FJR sat for year and a half

[Apostate]

Heya Gents,

The last time I had my FJR out was in 2013 (it's a 2012, ~7k mi). I put it up for the winter with stabilizer, a battery tender and a cover. The oil wasn't brand new, but I had changed it a month or so before. I changed the final gear oil (and greased the driveshaft) at that time too. My garage is enclosed but unheated (I know...it's a risk).

Then in 2014 some unexpected travel and injury sidelined me from riding and I never even uncovered the bike before it went through another winter (this one was very harsh as you all know, and I'm in Ohio).

I haven't taken it out yet in 2015. I dug it out of storage and moved it to the launch pad and fired it up. It started immediately and there were no leaks or engine alerts, so on the surface everything seems copacetic. Apart from a little air loss in the front tire, it seems perfect.

But there could be an ocean of difference between what seems and what actually is. So I'm coming to you guys. Any advice on how to proceed? Anything specific I should check that might be affected by so much downtime? I have next week off and I'm toying with the idea of heading to Florida to maybe find some sun, but I worry about a long distance ride after sitting this bike so long.

 

[SLK50]

Any advice I may have had would have been "prior to starting.....".

Enjoy Florida.

 

[majicmaker]

I'm pretty Sure you don't have anything to worry about

 

[odot]

I'm pretty Sure you don't have anything to worry about

.....other then the baby squirrels living in your air filter cage.

 

[El Toro Joe]

I think you should just sell it, and get a 2015...I'd be willing to take it off your hands cheap.

 

[bergmen]

I would run out the gas with the stabilizer in it (or drain and refill with fresh gas) then change the oil and filter. I would also change the rear drive oil just for kicks.

Don't forget to change the brake and clutch fluids since they should be changed every two years. Look for evidence of critters making a home in various places (mice, etc.).

Should be good to go...

Dan

 

[exskibum]

I had a problem with mine discharging and intermittently failing to start in Sept. 2012. I got the plastic off and started going through things, thinking it had been a couple years since I'd attended to cleaning electrical connectors, wondering if it was the battery or the R/R, etc. I had a couple rounded out hex fasteners slow me, so I used an easy out on one and ordered some more. While waiting to get those, I got consumed with other tasks and just let the bike sit on the battery charger until April 2014, plastic off, nothing done, no riding, no starting. Stupid, I knew.

With a nine day tour of Utah looming in May 2014, I got back to work on it in April - cleaned all the electrical connectors, prepped the other systems and finally (I say this sheepishly) discovered that my positive battery terminal was loose. A HA! So it's not the battery, R/R or connectors!!! With all the maintenance done, new tires spooned on, all but ready to go (except for some fairing plastic still off), I held my breath and thumbed the starter, praying it might come to life before long, even if it was sputtering reluctant life.

Took maybe three seconds before it started as if I'd last ridden it the day before.

I say you're probably good if your battery has life.

 

[redjay]

Change the oil and filter and ride !

 

[bluesdog]

Hydraulics flush and fill, and some ring-free in your next full tank of gas

 

[HotRodZilla]

I wouldn't even change the oil. It's not like it went bad. Ride the dammed thing and have fun doing it. I would probably run the first tank as low as I could and then run a half can of Seafoam through the next one, but even that may not be necessary. Beginning to think all the Seafoam and special cleaners are snake oil crap anyway.

 

[Warpdrv]

BAaaaaahhhh these guys.....

Get your ass on it and ride it.... empty that tank and get some fresh go go juice in there.....

 

[BigOgre]

Second the hydraulics change. Then give it - and yourself - a couple-hour local shake down to dust off the cobwebs before taking off for Fla.

 

[graler]

Calculate the number of miles you should have ridden last year. Ride half of them this year and add the remaining to next year. Now hurry up and get caught up.

Glad to hear you are getting back out there.

I would head to a parking lot and spend sometime doing some slow speed maneuvers to get your groove back.

 

[ionbeam]

The Eskimo does bring up a good point, when you get a chance you should take a look in your air filter for critter nests. For some reason the air intake is an irresistible draw, and with the bike sitting still for that long in a garage the odds are good that something has made it home.

 

[NMRoadRunner]

I would have said to drain fuel and replace with new fuel and maybe pull the plugs and lube the cylinders before starting it up, but... too late. Have fun riding again. I've never been off a motorcycle for an extended length of time like that. Not even when I tore my shoulder up. I rode about 2 weeks later. It hurt like hell to lift my arm to the throttle, but once there I could put a little pressure on it and did OK. My wife was pissed at me, but what was I supposed to do while I was out of work?

 

[Apostate]

I knew you guys would be on it. Thanks for all the great replies. Nothing in the intakes (maybe the cover discouraged them) so I'm good there. I didn't think about lubing the cylinders before turning over the engine. This advice I'm taking for sure:

I would head to a parking lot and spend sometime doing some slow speed maneuvers to get your groove back.

I've been off way too long, and what you don't practice you lose. Excellent advice.

Thanks all.

 

[escapefjrtist]

If it were me...I'd remove as much of the old fuel as possible, refill with fresh and a single shot of Seafoam or Ring Free. Last thing you want to do is grunge up the injectors. After that, change clutch and brake fluid and ride it.

Good luck!

--G

 

[fjrob1300]

Ok then..185000 kms on my bike. I store it in the shop. Unheated . I change the oil around the 5000km mark. When taking it out of storage I check the airbox for mice. Check the tire pressure. Vvvvrrrroooom out I go. Preventative maintenance is performed as needed. I do my own forks and rear dif every other year.. Brake and clutch fluids around the 50000km mark. Valve check around 60000km. My balls haven't fallen off yet. Relax... it's a Yamaha.

 

[odot]

In the end....don't spend money that you don't have to spend. If it runs....run it....iffn it don't.....spend money.