My Suzuki Bandit 600 doesn't like starting.

Motorcycling
1

Bought a Bandit 600 on Sunday after passing my test on Friday. Lovely thing but doesn’t like starting.

The bike has been used about once in 12 months so has done a lot of standing.

She seems to start eventually and then once going and had a ride will start no problem.

When she’s struggling to start seems to turn over ok but won’t quite fire. Eventually goes when on prime.

Supposed to have had a new battery recently but suppose you never know with them.

I’m wondering if a new set of plugs will do the trick?

Any ideas would be great, need her to be rellable before I feel I can commute up to London on her.

Ta!

2

What year bandit is it, does it have a manual choke or FI?

3

I’d stick the battery on an optimate over night and then for a long ride. Best thing is to get the bike service, engine flush, new oil/sparks/filters. If it has been standing for long, the oil is basically knackered. Old petrol in the carbs will also gunge them up, so they may need to be stripped and given a good clean, or you can spray a can of carb cleaner through the airbox (without filter) while the bike is running to get them cleaned out. Sometimes works. Good luck and enjoy the power (when it is running)! :smiley:

4

Looks like it may just be battery.

Charged it and just went and tried and she started first time. Perhaps the battery standing for so long has made it less than perfect. Simple solution if it is only that.

5

1996 with a manual choke.

Thanks for the advice, I might change the air cleaner when I spray the carb cleaner in.

Will put new plugs in too.

Hadn’t though about the oil but I’ll change that too.

6

Tap shouldnt be on prime anyway, might flood it.
should be in the on position.

yeah new plugs will help and a new air filter wont hurt too.

7

Forgot to say, have ya put nice new petrol in it?

if ya can get the old crap out and nice new in.

8

Put some top petrol in to mix with the old rubbish, good excuse to go for lots of runs too.

Just bough some redex petrol treatment which will hopefully clean tjhe carbs a bit. I’ve used it in cars so presume it will work just as well in bikes.

Thanks for the advice.

9

Right, bought a new battery, plugs and some redex petrol treatment.

Will fit these (tonight if get home early enough) and hope that solves it.

Had to go on the train today, yuk, girlfriend now has my 125 and went to work on it.

Going to get an air filter too and fit even if the other things do the trick.

10

Plugs are unlikely to be the causae but changing them wont hurt…battery low will reduce turn over speed but you really would notice that…

I suspect she is just a tired old girl and needs to be loved again…how many miles has she done…dont use thin oil use a good old fashioned thick oil, 20 50 for old engines…if you can get it not 10 40…if you had one I would check the compression but dont worry if you havent as it will only get you worrying…

Dont go trying to race it hard for a bit until you are sure she is tight and reliable…

11

Changed plugs and battery last night and tentatively tried her this morning and started first time.

Still going to add some redex to tank and change the air cleaner though, if air cleaner’s a bit dodgy will be blackening the plugs maybe.

Thanks again for the help.

I’ll certainly consider using thicker oil. I’ve always found that with older cars more ‘traditional’ oil is best so presume it’s the same with bikes.

12

I bought a '96 Bandit before the summer, had 32k miles on the clock, never been serviced.

First thing I did was give it to Dan at Central Bikes for filter & oil change, new plugs & battery. Starts beautifully, runs like a dream… they are simple machines but need just a little tlc… Enjoy :cool: Oh and sort the brakes out they are crap Qx

13

One of those silly little things that gets forgotten. The two central plugs are in recesses that don’t drain so the plugs have rubber grommet type things. Make sure that all the recesses are nice and clean and dry and the grommets are in place.

Bandits also seem to be particularly unhappy with batteries that are not perfect.

After that, it’s all been said.

Get/give it a decent service, then take it for a damned good hard ride. Then change the oil and filter again.

14

Thanks, that’s interesting.

I’m going to change the oil after I’ve run her a bit.

When I took the old plugs out they were rusty so looks as though water got through the seals at sometime, I’ve made sure the rubber caps are now seated well. I’ll blow the area out with an airline periodically too to stop it from happening again.

The bosch battery I’ve put on should be a lot better than the non-descript thing I took off.

Still can’t make up my mind whether to put the redex petrol treatment in, someone said it may be a bit harsh for the o rings in the carbs. If she continues to start ok I might not bother now. I can always use it for the car at some point.

15

Think it’s all been covered here but I’d recommend:

New Battery

Oil Change (+filter)

New Air Filter

New plugs

New Fuel Filter

& a Carb clean (focus on the jets)

Hope that helps,

Rob

16

HiI dont no if anyone can help me, i have a 1998 bandit 600s i been having trouble starting it. It just wont fire i just brought new spark plugs, ive charged the battery, checked both the coils, cleaned all the connections. but still nothing

any help would be much appreciated

17

Have you chesked that the choke cable is actually operating the choke?

18

yeah the choak is connected.

19

Couple of things to try :

Do you get a spark? How did you test?

Is the vacuum system on the petrol tap working (turn to prime and try starting, but remember to turn it back to “on”)

How did it run & what’s has been done since?

…

20

Might be connected but not pulling it on fully.