Bike not started for 17 years!

Bmacleod said:
so if you dont inspect the lower tank and if there is a tank full of crap/corrosion, there is a good chance you will send that in to the injectors, making them useless.
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Esti1300 said:
Exactly!!
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That is what the fuel filter is there for. If contaminants the size of rust particles can get to the injectors Honda has a serious design flaw with their fuel filter, which I highly doubt. Fuel filters in electrically controlled fuel injected engines are designed to prevent impurities that are large enough to cause any threat to the fuel system from getting to it, including the injectors. The filter is designed to remove small impurities from what is already considered to be clean fuel. These particles are much smaller than any rust particles that may be in the tank. If there is rust and if the pump runs the filter may become clogged to some degree but so what, if he intends to keep this motorcycle he is well advised to replace the filter and the fuel pump anyway, I know that I would. If any, the most likely mechanical problem with the injectors will be due to varnish build-up because of how long it has sat with very old fuel sitting in them, not from rust in the tank.
 
For a list of what could happen it's hard to know where to begin. But it's very interesting and begs the question, could it run again?
Just what I might do, I'm no mechanic, my experience with these bikes wouldn't slosh out of a teaspoon if I was running down a hill, better advice hopefully chimes in.
Even if the fuel doesn't look bad or stink it's still really not gas anymore and I wouldn't move any of it through the system.
All or some of the clutch surfaces might be stuck together. If you work them free, I'm not sure you can know if you've worked them all free or as few as just one, but maybe after a couple oil changes and some light operating time [way way down the line of proceedures] they all free up.
I would remove the plugs and look inside with a camera.
If it didn't look bad, I might try spraying [so that everything is coated] some kind of oil into the cylinders and try to manually rotate the crank [push the bike in first? I dunno...] see what else comes out the hole. Maybe just the oil you put in, wouldn't that be great.
If it's locked, at least you didn't brown out the electrical system by trying to crank it.
Brakes and Clutch not moving and sitting with the same fluid are going to be challenging but you have the expertise of this site.
The only thing I have to say on that is I think there may be a snowball's chance of two things; the brakes didn't run hot and damage the fluid before lay up and the clutch slave didn't run hot and damage the fluid. I think it's possible that if the fluid was in good condition, it may have at least remained sealed below their respective reservoir diaphrams for seventeen years with minimal exposure to air, like sitting in a bottle on the shelf. Wouldn't that be good.
I'd be very interested to see how much of everything can be brought back to life and what you find after all these years.
 
Don’t try to start it until you have fresh oil and fuel in it. Take out the plugs and squirt a little oil into each cylinder and turn it over a few times manually. You can access the crankshaft bolt via the front cover. Alternatively, with the plugs still removed, you may be able to rotate the engine turning the rear wheel with the transmission in gear.
If it starts after this there will probably be some smoke for a minute or two.
 
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That’s a great find, it’s going to take some time and luck. I would not be surprised if the motor runs fine, it’s a Honda.

There’s a lot of really smart riders that already posted, I would definitely read the thread and links a few times, then I would pull the seat, upper and lower cowls and inspect for the rodents tell tale chewed wires. She won’t run if it was a banquet hall.

Pull the plugs, add some sea foam, let it sit a bit. Drain the oil, pull the filter, replace both. Definitely drain that old fuel and add a 1/2 gallon of new. If all looks good so far, grab a battery and crank it over, plugs still out. The Seafoam will blow out of the spark plug holes. Couple of cranks and I would put the plugs in and fire it up. Then the work begins. This is of course after you have confirmed all was good up to this point( good wires, no sludge in the fuel tank etc.).

This is just one guys opinion and what he would do, there is a lot you can do before this. It comes down to your skills, patience, and desire. Oh, and money, yea, there will be a hole in your pocket.

You found the best place in the universe to take this project on.

As previously mentioned, no need to worry about anything unless the engine runs. Best of luck and it is the nicest color!
Pictures are always appreciated here.
 
Chris09 said:
For a list of what could happen it's hard to know where to begin. But it's very interesting and begs the question, could it run again?
Just what I might do, I'm no mechanic, my experience with these bikes wouldn't slosh out of a teaspoon if I was running down a hill, better advice hopefully chimes in.
Even if the fuel doesn't look bad or stink it's still really not gas anymore and I wouldn't move any of it through the system.
All or some of the clutch surfaces might be stuck together. If you work them free, I'm not sure you can know if you've worked them all free or as few as just one, but maybe after a couple oil changes and some light operating time [way way down the line of proceedures] they all free up.
I would remove the plugs and look inside with a camera.
If it didn't look bad, I might try spraying [so that everything is coated] some kind of oil into the cylinders and try to manually rotate the crank [push the bike in first? I dunno...] see what else comes out the hole. Maybe just the oil you put in, wouldn't that be great.
If it's locked, at least you didn't brown out the electrical system by trying to crank it.
Brakes and Clutch not moving and sitting with the same fluid are going to be challenging but you have the expertise of this site.
The only thing I have to say on that is I think there may be a snowball's chance of two things; the brakes didn't run hot and damage the fluid before lay up and the clutch slave didn't run hot and damage the fluid. I think it's possible that if the fluid was in good condition, it may have at least remained sealed below their respective reservoir diaphrams for seventeen years with minimal exposure to air, like sitting in a bottle on the shelf. Wouldn't that be good.
I'd be very interested to see how much of everything can be brought back to life and what you find after all these years.
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Your thoughts on “minimal exposure to air”, like “sitting in a bottle on the shelf” are Incorrect.
Brake fluid has a shelf life of two years (unopened) and approximately two weeks once opened.
So even if the system were never opened, which is likely the case, I’m betting he’s going to find pond scum and mud in both hydraulic systems after 17 years.
 
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No matter what you do - do not start riding without replacing the brake fluid (and probably pads too) :)
 
I might have to challenge you a bit there on your assertion that a closed container of brake fluid is contaminated. My '65 Catalina gets a fluid change every ten years, whether it needs it or not. Still the great running [edit] 11.0 drums with the suicide master.
 

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Shelf Life of Brake Fluid​

The shelf life of brake fluid varies depending on its type and storage conditions. Generally, unopened brake fluid has a shelf life of:

  • DOT 3 and DOT 4 fluids: 2 years
  • DOT 5 and DOT 5.1 fluids: 5 years
Once opened, brake fluid should be used within 1 year.
 
I took my "new to me" 2007 ST-1300 to fellow member here ANIWACK, who is a mechanic, and he reported that my brake system had a mass of something like a blood clot in it. I'd been riding the bike for a few weeks since I got it before this, and while I know I had "some" braking power on both the front and rear (I tested each separately out on the road), it feels much better after the service and fluid change. My bike was 17 years old... the fluid "could have" been original, although obviously some service items had been completed before by a prior owner.
 
That two year limit is a recommendation from a vendor and is not a specification. There is no fixed shelf-life for brake fluid listed in the regulations that I have ever come across. For brake fluid stored properly in an unopened and factory sealed container some manufacturers state two years, some state five years, and some state indefinite. To further complicate matters it also varies based on the type of brake fluid in question. So it seems that there is a lack consensus.

In my opinion the best course of action is to purchase only the quantity of brake fluid that is needed to accomplish the job at hand. This means buying new brake fluid every time that brake fluid is needed, which is the best course of action as it eliminates the concern about shelf life all together.
 
gunsmoker said:
... ANIWACK, who is a mechanic, and he reported that my brake system had a mass of something like a blood clot in it...
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Same on my GF's '07 NT700VA purchased in 2019 and immediately receiving a full checkup by yours truly...
Not knowing the conditions I purposely dragged a LOT of brake fluid through the linked brakes plumbing, and the flaky, wax like 'banana paste' appearing after some time (obviously diluted/drawn out that ABS modulator) proofed me right... :oops:
It seems to have grown a bad habit at some shops to only replace the fluid in the M/C reservoir, just to pass the annual tech inspection, but leave the old goo in the rest of the lines... :cautious:
To me insufficient/infrequent flushing seems to be a main contributor/factor for failing ABS/CBS modulator pumps, they all seize due (water caused) corrosion...

Those things are not only safety relevant, they're expensive... brake fluid is not...
 
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