20 years ago (in 1985) I set fire to my Bike (a 1980 GS850L) due to a leaking gas tank valve. I bought all the parts to rebuild it right after the fire and got it started in 1990. Rode it around the block and it has sat in my shop since. I want to get it running again to ride during this gas crunch (use to get 48 MPG). Anyone out there have any suggestions on what I should do to it prior to start up? I DIDNOT set it up for long term storage - just pushed it into the shop, set it up on the center stand and left it all these years. Anyone with experience lighting up one this old and under these conditions please make some suggestions..................Thanks.........Eddiel ee

 

Wow, talk about a long rehab (fire in '85, get the parts and get it started in '90)! Do what you did then, only difference now is another fifteen years vs five.
Hints: get a brand new battery fully charged. Drain all oil and replace with fresh and new filter. Pull plugs and spray antiseize or other (I prefer fog out) into cylinder heads & with plug out, crank just a few times to lube pistons. Pull carb, thoroughly wash with fresh gas or lacquer thinner. Replace carb. Drain whatever gas you had in tank, rinse with fresh gas (or lacquer thinner) drain that. Then add fresh gas and give her a start!
Hope this helps!
Mick

 

mcholehog: I didn't do anything special in 1990, just poured in fresh gas, new battery and she fired right up (the oil was replaced when I fixed the fire damage). I figured that I might need something a bit different since it was stored improperly for the last 15 years. Thanks for the suggestion. I will do just as you suggest, except I really don't want to pull the 4 carbs off the machine. Can I just run some SeaFoam or "fogOut" through them via the gas feed line? Or use a gasoline additive in the fresh gas after I clean out the tank? Will the engine run on just FogOut if that's all there is in the carbs and coating the cylinder walls on startup?

 

You might get lucky getting by without pulling carbs. If there is a float chamber, at least try to drain that and rinse with fresh gas. Problems being small rust particles from tank, carb. Thick gummy deposits as well.
Won't run on fog out; that is just to really lube cylinders prior to storage, but would be useful when restarting to lube cylinder walls again.
Good luck, be interested in how it restarts.
Mick

 

Found this little tip in one of the other threads, may help as well:

 

you can also get sea foam,empty the bowls and use a syringe/funnel/etc and fill the carbs float bowl through the lines. yamaha carb cleaner works too. unhook the coils and spin the engine over a few times to pull the cleaner int the carbs. let it sit over night. if its got really nasty stuff in it it may not work.

read my post on the no idle, I found hardened crud that soaking and 175psi air couldn't dislodge in my idle jets, cleared em carefully with a small wire, and have been running perfectly since. it was frustrating after a comprehensive overhaul of the bike to not be able to get it running well. the carbs looked spotless inside. I was convinced they were "perfect" until an old time suzuki mechanic looked at the pilots. I didnt know they were supposed to be that open.