26-08-14, 01:35 PM
I have an '02 silver fazer with 25k on the clock and it had been sat in a garage for the past five years. I finally thought, well either I'm getting this back onto the road or getting rid of it.
I had to replace the dead battery, snip off and bypass the now defunct alarm and change/flush the coolant before I decided to give the engine a go. It had half a tank of 5 year old petrol that looked ok and it started after some coaxing on the 4th try.
I then let it run a bit before topping off the coolant and changing the oil/oil filter.
Didn't even clean the spark plugs - the one I removed looked ok before I replaced it.
I then replaced the rear mudguard/undertray (courtesy of Noggy) and the rear shock (thanks kebab for all the help and advice).
The chain tension looked fine (30mm) and brakes seemed to work ok.
The brake fluid looked ok and the brakes seemed to function fine - took it to the MOT center this morning and it passed with 2 advisories - the front brake pads are quite minimal - not a problem as I have some new ones ready to be fitted and the rear mudguard is missing - I took it off earlier for easier access to the shock and also because I noticed some cracks which I want to glue back before I stick it back on.
I'm pretty happy that the bike seemed to have gone through its time in hibernation relatively unscathed.
Other jobs to go:
- Balance carbs.
- Prepare and paint the downpipes and other exposed metalwork/engine.
- Replace brake lines with HEL SS brake lines and front pad.
- Spray the scuffed fairings with some RS motorbike paint.
- Repair any scuffed plastics.
It has renthal bars and scottoiler already.
Had great fun for my first ride in 5 years, despite the rain and only commuting to work.
Cheers and thanks for all the help and knowledge here.
I had to replace the dead battery, snip off and bypass the now defunct alarm and change/flush the coolant before I decided to give the engine a go. It had half a tank of 5 year old petrol that looked ok and it started after some coaxing on the 4th try.
I then let it run a bit before topping off the coolant and changing the oil/oil filter.
Didn't even clean the spark plugs - the one I removed looked ok before I replaced it.
I then replaced the rear mudguard/undertray (courtesy of Noggy) and the rear shock (thanks kebab for all the help and advice).
The chain tension looked fine (30mm) and brakes seemed to work ok.
The brake fluid looked ok and the brakes seemed to function fine - took it to the MOT center this morning and it passed with 2 advisories - the front brake pads are quite minimal - not a problem as I have some new ones ready to be fitted and the rear mudguard is missing - I took it off earlier for easier access to the shock and also because I noticed some cracks which I want to glue back before I stick it back on.
I'm pretty happy that the bike seemed to have gone through its time in hibernation relatively unscathed.
Other jobs to go:
- Balance carbs.
- Prepare and paint the downpipes and other exposed metalwork/engine.
- Replace brake lines with HEL SS brake lines and front pad.
- Spray the scuffed fairings with some RS motorbike paint.
- Repair any scuffed plastics.
It has renthal bars and scottoiler already.
Had great fun for my first ride in 5 years, despite the rain and only commuting to work.
Cheers and thanks for all the help and knowledge here.
.Interesting what you say about the 5 year old petrol.I've read some places that petrol goes 'off' as quickly as 3 months in storage,although whether that implies it won't combust,or that it separates in some way i'm not sure,but your experience has shown it will still start a bike after a long long time!.