Hello Everyone,
I feel like I already know many of you, I've been spending a considerable amount of time on these forums since we purchased the bike last week, and you'll be seeing much more of me in the coming months.
My GF and I just bought our first motorcycle, and it's everything we imagined. She's an adrenaline junkie, and I've been dreaming about getting a bike for years.
The individual we purchased the bike from said that it hasn't been ridden since 2005, and I can't be sure how well he maintained it or what his winterizing/storage procedure was. The bike did need a new battery, and obviously needs an oil change, which I will be doing tonight - Rotella T 15W-40 (synthetic if I can find it) and Purolator or Bosch filter (whichever I can find). The bike has about 22,000 kms on it and it's a 2001, resides in South Eastern Ontario.
I have experience working on cars, so you can consider me a garage mechanic, but never before on bikes.
1) The idle is high. Around 3k RPM, and even after heating up required choke or else it would stall. How much choke is normally required to start, and for how long? Shouldn't the bike be able to run without any choke after it's warmed up?
2) Shifting isn't very smooth, and is very loud.
Both of those issues could be related to the oil, but I also suspect the carbs and I assume the fuel in there is also from 2005. But since the bike has been in storage for so long and I'm unaware of the shape the previous owner kept it in (combined with my inexperience with bikes), I want to be thorough and any advice would be appreciated.
I plan on checking the spark plugs and the carbs, (I have no carb experience, but look forward to learning). What sort of things should I be looking for? Should I get rid of that fuel? Since it's been so long, would it be better to just replace the spark plugs? What other things would you recommend replacing? Air filter? Coolant? Anything else I should be looking at, given the circumstances?
I'm aware of the regular maintenance schedule, and plan on following it as soon as everything else on the bike is brought up to snuff. The bike hasn't been taken on any trips, other than a few runs around the block, and I don't plan on taking her out until she's in good shape.
Thanks,
sYnth
I feel like I already know many of you, I've been spending a considerable amount of time on these forums since we purchased the bike last week, and you'll be seeing much more of me in the coming months.
My GF and I just bought our first motorcycle, and it's everything we imagined. She's an adrenaline junkie, and I've been dreaming about getting a bike for years.
The individual we purchased the bike from said that it hasn't been ridden since 2005, and I can't be sure how well he maintained it or what his winterizing/storage procedure was. The bike did need a new battery, and obviously needs an oil change, which I will be doing tonight - Rotella T 15W-40 (synthetic if I can find it) and Purolator or Bosch filter (whichever I can find). The bike has about 22,000 kms on it and it's a 2001, resides in South Eastern Ontario.
I have experience working on cars, so you can consider me a garage mechanic, but never before on bikes.
1) The idle is high. Around 3k RPM, and even after heating up required choke or else it would stall. How much choke is normally required to start, and for how long? Shouldn't the bike be able to run without any choke after it's warmed up?
2) Shifting isn't very smooth, and is very loud.
Both of those issues could be related to the oil, but I also suspect the carbs and I assume the fuel in there is also from 2005. But since the bike has been in storage for so long and I'm unaware of the shape the previous owner kept it in (combined with my inexperience with bikes), I want to be thorough and any advice would be appreciated.
I plan on checking the spark plugs and the carbs, (I have no carb experience, but look forward to learning). What sort of things should I be looking for? Should I get rid of that fuel? Since it's been so long, would it be better to just replace the spark plugs? What other things would you recommend replacing? Air filter? Coolant? Anything else I should be looking at, given the circumstances?
I'm aware of the regular maintenance schedule, and plan on following it as soon as everything else on the bike is brought up to snuff. The bike hasn't been taken on any trips, other than a few runs around the block, and I don't plan on taking her out until she's in good shape.
Thanks,
sYnth