Daunting repairs...

TaDa

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Hi!

I left my bike out in the garden for a year and now have a non running bike :eek:

I know the throttle cable is broken and everytime I try to recharge it the alarm goes off.

I've had it in the garage for a year now but I've still not gotten around to fixing it!

I'm ok with spanners and the like but this has become a real block for me.

Firstly, is this likely to be a complete nightmare of a job - Should I throw in the towel straight away?

If not, has anyone got any suggestions as to a reasonable 'plan of attack'?

I want to get it back on the road, really I do, but its just so daunting!
 
I don't think there will be anything mechanically wrong with the bike. Most of it will be cosmetic.

You will need to replace all of the fluids and possibly a few oil seals. Maybe spark plugs too. It's probably worth getting a new battery too. Give the brake calipers a good service too as they're likely to be seized.

Nothing more than a bloody good service should get the bike running again.

Get it running and then worry about how it looks.

Disclaimer: I've never been in your position so I might be talking out of my poo chute.

Regards

Rob C
 
Change the oils and filter and obviously the broken throttle cable. Remove the battery and recharge it, you might be lucky and find it OK. if not a new one.

Give the bike a good clean this will also raise your spirits. Check the wheels and brakes are Ok, should be after just a year. Oil everything that sould move easily and be oiled.

Alarm, what one have you got? Is battery in the remote still good? Try switching the alarm off the on again then off, I know myK1200 did not like to have the bikes battery run down and would sometimes not reset with the remote on first operation. remember most alarms have a manual reset too by switching on and off the ignition switch, check the paperwork or web for details.

Some people will tell you to change the fuel, Ive never had problems with "stale" fuel even after several years, your choice.

Once you can reset the alarm turn on ignition and listen for the fuel pump, if you can hear it you are almost there, get the bike to turn over, then deal with non starting as a seperate issue should you not be lucky and hear it fire up.

One step at a time, try to get a friend to give help and encouragement.
best of luck, Dave
 
TaDa said:
Hi!

I left my bike out in the garden for a year and now have a non running bike :eek:

I know the throttle cable is broken and everytime I try to recharge it the alarm goes off.

I've had it in the garage for a year now but I've still not gotten around to fixing it!

I'm ok with spanners and the like but this has become a real block for me.

Firstly, is this likely to be a complete nightmare of a job - Should I throw in the towel straight away?

If not, has anyone got any suggestions as to a reasonable 'plan of attack'?

I want to get it back on the road, really I do, but its just so daunting!
Click to expand...

:postpics:postpics
 
In the past I have bought a couple or three bikes that have bin stood.
The probs I had were , petrol in the carbs turned to varnish { unleaded} . Had to replace one set of carbs. Was on a four c though,
Brakes always seized,
Bateries chuck em.Replace.
Oils thickening.
Seals leaking, but good news is they have usually gone hard and once ridden a few miles did soften and stop leaking.
My trick to fire em up again is to remove plugs ,squirt a small amount of petrol [ tablespoon full] down each plug hole replace plugs and press that start button.
Once had a cx 500 and after any lengh of time stood this was the only way it would start.
Check ur tyres for cracking.
 
Fantastic - thanks people!

Knowing I'll not be wasting my time is worth a lot.

I've got a Haynes manual and a couple of others 'off the web' so now its 'just' a matter of knuckling down to it (!!)

So just one more cup of tea then....

Seriously, though, I'm heartened by the positive responses

As to photos, well, she's a yellow 1150GS - the year didn't take too much of a toll on her - the engine coating seems a flaky but other than that a picture wouldn't show you much at all. If I get stuck, I'll put pictures up - promise :)
 
warmshed said:
Alarm, what one have you got? Is battery in the remote still good? Try switching the alarm off the on again then off, I know myK1200 did not like to have the bikes battery run down and would sometimes not reset with the remote on first operation. remember most alarms have a manual reset too by switching on and off the ignition switch, check the paperwork or web for details.
Click to expand...

Thanks Dave - I believe its the 'standard' alarm (remote is half transparent and half black if that helps identify it).

The big problem with the alarm is if I try to charge the bike through the power take-off point - it just sets the alarm off.

Hmm... I guess I should dismantle the bike and remove the battery, charge and replace
(whilst wearing ear plugs:) man is it noisy when the alarm goes off in a garage!)

I've never heard of the manual reset - maybe I should be researching the alarm a bit more - anyone recognise it from the fob description?

Ok, this makes the plan of action obvious - dismantle the bike, get to the battery and alarm; check/charge the battery and identify/investigate the alarm - (and also strip down the throttle cable).

Excellent - some simple small steps to start me off!

Cheers everyone!
 
Yer battery is so dead that as you charge it you give life to the alarm. Same prob with a car in my garage! Remove battery and while you are doing it clean bike, check switches etc and use WD or whatever to give the metal bits a bit of life.

You should be able to start the bike on the fast idle if its a beemer and you may be surprised that starting is not too much of a prob. What may need some work is the brakes as the pistons tend to stick if not used. Best to take the caliper/pads apart and clean them up. Pump one caliper pistons out at a time and then refit and do the other. Then you only have two pistons to worry about. Get them to move and keep them even and if OK spray something like WD onto the pistons to clean crap and keep them free.

Things like suspension should be OK if it was free before. Also check your from stantions for rust spots before you do to much as this is what will wreck your seals.

It's all pretty basic stuff but charged battery and fresh fuel will get many things going:thumb
 
What area of Devon are you in... I'll pop over and give you a hand if you are relatively close by and fancy it.
 
Remote half transparent halt black, this is the after market alarm I believe it may be the Datatool system 3 one. My standard BMW is all black. I know the Datatool 3 does have a default manual disarm function, you can get the PDF for the instructions here

http://www.elitemotorcycleservices.co.uk/page5.html

hope the previous owner did not change it.

Best of luck, Dave
 
Wow! More responses - thanks!

I've been away from the computer (making up excuses to not do the work)

Seriously, though, got side tracked again :(

I am slowly exposing more of the bike though - the garage is chock full of non-mechanicing stuff and I need to find a home for it all before I can properly begin.

Canuck, I live near Bideford - thanks for the offer I need to do this for myself - but if I can't make progress I might need an encouraging visit :)

Wrigsby1, Yes, I think thats the best way forward and I plan to do it that way.

Warmshed, yes that looks to be the one - thanks for the link - that'll hopefully make the alarm problem go away! (along with the battery etc!)

Thanks again people - I will get round to doing this - now its all been broken down into smaller steps it seems much more manageable - and therefore less daunting.

I now need to redouble my efforts just to get out and do it!
 
"I will get round to doing this"

Go, go, go or we will post message in the GS's for sale forum.... "Free to good home...":augie

An unused GS is an unhappy GS!:thumb
 
So I cleared the garage enough to have a look at the bike.
Sadly I didn't get it running but...

I got the battery out and tested it with a meter without load - 0.225V - I think I'll be needing a new one :)

I also took a look at the throttle cable but I think it must be seized in the tubing. Possibly near the 'distributor'?
Am i right in thinking that getting to the throttle 'distributor' requires me to take the petrol tank off etc etc?

Is 'distributor' just a swanky name for a 2-way split in the main throttle cable?

Cheers
 
Throttle

There is a couple of pully wheels here in an assembly under the battery, these might have seized take the tank off makes life easier, also get a clymer manual loads of diagrams very helpful.
 
Right 2012 is near and I've done nowt to my bike!

Its in the garage, the tank is propped up enough to have gotten the battery out and i have done _nothing_ else.

I'm not proud, disappointed maybe but I just have to face up to the fact that I don't have the time to fix it myself.

So, how much is it likely to cost me to get someone else to take it from "1 year outside unprotected + 2 years in the garage wi' ne'er a drop of wd40" to "back on the road"?
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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