want to start it now in 2018; what should i do? i was stupid and tires are now flat, and God knows what else? where should i begin? i want to ride again but my back is f_cked so need to sell; good bike, used syn oil and maintained throughout; only 11K miles. looking to sell but want one last ride or two hundred. afraid to try to start it now; what do i need to do to safely crank it?

 

Check your:

• Tires and wheels to make sure they are not dry rotted or rusted through.
• Controls, levers and pedals should be undamaged, properly adjusted, and work freely. Cables should move smoothly, with no visible signs of fraying. Hydraulic hoses should be free of scratches, bulges, leaks, or signs of deterioration. Check the throttle to make sure it, too, works freely, and snaps back when closed.
• Lights and Electrical.Check to make sure your headlight functions on both low and high beams, your tail and brake lights work, as well as your turn signals. At a glance, check for any frayed wiring. As well, your battery levels should be up to snuff (if your bike has a conventional wet-cell), and fully charged.
• Oil and Fluids. Hydraulic reservoirs for brake and/or clutch normally have sight glasses, or the reservoirs are translucent plastic, making it simplicity itself to check for the proper level. But also look and see if the fluid is light-colored and clear. Dark, muddy-colored fluid will need replacing as soon as possible. Add oil if necessary. No leaks of any fluids should be evident.
• Chassis. Rotate the handlebar(s) through their movement fully. They should move freely, with no sticking, and no feel of flat spots in the steering head bearings. With the bike on its centerstand or work stand, grasp the fork legs near the axle and try to move them front-to back. Any play indicates a problem. At the rear, grab the wheel and try to move it side-to-side. Again, any movement indicates a problem, in this case with the swingarm bearings. Check chain tension, lubrication, and alignment, then inspect the rear sprocket teeth for unusual wear. Take the bike off its stand, sit in the saddle and make sure both front and rear suspensions move freely and smoothly.
• Sidestand should be free of cracks or bends, should have the spring in place, and be able to securely support the motorcycle as intended.
  

On top of all that, check your fuel to ensure it has not gone bad.

 

Thanks for the detailed response. The bike has been stored in my garage on a tender, but not off the slab. I have no centerstand. Is it safe to just try to crank it over to see if it starts to get it serviced by professional or must I drain the fuel and oil first? I think it had been serviced shortly before I had my surgery, but suspect the fuel is probably bad and unclear about the synthetic oil I had in (whether it too needs to be drained/replaced before I attempt it). Five years of improper storage seems like it could be problematic, but I'm ignorant about these things. My plan was to inflate the tires, run through you checklist and try cranking it. How do I ascertain whether fuel has not gone bad? I did add fuel system cleaner to fuel periodically, but assume it is bad by now. If so what are the risks to starting/riding it to get it serviced? I'm not sure it will even crank, but don't want to risk creating more problems by doing so if I clearly should not. I'm not mechanically inclined.

Thanks for any insight or assistance you can provide!

 

If it was my bike, I would definitely drain the fuel and change the oil. I would also remove the plugs and squirt a little oil into the cylinders. Then "bump" the starter a few times while the plugs are out to make sure the motor is free.

 

Thank you. Fuel smells bad, think I should drain it from tank and carb before cranking. Not seeing how to do that in either the service manual or owners manual. This bike was well maintained and only has 11,024 miles. I'm going to draft a word document with highlights for selling with photos, but despite having invested > $15K in total, retail value seems to be between $3-4K per NADA / KBB guides. Lots of extras should command more money, but might be screwed.

Does anyone here have any other suggestions on how to proceed? Don't want to crank it over until I get bad gas out of it. Saw a bunch of utube videos, but doesn't look like anything specific to my 04 XL 1200R (no fuel crossover line and have internal vacuum valve). I'm leaning towards simply siphoning as much from the tank as possible, putting gas treatment and new fuel into tank--and then cranking it up. I will then pray I can get that mixture safely through the carbs until I get take it for more professional service. Any thoughts, suggestions or recommendations are greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance to all!

 

do you have an independent mechanic you trust (trust is the key word)? if so bring it there and let him take care of it
then get your ride or two hundred in ...

 

Thanks, regrettably not. Will plan to siphon gas from tank, use some carb cleaner, fresh gas and pray. Open to other suggestions, thanks all.

 

Make sure your back is up to the task of getting out and riding. I broke my spine when i was 18 and it took 10 years to find a motorcycle that didnt cause pain when i rode more than an hour. Keep us posted on how you and the bike work out and please ride safe.

 

Thanks, I hope you fully recovered. I haven't. I will need to be careful; really looking to sell but miss it a lot. Attached is my bike information; I kept it clean and well maintained, however, got injured weeks after that last ride so haven't washed/waxed it since, though its been in the garage. My plan is to siphon gas out, dump B12 fuel treatment into it, put new gas in it and pray it works. Alternative is to sell as is or tow to dealership for fuel system rework. I put some additive into it that last fill up I think, but it definitely smells bad so hoping it will crank over and I can safely burn it all off enroute to dealership for maintenance. Welcome thoughts, comments, criticisms, suggestions from the forum.

Not seeing attachment but perhaps it is there 2x; if so, apologies.

 

Here is my bike; pls ignore the water spots on the sideplates. New to this stuff so tried attaching via quick reply w/o success.