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How to make a bike thats been sitting for 2 years road ready??

2K views 18 replies 10 participants last post by  bacchus40 
#1 ·
Hi all,

A question for the mechanical comrades on here....(Mods if this is the wrong section can you please let me know?)

I am in the process of getting a new (to me bike) (07 r6), the one thing is that it has been sitting in the previous owners garage for approximately 2 years. To add to that he had only ridden it a handful of times over the period of his ownership. I am trying to come up with a checklist of things to do before insuring it and going out riding. Before putting it in the garage he had it serviced (the oil changed, the fluids checked and new rear tire installed). Unforetunately he did not put any fuel stabilizer in the gas (might not even matter since that only holds benefits for about 6 months from what I've heard).

So far I have: Checked the oil and all the fluids, checked the chain tension, checked the brake calipers, charged the battery, checked the signal/head/tail lights and siphoned the old gas out of the tank.

Is there any other important things I should think about before firing it up and going for a ride? I can do basic mechanical maintenance, however, more advanced stuff I will just opt to bring it into a shop.

Cheers!!!
 
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#2 ·
2 years isn't the end of the world. *I'd change all fluids (oil and filter, coolant, brake, clutch) check out the front tire to see how old it is, if it's dried out or cracked.*

*Usually I'm in favour of taking a newly purchased bike in for service soon anyway, just to give it a once-over.*
 
#4 ·
check the chain for seized links
change the oil
change the brake fluid
tires may have flat spots, should probably be replaced due to age/cracking
I will definitely look through all those things. Didn't think about the potential for a seized chain link and front tire deterioration (the bike was on a stand so hopefully the new rear tire is okay!). I was going to run it for a few hundred kms and bring it in for a service, but maybe I'll bring it into a service shop and get a professional to do a once over before I even start it up! Are there some local (lower mainland) service shops/bike mechanics that you guys can recommend? I've had enough experience with previous bikes/cars to know that I shouldn't just bring it to anyone, unfortunately the last bike I owned was ~5 years ago so I'm out of touch with the local motorcycle scene!
 
#5 ·
the bike is 1 decade old, so it's possible rubbery bit might be starting to perish ( hoses, O-rings, etc). not easy stuff to check in many cases, but just something to keep in mind if fueling gets wonky of something ( i.e., air leaks).
have you had a look at the plugs? air filter? changed the coolant ( under ALL the fluids)?
 
#7 ·
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nobody has mentioned suspension, yes you need to have the forks and rear shock serviced. I doubt they've ever been touched
since the previous owner has only ridden it a handful of times. YOu are running on original fluids, YUCK!..

fork seals will need to be done, as above mentioned rubbery bits. You should also do a fuel line mod and upgrade it to a proper
hose as the oem on Yamaha's do tend to kink over time and since it has not been run for a while you'll experience trouble with
power. You wont see kinks on the outside, as the oem hose has a cover.. Guaranteed you need to do this. Check out the R1-forum
for a proper how to.. The hose can be purchased at LORDCO along with the proper clamps.

You should also take a very close look at the clutch pack, so get yourself the manual and pull the stack out and measure to see
if it is within spec. I would recommend stainless steel brake lines as well as they do make a damn good bit of difference.

other than a service should be 1st thing. Brand new spark plugs regardless of when they were swapped,
GYTR air filter & smog block off plates since you're doing plugs :thumbup'

do all of the above suggestions and previous posts before you ride it. Peace of mind and safety 1st :coffee

for what its worth, nothing mentioned thus far is out of the ordinary in regular maintenance and you should learn to do it all yourself :happysq
I hadn't checked the spark plugs yet or looked *at servicing the forks/rear shocks yet. I will definitely make sure these are done.

I checked out some how-to videos on doing these procedures, and they do not look intimidating to me. I just have a few limiting factors when it comes to doing extensive bike maintenance at the moment....space and tools. I wanna buy the tools so that I can keep doing all of the maintenance on my bikes, however, not having somewhere to keep all of that type of stuff is really a drag...so this time around I will likely get a shop to do most of it.*

Question about the smog block-off plates...do you notice any difference in performance...I thought this was mainly to stop any popping that occurs with deceration (and is this even legal in BC?)*
 
#6 · (Edited)
nobody has mentioned suspension, yes you need to have the forks and rear shock serviced. I doubt they've ever been touched
since the previous owner has only ridden it a handful of times. YOu are running on original fluids, YUCK!..

fork seals will need to be done, as above mentioned rubbery bits. You should also do a fuel line mod and upgrade it to a proper
hose as the oem on Yamaha's do tend to kink over time and since it has not been run for a while you'll experience trouble with
power. You wont see kinks on the outside, as the oem hose has a cover.. Guaranteed you need to do this. Check out the R1-forum
for a proper how to.. The hose can be purchased at LORDCO along with the proper clamps.

You should also take a very close look at the clutch pack, so get yourself the manual and pull the stack out and measure to see
if it is within spec. I would recommend stainless steel brake lines as well as they do make a damn good bit of difference.

other than a service should be 1st thing. Brand new spark plugs regardless of when they were swapped,
GYTR air filter & smog block off plates since you're doing plugs :thumbup'

do all of the above suggestions and previous posts before you ride it. Peace of mind and safety 1st :coffee

for what its worth, nothing mentioned thus far is out of the ordinary in regular maintenance and you should learn to do it all yourself :happysq
 
#9 ·
While I don't agree on changing fork seals that might not be leaking,or checking a clutch pack that isn't slipping ? or installing smog block off plates on a bike that is going to be ridden on the STREET and not the track, this just is not necessary to get a ride preped for street use. And installing new tires because they might be cracked" tires may have flat spots, should probably be replaced due to age/cracking" (see original post.....the part where it says" the oil changed, the fluids checked and new rear tire installed)" no real need to install another rear tire just because the tire is 2 years old and done not 1 Km on it ? While it would be nice to know the total Kms on the bike, that tid bit of info was never disclosed ? You said you checked the calipers.....did you check the pad's them selves ? Fuel line mod .....if it aint broke......you know the rest
 
#10 ·
Okay, ill definitely inspect or have them inspected and then assess from there. The rear tire is still in really good condition, no flat spots, no visible cracking or deterioration. The front tire I might just replace. I checked the wear indicator on pads, I don't know why I wrote calipers...my mistake. The bike has 7000km on it.
 
#11 ·
You could probably leave the suspension servicing to the next trip to the mechanic if it isn't obviously leaking or otherwise faulty. Same with the clutch, it will let you know when it needs attention. Neither would I class under basic maintenance, especially if space and tools are limited.*

How do we all feel about various products that claim to clean your injectors (seafoam etc)? I use seafoam as a stabilizer but have seen mixed opinions on the ability of any additive to clean injectors.**
 
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