Bandit News - APRIL 2000.
After the dismal first round the only way was up.

Manx Cat Motorcycles took the Bandit away and fiddled and twiddled trying to find out why it was being so naughty. Nothing appeared, not a thing. then warming it up to go onto the dyno there was a rumble and a clonk before a nasty sound like a big end had gone. Dave panicked and killed the engine immediately. Good Job it wasn't during a power run, another two minutes and it would have been doing 10,000rpm when whatever it was went clonk and fell out !

Well, with the sump off Dave recovered two chunky looking gear teeth. Presuming the gearbox had grenaded he began stripping the motor.

Removing the clutch he gazed upon the culprit, the oil pump "idler gear" was missing the same two teeth he held in his sweaty little hand!!

Well. Suzuki UK  refused to admit there was a problem, but did admit it was the tenth one they'd had go like that !! A gear was in the post. Gratis.

Dave burnt some serious midnight oil for a few nights and the bike was ready for another dyno run on the Saturday morning before racing at Snetterton on Sunday !! I knew nothing about any of this, but it seems every man and their dog did ! Sneaky buggers. I had my suspicions but couldn't prove nothing.

The bike performed faultlessly on the dyno, doing four full power runs without a hitch, no clutch slip, no drag either. After much fiddling with the needle positions a couple of dozen times he finally found a position that gave good power curve with no flat spots using the uprated NGK Race plugs. "Lovely. Stick it in the van, I'm off to Snetterton". He arrived at 11:30pm and kept mum about the whole thing knowing just what my reaction would have been and assuming quite rightly that I would ride better for not knowing. Thanks Mate !

With a new rear Dunlop RR fitted and the rear sprocket lifted a tooth we were ready for anything.