GT550 been stood for 5 years - eeeek!

[cornish]

have read a few threads about bikes being stood but i am pretty inexperienced at working on bikes so am asking here about mine specifically.

GT ran like a dream for years and was fine when left. Been stored outside but under proper cover. i've had a real major upheaval over the last few years with attendant cash issues. bike been stood on my nan's path while me and the tiny person been moved around from pillar to post. we've got a settled place now and cash still tight but not as tight as it has been. Bike been moved to outside our place so can do stuff to it.

Am currently running tiny person to and from school on rural pubic (cos it's bollox) transport - it's beyond shit (4 hours a day to get to and from a school that's only a few miles away) and costs the earth (bout 600quid a year). this will go up by half as much again when the tiny person reaches a certain age. I could be doing the school run in a ferrari for that!

there's lots of being late for school and getting left stood in the rain & cold with a tired/hungry/cold/upset tiny person when buses just don't bother to turn-up. been stranded lots, days out cancelled, have to share bus with all the bloody alcoholics and nutters who are on the bus cos they're not allowed to drive etc etc etc (am moaning now, i should start a pubic transport thread on the moaning forum!).

car not possible and i'd prefer the bike anyway. sidecar is most likely solution (had lots of fab suggestions about this on different thread - thank you). idea looks to be a go-er so i need to sort the bike before i start arranging to stick things onto it.

My previous bike was an RXS (rarely needed work) and the GT is a real workhorse (also rarely needed work) so i have little idea what i should be checking and dealing with in order to make it road worthy and safe to ride.

am basically asking for a check-list/idiots-guide of what to do for a GT550 thats been stood for ages. . . . . . . .please! thank you!!!
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[nowhere.elysium]

Five years? pah. Try twenty.

On the serious side, replace fluids, check anything rubber (i.e. fork seals, tyres and brake lines for perishing, and make sure there are no obvious rust points. It may cost a few quid, but it'll be worth it. If it's any consolation, that bike I linked to needs tyres, brake lines, suspension and a new seat unit. I'm pretty sure yours won't be that bad, unless it's been sat in a peat bog for the past five years.
Once you've changed the fluids, charge the battery, see if it'll turn over. If it does, and it runs rough, get a fresh tank of petrol in there, and see if it helps clear things out.
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[Scotsman37]

Replace spark plugs

Replace all cables because they are no doubt corroded to hell by now

Check fuel tank for rust and treat if necessary

Rubber fuel line tubing may have cracks

Need new fuel as the old fuel will no doubt be crap

Clean carbs no doubt all clogged from not being used

Swing arm regreased is a good option!

Brakes overhauled

Brake fluid level checked/replaced when overhauling brakes

Another possibility steering/head bearings and wheel bearings needing regreased/replaced if it hasn't moved at all during that time.

Engine oil emptied and engine flushed remove thickened crap within the engine.

check that everything electrical works properly!!!

[cornish]

Thanks you two, that's brill!

thanks for link Nowhere, pics look wicked. will have a read through that thread too.
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[doggone]

[greetingsfrom...]

I've always found reviving bikes that have been stood a complete lottery - sometimes they take minimum effort to get road ready and sometimes it turns into a complete nightmare

Most things have been covered by other posters but a few other things are

Brake fluid - change it, 5 years is well over brake fluids life expectancy

Switchgear - I find on bikes which have been stood you can get corrosion building up internally - if this is the case try dismantling and spraying contact cleaner onto the offending switch while operating the switch - you might need to do with a few times

It might be worthwhile removing the plugs and pouring a tablespoon of oil down the bores then spinning the engine over with the plugs OUT

Strip out both spindles and re-grease

Check tires closely for perishing

The petrol you drain from the tank can be used again if it is mixed with an equal amount of fresh. With the price of jungle juice these days every little helps!

[Robby]

I assume you're looking to put a sidecar on this. Before getting too involved with the recommissioning and then sidecar fitting, see if it's worth selling the current bike and buying something with a sidecar already fitted.

I've put a lot of bikes back on the road from long term storage, or just being ridden into the ground. It's never a cost effective process, a pair of tyres, a battery and filters won't give you change from £150, and they're just the first steps.

One recommissioing tip that I've picked up though - before moving the bike around too much, make sure the sliding surfaces of the forks are clean and corrosion free. If there's a little surface corrosion, a grey finishing pad will shift it. It isn't usually the storage that kills fork seals, there's always a bit of oil clinging to the inside and stopping them from drying out. The thing that kills them is the first few movements of the suspension when the thing is first ridden. The corrosion on the fork leg destroys the seal, but this also cleans the corrosion off the fork leg. You have a blown seal, a clean looking fork stanchion, and a rider who thinks that they perished in storage.

[hmmmnz]

ive bought bikes bike into existance that have been sitting in excess of 30 years 40 years actually,


what i would do in the following order is

1. pull off the tank, put some fresh petrol in it (just a wee bit) slosh it about and empty,
1a. pull off the petrol tap and clean/ blow through and make sure it works.

2. remove the airfilter (see if needs to be relaced or cleaned) and airbox check the rubbers are still in one peice and not perished,

3. pull off the carbs, and check the rubber boots from carbs to engine,
3b. clean out the carbs, - pull off all the float bowls, remove all the jets, floats and needles, if a cv carbs pull off the tops and make sure the diagphrams are not split, clean every thing with carb cleaner or white spirits, then reassamble put back on the bike replace anything that needs replacing
including rubber fuel lines (best to change thenm reguardless)

4. oil and filter change (use the cheapest oil you can find as it will just be dumped in a hundred miles or so)


5. battery, replace, no point fucking about with trying to charge it, its not going to happen

6 remove the plugs

7, trurn over the bike with no plugs in it, to allow the bike to build up oil pressure to the top end so when you actuall try and start its not starting dry

8. replace all spark plugs and check the leads

9. try and start the bike, use start ya bastard if need be hopefully she starts

10, replace the rubber, tyres will be fuct even if they look ok,

11. drain and replace the brake fluids, may as well do the pads at the same time

12. lube all the cables (throttle, clutch etc)

13. hopefully she is good to go, bear in mind the clutch plates may be stuck together, so start the bike, and have your foot hard on the rear brake pedal while you pop it to gear, (do it on the center stand or with help)

13. after she is running, do the valve clearances chain tension lube etc,

and after a hundred kms or so dump the oil and stick a new batch in,
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[0l0dom0l0]

Most important thing though when she is running, give her a good thrashing .

I am actually being serious. Those old 2 stroke like a long ride to get everything warm. Especially on one that's been stood. The engine needs to burn off any old oil, moisture and re-lube itself properly. When its hot it will also burn off any old carbon etc that's been left.

Hope you get it going though. They make a fantastic sound!

[doggone]

[0l0dom0l0]

[pepperami]

Once you have changed the oil, you might want to take the plug caps off but leave the plugs in and turn it over on the starter for a few seconds.
This will put a bit of oil up the top end of the engine before it fires when you have put the plug caps back on.

If it`s been sitting for 5 years , you can be fairly sure that the top end of the engine is going to be dry and oil-less, and doing this may just help prevent any extra damage being done
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[cornish]

Fantastic, thank you all of you!

would have taken me forever to find all that out myself and i would never have thought of all of it. you're stars, THANK YOU!!!!
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