Clairepocalypse Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 So, I've got this bike which I've left sitting out in the rain for years. It's in a sorry state. I've been out and given it a wash this morning and had a look at what needs doing, and cosmetically I've got the following list of jobs: Replace chain and sprockets - rusted to a lovely autumnal colour - needs binned and replaced Replace exhaust - matches the chain in rustiness. A replacement exhaust which isn't chrome would be perfect. Decide what to do about the wheels - the rims have rusty patches and would need some serious work to restore them, but cost of new wheels?! Would love to get replacement wheels which aren't finished with chrome. Front disc looks a tiny bit rusty but in quite good condition all things considered so need to do a bit of maintenance there Front forks look quite nasty. Not sure how serious but might need replacements Front lamp and the dash are cracked from a fall in the wind, and the clutch and brake levers are not very straight any more, and mirrors could do with replacing for some without rust and without kinks. Spots of rust on the brake pedal, clutch lever, rear grab rail, bars - this is hopefully easily polished away with some vinegar Rear shocks look shocking. I'd like to replace these with something that isn't chrome finished. That's about it so far, but I'm sure there'll be more once I get stuck in. Have I mentioned I've never done any maintenance on a bike before? I thought I'd join the forum and hopefully get some tips and advice while I do it. First off - does anyone have any advice on when to buy genuine Yamaha parts and when to get pattern parts? Second question - my first job is going to be the chain because then I can fire it up and see if it actually moves. So I wondered if anyone has advice on a good value choice of parts - I see that wemoto.com has 3 different sets to choose from but I don't know much about the relative benefits of each kind. I'm tempted to buy the cheapest, in case my project doesn't get much further, so then I won't have spent too much money! Advice and thoughts most welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewElvisFan Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 Hi Claire. Welcome to YOC! Tbh I'm still learning myself - had a SR for just over a year and just about keeping up with day to day maintenance lol. If the rear wheel actually turns I'd be tempted to remove the chain, clean it and soak it in oil and use that to fire it up before spending money! I've found there isn't a lot to go wrong with the SR so new plug, clean carb, fresh petrol and see what happens! Oh and if you say hello in the newbie section I'm sure you'll be inundated with offers of help - just a little about yourself... any other bikes, why has it been sat for years, where are you sort of thing! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackhat250 Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 Hi claire , i would say a good set of tools , and patience is the order, .. and autosoll. What about a piccy ,,, 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmy Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 Welcome to the forum claire, where you at 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neversaydie Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 Dont worry about any of that stuff yet. You need to get the bike firing first Fresh fuel Good, charged up battery new plugs clean air filter check the oil level, if its low, top it up to the reqd level and no more key in fire up, see what happens 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clairepocalypse Posted May 16, 2014 Author Share Posted May 16, 2014 Hi guys! Thanks for your replies! I'll say hello in the newbie forum as well, I was a bit shy this morning, but good shout. Just spraying on some chain cleaner, washing it off, and spraying on some lube made the rear wheel turn a bit better. Taking the chain off and cleaning it up might be an idea in the short term. I haven't worked out how to share pictures here yet, just joined today, so I'll work on that and share the pics I took this morning. I'm in Edinburgh :-) And finally, in terms of getting the bike started, I'm sort of stuck. Last year I bought an new battery but (annoyed and frustrated at this) the damn thing has gone completely flat and I need to get a jump to start it. I haven't got another vehicle, so I need to coordinate with a friend to do it, and it just puts me off! I have no idea if it's going to hold any charge. So, my logic was that if I could get the other bits and pieces done then I could get a new battery and try and keep it charged by riding regularly again. Basically I don't want to spend money and have the same thing happen again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clairepocalypse Posted May 16, 2014 Author Share Posted May 16, 2014 Here's a picture of how my bike looks right now. I took some shots of the bits that need work but haven't loaded them on the computer yet. [sharedmedia=garage:vehicles:1163] 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clairepocalypse Posted August 31, 2014 Author Share Posted August 31, 2014 Well. I basically haven't done anything with my bike since I made this post back in May. Shameful! My tax runs out today, and the bike isn't MOT'd, so I did an online SORN and brought it indoors. Because it's indoors I decided to drain the petrol out. What a laugh. I've seen babies and dogs drool more than came out of the bike. Nevertheless, I've stored what little petrol came out safely in a petrol can outside. On the plus side, I'm much more likely to do the jobs that need doing now that I can work indoors where it's warmish and dry. In theory! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wild foamy Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 Welcome to the club! I had a similar bike last year, iirc I dragged it out of somebody's hedge row, got a key cut for it, drained the fuel, took the carb off and cleaned it out, put some fresh fuel in and away it went. Most of the parts will be one-for-one swaps, the chain and sprockets kits are probably different ratios (I.e. Different sized sprockets) or pattern/named brands 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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