Bandit Weeeeave

[ben@gerickes]

Well took the bandit to work today. Engine runs sweet and it is pretty economical. I got to bluewater and basically fell off the bike to the ground where I was so cold.

Anyway...

I notcied that when im not on the gas or am cruising i get a slight but destinct weave. I checked the wheel alignment which was fine. Both wheels spin freely. Cain is ok. Brakes are okish. It has a dunlop qualifier on the front and a tractor tyre on the back could this be the problem or should I be thinking head bearings?

[Lateshift]

If you have mismatched profiles then chances are thats whats causing it, i have just changed the head bearings on Jetski's ZXR400 and at low speed it would weave quite dramatically, but tyres can have the same effect especially when a sports profile is mixed with a general commuting tyre.

[ben@gerickes]

yer thats what I thought. God knows what the previous owner was doing with a dunlop qualifier on the front! Will have a look at them new michellin dual comp tourers me thinks people have been raving about them!

[Gixxer-TeZ]

On a Bandit ????

Metzler Z6 Roadtecs front and rear.

[v8-powered]

Ran 020's on my old Bandit 1200 and they were fine.
Worth getting a set of rear jack-up plates - Raises the rear end a bit and puts more load on the front end. Sorted the dodgy feeling I had initially on mine.
Stock suspension is really ****e on Bandits - Try to pick up a half decent rear shock for it....

[Gramps]

If you're putting new tyres on it, that should sort out another potential weave maker - wheel imbalance!
Last year, getting back into biking, I bought a Diversion 600 off fleabay. I thought it was me at first, but one of my biker mates confirmed it, the bike had a nightmare weave at certain speeds. Head bearings were suggested, which I duly replaced in our workshops, but no change. Whilst I had the forks and yokes off, I reassembled forks, yokes and wheel off the frame. Stood it upside down and spun the wheel and there was very definite rotational imbalance. So, after replacing the head bearings made no difference to the weave, I took the wheel to Colchester Motorcycles and they balanced it for me for £3. Put the wheel back on and the weave was gone.

[The Guvnor]

Bandit does suffer with headstock bearing due to the fact most spend a lot of time on one wheel ! Had the problem with mine. Front wheel against a wall....is an easy check as im sure you now. But as already said mismatched tyres can cause all sorts of probs so even if it is headstock I would change tyres as a matter of course anyway !

[jim7]

Bent front wheel?