[fabiarider]

Dear Friends

I have a 1989 model RX100 which i have been riding for around 6 years now and would like to keep on riding the same for another 20 years or so . But the problem now is that, i am going abroad for long term (5 years or so) and i will be visiting India only for a few weeks every year. That means that i have to either sell it off / give it to some of my friends / keep in my garage.
First option is ruled out.
Second one; do not have any friend who will take care of the bike well.
So thinking about the third option.

Please provide me some guidance on how to go about with 3rd option like, things to be taken care, the way its to be done etc.

[vasanthn21]

I understand your passion for your bike and why you would not want to give it to a friend

I am not an expert in this area, but some suggestions:

Simple option -
If you can have someone (brother/dad) start the bike once in two weeks and take it around for a short drive. You can get a through service done whenever you are back in India and use it for that period. This would ensure that the bike is in working condition.
Advantage: You can ride the bike right away whenever you are back!

Limitation: Finding someone who is willing to do this religiously (and hope they do not goof up when they drive it around)!


Interesting option -
Dismantle the bike, and keep the important parts in a vessel with oil, so that it does not rust. Apply any anti-rust agent on the remaining portions of the bike to prevent rusting!
Whenever you are back, remove from oil, and assemble it back and ride it! (or change the oil if you do not intend to ride it)

Advantage: The fun of assembling your baby! No worries if you do not come back for 2-3 yrs!

Limitations: Knowledge of assembly required. You wont be able to ride it when you are back for a week unless you assemble it! some parts (electricals/tyres) might require replacement purely due to the age factor. You might have to do mini overhaul after 5 yrs, but it will be worth it!

Note: The storage area can be highly flammable due to parts stored in oil containers. Best to take all precautions.

[sachinj12]

Disconnect the battery, park the bike on a elevated place such that the tires have no contact with the ground.I can think of so much only, other folks will help you out.

[fabiarider]

Originally Posted by vasanthn21

I understand your passion for your bike and why you would not want to give it to a friend

I am not an expert in this area, but some suggestions:

Simple option -
If you can have someone (brother/dad) start the bike once in two weeks and take it around for a short drive. You can get a through service done whenever you are back in India and use it for that period. This would ensure that the bike is in working condition.
Advantage: You can ride the bike right away whenever you are back!

Limitation: Finding someone who is willing to do this religiously (and hope they do not goof up when they drive it around)!


Interesting option -
Dismantle the bike, and keep the important parts in a vessel with oil, so that it does not rust. Apply any anti-rust agent on the remaining portions of the bike to prevent rusting!
Whenever you are back, remove from oil, and assemble it back and ride it! (or change the oil if you do not intend to ride it)

Advantage: The fun of assembling your baby! No worries if you do not come back for 2-3 yrs!

Limitations: Knowledge of assembly required. You wont be able to ride it when you are back for a week unless you assemble it! some parts (electricals/tyres) might require replacement purely due to the age factor. You might have to do mini overhaul after 5 yrs, but it will be worth it!

Note: The storage area can be highly flammable due to parts stored in oil containers. Best to take all precautions.

I would go for the first option. Let me see if someone is ready to help me out

Originally Posted by sachinj12

Disconnect the battery, park the bike on a elevated place such that the tires have no contact with the ground.I can think of so much only, other folks will help you out.

This would be fine, but rust is the issue.

[Haroon]

Option-1
If you are leaving it untouched, then disconnect the battery and drain the petrol out of the tank & carbs. But 4-5 years definitely means rust would be all over the bike.

Option-2
If somebody will periodically take care, then it is very important to note that 'simply starting it and idling it for some time' will NOT suffice. They will need to start it and take it out for a run of atleast 3-4 kms by changing gears, revving in higher RPMs etc.

I think the second option here would be the better one unless you plan to sell it.

Many-many years back I had a similar situation with my darling RD350 and I was forced to sell it before heading abroad. Although I have owned a lot of exotic big bikes after that, I sadly miss my RD to this day.

[insidious]

Originally Posted by fabiarider

Dear Friends

I have a 1989 model RX100 which i have been riding for around 6 years now and would like to keep on riding the same for another 20 years or so . But the problem now is that, i am going abroad for long term (5 years or so) and i will be visiting India only for a few weeks every year. That means that i have to either sell it off / give it to some of my friends / keep in my garage.
First option is ruled out.
Second one; do not have any friend who will take care of the bike well.
So thinking about the third option.

Please provide me some guidance on how to go about with 3rd option like, things to be taken care, the way its to be done etc.

The third option is easy enough. Keep the bike well covered. Drain all the petrol in the bike. If there is someone else at home, or you can hire someone who can be trusted, ask them to wipe the bike clean once a week, and apply an anti-rust or a polish. That should more than help.
When you want to use the bike next, all you have to do is fill in fuel, get the oil checked, and ride.

[fabiarider]

Originally Posted by Haroon

Option-1
If you are leaving it untouched, then disconnect the battery and drain the petrol out of the tank & carbs. But 4-5 years definitely means rust would be all over the bike.

Option-2
If somebody will periodically take care, then it is very important to note that 'simply starting it and idling it for some time' will NOT suffice. They will need to start it and take it out for a run of atleast 3-4 kms by changing gears, revving in higher RPMs etc.

I think the second option here would be the better one unless you plan to sell it.

Many-many years back I had a similar situation with my darling RD350 and I was forced to sell it before heading abroad. Although I have owned a lot of exotic big bikes after that, I sadly miss my RD to this day.

I am not going to sell my RX as its a gem of bike, one of my friends has agreed to use it . When i return sometime i will do an overhaul and that would be fine i guess,

[aargee]

@Fabiarider - I understand the passion of yours towards Rx Here're little tips from my end...
1. Drain fuel from the tank & if possible, store the empty tank wrapped up in thermocol & place it somewhere. Remember to apply some oil inside the tank so that its not rusted. Also remember to drain the 2T oil from the side tank. Leave alone the engine oil.
2. Disconnect & remove the battery completely
3. Prepare yourself to change the throttle, clutch cables & the entire rubber kit as they're prone to get harder
4. Remember to lubricate the chain with black greese (not the white soft one)
5. After 5 years, your Rx is prone for rust & hence be prepared to chrome it once you're back. Otherwise, remove the entire exhaust assy, apply a thin film of 2T oil & wrap it up in a polythene cover.
6. If you're parking the motorcycle in a flat, then remove the side covers & seats as well as they're prone to damage easily.

Originally Posted by fabiarider

I am not going to sell my RX as its a gem of bike, one of my friends has agreed to use it . When i return sometime i will do an overhaul and that would be fine i guess

Ensure that he's also a Rx lover, otherwise they're bound to abuse it. That would be worst than standing still the bike.

[RT13]

If one of your friends has agreed to use it then fine. The only thing I personally would worry about (if I'm mental about my bike and really love it the way you seem to ) is whether they would take care of it the way I would. Too often a person who really doesn't know a bike (and doesn't love it like the owner would) is at the mercy of the local mechanics. You might come back to find a whole lot of original parts ripped off and suchlike...

If you do park it in a garage and are planning not to use it, a lot of the suggestions here are good - painting the chromed areas with anti-rust is one of them.

I have a bit of experience on this count. My Dad left his 1980 Yezdi standing in my grandfather's garage from 1990. I only just moved it a couple of months ago. It had been standing for 20 years - unused.

Miraculously, after taking it apart a bit, it started on the 3rd kick.

The paint has of course taken a beating and there is certainly rust (though fairly little considering its been 20 years) since he didn't put anti-rust on it. But the engine has been preserved in perfect shape!

The secret?

Unscrew the spark plug and pull it out. Then take a few packets of 2T oil and pour it into the barrel. Keep pouring until it tops up. Then screw the sparkplug in again.

This will ensure that no rust touches your piston and barrel. Every time you're in town, pump the lever a bit to make sure the piston is moving and pour a little more oil in if warranted. It will preserve the heart of your bike and you can be sure that it will move freely even after twenty years of no-use. This is by far the most important thing since original Yamaha spares are getting hard to find even today.

One more thing you can do is plug the exhaust with waste cloth and stopper it if possible. This will ensure no grit or grime (or water - God forbid!) travels up the pipes.

Thus, the heart of your bike is taken care of.

Funny thing about draining the tank.... I found that the presence of some petrol in the tank is what kept it from rusting over time. I should've had holes in my tank but its in pretty good shape. If you do drain the tank, then take it off the bike completely, clean it out, oil it, wrap it in plastic and keep it somewhere safe. An '88 RX tank is worth preserving in good shape.

Pull off the battery. Also, disconnect the alternator if you like and keep that packed somewhere.

All the best bruv

[am1m]

Just finished preparing my '94 Shogun for a long-term parking last week. Here's what I did (gleaned from various sources off the Net):

1. Got her serviced and got the paint touched up.
2. Drained the petrol from the tank and the carb. Splashed 2T oil around inside the tank.
3. Removed all the 'plastic' - side-panels, rear panels.
4. Removed the spark-plug and poured some 2T oil inside the opening. Kicked it over a few times to distribute the oil. replaced the spark plug and cover.
5. Oiled the chain and chassis joints and points.
6. Spread some oil on the front forks and bounced the front wheels to get the oil spread inside the fork.
7. Wiped the bike clean.
8. Deflated both tires.
9. Removed the 2T oil; left the gear oil intact.
10. Parked her in a dry area and covered her with a cotton bedsheet - cotton to let the material 'breathe', this prevents moisture from getting trapped like in the case of plastic covers.

My college bike, learned to ride and had some good times with her. Had to park her as I wasn't really using her anymore; I have a Pulsar 180 for the daily ride and a Thunderbird for the long rides. I wanted to park her inside the house somewhere, but the wife wouldn't allow it.

My plan is to re-work and restart her once a year or so and keep her intact for the years to come.

[RT13]

Why did you deflate the tyres? I'm curious. Did you pull the wheels off or is it standing on the deflated tyres? In which case won't they go to pieces?

Or am I missing something?..

[am1m]

Originally Posted by RT13

Why did you deflate the tyres? I'm curious. Did you pull the wheels off or is it standing on the deflated tyres? In which case won't they go to pieces?

Or am I missing something?..

Well, the idea was to take some pressure off the tubes, though I admit I haven't really thought that one through. Also, the tires would deflate over time anyway.

Forgot to mention one more important thing: 11. Removed the battery, of course.

[desideep]

I am sure we all spend a lot on our bikes. and if they mean a lot to us we can try something like this.

The ultimate bike storage solution - protecting bikes and motorcycles from corrosion & rust: Vac-Bag,Universal Vacuum Storage System

this is an amazing product. a friend from UK talked about this a long time back. but the only problem is that there should be no Rats and other little Plastic eating rodents around. hehehe

[Fantasy]

as others have already said, empty out the gas tank and give it a good coating of oil, be sure to drain out any excess. drain the carb's of any fuel. change the oil. disconnect and remove the battery, even with a trickle charger on it i'd doubt it would be any good after 5 years. plug the intake and exhaust. lube the chain with chain lube. park the bike with both tires elevated on wood blocks. that's about all i can think of. it's the process i use to winterize my bike for our cold canadian winters. however i usually fill up the tank all the way and add fuel stabalizer considering i ride it come spring time. oh and cover it! cotton bed sheets will work fine out there as i'm assuming dust is the biggest culprit.

a question for all you guys.....is rust really that bad an issue in such a dry climate that the bike would be covered in rust in a mere 5 years?

edit: almost forgot...remove the spark plugs and spray in some fogging oil into the cylinders, it'll make for an easier start up after such a long period. electrical grease on the all the electrical connections and light sockets wouldn't hurt either. cheers.

[RT13]

Originally Posted by Fantasy

a question for all you guys.....is rust really that bad an issue in such a dry climate that the bike would be covered in rust in a mere 5 years?

Trivandrum is far from dry Its about as humid and muggy a part of India as you can possibly find. 5 years? 1 year is more than enough in that climate.