FJRiders.com

For those of you that may remember Fubar, I bought his bike and it has been sitting for at least 2 years.
The battery was toast and the fuel tank has some crud in it. Don had already put in new plugs and when I got it I have bought a new battery and took tank from my bike and put it on his. Bike would turn over but not start. After some poking around I discovered that a critter had made a home in the air filter. After cleaning the nest out (said nest was only on inside of filter, did not go into air box) I was able to get bike to start with a little help of starting fluid. Bike still does not want to start on it's own and I am not a big fan of stating fluid.

Any tips on a better way to revive?

Also any suggestions on cleaning the tank out, I have heard apple cider vinegar and some screws work well.

wellsj wrote: ↑Sun Nov 05, 2017 1:01 pmAny tips on a better way to revive? Also any suggestions on cleaning the tank out, I have heard apple cider vinegar and some screws work well.

Wellsj,

If you use a light steel dog chain instead of screws, it will be quicker to remove them all, in one easy move.

You can Google for a way to use a battery charger to neutralize rust inside a tank. You will probably want to seal the tank inside with a dedicated sealant then, such as POR-15 or similar. I have not used it myself, but others may chime in with their experiences. I hear that following the directions will be vital to success, there.

https://www.por15.com/POR-15-Fuel-Tank-Sealer_p_64.html

Seafoam can usually clean out the injectors, if they are too dirty to run well. Give it a day to work it's magic.

I used POR15 on my rusty Bandit 400 gas tank. Then the bike sat for a while. I sold the bike over to a friend who has since dumped a crap ton of $$$ into it and got it purring like a kitten. He drained and scoped the tank and gave me a huge pat on the back for the inside of the tank. I don't take any credit, I just used the POR15 kit and followed the directions. Stuff works very well and does a good job.

I am assuming you guys remove the fuel pump first..... if you look at it, you'll soon know if there's rusty crud. +1 on the Seafoam and it is mild. If you want a harsher solvent, use a fuel injector cleaner or Yamaha RingFree. Probably wouldn't hurt since it's been sitting.

I'm tellin' ya, take the injectors off and have them cleaned, or just soak them in fuel injector cleaner. I'm betting you'll be surprised at how much crud settles to the bottom. Expect, after you get that tank cleaned, you may need to source a new fuel pump. Don't remember anything ever indicating they are serviceable.

wellsj wrote: ↑Sun Nov 05, 2017 1:01 pm For those of you that may remember Fubar, I bought his bike and it has been sitting for at least 2 years.
The battery was toast and the fuel tank has some crud in it. Don had already put in new plugs and when I got it I have bought a new battery and took tank from my bike and put it on his. Bike would turn over but not start. After some poking around I discovered that a critter had made a home in the air filter. After cleaning the nest out (said nest was only on inside of filter, did not go into air box) I was able to get bike to start with a little help of starting fluid. Bike still does not want to start on it's own and I am not a big fan of stating fluid.

Any tips on a better way to revive?

Also any suggestions on cleaning the tank out, I have heard apple cider vinegar and some screws work well.

Joseph is that you from CA and the Versys forum?

HotRodZilla wrote:I'm tellin' ya, take the injectors off and have them cleaned, or just soak them in fuel injector cleaner. I'm betting you'll be surprised at how much crud settles to the bottom. Expect, after you get that tank cleaned, you may need to source a new fuel pump. Don't remember anything ever indicating they are serviceable.

This.

Professional cleaning isn't too expensive and works wonders on injectors.

Also, oxalic acid, the base ingredient in CLR (and rhubarb leaves for that matter) is sold as "wood bleach" and works really well for rust treatment. It's cheap and somewhat difficult to find.

Electrolysis and a mild acid are just about as easy as you can get though, with great results.

Found a product called Metal Rescue that is water based and will not hurt paint or decals. Stuff looks impressive and will report back on how well it works. I did pull the fuel pump out of tank to get a good look inside and also figured I would not want it in there during the cleaning process. The tank is not in that bad of shape and should be ok with just a good cleaning. I will look into coating it afterwards, but have seen mixed reviews on several products.

https://www.workshophero.com/products/metal-rescue/

HotRodZilla wrote: ↑Mon Nov 06, 2017 12:01 am I'm tellin' ya, take the injectors off and have them cleaned, or just soak them in fuel injector cleaner. I'm betting you'll be surprised at how much crud settles to the bottom. Expect, after you get that tank cleaned, you may need to source a new fuel pump. Don't remember anything ever indicating they are serviceable.

I will probably end up doing this, there is a place in FL that has a two day turn around for $18 each.

I think you're on the right track wellsj..... I wouldn't coat the tank unless I had to. A good rinse and you'll be good to go. That's a good deal on injector cleaning!

Update:
With a little Sea Foam sprayed into the air box I now have a running motorcycle!
The product Metal Rescue did nothing for me as far as the tank rust goes. I guess I will look into the electrolysis method or maybe muratic acid from the pool store as my next attempt.
I did ride the bike through the neighborhood and it just felt very strange to me, nothing like my '07. Not sure if the front end is just tight from sitting or if there is that much difference with the traxxion suspension. The bike seemed to want to fight me on every turn.

wellsj wrote: ↑Thu Nov 09, 2017 12:38 pmUpdate: With a little Sea Foam sprayed into the air box I now have a running motorcycle!
. . . I did ride the bike through the neighborhood and it just felt very strange to me, nothing like my '07. Not sure if the front end is just tight from sitting or if there is that much difference with the traxxion suspension. The bike seemed to want to fight me on every turn.

Wellsj,

The FJR is very responsive to tire pressures. The rear should feel planted, but not harsh. If the bike wants to dive into every turn, increase the front tire pressure by a few pounds at a time. If the bike wants to stand up in every turn, needing effort to keep it down and turning, then decrease the front tire pressure by a few pounds at a time. Find that golden middle ground on front tire pressure, and the bike should become "golden" in turns. You may want to check the torque value of the steering head bearings, but that is not too likely a cause.

Tire age is important for safety, on a powerful and heavy machine like the FJR. I would say tires are about done after five to seven years, no matter about the remaining tread depth. Click the link and scroll down a bit:
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech ... ?techid=11

Tires are the subject of endless debate here, but I'm riding on Pirelli Angel GT Spec A tires, and I ain't going back to anything less, and especially not to save a few bucks. These Pirellis were like getting a whole new bike under me.

In addition to the above, I have found that low pressure in the rear makes the bike feel like a weeble-wobble.

Usually anything under about 38psi does this. I shoot for about 42ish.

Red wrote: ↑Thu Nov 09, 2017 1:16 pm
The FJR is very responsive to tire pressures.

Well I think you are on to something. I just went and checked and found 18psi rear and 13psi front.
I'm sure I would have got around to checking them at some point, guess I was just happy it was running and had to see how it did moving.
This is why forums are great, keeps us with brain fart moments riding.

wellsj wrote: ↑Thu Nov 09, 2017 7:53 pm

Red wrote: ↑Thu Nov 09, 2017 1:16 pmThe FJR is very responsive to tire pressures.

Well I think you are on to something. I just went and checked and found 18psi rear and 13psi front.

Wellsj,

I am running mine close to the manual specs, 39 psi front and 42 psi rear. Tinker to taste, of course.

How old are the tires?

wellsj wrote: ↑Thu Nov 09, 2017 7:53 pm

Red wrote: ↑Thu Nov 09, 2017 1:16 pm
The FJR is very responsive to tire pressures.

Well I think you are on to something. I just went and checked and found 18psi rear and 13psi front.
I'm sure I would have got around to checking them at some point, guess I was just happy it was running and had to see how it did moving.
This is why forums are great, keeps us with brain fart moments riding.

I typed it, then deleted it because I sounded like an idiot, and enough other people had suggested tire pressures, but on this note....

Years ago, I had bought a wrecked Suzuki TLR. I pieced it back together and the night she fired up and ran, I grabbed my helmet and zipped out for a spin. The torque was intoxicating for a guy used to riding 600's, but boy did she steer like a pig. Figured after riding 600's a heavy V-Twin would ride like a pig. Got home and realized I'd never gotten around to checking tire pressures in my excitement. Yea, they were sitting just a tad lower than yours are above. Needless to say, my next ride was even more amazing when I was able to experience the torque AND much improved handling.

So yea, been there, done that, you are not alone.

Tire pressure was the problem, now if I can get a clean tank I will be happy.

Muriatic sounds a bit harsh, why not try vinegar or CLR..... handfull of ball bearings or that dog chain idea..... rinse well with water and then isopropanol to get rid of any residual water.

raYzerman wrote: ↑Fri Nov 10, 2017 8:44 pm ... handfull of ball bearings or that dog chain idea..... rinse well with water and then isopropanol to get rid of any residual water.

I can certainly get ball bearings since I now work at SKF, and trust me, we scrap a lot of balls!

Well decided to get back on the project and when getting ready to put fuel pump back into tank I realized that the float arm does not fall to the bottom position freely, is this normal or going to be a problem?

Was able to remove the float and it's wire rod that attaches to the sending unit and used a buffing wheel to clean it up. It had just enough corrosion to keep it from moving freely.