600 Bandit forks

[pc220]

So today I had a bit of a fiddle with the rear suspension.Nothing major ,Inoticed that the spring preload was still on the factory setting of 4(of7). So as I am 6 foot something and 106kg i decided I am probably outside the optimum payload for that setting. Anyway I only twisted it around one click to 5. Went for a ride and the back end seemed to feel a whole lot better, it just felt alot more planted on the road.What I did find though is the front seemed to be diving alot more under braking also a slight shudder when braking hard that I hadnt noticed before now. So question is , what is an inexpensive way of improving the front end?.The Bandit been a budget bike i imagine the suspension is of the same vein.Any sugestions appreciated but please keep it simple, suspension talk confuses the hell out of me.(Mr Taylor)

[Pussy]

Catridge emulators, and sprung for your weight.... it will feel like a new bike.
Accountants DEFINITELY built the suspension on the 600 Bandit

[cs363]

Catridge emulators, and sprung for your weight.... it will feel like a new bike.
Accountants DEFINITELY built the suspension on the 600 Bandit

Pussy's right (did I say that?! ) that bike is well under-sprung and most likely under-damped for your size and weight, according to Race Tech's spring rate calculator (www.racetech.com) your stock fork springs are 0.454Kg/mm and you need 0.985Kg/mm which is a huge difference.
They don't list a rear spring for it, and I would imagine that is also way out for you - but no doubt the guys at CKT could find an Ohlins or Eibach spring that would be suitable. Click on their advert at the top of the home page to find out some more info and there's an email link on there for them too.

Getting the correct spring rate sorted is the first and most basic step of getting your suspension dialled. Obviously spending more money and sorting the valving out would be a good idea (and money well spent) but if you're on a budget start with the springs, you won't regret it.

[pc220]

Thanks alot guys for the advice, yeah i figured the suspension was built for the average 70kg midget.

[cs363]

I better reply before Pussy starts bagging on.....that 70Kg midget line would just be too easy for him as I'm only 75Kg and about 5'6-7"! Even for me though Race Tech recommend a 0.883 rate, so God knows who they set up that suspension for!
Maybe the suspension guy at Suzuki was asleep on the job that day?
By the way, you go for the closest spring rate to recommended, so for you it would be 1.0kg springs, whilst I would be 0.90

No surprises that your bike doesn't feel quite right given that info. Like I said if you want to start at the lower end of the dollar scale, get some springs and if you're mechanically minded it's a fairly straight forward job to fit them yourself if you have the right tools, and maybe play around with the fork oil levels if you want to leave the valving job for later.

[Pussy]

Good stuff from the midget above ^^
I wouldn't mind betting the stock springs are progressive wound as well.
A set of .95 kg/mm or 1.00kg/mm linear springs, along with new decent quality oil will really improve things for a start

[pc220]

Holy shit they must have swipped the spring out of a dr50 or maybe even a scooter.

[Pussy]

Holy shit they must have swipped the spring out of a dr50 or maybe even a scooter.

Bic pen.......

[cs363]

Bic pen.......

More like a slinky....

[FROSTY:Me]

Dude read up on the stuff done to pro twins SV650's and just road going SV's. Eric from on here I think got good results with little financial imput. I donated a set of .8 springs from a SV awhile age-which not ideal would be a big step in the right direction.