I'm trying to make things right after lending my 97 GS500 to a friend
who says it died out on him, and then left it in a sketchy apartment garage
in Hollywood. When I came to truck it back home, after a few days had passed,
it was upright, but I could tell that it had been knocked over. He knew nothing of that; and
his friend who lived in the apartment above acted "completely shocked" even though it was
parked way up in front of his car, in his parking space.
After a battery charge, and a new starter relay, I think it ran for a bit (maybe a mile),
but no more.
I now find that the airbox has two inches of oily gas in it, the vent tube out was clogged,
the carbs (I really don't want to take them off yet) may be o.k. but I have run carb
cleaner through them and let them sit full overnight. Lazy, I know. I'll drain them and fill them
with gas today, empty the airbox of its liquid, buy a new air filter, and drain and change
the engine oil which smells a lot like gasoline. I am told to run it around after I get it started and then change the oil a second time.
I suspect the bike was on its side
(the right hand side) for at least 24 hours if not 48 hours. So lots of liquids went where
they weren't supposed to go.
I also suspect my friend left the fuelcock on "PRI" (prime) instead of ON for the month he had it.
He didn't know any better. Did this encourage gas to go into the crankcase? And then
the oil/gas mixture goes into the airbox via the crankcase breather tube? What a mess.
Probably I am lucky, what with the airbox full of flammable liquid-- that it didn't all go
KABOOM as I cranked it over and over. PlusI hooked the charge up to the battery
right there, without removing it from the bike. So today's Idiot Award goes to me.
I'll drain the tank, pull the filter screen, buy a new battery, new gas,
and also put my own small filter on the gas line. The tank seems pretty spotless inside.
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The carbs were rebuilt about 500 miles ago by a shop (you can tell because they left half
of the hose clamps hanging loose).
Have I forgotten anything? (Except for "Don't lend your bike out!" ...)
I looked this up in the archives first-- but mostly it dealt with bikes which
were dropped and then picked up right away.
steve in L.A.
Quotedefinition of "close friend"-- a friend who happens to be standing close to you
Change the oil, clean out the airbox. Wash the bike at the D-I-Y carwash, and spray down the frame around the battery box and below. Top up the battery with water, but be prepared for it to die. Accidentally tip-over your friend's room-mate's car.