Sitting bike back on the tarmac

[bcroninuk]

I have a sportbike that has been sitting pretty on paddock stands for 2 years. I want to get it back on the road so questions from me:

Tyres, will they be still ok to use? 3 years + old
Oil change? I changed the oil and filter before I sent the bike to sleep
Fuel tank? Fuel tank was nearly empty, will any fuel still in the tank cause any problems?
Brake fluid? Change?

Anything else I should be concerned about?

[Itchy]

Tyres it depends as UV light makes them perish and crack. I left my old CBR in storage for years and the tyres were ok as it was kept in the dark.


Oil change is a must as the additives separate from the oil, water may have got into it causing mayonnaise engine.

Fuel tank? Fuel will be burn but it'll run like a bag of nails. Also the carbs/FI will have gummed up as the petrol in them will have evaporated leaving behind a layer which will block them.

Brake fluid may have absorbed water.

Also to think about is:

Wheel bearings.

Coolant as this too separate so you have blue/green gunk at the bottom of the water expansion bottle and just plain old water inside the system.
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[bcroninuk]

[Itchy]

[Rogerborg]

[andym]

I'm sure I mentioned this before... but I'll mention it again.

I bought a Diversion that had been parked up for about 5 years, I hooked it up to a car battery and after about half an hour of trying it fired up and ran perfectly for the year I owned it

[P.addy]

My SV has sat outside for a year and half. I'm going to swap tyres and change oil before I ride it. I'd probably go as far as changing the coolant on yours but it probably won't be needed. Once it goes round it's gonna mix again.

[Robby]

Charge the battery, pour in a gallon of fresh fuel, start it and ride it.

There are all manner of things that might be a problem, but only work on them if they are a problem. Also, many thing that could be a problem for the first 100 miles will sort themselves out.

Probably worth an oil change after the first ride. There is a high chance of the tank having some internal surface rust. You can either sort this properly (hard) or change the fuel filter a bit more often (easy).

[Islander]

Yep, as above I'd cast an eye over the usual stuff, stick a fresh battery on if needed or charge the old one, put some fresh fuel in and start it up. Check tyre pressures, lube and adjust chain if needed and then hop on and ride it. Don't forget to allow for the brakes bedding in and scrubbing rust off of disk surfaces. Maybe an oil and filter change on return while it's still nice and warm.

Any real problems will soon surface and can be dealt with as necessary but I'll bet there aren't many.

[waffles]

Give the chain a quick clean and lube up, check for any tight spots. If its already up on paddock stands do it before you put it back down again.
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Theory test - 19/8/09, CBT - 11/10/09, MOD 1 - 16/8/10, MOD 2 - 27/10/10
Past rides Yamaha XT125X, Triumph TT600, Honda XR250
Current rides Suzuki GSXR 600, Honda MSX125

[talkToTheHat]

Visually check condition of tyres. If both ends have been on stands then chances are they are good. If there's crazing or cracking of the rubber or any irregular shapes then replace. Monitor carefully. It may be the case that they deteriorate visibly once you are running.

Oil is cheap. Replace. Coolant is cheap. Replace.

Drain off the fuel tank as best you can, put old fuel into car with a mostly full tank. Drain carbs if you have them. Drop a can of injector cleaner (check dosage) into tank along with fresh fuel.

Consider flushing brake fluid.

Charge battery.

Check airbox for nesting wildlife. It could be full of acorns or now a wasps nest.

Follow standard starting procedure. Recheck fluid levels. Check for leaks.
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Bandit. does. everything.