bikes been sitting over winter not winterized

[blackdawg]

I have a xs750 great bike,just bought a 1980 xs1100 just the other day.ITS in good shape,the previous owner had left gas sit in it over the winter.Has anybody got any good tips on getting going again.cleaning carbs,petcocks,changing the oil.IS there certain stps need to be taken to being her back to life.YES BIKE TURNS OVER MOTOR IS FREE.any help would be great guys.

thanks blackdawg

[Pain]

Just the one winter? You might not have to clean the carbs, just a couple of tanks with Seafoam. Little bit of mystery oil in the cylinders. I would change the plugs, but that is me. New gas, new oil and filter, and see if it will start.

I am sure others will give a more detailed checklist, if this doesn't seem like enough work.

[blackdawg]

HI

What is seafoam,can i get this at a canadian tire.and should i clean the filters on the petcocks.thanks

[fredintoon]

This stuff

http://www.seafoamsales.com/products.htm
Hi Blackdawg,
Some kinda fuel additive. Those who use it swear by it. Even if it really is a magic potion you can only do good by cleaning out your fuel system.
Fred Hill, S'toon.

[webbcraft2150]

Seafoam is the nectar of wonder for us XS owners. Its a can of fuel system cleaner/water remover/stuck ring fixer/carbon getter outer. It is a fuel additive that works wonders (sometimes) on engines that have been sitting for a while. Drain all the fuel out of the tank. On the bottom of each carb bowl is a drain plug. CAREFULLY (don't loose the little gasket) remove each plug and see what kinda fuel comes out of it. It it smells like gas, you could be in good shape. If it smells really bad, could be looking at the notorious carb cleaning that earns you a merit badge. If you get good gas outa the bowls, refill tank with fresh fuel and 'bout 1/2 can of Seafoam and see if she will fire up. I don't know where you might find Seafoam up where you are but I am sure some local boys in your neck of the woods will chime in here on where to find it.

[cajun31]

Always a good idea

It's always a good idea to give everything the once over. Definitely drain all the gas and pull the carbs so you can check the bowls. If they have never been cracked open be careful as you can damage the float bowl gaskets. Any bike as old as these are need not only the fuel systems checked. You probably need to check the brakes as well. Check the brake fluid in the Master Cylinder to see what it looks like. If it looks clear bleed the brakes anyway to see if what comes out of the calipers looks clean as well. Check the tech tips on this site and be sure the spooge holes are not clogged on both the front and rear MC's.

[mro]

Good info in tech section of site

Check this out, should get you going.....

click >>>http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=792


mro
BTW, do you have a "G" or the "SG" ???

[Ken Talbot]

Originally posted by blackdawg
What is seafoam,can i get this at a canadian tire

I found Seafoam at my local Napa store.

[Crazcnuk]

I leave my bikes outside all winter, everywinter. Just take the battery out so it doesn't freeze. In the spring, I put the battery in, fire it up and go.

Only 'winterize' things I do are, as above, remove the battery, and fill the tank up, so water doesn't condense in it.

I've never had a problem with the carbs on any of my bikes.

My Monte Carlo sits all winter as well. I just unhook the battery as the security system will kill the battery causing it to freeze.

[fredintoon]

Hi Crazcnuk,
I gotta neighbor like that. I drained all fuel from my XS11 and kept it in my heated garage all winter. Did a full carb clean before I started it last month. My cross-street neighbor kept his CX500 Honda uncovered at the back of his driveway all winter. When the snow melted off it he put the key in, pushed the button and it started right up.
I hate him too.
Fred Hill, S'toon.

[Crazcnuk]

I find people imagine far more than actually happens to thier vehicles when they sit.

I've started vehicles that have sat for years, sometimes with the fuel in them. It just depends. If all the filters are in place and what not, there really isn't a lot that happens when they sit for a few months

[EZMoney]

I'm with you on that one Crazcnuk.

I never put in stabilizer or put oil into the cylinders when I store for six months or less.
Maybe it's the cold winters that keeps the gas from going off but I have had gas in the shed for over a year sometimes and it is just fine when I use it in the snow blower or the lawn mower.
I do however turn the engine over a half rev every month or so to change the position of the valves and make sure that the same cylinder is not always open to the air.
Haven't had any fuel related problems so far.

[Crazcnuk]

A coworker bought an acreage back in the early 90's. He came over one day and said that he had found a motorcycle when he moved a woodpile that had fallen over. He didn't know what the bike was, but said if I wanted it I could have it.


The bike was a 1982 GSX250 Suzuki. The key was in the sidecover. We brought it home and put it in the garage. The next spring, when everyone was over doing the spring bike tune & clean, we ricers were finished before the Harley guys, so I pulled out the Suzi.

I checked if it turned over, by hand, then pulled the plugs and put a tsp or of oil in each of the cylinders. Hooked up a battery booster, turned on the key and all the lights worked.

We put some gas in the tank, it was dry, and hit the starter, It spun for about 2secs and fired right up. After blowing a bunch of rust out of the pipe that was against the ground, it ran fine.

We went down, bought a battery for it, and one of my friends rode that bike for the next few years. I don't think he even changed the tires.

It was discolered, on the rims, and aluminum parts, on one side, but the other side looked great.

[madmax-im]

Oh man Great story! Unbelievable!

[jetmechmarty]

I don't know if I posted this here, but my lawnmower will run on a 50-50 gasoline-Seafoam mix. It magically fixed the carb on the mower. I'm a guy that doesn't ordinarily believe in additives or magic potions. I use Seafoam instead of Sta-Bil.