Oh we just missed u at Ktop. We were there just 1-2 days before you reached the top...

Do super bikes also face the problem of drop in performance at that altitude!

Hi there.... fantastic article and bike looks well used! I ride a GSF1250 SA K8 ABS (faired) and its a fantastic machine if not let down by a few suspension niggles affecting the riding. A few things... and you can get a lot more power out of it:

Bin that dustbin of a silencer! it weights a ton and restricts the engine due to the suzuki PAS (passive air system) - get a micron Delta or full Akro system - I have the Micron Delta
Timing Retard Eliminator - TRE for the bandit 1250 (HM RAcing)
Get rid of the bath sponge of an air filter - replace with Pipercross Foam filter
Full Rider based suspension setting (preload-damp-compress) - I got mine done at HM racing, orpington, Kent, UK but it still could do with a superior system like the HyperPro progressive springs or the Ohlins Remote Reservoir Shocks. Nevertheles I get away with a bit of counter steer on heavy leans and cambered roads.
Powercommander 3 - for optimum fuel map to match the exhaust

And NOW you have a GSXR/Fireblade thrashing Bandit! with almost the comfort of a Tiger 1050 or the KTM 990SMT.

Happy riding......

UNDERPOWERED???? alas.... a true roman! Its not about the BHP but the Torque delivery! It makes peak torque at just a lowly 3500rpm!!! superbikes would need twice that to make peak torque! besides what on earth are you going to do with a fireblade/hayabusa on a rocky stretch! that would be downright stupid skulldruggery!! LOL

I do agree that an off-road based machine would be better capable of handling such environments. but a "hypermotard"??? the only true hypermotard even capable of attempting such a feat would be the current Ducati offering.

"supermotards" are simply road-biased enduro bikes with a bit more comfort! a Hypermotard is simply a brand derived extension of the supermotard thrown in with a bit more of multi-road capability.

If you want a hill-thrashing off-road bike..... its two options: GS 1200 or the KTM Adventure and currently the Yamaha Super Tenerre..... but I found it too heavy and tall on the test ride. not for me.

i dont do heads down ass up in the air bikes .... as you can only have true fun with them on a track (which i found out is not my cup of tea either) and not many can do it as i witness someone going into the barrier on a track-based day a few months ago. I am more of an SMT guy, I like my road bias, with ooooomphs of low down torque and relative comfort knowing i can see ahead of the heads down, ass up in the air guy... and take him on the next corner! while hes still looking down his crotch

c'mon guys........ride a bike by knowing a bike



Absolutely..... all bikes are affected by altitude performance and even the humidity levels in the air.

1. The variations in atmospheric pressure affect the air pressue inside the airbox module. This in turn affects how well the engine breathes. Its comparable to high altitude sickness caused by lack of air (oxygen) in the lungs due to the pressue on it from the outside.
2. The humidity levels in the air affect how well the petrol vapour-air mixture can be compressed! in ideal conditions the petrol/air vapour is compressed to 1/10 of its volume. Higher humidity will lower the ratio and you will not get optimum burn leading to lower power being transferred to the crank.

turbochargers/Turbo normalisers/superchargers help overcome this phenomenon because they are forced induction methods. in the turbo the exhaust drives the turbo vanes and air is forced into the engine (old RAM systems). the supercharger is belt driven and again performs the same function, although there is slight increase in mechanical losses but the advantage is that they are instant and there is no turbo lag that develops from the pressure from exhaust gases needing to run the turbo vanes to produce the boost.

Hope this helps.

congratulations

Hats off to you sir OldFox .
it is mind bogling to even imagin a high torque heavy vehicle in those terrain with all the slush and sno. loveley writeup.
i can even imagin riding my bike when it rains in delhi let alone in slushy snow and ice.need to take a few clases from you.

Just wanted to ask the effect of the icy water hiting the hot engine and pipes of the bandit and any risk of damage to the same?

wow

great job

i can't find the word to explain !!!!

In India we also happened to have a bike called the Suzuki Zeus,its a 125cc bike,which made 11 Nm torque @3500rpm,Suzuki calls this tech as the XTP,I owned that bike.I know what peak torque means @3500rpm.
But what I meant to say that its underpowered for its Weight,but yes if its XTP,then it will work miraculously.

To me a light weight bike with this kind of torquey engine would be the ideal option for that kind of Terrain.
But Old Fox,has already put all odds behind and went for the achievement,which is a feat in itself.

Thanks. The 'Blade would be a different thing to ride in slush but then you've been around long enough on it. I can imagine you riding it in rain and enjoying it too .

There was no detrimental effect to the engine when cold water got splashed on it while it was hot. This bike's engine has phenomenal thermal stability. It just doesn't heat up like most big engines do. I would recommend a couple of additions to this bike if the rider doesn't mind riding it over broken roads or occasionally through slush. 1) A radiator mesh-guard, an example of which I had put on this Bandit and 2) a large and wide mud-flap attached to the rear of the front fender to stop slush from hitting the radiator and getting accumulated there as it dries up quickly due to the heat.

To me a light weight bike with this kind of torquey engine would be the ideal option for that kind of Terrain. Add high ground clearance to it and the specs are perfect . Thats exactly what bikes like the Honda CRF 450 et al offer. The Bandit admittedly is not the right bike to go riding on routes like Manali-Leh but it can be done and the bike is surely up to it both technically and comfort wise.

Rather you are more than up to it,determination and guts wise........and to make things cooler,you must also be tall,so that you get enough support from your legs,to hold that heavy thing on that uneven terrain

Superb ride infact !!!!!

you got to be kidding but you usually dont. Best of luck buddy

What an achievement this is. Congratulations to Old Fox and his team and Xbhp.

Congratz.

Dude, this is EPIC. Congratulations!

Awesome Ride.............now I feel it.

Just completed seeing the Xbhp Documentary of the ride present in the DVD provided with the new Xbhp magazine...............

This ride was really mind-blowing and its all plain reality.

The ride was tougher than it seemed to me,the Bandit performed well but actually I honestly confess that the Rider made it perform.

Old Fox you are really on hell of a rider with a lot of guts.

It was clear in the video that constant rains,slush and black ice didn't make things easy.The heavy Bandit twice imbalanced itself over the slush and the running streams and at some places it got stuck too !!!!!Rear wheel spinning and a lot of leg work made it move............surely these are the ways of one gutsy tall rider.The last day of going to Khardungla saw better roads and fair weather

I would have dropped that bike many times I am sure.

Hats of for driving home such a spectacular performance and proving a point.

So Suzuki really does makes some great machines,
It was the Hayabusa which is one of the fastest bikes and now it is the Bandit which is one of the toughest bikes on earth.

P.S.In that section where you people were trying to race the Bandit and the Pajero............. Did the Pajero even accelerate ????