Today, before the rain came, I decided to remove the secondary air from the Bandit 1200.
It’s great to be able to compare with a completely stock setup.
So first I’ll take the stock version out for a test ride.
Despite Utchi riding it yesterday, the starting is rough… What’s going on here?
Do I really need to pull the choke in this temperature? This bike is stored indoors.
Well, never mind. After a quick warm-up, I head out for the test ride.
I finish without any particular complaints.
But if I had to mention a few things that stand out:
1) The throttle response feels a bit sluggish (hard to describe, but)
2) At very low speeds in partial throttle, there’s an unpleasant “clack-clack-clack” vibration.
3) Cold starting is poor
These aren’t deal-breakers, but they’re worth noting.
Right away I install the plate I milled the other day (immediately after the test ride) and start the engine.
Wow… the throttle response is clearly lighter now.
Surprising… I thought there wouldn’t be much change.
I take it out for another ride before the feeling fades. The throttle response is noticeably lighter and smoother.
It’s a change you can really feel.
And that unpleasant “clack-clack-clack” vibration at very low speeds in partial throttle that I mentioned earlier? Gone.
Nothing but good things! ♪
The only thing left to check is cold starting after the engine cools down. But since I only removed the secondary air, it’s hard to say for sure.
Still, when you can feel this much difference, it’s pretty cool.
If I tweak the chassis and carburettor setup a bit more, things might change even further.
