Hi everybody,

my name is Laurens De Boeck, a 22 year old college student in Ghent. I'm pretty new to the world of motorcycles, pretty new to the world of motorcycles in general actually... I'm planning to make a big trip trough South-America with a bike in a couple of years, but i'm currently still at the point where i have to get my license. (Yep, a real freshy)

Since i don't know a lot about bikes i would like to seek some advice for my current situation... A friend of mine is selling me her old Suzuki GSX-400 (1988) for little money and this would greatly help me to get some road miles and some experience to help me get the license. It's got a little under 19000km but hasn't been driven for quite some time i think. Do i risk buying a bike in bad shape (either because of its age or because of the fact that it hasn't been driven for such a long time) that is only going to fail me? And will i be able to find spare parts for a model that old if something breaks down? She's asking about 300 euro.

Any advice or help is welcome, you have my thanks for it!

Greets,

Laurens De Boeck

Hi Laurens,

Firstly a warm welcome to the HU and HUBB.


If the GSXR has had regular oil changes and servicing through its life, the top end (of the engine) is not seized and its been stored INSIDE then it is probably worth a look at.

If its in good condition then its better to have (nearly) ANY bike than not have one at all!

How long its been sitting without running? first check oil and coolant levels


if it was stored correctly (some oil put into the tops of the cylinders) then the rings should be ok, but if not, you have to be careful not to break a ring the first time you start the engine if its not ran for a few years. Remove the spark plugs, squirt in some new engine oil ( only a couple of cc's per cylinder) with a syringe, leave it for a day, then turn the engine over by hand, very gently! You should feel very little resistance as the engine is turned, if you feel uneven resistance then there could be an issue with something seized or a broken piston ring. When the engine has been turned over a few times by hand for say 2 minutes with no problems you can then try the starter (still with no spark plugs in) this will start to lift oil to the valves and top of the engine, do this for 10 seconds each time and wait one minute between each time, do this 5 times over 5 minutes (this stops the starter motor from overheating and also damaging the battery) If everything sounds OK put the plugs back in (make sure they are good), some new gasoline, check the air filter is clean and see if it will start. If not then the carb may need cleaning.
Be prepared to buy a new battery as well, they do not last well in long term storage unless they have been disconnected and kept warm

If you get the engine running, everything sounds OK and you are going to buy the bike, change the oil and filter straight away.

Other issues you might have are the brake wheel cylinders might have seized so try everything out before you ride it, also rubber hoses can deteriorate and crack, so check all the hoses, fuel lines and fuel filters, the clutch can also seize up!

If you are not sure of this then try to take someone along who knows what they are doing! - if the engine and/ or gearbox is noisy then don't buy it.

Parts may be a little harder to find for an 88, but you should be able to pick them up still.


Good Luck

__________________
Cheers
Grif

'11 KTM 450 EXC
'09 Suzuki DR650
'00 Discovery Series 2 V8
'95 Defender 90 300 Tdi Overlander
http://gipperstravels.blogspot.ca

Hi Gipper,

thanks so much for your reply. I don't know anybody with sufficient knowledge about bikes to come help me out but i'll try and check all the things you've listed above. The owner is a friend and since it's her bike i assume she'll know a thing or two about it. (Still eager to sell it though, so i'll pay close attention)

Thanks for the tips anyway!

Greets

No problem,

any idea how long it has been stored ?

if its less than a year and stored inside then you can get away without doing all of this - just turn the engine over with the starter with no gas a few times to get the oil moving, then try it with gas. If gas has been sat in the carburettor it will go 'gummy' and leave a thin brown film of residue over everything, so it might need a clean out

__________________
Cheers
Grif

'11 KTM 450 EXC
'09 Suzuki DR650
'00 Discovery Series 2 V8
'95 Defender 90 300 Tdi Overlander
http://gipperstravels.blogspot.ca

Yea, I thought Grif's well intended advice and tech info was probably going right over the head of a non mechanic Noob rider. TMI. No surprise.

My advice would be to take the bike (in a van) to a trusted mechanic who knows this bike model. Tell him you've got limited budget. He should be able to go through all the steps Grif laid out in two hours labor or so.

IMO, it's worth paying that to get your low cost bike back on the road. I'm betting the bike is just fine ... but you can't just put in a new battery and crank it over. DON'T DO THAT!

Oil, fuel must be drained and other steps Grif mentioned must be done. Any good mechanic will understand how to bring back a machine that's been standing for so long. It's done all the time.

I just brought back a seemingly dead DR650 that had been sitting, untouched for 11 years. (stored in garage)

It only had 5500 original miles. After going through the steps and installing a new carb and different fuel tank ... it fired up and ran like NEW! (smoke poured out the exhaust at first due to rust dissolver and oil I put down spark plug holes ... but once pumped out ... ALL GOOD!) Bike runs better than my own DR650!

Grif's comments about the brakes are important too. New brake fluid and inspection will be required for safety.

A good and hopefully reasonably honest mechanic can sort all this in a few hours of shop labor. Don't leave it to an amateur ... just wasted money.

BTW, perfect bike to learn on ... and might even make a decent travel bike!!

Have you checked the motorcycle laws about what bike you can ride until you pass your test?

Here in the UK it would be too big, only up to 125 on a learner license. As a motorcycle instructor, my advice would be pass on the bike and get yourself something that you can ride around on while you are learning to ride a bike.

How nervous are you about riding a bike? Don't be afraid to say yes, many people are. Another reason to get a small bike, build up your confidence and then when you are ready to do your trip you will know so much more about bikes and pick something that suits you.

If you are going to travel on your own a 400 may be too big for you, can you pick it up? I know people say its all in the technique but I have a medical reason which stops me lifting any bike over about 250

Good bikes are always around so no need to rush and if you are not mechanical may be better to save up and buy something a bit more recent

Lilian