Getting it started-bike standing 1year+

[teriyakimonkey]

Hello. For those that have read my other posts I'll very soon be the proud owner of a poor old TA that's been stood still for a year or a bit more. We tried starting it off my SV650 battery but no joy. It sounded sweet on turnover though so I agreed to buy it (it's been well used daily up until the fella bought a VFR which got nicked-and it has a full dealer service history). What should I do to get it going? It had a major service 2K miles ago. I don't know a huge amount about bikes but am generally mechanically minded (am a fridge engineer). Should I get some nice fresh petrol into the carbs and how? Maybe if I had jump leads from my van and filled the tank with fresh petrol and turned it over and over to get any rubbish or gone off petrol out of the carbs? I'm gonna get me a Haynes manual first off I think. Is that the right thing to do?

Any help appreciated. Thanks.

[piguglyshandydrinker]

If it's been stood for more than a few months, take the tank off, chuck out the old petrol & clean the filter in the fuel tap, drain the carbs and run a bit of clean petrol through to make sure the float valves aren't gummed up.

Hopefully the beast should roar into life.

Change the oil & filter sooner rather than later.

Hope this helps a tad, Phil

[teriyakimonkey]

Say what?! Take the tank off?! Can't I just turn the bike upside down and shake it? Ok, will do. How would one go about draining the carbs and getting some clean petrol through the floats?

Will do the oil and filter asap then. Does oil break down over time then or is it because water would've got into the engine via condensation?

[piguglyshandydrinker]

Say what?! Take the tank off?! Can't I just turn the bike upside down and shake it? Ok, will do. How would one go about draining the carbs and getting some clean petrol through the floats?

Will do the oil and filter asap then. Does oil break down over time then or is it because water would've got into the engine via condensation?

With the oil, it's a bit of both, it's worth giving the bike a gentle run to fully warm through & get rid of any moisture/corrosion that may have built up, then change oil & filter. Cheap insurance.

The carbs have a small slotted (brass) screw on the bottom of each float bowl, slacken these, they may need removing completely if the drain holes are blocked, and poke a bit of fine wire in to let fuel flow.

On the 600's I think the horizontal position of the fuel tap is 'prime', this lets fuel flow with the engine switched off.
The 'on' & 'reserve' positions only flow fuel when the engine creates vacuum - thats the small pipe going to the tap.

Hope this helps, Phil

[YEN_POWELL]

With the oil, it's a bit of both, it's worth giving the bike a gentle run to fully warm through & get rid of any moisture/corrosion that may have built up, then change oil & filter. Cheap insurance.

The carbs have a small slotted (brass) screw on the bottom of each float bowl, slacken these, they may need removing completely if the drain holes are blocked, and poke a bit of fine wire in to let fuel flow.

On the 600's I think the horizontal position of the fuel tap is 'prime', this lets fuel flow with the engine switched off.
The 'on' & 'reserve' positions only flow fuel when the engine creates vacuum - thats the small pipe going to the tap.

Hope this helps, Phil

Don't undo the pilot screws by mistake!!!!!

[phil2alp]

As it has been standing for 12 months see how it goes but it may be a good idea to invest in a new battery. I know you said it turned over sweetly but if you use the bike regularly the battery may deteriorate quickly leading to starting and running problems.

Be careful about jump starting it off your van as I think although they are both 12v systems too much charge from a larger battery may blow fuses on the Transalp. I'm no mechanical expert but i'm sure I have read on other bike forums that this can happen.

[Slimjim]

I'd second the battery replacement but alternativeley one of those portable jump starters would easily give the bike enough juice to have several good attempts to get it going. Replacing/draining the fuel might be the best solution but to be honest I've never had to do this on any bike just to get it started (I would just top it up with fresh stuff!) Certainly works for my lawnmower every year!

[harrisphil]

I would second what others have said but also
1- change the fuel and drain the carbs
2- check and clean the plugs, make sure there is a spark!
3-change the oil use cheep oil and change it and the filter when the bike is running and you give it a pre MOT service
4- fully charge the battery and also use jump leads/battery booster

If it will still not start and you have a good spark at the plugs
then I would remove and clean the carbs and check the air filter
and try again

[teriyakimonkey]

Is it possible the SV battery just wouldn't have the balls to do it? as the SV only has two plugs and the TA has four doesn't it?

I was gonna join the terminals on the bike to those on the van. I;ve had to jump my SV loads of times without any fuses going. A fuse should only go if there is something on the bike pulling too many amps.

[sproggy]

Is it possible the SV battery just wouldn't have the balls to do it? as the SV only has two plugs and the TA has four doesn't it?

No. It's the starter motor that draws the current - the coils need hardly any regardless of the number of plugs. Since the SV has a higher compression ratio than a TA I'd imagine that if the battery can turn over the SV it'll handle the TA without a problem.

I was gonna join the terminals on the bike to those on the van. I;ve had to jump my SV loads of times without any fuses going. A fuse should only go if there is something on the bike pulling too many amps.

phil2alp, jumping a bike off a car/van battery won't cause any problems - they're all 12v and the bike'll only draw as much current as it needs. Just don't go jumping it off a 24v truck