This is my first bike, so I want it to be special for me.
Thanks all!Safety/Repair questions...
Safety/Repair questions...
So my 1980 Yamaha Maxim 650 was abandon, so I picked it up. Not sure how longs it has been sitting. What are some safety issues that would occur to a bike that has been sitting for a while in the rain/hail/snow/sun and whatnot. I'd prefer to assume the worst since I don't know it's specs. I am making this into my special project, not making it anything super nice, but just so long as it runs and it's safe to get me around town. Any thoughts on this topic would help me out a lot!
This is my first bike, so I want it to be special for me. Thanks all!
This is my first bike, so I want it to be special for me.
Thanks all!-
TechTMW
- Legendary 2000
- Posts: 2045
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 12:43 pm
- Sex: Male
- Years Riding: 10
- My Motorcycle: 2005 BMW R1200GS
- Location: Alexandria VA
First - put the bike on its center stand. Take off the gas tank, and remove the spark plugs. Squirt a tiny bit of penetrating oil into each cylinder. Put the bike in Fifth gear and rotate the rear tire SLOWLY - you are trying to turn the engine over. If the bike has been sitting out, the rings may be stuck in place. The last thing you want to do is try to crank the bike over with stuck rings, so just try and turn over the engine in this fashion. If you can't get the engine to turn, let the penetrating oil sit a while and try again. Just don't force it.
Take the Gas tank off the bike and drain anything that's in there.
Get a flashlight and look at the interior condition. If it's completely rusty, but still watertight, you may consider using a tank tratment such as POR-15 to coat the interior of the tank. If the tank is not watertight, you will need to buy a replacement, either new or used. (Not sure if there are aftermarket or new tanks for maxims any more)
A fuel related problem that I had was with the petcock. Both feed tubes had popped out of their sockets. I was getting alot of large chunks in my fuel filter that should not have made it past the mesh screens on the petcock tubes. i used a small bit of JB weld to 'glue' the tubes in place (Being careful not to block the fuel flow !!)
Your carburettors will probably need a thorough cleaning - buy a manual and go to town.
Drain oil, replace oil and filter, drain and replace rear drive oil.
Put the bike on its centerstand and try to move the tires side to side (Have s friend hold the handlebars for the front) - If you get any play, you need to replace the bearings. Since the tires are probably shot, you will need to replace them - check the DOT code on the tire (It's stamped into an oval shaped space on the tires) If you post the codes here, I can tell you how old they are. If they are older than 5 years you will need new tires, even if they look "ok". Tire rubber breaks down in sunlight, so a bike that was stored outside for a long time will have crap tires.
If you need to replace the tires, take the time to regrease the bearings (if they are still ok... unless they are the sealed type - i forget if they are) and you will also need to apply liberal amount of grease to the rear shaft drive splines.
Make sure there are no strange looking 'bulges' in the mufflers. Old yammie mufflers are notorious for collecting water and rotting from the inside out. Sometimes this blocks airflow and causes the bike to run poorly.
make sure air filter is clean, and no critters like mice have built a nest inside of airbox (I've seen it!!)
Check the ends of the throttle and clutch cables. If there is any fraying of the wire, they will need to be replaced. If there is no fraying, they should at least be lubricated so they move freely.
Check the front fork seals. If you push the front forks up and down, there should be no oil or dirt accumulation at the top of the lower fork's travel. If there is considerable oil, the seals will need replacing
Enough for now?
Take the Gas tank off the bike and drain anything that's in there.
Get a flashlight and look at the interior condition. If it's completely rusty, but still watertight, you may consider using a tank tratment such as POR-15 to coat the interior of the tank. If the tank is not watertight, you will need to buy a replacement, either new or used. (Not sure if there are aftermarket or new tanks for maxims any more)
A fuel related problem that I had was with the petcock. Both feed tubes had popped out of their sockets. I was getting alot of large chunks in my fuel filter that should not have made it past the mesh screens on the petcock tubes. i used a small bit of JB weld to 'glue' the tubes in place (Being careful not to block the fuel flow !!)
Your carburettors will probably need a thorough cleaning - buy a manual and go to town.
Drain oil, replace oil and filter, drain and replace rear drive oil.
Put the bike on its centerstand and try to move the tires side to side (Have s friend hold the handlebars for the front) - If you get any play, you need to replace the bearings. Since the tires are probably shot, you will need to replace them - check the DOT code on the tire (It's stamped into an oval shaped space on the tires) If you post the codes here, I can tell you how old they are. If they are older than 5 years you will need new tires, even if they look "ok". Tire rubber breaks down in sunlight, so a bike that was stored outside for a long time will have crap tires.
If you need to replace the tires, take the time to regrease the bearings (if they are still ok... unless they are the sealed type - i forget if they are) and you will also need to apply liberal amount of grease to the rear shaft drive splines.
Make sure there are no strange looking 'bulges' in the mufflers. Old yammie mufflers are notorious for collecting water and rotting from the inside out. Sometimes this blocks airflow and causes the bike to run poorly.
make sure air filter is clean, and no critters like mice have built a nest inside of airbox (I've seen it!!)
Check the ends of the throttle and clutch cables. If there is any fraying of the wire, they will need to be replaced. If there is no fraying, they should at least be lubricated so they move freely.
Check the front fork seals. If you push the front forks up and down, there should be no oil or dirt accumulation at the top of the lower fork's travel. If there is considerable oil, the seals will need replacing
Enough for now?
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