at this point just fire it up and see if it starts.

 

Before ya try just firing it up get the old gas out and replace with fresh fuel. Was it inside a controlled environment?? Or was it in a unheated garage?? If your in a humid area and it was in the elements your probably in for some rust in that tank. The ethinol In gas seperates and once that happens it attracts moisture which will rust a tank inside badly and quickly. I would remove and inspect that tank.

 

basic maintenance. drain the tank and fill it to the top with good fuel. clean the carbs. it will most likely just be dirty in the bowls and the pilot jet (the one with the smaller hole) don't touch or change any settings. swap the oil out it deteriorates with time. you can clean the filter if its aftermarket I'm not sure how filter oil reacts over time but if its a factory paper filter then don't worry about it. if you really wanted to go one step further you can pull the spark plugs out and put a few drops of transmission fluid in each cylinder, let it sit for a couple minutes then turn it over. after a bit of riding check the filter in line under the tank, if you don't have one inline maybe throw one in to be safe if your concerned about rust.

 

Thanks for the advice guys. As for the storage, it was sitting in a garage so rust is probably gonna be a factor. What about the brake fluid and tires? Also, are there any recommended chemicals or additives for both the fuel tank and cleaning the carbs?

 

as above, it might just fire up with a battery.

at a minimum before riding, I would drain ALL fluids, oil, brake fluid, coolant, fuel etc etc.
Id disassemble and clean the carbs.

If it hasnt even been turned over it wouldnt be a terrible idea to remove the plugs, drip a few drops of oil down each cylinder and leave a day or two before turning over.

replace all the fluids.

Id have a good close look at tyres, and any rubber stuff - brake lines if still stock, hoses etc, as anything rubber that has sat a long time has the potential to degrade / dry out / crack.

Partly depends on the conditions it was stored in too

 

+1 on the above checks! Special attention to motor oil after 4 years sitting at the bottom... wouldn´t even try to start it. New fresh oil first.

Special attention to fork oil seals. They might be ok now, but probably a bit dry, so once you start to ride fast there is a big chance one of them, if not both, will begin to leak. Dust seals might be ok, depending on the conditions was stored, as previos member pointed.

Good luck and keep us posted!! :smile2:

 

Some methyl hydrate into the tank will absorb any water that may have condensed in it and will mix it with the gas and run it through. You can also add it before you drain the old gas and shake it up and then drain it. It's a type of alcohol it just bonds to the water instead of letting it separate out from the fuel like it normally does and adds octane makes it fine to run through. that's a good practise to do once a year on any motorcycle or car by the way. About a tea spoon per gallon usually.

The tires are probably hard and the brake fluid would be dark most likely so you would have to look for yourself. It's a good idea to do all the maintenance you can but that depends on you mechanical ability or budget.

Oil is a good idea down the cylinder but the reason I said transmission fluid is that trans fluid will partially dissolve surface rust if there is any and let it be scraped off easily by the rings when you turn it over instead of bringing into the rings. It helps Clean a bit more then normal oil but either will work just fine.

 

I just got a 05 FZ1 that sat for 3 years. It had a full tank, so no rust. I put fresh fuel in it and opened drain bowls. Only 2 would drain. Started it and it only ran on 2 or 3 cyls . Pulled carbs( nightmare to pull on this bike! ) K&L carb kits. Clean each one and put in new parts. Runs perfect! I believe these were the last of carbs. They’re even water cooled. I hadn’t known that.

Good luck on your project!

 

completely drain fuel system

open each drain screw at carb to drain all gas and then close screws

add one container of either sea foam or carb cleaner to fuel tank

do not start engine. turn on engine cut off switch and crank engine to get cleaner into carbs

let it sit for say 12 hours and then drain the cleaner

add new premium fuel

with emergency shut off in on position crank engine to circulate new oil several times

 

Pix of the bike!

 

You might wanna take out the fuel pump and see what's in there. I did that on a half full tank that had been sitting in storage for 3 years, and found the hell in the attachment.

 

I just picked up a 2001 Yamaha R1 that has been sitting for the past 4 years in storage. I replaced the battery along with the fuel pump all the fuel lines plus fuel filter, the rubber intake manifolds . Rebuilt the carbs. Had to coat the inside of the tank with Caswell coating. The rust in the tank was really bad. Change the oil, put fresh antifreeze. Changed all brake fluid. Fresh set of spark plugs. New petcock. New fuel level sensor. Put the bike back together and she fired right up. Runs great. No funny noises or anyting. Motor sounds great

 

After riding the bike a few times I went to put air in the rear tire and the valve stem ripped and it was a little dry rotted so I also suggest you change both your valve stems front and rear , better to be safe than sorry.

 

You ran with these tires that where sitting for 4 years. Savage! :lol

 

Tires don't seem to be dry at all. They were brand new when he stored the bike. I don't see any cracks they still feel nice and soft. They should be all right I think.