It was a freebie, I think the bloke just wanted the pile of bits cleared out of his garage. Took it all apart, sandblasted, painted, assembled the jigsaw puzzle and knocked it back into shape.
So. A late model Bandit 400 fitted with the VC engine. (Variable valve timing....)
How does it compare to the Kat? Once the carbs were settled in and persuaded to stop flooding etc....... and the calipers persuaded to actually work....
It goes very well, indeed. The Kat is very lively from the off, this engine feels softer in the lower revs, but goes bananas once over 8000 rpm, when the higher lift cams click in. Now, it could be age but this one feels more vibey than the ultra smooth Kat engine, but not uncomfortably so.
It does have fatter rubber but the suspension does not feel anywhere near as good as the Kat, but that could also be down to age. So the handling is not as secure as the Kats.
It does seem to be a bit thirstier too, but not enough miles run to make a true comparison.
It will never win a beauty contest, largely ignored at meetings, here the Kat wins hands down, still a timeless icon.
But, for free and a few weeks (hard) work, its turned out alright.
