Does anyone race a Suzuki Bandit 400 or anyone on this list know if they are raced? I was lookin at a used one but need to know if aftermarket parts like race plastic, rear sets and suspension are available for the bike and where. Thanks a lot.
Sean
You don't see those raced too much 'cause the FZR400 will stomp 'em out of the box. Although, I'll bet that there's some buried potential in there waiting to get out if you've got the $$$ since it's basically a detuned GSXR400 motor.
Here's the first Bandit 400 forum that popped up in my favorite search engine: http://pub12.ezboard.com/fbanditalleybbs400bandits (http://pub12.ezboard.com/fbanditalleybbs400bandits)
As for plastic, CCS allows any bodywork, even in supersport. I had R1 bodywork on My FZR400, and have seen Ducati 916 used on the FZR as well. You will need to do some measuring and be creative, but I'll bet you can come up with something. If you can get the bike stupid cheap, go for it. Otherwise, a race prepped FZR400 can be had as cheap as $1500. Yahoo Groups has the best FZR400 list on the planet. Good luck!
You can make relocator plates for the stock pegs, and just use a longer shift rod from another Suzuki. Racing obscure, inexpensive beginner bikes forces you to be creative. You'd be surprized what you can make with a hacksaw, a drill, and some aluminum plate! Cycle Tech Racing can answer your suspension questions at 865-579-1161. Ask for Jon Tyus, and tell him K3 sent you!
My wife's Bandit 400 has a 1991 GSX-R750 rear shock installed in place of the horrific stock unit. Except for a slight modification to the lower mounting clevis, it was a drop-in installation. This means that an Ohlins, Penske, Fox, etc. racing shock for a 1991 GSX-R750 will fit just fine. The 3x17 and 4x17 wheels mean that you will run 110/70-17 and 150/60-17 DOT race tires, which are readily available. The 41mm forks are of the fixed-orifice damping rod variety, and their compression orifices are sufficiently large that little if any drilling will be required should you decide to install RaceTech Gold Valve Emulators. Brake pads/calipers are interchangeable with GS500's and EX500's, so finding a reasonable compound should be easy, and the rotors are interchangebale with RF900's and Bandit 1200's.
Good luck!