• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

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

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

Guest
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?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

gtem
Back in the GS fold (a familiar '81 850G)
Replies
5
Views
127
wazz
wazz
K
M-unit and Lithio Battery
Replies
7
Views
129
Who Dat?
W
DR Payne
1983 GS550E Reporting In
Replies
9
Views
145
Cipher
C
E
'83 1100E assorted newbie questions - what am I dealing with?
Replies
9
Views
116
eldevigo
E
G
GSF 600/1200 Project
Replies
1
Views
52
Grimly
Grimly
Back
Top