perhaps us damage bikers should get together sometime and have a good moan about it:)
Sorry John, I can’t imagine how bad it is for you, just keep working on your wife, maybe she’ll give in, in the end!? I have been looking after the bandit, I just work pretty much opposite shifts to my Dad and I can only do limited stuff on the bike without guidance from someone who knows. I’ve had it over 2 years now and never taken her to a garage and this is just a problem i’ve had for the last couiple of months and haven’t been able to solve, so she’s been pretty reliable really.
But, we’re not sure what it is now, so that’s why i’ve taken it off to road, to strip the engine. The main problem is a loud knocking sound from the engine from the moment you switch it on. Sounds like the pistons about to shoot out!
Over the last couple of months we’ve changed the oil and filter, checked the fuel and fuel filter, checked the air filter, cleaned out the air box, put a brand new full exhaust system on, (although two of the original bolts need drilling out) (but the exhaust isn’t blowing) given the carbs a full clean, checked the balance of the carbs, adjusted the floats, adjusted the throttle cable, adjusted the valve clearances and timing, put a brand new clutch in, new choke cable in, another new chain, as my last new one had stretched within about 6 months. (Not sure why) I think that’s it! (Not including brakes and that kind of stuff.) The only thing we noticed is that the cam chain is a little loose, so need to adjust that.
So that’s why we’re now stripping the engine!
I know who it feels… but i have gone a few months not really using the bike because of the hand, but i know i’ll get back on it soon enough 
So no one’s got any ideas then!? 
If it’s a loud knocking, then I’d want to use the ole screwdriver to the ear method to find out where it’s coming from - if it’s the bottom end, then you could be looking at knackered big end(s).
Course… could just be a loose engine mounting or summat
Screwdriver to the ear!? Ok. (Plus my engine’s in bits at the moment, so no chance of doing that.) It’s definitely not a loose engine mounting or anything like that, oh well, we shall find out soon enough I suppose.
I took my bike to the garage yesterday as its not running right and have just been told its gonna cost me £300 to have it back on the road and i won`t have it for a week.
Thanks Mich 
with out wishing to hijack this thread as some seem to think thats all i do :Pif theres a knocking noise my experiance would be the big end bearings have gone or one of them if you havent run it much with the knocking noise then you may just be able to replace the bearing/s with out the need for a crank refurb depending on the noise it could be small end bearings much cheaper fix but i think small end bearings are more tick/rattle noise, may be worth getting a secondhand lump for it if it needs a new crank not sure how much they charge nowdays
i stand to be corrected and slagged off for high jacking the thread 
not sulking are we