I Didn't Want To Say Anything Until I Was Sure. . .

Big_Jim59

Big_Jim59

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Joined
Jul 20, 2024
Messages
210
Age
64
Location
Sherman, Texas
Bike
2006 ST-1300
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I went to get it today. It is a 2006 w ABS, has 36,513 miles and was started and ridden briefly a year an a half ago. The seller is an older gentlemen who has been having progressive knee deterioration and the bike is just too much for him anymore. I was a Guzzi Mechanic back in the 80s and this bike reminds me of an old Moto Guzzi touring bike. It has rust on the fasteners, little lights, running lights and big lights all over it. In all fairness the ad on lights were probably the way to go 20 years ago but there are better LEDs on the market now and the quantity of lights is just too much for me..

She is a big girl! We had a hell of a time getting her into the truck but she rode great all the way home. The bike needs a lot of attention but the first order of business is a new battery, then an electrical de-clutter, then make it run and do an oil change.

Oh. . . I gotta pull the air filter and see if there are any critters in it. I gave $1800 for it. There are hours and hours of cleanup fun in this old girl. this will be my first ST1300 to own but I have lots of seat time on them from when I used to work at a Honda dealer. By the way, the cheap off-brand top box and the homemade back pad are already off and binned.
 
Sadlsor said:
Project!
Take your time, it will be fun.
(They said.)
Nice find!
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That's what i figure. I am happy as a clam pulling little light ropes and working on sticker goo and it's still in the truck! I just do not have the strength or the help to get it on the ground tonight. I do see lots of miss matched fasteners. Oh boy!
 
Erdoc48 said:
Very nice- always better to hand it off to a new owner who will ride it vs letting it deteriorate sitting in a garage or barn somewhere.
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It has been deteriorating but I hope I have caught it in time. It has been out in the weather, I think it has been under a cover but there is some surface rust on things like the rear brake pedal and there are leaves and dirt collected in creases. A good clean is the order of the day, fluid replacement and de-farkling are on the table as well. The seat has seen better days as it look like it was poked a few times with a flat blade screw driver. Fixable.
 
Big_Jim59 said:
It has been deteriorating but I hope I have caught it in time. It has been out in the weather, I think it has been under a cover but there is some surface rust on things like the rear brake pedal and there are leaves and dirt collected in creases. A good clean is the order of the day, fluid replacement and de-farkling are on the table as well. The seat has seen better days as it look like it was poked a few times with a flat blade screw driver. Fixable.
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Good buy.....Hours of fun to be had ....Enjoy :ukflag1:
 
I had to call a family member to help me get it off the truck. She is a big girl sitting there beside my Norton but she is now in the garage. I got the battery out (dead of course.) The extra wiring was all done with the cursed wire quick connectors so before I install a new hot battery I want to run those down and get them gone and the wires at least wrapped. Been cleaning and de-stickering. I even managed to pull the industrial strength 3M reflective tape. The bags may be dirty and scratched but they look a sight better now that that's off. The dude drilled little holes everywhere to run wires. All the adhesives used to mount the light strips as turned brittle and yellow. It looks like it was laid on with a trowel. Grrrrrr.

The tank is empty but it smells of old gas and here is my first quandary. Do I:

1) siphon the lower tank via the fuel injection return line.
2) Just add fresh and hope for the best or
3) wait until I am sure that the pump runs before draining anything? Also, in version 3 will pumping that bad gas around hurt the system?
 
Thanks Larry, yep that's the plan. Leave no stone unturned. Going to check the air filter next. Who knows what lurks in there.
 
Big_Jim59 said:
I had to call a family member to help me get it off the truck. She is a big girl sitting there beside my Norton but she is now in the garage. I got the battery out (dead of course.) The extra wiring was all done with the cursed wire quick connectors so before I install a new hot battery I want to run those down and get them gone and the wires at least wrapped. Been cleaning and de-stickering. I even managed to pull the industrial strength 3M reflective tape. The bags may be dirty and scratched but they look a sight better now that that's off. The dude drilled little holes everywhere to run wires. All the adhesives used to mount the light strips as turned brittle and yellow. It looks like it was laid on with a trowel. Grrrrrr.

The tank is empty but it smells of old gas and here is my first quandary. Do I:

1) siphon the lower tank via the fuel injection return line.
2) Just add fresh and hope for the best or
3) wait until I am sure that the pump runs before draining anything? Also, in version 3 will pumping that bad gas around hurt the system?
Click to expand...
I'd use the fuel inspection bolt or just remove the fuel pump assembly and take a look at what's down there. Change the fuel pump while you are at it.
 
Looks like a fun project; I have been doing the same over the past fortnight with a 2009 VFR800 that had been parked up for a couple of years. The cleanup has been very rewarding, but my "project" became a full-time obsession and now it is nearly all done! So take your time!
 
TerryS said:
Looks like a fun project; I have been doing the same over the past fortnight with a 2009 VFR800 that had been parked up for a couple of years. The cleanup has been very rewarding, but my "project" became a full-time obsession and now it is nearly all done! So take your time!
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I did many a mile on a yellow 2000 (5th Gen) VFR800. It was one of the best bikes I ever owned. I also had an '06 VFR but I just didn't like it as much as my 5th Gen. I had nothing against it but I had my older Honda set up for me and I would have had to start over with the 6th Gen. I got that bike pretty cheap. It had been sitting and made a bit of smoke on start up. The owner panicked and sold it to me. I just rode the heck out of it and the smoking stopped.

I caught myself, tonight not wanting to quit (having so much fun) but I realized that fatigue was not my friend. It has been pretty hot today and I am afraid that I might have over done it.
 
Big_Jim59 said:
I did many a mile on a yellow 2000 (5th Gen) VFR800. It was one of the best bikes I ever owned. I also had an '06 VFR but I just didn't like it as much as my 5th Gen. I had nothing against it but I had my older Honda set up for me and I would have had to start over with the 6th Gen. I got that bike pretty cheap. It had been sitting and made a bit of smoke on start up. The owner panicked and sold it to me. I just rode the heck out of it and the smoking stopped.

I caught myself, tonight not wanting to quit (having so much fun) but I realized that fatigue was not my friend. It has been pretty hot today and I am afraid that I might have over done it.
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I think we may have communicated on the VFR forum a few times Jim. I am a serial VFR owner...currently have a nice yellow 99 as well.
 
TerryS said:
I think we may have communicated on the VFR forum a few times Jim. I am a serial VFR owner...currently have a nice yellow 99 as well.
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Yep, I am Big_Jim59 over at the VFR forum as well. I had to sell my yellow Viffer because my knees were just not up to the riding position. The VFR was and is one of my all time favorite bikes followed closely by my VTR1000.
 
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