The Bandit swap and what I learned

[Guest]

Just about done. Some things to note if you decide to do it.
get complete front and rear ends. brakes, wheels, axles, etc.
Use 520 sprockets, or your stuck with 530 roller. 49 tooth rear is one or 2 too many.
DO NOT use 6 pot tokicos. PERIOD
Some major grinding to the chain guard that wraps around the swing arm pivot is necessary.
Get NEW shock mount bushings. by the time you get the old ones out they are wasted.
steering stops, you will figure it out.
When all done, it looks bad ass and rides like a new bike.

[posplayr]

Looks good, I see you retained the stock rear brake

[Mario]

just the master. thats a bandit caliper

[Cassius086]

Mario, why the recommendation against the 6 pot calipers?

I am doing the same conversion, but I am retaining the stock swing arm.

[Mario]

Mario, why the recommendation against the 6 pot calipers?

I am doing the same conversion, but I am retaining the stock swing arm.

I had a TL1000 with 6 pots, impossible to bleed. Same caliper, slightly different design on the bandit, same problem. I have some 4 pot nissin's that need some minor machining to fit, i will be using those and throwing $300 in the trash that are my 6 pots. Horrible fashion brakes. Horrible.

[Big Rich]

I hate to see them go in the trash..... Mario, if you hate them I'll gladly take them off your hands.

[earlfor]

In 11 years of having my B12 with the six pot brakes, I have had zero problems with them and they will stop on a dime and give you nine cents change. If I was going to do anything with the brakes, it would be the rear I would mod. The stock one will lock up the rear very easily and in the rain, a feather light foot is needed to use it.

[kingofvenus]

I've had both of those on the same bike, the 4 pots have a little bit better feel to them. I've also had no problem bleeding the 6 pots.

[Grimly]

It seems the 6-potters are prone to seizing up when exposed to winter and road salt conditions. Too many people I've known have had problems with them for me to entertain using them, knowing they'd be very likely to give trouble. Otoh, the 4-potters are almost trouble free.

[Chris G]

I've just rebuilt the same 6 pots that are fitted to my Zephyr project bike, for some strange reason when I split them and removed the Pistons there was not a single dust seal fitted, the recess was just packed with red rubber grease.
i knew these could be a devil to bleed up so I bought a vacuum hand bleed kit very inexpensive, bled both calipers in a hour and a half, cable tied the lever back over night, lever feels excellent, though I've still to do a road test.

[GSX1000E]

Can you post or send me some pictures of the rear shock mounts that you welded to the Bandit swing arm? Did you have a shop do it? How costly was it? Did you also cut off the stock linkage area and weld a plate in its place?

[gmansyz]

Some have steel pistons and others have aluminum. Maybe that could be the issue in getting stuck?
G

[Grimly]

Some have steel pistons and others have aluminum. Maybe that could be the issue in getting stuck?
G

That's a good point - might well be the case.

[Mario]

i got the dimensions from a memeber here. I will repost the them when i find them. I have a buddy works at a machine shop, he made them for me and found a guy to weld them.

[Mario]

I think Posplayr may have been curious how you handled using the stock brake lever with the Bandit swingarm. Its a relatively tight area.

I'll echo Kingofvenus with the comment that the six pots look cooler, and work ok, but the four pots provide better feel.

Grinding wheel on the rod and some spacers on the master cylinder to bring it out some, about 3/8'. then I used some spacers and a bolt with nut to get rod attached to pedal. had to cut off pedal stop and get creative with spring. Also, ground down the the part that goes on the spline of the pedal assy, to move it out some. It is tight and I still dont love it, but it works good.