Steps for Restoring a bike that was drained and garaged...

Hey there...

I have a bike that was garaged and drained 3 years ago. It'd a 1982 XJ650 Maxim. I was wondering if anyone could shoot me a quick list, like a check list, for how I should go about getting this puppy running again. I already removed the gas tank and cleaned it out thoroughly... I am aware I need to remove the carbs, but what else should I check...? Sorry I am a noob.

 

Rear brake for delamination
Change shaft oil if it was not drained.
Check the air filter.
New battery of course.

Put in new oil and filter. Open left side cover, remove the plugs and put a small amount of oil in the plug holes (teaspoon). Gently turn the engine over by hand using socket on the shaft end you will see to make sure the cylinders are not stuck and get some oil on them.

After you clean the carbs and get it back together you can try and run it.

 

For starters order a set of new brake shoes. Conventional wisdom here seems to be that regardless of wear level the shoes de-laminate with time and having one come apart is a bad deal.
Get new spark plugs.
Get 2 filters and plenty of oil. Change oil, drive 100 miles or so, change again. Cheapest engine insurance you can get.
Take a good look at the tires. Again, wear may not be an issue but if there is any sign of weather checking I'd get rid of them.
If it doesn't already have a fuel filter I'd put one on. Those little clear ones do the job and don't take up much space.
Replace the fuel and vacuum lines.
Lube the speedometer and tach cables.
Check all the wiring/connections particularly the grounds. If they look rusty take them apart and clean them up.
Keep watching, this forum has what they call "Wizards", apparently related to Harry Potter. They'll be along with a whole bunch more stuff that I could never think of.
Good luck & happy riding.

 

See, one of them snuck in while I was typing!

 

All good advice; especially checking the rear brake shoes for delamination.

Tires can't be visually inspected; they have a DATE CODE stamped into the sidewall. A tire that's more than at the very most 5 years old needs to be replaced regardless of the amount of tread or absence of "weather checking." These are TUBELESS TIRES taking chances isn't worth it.

+1 on immediately install inline fuel filter.

COMPLTELY FLUSH AND REPLACE THE BRAKE FLUID. Hoses more than 5 years old should be replaced too, but nobody ever does until one fails. The brake fluid, on the other hand, is useless right now. REPLACE IT don't screw around with your safety. Check the brake pads for signs of crumbling or moisture-related deterioration.

If it hasn't been replaced yet, at some point you're going to want to rebuild or replace the stock fuse box. The stock fuse holder clips simply break all by themselves for no apparent reason. You can replace them with new clips from Radio Shack (the economy fix) or replace the whole fuse box (doing it right the first time.)

 

Oh man, I love this site! Haha... I appreciate all the information. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks!

 

That will keep you busy for a while - once you get all that done there are plenty more things to do to clean and tune

 

I didn't see anyone recommend checking the alternator brushes, so I will put my two cents in at this point and suggest that.
NTGirl