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[FXSTDSEI]

Hi CVOO's;

OK, the subject pretty much says it all.  Many out there, including high school friends back in Milwaukee, hate that I have not ridden either of my hog's in about 5 years now  .  I am not going to go into details, let's just say between medical events and money issues, my bikes have laid dormant since about Sept. 2008.

I am reaching out to this community for some information on "what happens next" in my path to get back on the road. 

Let me say before I get into my details, that both of my bikes will need to be pried from my cold dead hands to get me to part with them.  I have never purchased brand new vehicles in my life, EXCEPT my 2000 FLSTS (94,000 miles in 8 years) and my 2003 FXSTDSEI (18,000 miles in 5 years).  Point is, I really do love them and I will never part with them.  I may get some others down the road, but that will never be at the expense of parting with one of these (as "valueless" as some may deem them to be).

Now on to my horror story.  Like I said in the title, please don't hate me.  Instead, please sympathize with the situation I am currently in and try to help me if you can with your knowledge and advice.

So, neither bike has been ridden now in about 5 years.  They were NOT prepped for storage.  They have NOT been stored in proper environments (car port with plenty of blowing rain getting on/near them although beneath covers and sometimes cover and tarp).  I have a lot of salt air all around me. What do I need to do??  I know I will have to put new rubber on all 4 wheels.  I know I will have to clean everything in a "frame off" process if I really want to do it right.  The leather is covered with mold and will ultimately need to be replaced, but for now I would like to just clean it with lexol the best I can.  I know I will have to clean the carbs (both old school and injected respectively) but what else am I going to need to do?  Some have told me I should replace many of the gaskets.  Others have told me that if there was fluid in the system, I should not have to.  Do I need to replace the brake pads if they still have enough thickness?  Same thing with the rotors.  I know the cables will need to be replaced or at least severely lubricated.

I am fairly proficient at doing most stuff on my own, and can not currently afford to have a pro do any of this unless some updates require such expertise.  If that is the case, those items will have to wait.

Just trying to get back on the road and hoping that I can get some good feedback on what needs to be covered to make that happen.

Thanks in advance for any light y'all can shed on this topic.

Sorry to the community for my neglect, but mostly sorry to my babies.  I am trying to make it right though, and hope I can do so without thousands in cash outlays.

Aloha~
W

[Chris4444]

Hi
I would get them out , change the oil put a good battery in and start them you might be suprised

[miker]

oil, gas, battery, lube cables.  Once rolling use easy brakes, they may be fine too.

The etoh on the fuel is mean to rubber n plastic but you may be ok....

I have got some started after sitting over 50 years pretty quick...good luck.

[CVO Brian]

Definately dump all the fluids and let drain overnite. Dump gas and inspect inside of tank for rust. If you have carbs dump the bowls and spay them card cleaner thoroughly. Set of new plugs may not hurt either. New batteries , then start the bike, let it run and idle till good and warm or even hot. Then, I would dump all the oils again and filters just to get some of the risidual left that didnt drain while the bike was cold.

Change your tires and cables if needed and you should be ready to roll. All the cosmetic stuff can be completed when cash and time are permitted. This is just my opinion and personal experience from buying a carb chopper that sat for three years in  a buddies garage. The gas is killer and it really gums up and eats the lines, tank and everything else it touches. My suggestion to anyone who sits there bike for more than 6 months at a time is at least throw a bottle of stabil or Sea foam in the tank and put bike on trickle charger. $30.00 investment for a charger and bottle is priceless.

Ride safe brother and get back out on the road!!

[Robmay]

Same as everyone else said +

Change tires for sure.
Change fuel lines for sure.

[dayne66]

What everyone else said...and.....Flush the brake system once you know they work.

[longlast]

Had an old Machless back in the year had sat for 8 yr. I put a gal of gas in the tank, cleaned up the points, pulled the plugs,..cleaned and gaped, chanced oil,  had a car bat hooked up to the leads kicked (cranked)  it over it sputtered and popped a bit then fired up. It smelled like an old junk yard comming from the exhaust The rest was TLC.

I think if you had no issues with them at the time they were parked that with some cleaning here and adjustment there you my be on the road with not so much hazel. Good luck some pics would be cool to see what your up against

[FXSTDSEI]

Thanks so very much for all that chimed in on my topic/thread.  I really appreciate the help.  Do know about the gas and it's wicked properties, but thanks for the reminder.  I like the idea of flush, fill, short run, flush again, fill again.  I think that is an excellent take on cleaning the system fluids out.  Thanks for that CVO Brian

If anyone has anything to add, please do.  I want to make sure I have covered all the bases before I make the leap.

Oh, and thanks for not flamin' me.  I was skiddish about reading all the comments thinking there would be at least one telling me what an idiot I am for doing what I have done (or not done really).  I already know this.

I will try and get some pix up once I have the monies to get started (should be early April).

Cheers~
W

[2018_FLTRXSE]

Well.. the basics have been covered...

Since youre on Kaua'i, youre not much better off than I am on Oahu.

I few years back I bought a 2000 FXDL from a buddy that had been sitting for 3 years. It sat, uncovered in a carport in Aiea... it caught rain, dust, rust, and everything else...

Dumped fuel, cleaned carb, checked tank.. no rust (nice)

Lubed cables, dumped oils, brake fluid, refilled all fluids.

Polished the fork tubes with emerycloth/WD40 due to rust...

New Battery and Gas,

Crank Crank, Sputter Sputter, Potato Potato... fired right up.

In the end I had to replace the fork tubes and seals, but everything else faired pretty well. The back taxes hurt more than anything.

Now, the SE Duece might need a little more... or you might get lucky.

Fuel tank/pump.. make sure the pump runs and the internal lines arent deteriorated. If all looks good in the tank then hook a battery up after replacing the fuel and fluids and take a stab at it...

Next thing to consider will be injectors

[Red Dragon]

BRAKE SYSTEM!!

I won't bore you the whole story, but, last month I bought a 2001 CVO FXDWG2 that had been stored in a climate controlled environment for 12 years (in FLORIDA). It was virtually a "NEW" motorcycle judging by it's appearance and mileage.

I found out the hard way that the brake system needed VERY CLOSE attention. I ended up having the system "triple flushed" and having to have both the front and rear calipers rebuilt as well as both master cylinders rebuilt.

I had put over 150 trouble free miles on her (I had changed ALL motor & drivetrain fluids, flushed the gas tank, rebuilt the carb, installed new tires, and "checked" the brake fluid level.) when the unexpected happened. I came to a screeching halt in the middle of a fairly busy rural roadway when the rear brake completely locked up one day at 60 MPH (3 days after I bought her). NOT A FUN EXPERIENCE! COULD NOT BUDGE THE BIKE! 5 hours later, I was able to get her on a trailer, and get her home....then to the dealer ...in the middle of BIKE WEEK DOWN HERE....VERY HARD TO GET ANY SERVICE DONE WITHOUT AN APPOINTMENT. The dealer felt my pain, and took me right in. Hats off to Steve Davis at Treasure Coast Harley-Davidson!

BRAKE FLUID (at least DOT 5 SILICONE) "crystallizes" after time in a humid environment. This crystallized state causes the fluid to expand and create a thicker hydraulic solution (as it was explained to me)....When we dumped it out, it looked like Mikes Hard "YELLOW" Lemonade. It's supposed to be sorta' purpleish. I am a novice, and never knew about the "Crystallizing Thing". I have since discovered that my experience is a fairly common one, and our brake systems get the least attention, maintenance wise. I am soooo glad it wasn't the front brake that locked up...Don't even wanna' think about THAT! I also learned that, according to my dealer, H-D recommends flushing our brake systems every 5000 miles or 2 years (whichever comes first). My manual simply says, "CHECK THE FLUID".

Again...BRAKE SYSTEM. Good luck and RIDE SAFELY.

[dlaws01]

That's a relief, with the subject title of your thread, I thought it was going to be another "oil" thread. 

[hdblackice2007]

i can i not 

[cahdbiker]

FXSTDE1, Since your bike has been sitting so long maybe an aux fuel filter might be a good idea. Even if you drain the tank and pull it and clean it there could be some little demons hiding in there Just a thought.CAHDBIKER

[Midnight Rider]

The three main things to be concerned about, IMO are water/moisture in the tank/fuel system; Brake Fluids; All other engine/tranny/primary fluids.  Drain/flush/change all of those, get new batteries, then see if they will fire up. New plugs would be a good idea.  If it fires up with fresh gas, I would then add the appropriate amount of fuel system cleaner...might even consider running some Sea Foam products through it.  They work.

Get some good leather cleaner...the seat may clean up better than you think.  The rest will just be tedious detailing to get it all cleaned up and to see what, if any, parts you might want to replace due to cosmetic damage/rust.  I'd probably pull the wheels off and make sure the bearings are OK, and to check out the tires well.  If they are not cracking/splitting from dry rot, you may not even have to replace them, though it wouldn't hurt to do so.

[hdblackice2007]