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Can I score any good upgrades from a 2003 Bandit 1200 donor bike (for my 81 GS1100E)?

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So in my local area an ad popped up for a non-running 2003 Bandit 1200. With the price listed (cheap), I'm thinking of grabbing it to see if i can get it running (if its something simple... owner is clueless). If it turns out its a major or expensive problem to fix, I'm wondering if I could recoup any of my costs by stealing some "upgrades" from the Bandit 1200 donor bike? With so much standardization within a brand (and the larger Japanese moto industry), I know there are a lot of parts that can be swapped over from bike to bike with varying degrees of effort, and see posts here on the forum with people upgrading forks and carburetors and swingarms etc etc from this model or that. That being said, I'm fairly new to road bikes in general (I'm an absolute gearhead, but previously mostly with cars and some dirtbikes as a younger man) and the Suzuki lineup in particular, so don't really have any idea of what the swap possibilities are with these particular bikes.

So, bottom line: what, if any, upgrades or spares could I steal from a 2003 Bandit 1200 that would potentially be fairly straightforward to adapt to my bike, a 1981 GS1100E? If there are resources/guides that have this info already and I just haven't found them please feel free to point me at them

In case it matters, on my bike the suspension, engine, trans, chain/sprockets, brakes, wheels, intake (carbs, full airbox), exhaust and most of the electrics/switchgear are pretty much stock, though a previous owner put on a cafe style seat, clubman bars, a round headlight, and a cheap set of mechanical speedo/odo and tach.
 
Buffalo Bill said:
Why upgrade an 1100E?
Click to expand...

Oh there are a lot of reasons:

- Maybe the bike was already irreversibly modified before it came into their ownership, and so it has no "vintage" "historic" "collectability" to try and conserve (you know those uber-rare 80s Japanese motorcycles)
- Maybe some components are missing from or broken on the bike, and replacement period/model correct OE new parts are no longer available
- Maybe some components are missing from or broken on the bike, and replacement period/model correct OE NOS parts are prohibitively expensive
- Maybe some people would like to improve the performance of their bike over what was considered acceptable 40 years ago
- Maybe some people would like to improve the safety/handling of their bike over what was considered acceptable 40 years ago
- Maybe some people just like to tinker with and modify mechanical things that they own, and enjoy the act of creating something different from what the factory produced in their millions
- Maybe some people just do things for absolutely no reason at all, but that's totally OK because they're using their own money and their own motorcycle and so don't need to justify it to anyone

You know, I suspect your reasons for having upgraded your 1100G and your 750F are probably pretty in-line with the general reasons most people would want to do the same for an 1100E.
 
I know Harry (HJFisk)'s GS1000E (Roadkill) had many Bandit parts from suspension, to wheels, to brakes, to swingarm and as someone who rode that bike can say it was very well put together. I would like to note that there was a flex in the frame somewhere near the swingarm that i did notice when I chased it however it handled far better than any other GS I rode before or after it.
26685743_1779882995368982_8117606350709697604_o.jpg


Unfortunately I don't know how he made the parts work and he's no longer with us to ask...

But I bet you could figure it out. I adapted a Bandit 1200 front wheel and rotors to work with my Bonneville T120 and it just took some measuring and crafting to make things marry together correctly. Trial and error, you don't learn how to do something unless you try it your self and screw up some along the way.

Cheers.
 
Last edited:
Oldskoolsuzuki.info live and breathe upgrading old Suzukis with more modern parts. Have a look.
 
I seriously doubt there would be ANY direct crossover fitments, but being a gearhead, I'm sure you can make some things work.
 
A suspension/wheel/brake transplant would be super cool. It will take some mods but it's been done before so know that going in. There was someone here that transplanted an oil cooled engine into his early frame too. At that point it might make more sense to just fix the Bandit and keep it intact though.
 
dorkburger said:
Oldskoolsuzuki.info live and breathe upgrading old Suzukis with more modern parts. Have a look.
Click to expand...

Oh that is VERY cool, THANK you. Only got into these old zukes in the past few months and had not yet come across that place. Time to dive in!
 
Back in the day, changing from the orig. GS1100 34 CV carbs to the GS1150 36 CV.s was a nice upgrade. Rekon the Bandit 1200 carbs swap would be reasonable?
 
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