The story is that this bike was left with a friend of mine by his friend about six years ago. It's been in his garage ever singe, under a tarp. The previous owner was a stickler for maintenance, and so was in very good condition before being stored. Apparently the engine has been turned over once or twice since then.
From the outside, it's in decent nick. Tyres are, of course, flat, but nothing looks terribly corroded.
So, where do I start? I am thinking a strip and clean of the carbs, obviously a new battery, but where do I go from there? Do I need to rebuild anything else?
Never done a project like this, so I'd appreciate any tips you can give me!
I'm hoping to get it running, and eventually turn it into a bit of a bargain basement cafe racer...
Mine was sitting for the same amount of time. Carbs is a great place to start and probably the whole fuel system tank to carbs. After that its just cleaning as you go. Carb overhaul and new battery was all it took to get mine going again.
after getting it to run , you'll want to be sure it stops too so look at brakes. go from the middle to the outside of the bike as it gets closer to getting back onto the road.
Jimmy
Thanks for that. You don't think I'll have to rip the engine apart or anything? Obviously, new oil and filter, but things like pistons and gearbox should be fine?
Well, first things first.... make sure the bike can legally put into your name (you didn'tmention the title). No point of even cleaning the bike if you can't ride it legally.
After that, look at the tires. There is a date code on them - if they are older than 5 years old, they should be replaced. Rubber can "look" good but be hard and slick. The brake lines will need replaced if they are stock rubber (good time for stainless lines) but the brake pads should be good if they have some material on them. When you replace the lines, it's a good time to get ALL the old fluid out and new fluid in. And of course there is the battery and fuel system mentioned above. When you clean the carbs out, don't just spray some carb cleaner in and blow it out with pressurized air - a proper carb cleaning only takes a little longer to be done right.
As far as the engine goes: as long as it was sealed (oil filler cap was on, spark plugs were in, etc) than an oil & filter change would be all you need.
there you go..
I like the advice thats available here. Just be methodical and if you haven't, read the repair book. google will lead you to a download without much hassle. Check for signs of breaks or leaks, clean any rust spots from the fork legs etc. It isn't rocket science..You'll be fine. ;)
Thanks for all the advice, chaps. I am waiting for the V5, to put the bike in my name, but only because my mate has just moved house (hence why I've inherited the bike) and the form is packed away somewhere.
I am seriously considering getting a ultrasonic bath along the lines of this: http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/jpl-8050-h-professional-ultrasonic-cleaner-25l-a74jk, to do the carbs. I know I can do it with carb cleaning spray and elbow grease, but I have a few bikes that could probably do with a good cleaning, and I've heard good things about these ultrasonic numbers...
I already have new hoses and pipework on my list, as well as new tyres. Will the sparkplugs still be good? Although, really, I may as well replace those too...
Also:
Check the chain, it may have frozen links and need replacing.
Change the fork oil. Throw some stiffer springs in too while it's opened up.
Check the valve's.
And replace the vacuum hoses.
Quote from: WinterHack on August 31, 2015, 08:43:04 AM
Thanks for all the advice, chaps. I am waiting for the V5, to put the bike in my name, but only because my mate has just moved house (hence why I've inherited the bike) and the form is packed away somewhere.
I am seriously considering getting a ultrasonic bath along the lines of this: http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/jpl-8050-h-professional-ultrasonic-cleaner-25l-a74jk, to do the carbs. I know I can do it with carb cleaning spray and elbow grease, but I have a few bikes that could probably do with a good cleaning, and I've heard good things about these ultrasonic numbers...
I already have new hoses and pipework on my list, as well as new tyres. Will the sparkplugs still be good? Although, really, I may as well replace those too...
Give em a clean and try it, worst case you need to spend an extra tenner.