moron when it comes to carbs, so he will probably have to put it in the shop if it doesn't clear up. What is an average price to pay for a carb overhaul. Thanks in advance.......Jim

BuzZz · #2 Unread post by **BuzZz** » Tue May 08, 2007 5:18 pm

Could it be as simple as a sticky throttle cable? Or the slides or butterflys are gummed up and sticky?

If that is in good order, it sounds like it's running lean and needs the jets in the carbs cleaned. Does the bike seem to run too hot?

Damian · #3 Unread post by **Damian** » Wed May 09, 2007 12:33 am

BuzZz wrote:Could it be as simple as a sticky throttle cable? Or the slides or butterflys are gummed up and sticky?

If that is in good order, it sounds like it's running lean and needs the jets in the carbs cleaned. Does the bike seem to run too hot?

As usual, Buzzzzzzzzz is almost certainly right. But for additional troubleshooting: If you can adjust the idle screw down when it's good and hot (like after a 20 minute ride) and it fixes the RPM-drop and gets it to idle at spec, then the problem is it's running lean and needs to have the carbs cleaned. You can try a couple tankfuls of SeaFoam or Techron to see if that helps; if not, then you'll likely need to clean the carbs by hand.

Don't rule out the possibility of cleaning the carbs yourself. Read up on how to do it and take your time - it's not all that bad. If you do take it to a shop, it can be as little as $100 for a quick cleaning, or upwards of $300 if they replace o-rings and stuff.

midrangetorque · Wed May 09, 2007 8:09 am

Yeah, just to get it to idle right we had to up the idle screw. I took it on a 30 mile ride and had to turn the idle screw back down everytime I hit a light because the idle was getting higher and higher as the engine was getting hotter. It did seem like the bike was running hot, but I'm not sure because the bike is aircooled and has no temperature gauge.

My dad seems to strip everything he gets his hands on (not handy at all), so I think messing with the carbs would be a bad idea for him. I would try to mess with it if it was my bike, but I would feel bad if I messed his bike up worse han it already is. He got a really good deal on the bike so even if he has to put it in the shop, he would still be coming out ahead. I'll let him know about the seafoam first though.....it's worth a shot.

flynrider · #5 Unread post by **flynrider** » Wed May 09, 2007 4:00 pm

This sounds like a problem that is pretty common to bikes that sat for awhile with old gas in them. The idle going up is a sign of an over lean condition in the idle circuit. You probably have some gunk from old fuel in the passages that make up the idle circuit. You can try and run some fuel system cleaner like Seafoam through it, but ultimately, if the passages stay blocked, the carbs are going to require a good cleaning.

Damian · #6 Unread post by **Damian** » Wed May 09, 2007 5:06 pm

midrangetorque wrote:My dad seems to strip everything he gets his hands on (not handy at all), so I think messing with the carbs would be a bad idea for him. I would try to mess with it if it was my bike, but I would feel bad if I messed his bike up worse han it already is.

Dude, I'm in the same boat. I've got a young family to take care of, so I do my own wrenching on my old bike. My Dad's got cash so he drops his cherry VL800 off at the dealer every time he has a backfire. I'd love to dig in there and fix his "poo poo", but the smallest scratch and I don't know what would be worse - my guilt or his bitching!