Just a added suggestion to anyone reading this in regards to storing a bike that might be sitting idle for a long period of time . You should remove the spark plugs and put a small amount of engine oil in each cylinder about a tea spoon of oil in each would do the trick as this will prevent the piston rings binding to the cylinder walls due to any rust build up and then replace the spark plugs, flushing out any extra fuel in the carbs and fuel line should also be done and perhaps some DW40 sprayed into the line and carbs as a protector for rubber parts etc , the fuel from your tank should be removed and some sort of rust protection sprayed into it (WD40 ) .If the bike is stored outside condensation can build up under plastic covers so spraying exposed parts like the front forks around the rear suspension and many nuts and bolts with WD40 will help , also a good waxing over the whole bike is helpful , remove the battery and try to keep the tiers off the ground or at least slip something under them so water will not perish the rubber , block the exhaust pipe so water can not enter but condensation can escape ( a tin can that fits over the muffler opening ) and i suggest that you move the bike by pushing it a few feet back and forth every 2 months to prevent any parts from locking up . one more final thought lock the bike up very secure making it difficult to be stolen as a parked bike sitting for a long time can attract criminals !
A bike siting this long needs O-rings changed in carbs. These can be found in two places. Also, many mechanics miss renewing these after 'soaking' the carbs. The ethanol in fuel has a foul effect after only 6 or so months, so if our bike has been sitting a year or longer without Seafoam, or Stabil, etc, in fuel, renew the O-rings. One set of them are under the float needle seats (one on each carb). Most are held in place with a small phillips screw. Be careful removing this screw. It can be very difficult to remove if the screw slots' are destroyed. From the factory they are TIGHT. The other set of O-rings that need replacing are on the Pilot Air Screws themselves. The pilot air screws are the ones that come 'plugged' from the factory. They are pretty universally found very close to the rubber flange at the intake manifold. If yours carbs still have the plugs in them, you'll need to drill them out very carefully (use drill bit about the size of a large paperclip, and drill (shallow) hole as close to perfect middle as possible. Take extra caution during these steps to avoid expensive consequences. Again, drill a SHALLOW hole in each plug as the pilot air screw sits just under the plug, and destroying the 'slot' in the screw makes it difficult in some cases to remove. With plug removed, put screwdriver onto air screw and COUNT THE NUMBER OF TURNS TO CLOSE the jet entirely. GO SLOWLY, AND GENTLY! Using force can break the end of this small screw off in the carb and in some cases require replacement of carb. Most carbs' air screws are set at one turn, to one and one half turns open -- so again, go slowly and don't force the jet past the 'closed' position. After counting the 'turns-to-close', remove the jet and again, use diligence as there is usually a VERY small brass washer that sits between the carb seat and O-ring. This MAY come out when removing the jet screw. LOOK for it! Now, simply replace the (very small) O-ring near the bottom of the jet screw and reset to original 'turns to close' position.
Most bike shops will try to sell you rebuild kits first, that include the O-rings mentioned here. They will be pricey. Request only the O-rings if possible -- some shops don't offer just the rings, but reputable, full service shops do. [Donelson Cycles in St. Louis has these - 314- 427- 1204, if in the area)
This 'lesson' cost me around $400, so I'm passing the info on to you all. I've subsequently performed the same work on my brother's 26 year old FZ600, which, once again, wheelies like it was designed to.
There could be other things involved.
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