Retiring Old Yamahas

[Roadman48]

Hello All,

I have a 1981 Yamaha SR500 that I would like to take out of service. It is a near perfect stock bike with about 8,000 miles.

I know about short term storage procedures but would like input on the best way to prepare a bike for long term storage. It will be kept either in a heated garage or my home, on display.

Thanks for any and all advice.

Larry

[jetmechmarty]

Fog it with oil. After you run it for the last time, change the oil. Replace the fork oil too. Drain all of the gasoline from the carburetor. It would be best to remove it and get all of the gasoline out. Drain the gas tank completely. I would coat the inside of the tank with some heavy oil.

The SR500 is a really cool bike. It's still in production.

[DGXSER]

If you are REALLY interested in preserving the internals and such for the long haul, you could seal the openings and put a nitrogen charge into the engine and the tank etc. Overkill perhaps, but it is a typical method of preserving machines for long term storage.

[xs11lover]

The best way by far would be for me to hold it for you in a heated area. I'll even ride it for you to keep it all working.
So they still make them? How much are they now?

[jetmechmarty]

How much are they now?

The price is going to be in yen. You have to be in Japan to buy one, or maybe some other Asian countries. Are any Aussies following this? Can you buy a new SR400 in the land down under?

[Roadman48]

Thanks for the input, it's greatly appreciated. I just recently stumbled upon this bike and was amazed with its condition. I had a 1980 model back in the day and it was one of the bikes I really wish I had kept.

Thanks again for the help.

Larry

[Shacknasty]

There are spark plug replacements that will help keep the cylinders rust-free. A thin film of oil is the very best preservative...

[Yard Dogg]

This is just a little input to consider. I learned this from some Mill Rights a while back. When we were building a Silicon Plant in Moses Lake a few years ago, I noticed the Mill Rights turning the compressor motors every so often, then they'd just walk away from them. So I asked them about it. They told me that until the compressors are operational, they have to be turned a certain amount at certain intervals to maintain the roundness of the bearings. These compressors were gigantic and there was a lot of weight from the crank shafts and such resting on the bearings, but I have also noticed that when a bike sits for a long time, the ball and needle bearings will develop flat spots. When ridden again, they will come apart much faster. I went through this on my Midnight. It had sat for so long in one place, that after a few hundred miles, I had to replace the wheel and neck bearings. Not expensive, but if it's a collectors item with hard to find internal parts. You might consider leaving yourself an option to turn the motor over and rotate the wheels every now and then.