STAGE ONE JET KIT

Illustrated Installation Procedure & Guidelines

For

SUZUKI BANDIT 1200

Second Generation (2001 – 2005 Models)
By
Txbanditrydr & Terrebandit

The following pages show step-by-step instructions for installing a “jet kit” on second generation
Bandit 1200’s. Jet kits are popular modifications that address several issues on this series of
bikes, including overly lean condition, added power and in many cases increased gas mileage.
This guide can be used with many jet kits as a basis for part identification. In addition, carburetor
removal, cleaning, float height adjustments and other items are included. Specific settings have
been removed from the original version of this document at the request of the jet kit
manufacturer.

This was the first time I’ve taken carburetors off my bike and I didn’t have a guide such as this.
Fellow Bandit owner and forum member Terrebandit provided valuable assistance during this
procedure and patiently allowed me to photograph various stages along the way.

The estimated time for this jet kit install will vary among individuals. Considering there were
two of us, taking pictures, cleaning everything along the way and making a trip to the hardware
store, we finished in about eight hours. Triple-check each step along the way and this can be a
plug-n-play modification. The important thing is to take your time, minimize mistakes and have
fun along the way.

I’d like to thank Stormi and BanditAlley.net for hosting this. If you find this information useful,
please consider a small donation to the site – however, you are under no obligation to do so. If
you have any questions, comments or see some needed additions just let me know and I’ll see
what I can do.

DISCLAIMER – Read this entire document thoroughly before starting. If any of this is unclear
do not continue without qualified assistance. We assume no responsibility for errors, omissions,
changes in specifications, and your actions or stupidity as a result of this guide. Installation may
not necessarily comply with your local ordinances – proceed at your own risk.

Txbanditrydr Terrebandit
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1) Remove fuel tank, seat, and side covers. Note the placement of the rubber grommets at the
rear of the fuel tank – these are easy to lose or install upside down. Also, this is a good time to
take a photo for recording hose & cable routings. It will come in handy later or during other
maintenance procedures such as valve adjustments. The picture below shows some key
components we’ll be working with.

2) Remove seat/tank mounting bracket (4 bolts)

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3) Apply duct tape to frame, on right side, above carbs to prevent scratching.

4) Loosen screws on clamps that hold the carbs to the air box (4). The photo below is to locate
the proper clamps only – the air box will not be able to move as shown during this step.

5) Remove bolts that the hold air box to the frame (2)

6) Detach any hoses that might bind while moving the air box back. Also take note of all hose
routing (gas and vacuum). Refer back to the overview picture – in particular the breather hose
“A”, the PAIR vacuum hose “B” and the PAIR air box hose “C” need to be detached. The two
hoses on either side of the air box should be marked for left and right sides for easier reassembly.
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7) Push up rubber boot and disconnect the TPS “connector” at carb #4 (DO NOT REMOVE THE
PIECE THAT’S ATTACHED TO THE CARB).

8) Pull back air box away from carbs. It will move back about 1.5 inches. Use bungee cords to
secure it in place. See photo in Step 4 for reference – there won’t be a lot of room between the air
box and carbs.

9) Push choke slide to the left and detach the choke cable from its bracket. Then push the cable
to the right and remove the cable end from the slide. Bending the choke cable down will allow
the cable swedge and cable to be moved forward through the slot and releasing it from the slide.
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10) SLIGHTLY loosen the upper nuts that hold the throttle cables on their bracket (2 on front
cable and 2 on back cable). Count the number of full turns and avoid turning any further during
disassembly. You can use this reference point during reassembly to maintain proper throttle
cable slack.

11) Then, loosen the lower nuts (2) below the throttle cable bracket. You will need to move them
about ½” down on the threads. You can do this with your fingers, if the top nuts are loose.

12) Detach cables from throttle cable bracket. Note the cables will still be attached to the carbs at
the swedged end. Loosen the wire clamp holding the throttle cables to the frame.

13) Loosen screws on the clamps that hold the carbs onto the manifolds (4).
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14) Pull carbs back and out of manifolds.

15) Move carbs out to right side of bike. Move them out half way or until throttle cables are
exposed. You may need to disconnect some sparkplug wires for clearance.

16) Detach throttle cable ends from the carbs. They are attached to a lever found between carbs #
2 and # 3. You will have to fully rotate this lever, by hand in a clockwise direction, to detach the
rear cable end. Sorry… no photos available for this pain in the @*%#!! procedure. It helps to
have someone to hold the carbs while you rotate and detach the cables. Take your time and be
sure to mark the cables for front and rear.

17) Now you can pull the carbs the rest of the way out of the bike.

18) Place the carbs on a covered and well-lighted workbench surface. The carbs are still full of
fuel – do not tilt or try to drain them at this point. Place a pan with some white paper towels
under the carbs before draining.

19) Lay them on their side with the float bowl drain screws facing you. Try to keep the carbs
upright as much as possible to keep the fuel in the float bowl area.

20) Use a good fitting screwdriver to loosen all four drain screws. A hand impact driver may also
be used, however avoid excessive force. See photograph for location of float bowl drain screws.

21) Drain gas from each bowl into a container by further loosening the drain screws. (Check for
signs of debris/rust!). Drain as much gas as possible. The paper towels will help spot any crud
that comes out of the bowls. Retighten float bowl screws securely. This is a good time to clean
dirt/debris from the exterior of the carbs using suitable cleaner and a small brush. Do this in an
area with good ventilation and avoid getting dirt/debris inside the carb bodies.

22) Turn carbs upside down (w/float bowls facing up).

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23) Drill a 1/8” hole in the center of each fuel screw plug (4). Drill all the way through the plug
(about 3/16 inches down). Go carefully and you will feel it when it goes all the way through the
plug. You will see the screw beneath the plug when you are through it. Use a piece of tape on
the end of the drill bit to mark the depth – go slowly as the drill bit will easily damage the A/F
fuel screw below.

24) Using a screwdriver, thread-in a sheet metal screw into the plug. Do this until the plug moves
in the carb or the screw becomes firmly seated into the plug.

25) Use vise grips to grab hold of the sheet metal screw. Twist and pull until the plug comes out.

26) Repeat steps 24-25 to remove each plug.

27) Remove all metal shavings from workbench and carbs.

28) Again, turn carbs upside down (w/float bowls facing up).
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29) Screw in all four fuel screws until they are “lightly” seated, then back them out to the
recommended setting. I recorded my “actual” stock settings for future reference. Don’t be
surprised if they are not set evenly from the factory – do NOT over tighten. Once lightly seated,
use a Sharpie and mark a spot in line with the A/F screw slot for each screw – they will not likely
be in the same place on each carb. Count the turns carefully using the same number of turns for
each carb A/F screw based on the jet kit instructions.

30) Use a good fitting screwdriver to loosen all float bowl screws (16 total - 4 per carb). If you
ruin the float bowl screw slot, use needle-nosed vice-grip pliers and get a firm hold before
twisting. Simply loosen all float bowl screws since you’ll be working on one carb at a time. If
using a hand impact, be very careful to not crack a float bowl with excessive force and make sure
the bit fits precisely. The bowl screws will not be reused.

31) Remove float bowl screws from one of the carbs and remove the bowl. Inspect the inside of
the float bowl for rust/debris and clean if necessary. The idle adjustment linkage will need to be
removed from carb #1 (left side) for access to float bowls on carbs #1 & #2. Avoid leaving any
fibers from towels or q-tips when cleaning.
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32a) The main and pilot jets will be replaced with new ones of various sizes. Jet sizes are
stamped on each one but you’ll likely need a magnifying glass to see them. The correct jet sizes
are determined by your geographical location and the jet kit manufacturer’s baseline settings. It’s
a good idea to consult with the manufacturer and/or others using the same kit. Start with those
settings and record what changes you make as a basis for future adjustments.

32b) Locate the main and pilot jets as shown below. Using a good fitting screwdriver, remove
the stock pilot jet. Replace with the recommended pilot jet and tighten firmly but do not over-
tighten.
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32c) Use a well-fitting regular screwdriver to remove the stock main jet. Replace with the
recommended jet. Use a 8mm wrench to hold the nut body in place while removing the main jet
as shown below.

33) Check float height using a metric ruler or calipers (distance from float bowl mounting base to
the top of the float while lightly seated = 13mm). Lay the carbs on their side and slowly ease
them to the left until the float barely touches the seat. The weight of the float itself will actually
push the seat too far – you may have to rock the carbs gently back and forth to find the exact spot
the seat makes contact before measuring float height. If the float needs adjusting, simply pry on
the adjustment tab slightly in the desired direction – a little prying goes a long way. Re-check as
outlined above. This step is critical to proper performance so take your time.
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34) Reattach float bowl using new Allen head screws. These are supplied with some kits.

35) Repeat steps 31-34 for remaining 3 carbs. Re-attach the idle speed adjustment linkage.

36) Turn carbs over with topside facing up.

37) Break loose all eight top cap screws (2 per carb) using a well-fitting screwdriver.

38) While holding downward pressure on cap, remove the two screws that secure it.

39) Gently pull off the top cap and remove the main spring below it. Take care not to lose the
small o-ring on the top.

40) Carefully remove the rubber diaphragm and piston valve. Take care not to lose the small o-
ring on the top.
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41) Clear a space on your workbench.

42) Hold the piston valve in one hand and use a needle-nose pliers in the other to remove the
needle jet stopper. Twist and pull up lightly until it comes out.

43) Remove the small spring and the entire needle assembly from the piston valve.

44) Add the recommended number of shims on the plastic spacer side of the needle (bottom side).

45) Reinsert the needle w/shims back into the piston valve. Follow with the small spring and
needle jet stopper.

46) Using needle nose pliers reseat the needle jet stopper in the piston valve by pushing
downward. You will hear it “click” into place. Push again and twist slightly to make sure it’s
firmly seated.

47) Reinsert the piston valve assembly back into the carb (it only goes one way).
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48) Lay main spring on a flat surface and shorten it by the recommended amount.

49) Reinstall main spring by placing the “clipped side” down into the piston valve.

50) Make sure the rubber diaphragm is properly seated along edge of carb body and that the
rubber o-ring is in place before reinstalling the top cap.

51) Reinstall top cap, making sure the large spring is seated properly in the top of the cap. Apply
downward pressure on the cap and tighten the screws firmly using a screwdriver.

52) Repeat steps 38-51 for the remaining 3 carbs.

53) Cut three pieces of vacuum hose. I recommend starting with pieces about 8” - 10” long and
trimming them to length after determining a good routing away from moving parts. Be sure to
get the proper size hose for a good tight fit.

54) Remove nipple end caps and clamps on the manifold side of the carbs (#1, #2, and #3). These
can be found just below the choke slide. These are the nipples you would use to attach carb synch
gauges and are difficult to access with the carbs on the bike. Adding a length of hose to each of
these will provide better access for future carb synchronization.
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55) Attach the cut pieces of hose on these nipples and use the stock clamps to secure them. Stick
a small bolt into the other end of the hose and secure them with a small wire tie. Inspect all tee
hose / air box line connections and replace if necessary.

56) Reinstall the carbs ½ way back into the bike. Slide them in from the right side.

57) Reattach throttle cable ends on the carbs. Attach the rear cable first. You will have to rotate
the lever clockwise, by hand, to attach the rear cable end. Once its attached, you can do the front
cable.

58) Push carbs the rest of the way into the bike, making sure that your hoses do not get pinched or
pulled off in the process.

59) Push carbs firmly into the manifolds and tighten all four manifold clamps. Make sure they
are good and tight. Do not over-tighten or tighten clamp ends together as this can cause vacuum
leaks.

60) Reattach throttle cables on the bracket. Do this by moving them into place on the bracket and
then tightening the lower nuts first until they are finger tight. Then use a wrench to tighten the
upper nuts until they are firmly seated on the bracket. Doing it this way will ensure that they are
close to what they were when you took them off. The top nuts should only require the same
number of turns as established in Step #10. More or less turns may require additional adjustment
of the lower nuts. Tighten the wire clamp holding the throttle cables to the frame.

61) Reattach choke cable end into slide. Then push choke slide all the way to the left to insert the
cable back into its bracket. At this point, you may have to re-route the vacuum hose pieces you
installed earlier to prevent interference with the choke slide operation. Check the choke for
smooth operation and move hoses if you need to.

62) Reattach TPS connector and rubber boot on carb #4.

63) Remove bungee straps and reseat the air box back onto the carbs. Tighten all four clamps
securely. Do not over-tighten or tighten clamp ends together as this can cause vacuum leaks.
Reattach air box to frame with stock bolts.
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64) Completely remove air box lid from the air box. Drill the recommended number of holes into
the air box lid at the recommended locations. Drill a 1/16” pilot hole at each point then use a hole
saw or Forstner bit to make the final hole. Install a new air filter. Clean off all plastic shavings
before reinstalling the lid.

65) Install timing advancer in accordance with supplied instructions if included. Be sure to use
some sealant on the timing cover gasket where the cases are split and the washer on the top bolt.

66) Double check routing and proper attachment of all hoses and sparkplug wires. Reinstall tank
bracket, side covers, and fuel tank. Consider using a remote fuel supply without reinstalling the
tank. This will save a step if you need to make some adjustments or to perform a carb sync. Be
sure to plug the petcock vacuum line before starting the engine.

67) Put bike on prime to refill carbs. Not required with a remote fuel supply

68) Turn on ignition switch, give it a little choke, and press starter button.