5 Years sitting; What are the odds of it starting?

[gsmetal]

I know where this post WANTS to go --> everything I SHOULD do before I try and start that little GS500 that's been sitting for the past five years in my garage.

But I'm curious to hear any stories out there where a bike has been sitting a long time and still started...even with a little coaching.

Years ago someone gave me a little Honda Hawk that, with a fresh battery and a few pushes of the start button actually did start.

I'm wondering what the odds are if lightning striking twice.

[The Buddha]

Gas from 20 yrs ago lasted a lot longer than today ... you may want to try fresh gas, both in the bowls and the tank and new battery and try it.
If the carbs drain brown gas, you are likely to have clogged the jets.

You could sit the fresh gas in the tank a day or 2 and drain it, and repeat ... just making fresh gas clean the carb. Or heck, put like Iso propyl alchohol or methanol (iso heet and heet respectively) for a day or 2 in the bowls, like in the fuel line via a funnel.

Cool.
Buddha.

[kensully]

Mine sat 4yrs, clean the carbs and cooked it with fresh gas and she kicked right over no prob

There is no excuse for what I'm about to do

[kensully]

Mine sat 4yrs, clean the carbs and cooked it with fresh gas and she kicked right over no prob

There is no excuse for what I'm about to do

filled not cooked, freaking Swype

There is no excuse for what I'm about to do

[Big Rich]

I know you said something about "everything I SHOULD do" and I just want to point out to take the spark plugs out and spin the motor. If gas flooded the cylinders and it hydrolocks, it definitely won't start.......

That being said, a fresh battery or jumping it from a car might get you a BANG even with the old gas. Would it start up and ride around like the past 5 years were forgotten? No way. But with a freshened fuel system and a good battery, I couldn't imagine any real problems coming up.

Well, assuming you don't have a mouse nest in your airbox.

[Old Mechanic]

I bought a 1971 Honda CB350 that had not run from 1983 to 2011. The motor turned over. New petcock, spin it over with wd40 in the plug holes, cleaned the tank, cleaned the carbs, cleaned and set the points, new battery. Started and ran fine. Needed to replace the points and condenser a while later. It had 4718 miles whenI got it. Sold it with 6200 miles. Did not even use oil and never replaced a single light bulb.

regards
Mech

[robfriedenberger]

Just stating the obvious, but even if your full on fluids, change them!

Oil and brake fluids, are hygroscopic.

Its easy to bring a bike back from sitting if it was put away correctly, its a PITA if it was forgotten about. I brought my 74 yamaha back from 7+ years of sitting in a shed, full of gas with the petcocks on.