[MrMeatball]

My brother has let nature take it's course with his current bike, and it saddens me deeply. After seeing me put my bike together, he recently asked if I'd help him get up and back on the road. It's been sitting for about 3 years......uncovered... (I know!!!) in the MD area. I'm confident in my mechanical knowledge, and managed to get my hands on a service manual, but I'm not sure exactly what to concentrate on first. My immediate thought was fresh fluids all the way around, new battery and drain/replace the fuel. I know the injectors (and I'd assume the fuel pump too?) are probably good and gummed up so I'd like to get something going through them too.

Do I just get fresh gas in the tank with some PEA/Seafoam and try to start it? Do I need to worry about rebuilding the forks if it hasn't been getting ridden? I know the brake fluid needs to be done. Do I need to worry about the integrity of the lines since it's been so long since they've been worked?
TIA. Sorry for the long post.

 

[johnnyvee]

When I see an inquiry go totally unanswered for a few days, I feel compelled to respond, even if I don't have much insight.

Personally, I'd start with a fuel drain, and some fresh gas, with perhaps a little extra solvent, like a few ounces of Xylene mixed in. I've read that Toluene is what gasoline companies mix into premium gasoline to raise the octane. But Xylene is basically just as good. I understand that these can be mixed in at up to 10% to boost octane, and in this case, to clear out gunk. I'd make sure that there was enough fuel in the tank to immerse the fuel pump so it didn't overheat, but not much more, on the premise that I might find myself draining it all out again.

I'd verify that the engine had oil in it, and that the oil looked reasonably decent, not diluted with gas, or polluted with water.

I'd pull the plugs and give the cylinders a nice dose of my favorite penetrating oil, (Kroil) and make sure the engine turns over, if possible by driving it through the output shaft or chain in high gear, if not by whatever means available. I'd clean the plugs, replace them if they were awful. If the engine showed any signs of problems, I'd run a compression test at this point.

Then, I would try to get the engine running without doing anything much more than that, on the premise that if any more serious problems exist, there's no point in throwing much money into it until I know exactly what my brother was getting into. I would jury rig a car battery, sufficient to get the engine to run. If it ran, I'd run it for a short period, and verify that the radiator was circulating fluid and the cooling fan came on appropriately.

If all this was successful, and there was no sign of serious problems, I'd drain and change the oil, and the radiator fluid and replace the brake fluid, bleed the brakes, and go for a test ride in widening concentric circles around my garage. The results of this ride would tell me whether my forks or shocks were in need of attention.

I wouldn't expect an 8 year Honda to need much of anything beyond fresh gas. I think they are very tough durable machines.

 

[Critter]

Before you get too carried away, make sure the engine will turn over, and then all of the above.

 

[Zach]

When I got my CT70 it had been sitting for years in a buddy’s barn. First thing I did was verify the engine turned over then I changed the fluids, verified the spark plug was ok, and put a little marvel mystery oil into the cylinder through the hole. Then I sort of addressed the reason it sat in the first place. Someone had cut the plug wire and my buddy had never found a replacement. I grabbed my pocket knife and stripped back some of the coating on what was left of the wire and took a copper coat hanger and cut it down to a length I could use. Took vice grips to either end and it fired right up with some fresh gas. Probably rode it around like that for two weeks before I bought a new coil and put a new chain and sprockets on it. That was two years ago and to this day I haven’t checked fork oil though it wouldn’t be a bad idea I just don’t worry about it because I just ride it around in my yard. In your case I’d do as everyone else has suggested though regardless of how good the oil looks I’d change it because oil does go bad over time