New Bike

Nozebleed

Hi all. I bought a bike today at auction today..they were a fleet of bmw g650 gs bikes used by the RSA. many of you would have seen the ads on donedeal im sure. apearantly these bikes have been in storage for 2 years and they're very clean.

as im not an experienced biker. im unsure how to proceed. the battery is dead so i was thinking buy a battery tomorrow add petrol and start her up.

is there any risk involved starting it having been in storage lyig idle for 2 years or so?

what would you guys do?

thanks.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Nozebleed wrote: »

Hi all. I bought a bike today at auction today..they were a fleet of bmw g650 gs bikes used by the RSA. many of you would have seen the ads on donedeal im sure. apearantly these bikes have been in storage for 2 years and they're very clean.

as im not an experienced biker. im unsure how to proceed. the battery is dead so i was thinking buy a battery tomorrow add petrol and start her up.

is there any risk involved starting it having been in storage lyig idle for 2 years or so?

what would you guys do?

thanks.

No risk at all, and if you got it cheap enough its worth your while booking it into a good mechanic for a service, including changing the brake fluid.

They're a fantastic engine, sweet as a nut.

What kind of money were they going for?.

UrbanFret

Oil change, check all fluids, tyres, electrics, clutch and brake lines. I'd drain fuel tank if this wasn't done prior to it being stored. Battery probably gone beyond recall. If/when she starts let her idle for a while.

What kind of value were these bikes. many bidders?

Stanford

UrbanFret wrote: »

Oil change, check all fluids, tyres, electrics, clutch and brake lines. I'd drain fuel tank if this wasn't done prior to it being stored. Battery probably gone beyond recall. If/when she starts let her idle for a while.

What kind of value were these bikes. many bidders?

Check in particular for flat spots on tyres depending how they were stored

Del2005

Oil and brake fluid will definitely need to be changed, check the other fluids before starting. Try charging the battery before replacing it.

It'll also need new tyres as they will have flat spots after sitting for 2 years.

Stanford

Don't you hate guys who wade in without reading previous posts????

Nozebleed

UrbanFret wrote: »

Oil change, check all fluids, tyres, electrics, clutch and brake lines. I'd drain fuel tank if this wasn't done prior to it being stored. Battery probably gone beyond recall. If/when she starts let her idle for a while.

What kind of value were these bikes. many bidders?

thanks for the reply. there was 10 bikes in all..all identical bar milage.

fuel tank is empty for sure. battery dead as it gets. guys at the auction tried to charge one or 2 but they wouldnt hold a charge.

prices varied...most went for €4700 which included vat and fees.
i paid €4150. not bad will definitely check tyres for flat spots..never entered my head..they appear in excellent condition.

Max Headroom

Stick it on DD and buy a proper bike...........:P

Nozebleed

Max Headroom wrote: »

Stick it on DD and buy a proper bike...........:P

lol...all in good time. it my first bike..kinda good all rounder i believe.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Nozebleed wrote: »

lol...all in good time. it my first bike..kinda good all rounder i believe.

They are a good all rounder, you'll enjoy it.

CJhaughey

Nozebleed wrote: »

not bad will definitely check tyres for flat spots..never entered my head..they appear in excellent condition.

Tread depth means nothing if the tyre is old and hard, Check the date code on the tyre sidewall, it should be next to a DOT stamp and will be in an Oval with a 4 digit code like (2511) the first two digits are the week and the second are the year so the example above would be week 25 of 2011.
They could be original tyres or very old in which case it wouldn't be wise to use them no matter how much tread depth they have as tyres harden over time and won't give grip.

Nozebleed

CJhaughey wrote: »

Tread depth means nothing if the tyre is old and hard, Check the date code on the tyre sidewall, it should be next to a DOT stamp and will be in an Oval with a 4 digit code like (2511) the first two digits are the week and the second are the year so the example above would be week 25 of 2011.
They could be original tyres or very old in which case it wouldn't be wise to use them no matter how much tread depth they have as tyres harden over time and won't give grip.[/quote


thanks for that info very helpful. the number is 3911. so they are quite old..but safe to drive on? if i atick my thumb nail into the surface they mark easy enough. any suggestions?

Nozebleed

Nozebleed wrote: »

CJhaughey wrote: »

Tread depth means nothing if the tyre is old and hard, Check the date code on the tyre sidewall, it should be next to a DOT stamp and will be in an Oval with a 4 digit code like (2511) the first two digits are the week and the second are the year so the example above would be week 25 of 2011.
They could be original tyres or very old in which case it wouldn't be wise to use them no matter how much tread depth they have as tyres harden over time and won't give grip.[/quote


thanks for that info very helpful. the number is 3911. so they are quite old..but safe to drive on? if i atick my thumb nail into the surface they mark easy enough. any suggestions?

Nozebleed

Nozebleed wrote: »

CJhaughey wrote: »

Tread depth means nothing if the tyre is old and hard, Check the date code on the tyre sidewall, it should be next to a DOT stamp and will be in an Oval with a 4 digit code like (2511) the first two digits are the week and the second are the year so the example above would be week 25 of 2011.
They could be original tyres or very old in which case it wouldn't be wise to use them no matter how much tread depth they have as tyres harden over time and won't give grip.[/quote


thanks for that info very helpful. the number is 3911. so they are quite old..but safe to drive on? if i atick my thumb nail into the surface they mark easy enough. any suggestions?

Nozebleed

Nozebleed wrote: »

Nozebleed wrote: »

thanks for your post...i never really looked closely at the tires. will definitely change them. do you think they are safe to drive on..by that i mean from the house to the garage to get changed?

masseyno9

If that were mine, I'd be changing those tyres. Any cracking is generally a sign the rubber is drying out (going hard).
As mentioned above, if you're inexperienced with bikes, bring it to someone for a look over. If they're a smaller/independent type place, they might talk you through a few things and maybe point out what to keep an eye on.

Alkers

What did the RSA use these bikes for?

I'd replace that tyre ASAP - how did you get the bike home? Can you get it brought to a bike shop instead?
If you have stands you can take the wheels off rather than driving the bike up either.

Nozebleed

Simona1986 wrote: »

What did the RSA use these bikes for?

I'd replace that tyre ASAP - how did you get the bike home? Can you get it brought to a bike shop instead?
If you have stands you can take the wheels off rather than driving the bike up either.

RSA used the bikes for training purposes i believe. i got it home in a van..l definitely change tires.
what tires do you recommend?

Alfasudcrazy

18 posts and not one pic of it - sad!

Max Headroom

Alfasudcrazy wrote: »

18 posts and not one pic of it - sad!

Seen one you've seen them all.....:P

blade1

Alfasudcrazy wrote: »

18 posts and not one pic of it - sad!

He is no stewy,that's for sure!!

zubair

blade1 wrote: »

He is no stewy,that's for sure!!

:D:D

Sir Galahad

Where does the OP live ? If he's in Dublin I would suggest Platinum Motorcycles in Bray. Mark is a BMW trained tech and is very honest.

khaldrogo

CJhaughey wrote:

Tread depth means nothing if the tyre is old and hard, Check the date code on the tyre sidewall, it should be next to a DOT stamp and will be in an Oval with a 4 digit code like (2511) the first two digits are the week and the second are the year so the example above would be week 25 of 2011. They could be original tyres or very old in which case it wouldn't be wise to use them no matter how much tread depth they have as tyres harden over time and won't give grip.

I bought a 1995 Virago a few years ago......still had the OE tyres on it!!!

ayux4rj6zql2ph

The scooter I have had the original front tyre on it when I bought it, while there was loads of thread on it, the tyre had gone hard and cracked, I may as well have been driving on a slick tyre such was the lack of grip.

zubair

Nayeli Early Funeral wrote: »

The scooter I have had the original front tyre on it when I bought it, while there was loads of thread on it, the tyre had gone hard and cracked, I may as well have been driving on a slick tyre such was the lack of grip.

Hmm, doesn't a slick tyre have more grip :P

ayux4rj6zql2ph

zubair wrote: »

Hmm, doesn't a slick tyre have more grip :P

Not in the wet :pac:

Esel

Stanley knife, be grand.