My New - 22 Year Old - Bike!

[XJ600s]

I recently picked up an older 1986 Yamaha FZ600 from a girl locally very cheap. It isn't currently running, but thats because she hadn't ridden it since May of 2008. I suspect the carbs are gummed up. Also, the speedometer cable is broken, so I need to get a new one. Sadly, the title from the PO was a "Not Actual Mileage" title, so its going to remain at 0. I took a picture of the PO's title, the odometer and the local paper to show the date I bought the bike to the next owner if I sell. Hopefully, this will be enough for them to see how many miles I've really put on the bike.

It is completely stock including the original fairings (that have been repainted at one point). The entire bike is quite clean, no leaks whatsoever. The tires could stand to be replaced as there is a little dry-rot cracking on the sidewalls, but I plan to do that when I take off the wheels to powdercoat them. It's going to be a slow restoration, but I'm going to attempt a complete overhaul, powdercoating, and reinstalling within the next year or two (depending on if I get a job right after I graduate). Most likely, it will be a few parts at a time that will get removed, cleaned and reinstalled.

At the moment I have drained the gas tank, replaced the vacuum hose going to the petcock and am currently charging the battery. Tomorrow I'm planning on removing the carbs and opening them up to see what condition they are in, and then cleaning them completely. I still need to pull the plugs to see what they are like, but for some reason, they do not fit my 5/8" spark plug socket (that is extra deep for the top part of the plug). I will try to pull them to see what the plugs tell me about how the bike was running before the PO stopped riding it.

I fit this bike perfectly. My legs fit in the tank crannies as if it were a glove. I can see myself riding this bike solely once I get it running, but for $250 in the condition it was in (other than not running) I figured I could at least part it out for more if I couldn't get it running, which I'd hate to do, but it's always a possibility with older bikes, especially 22 year old bikes.

I definitely don't need 2 bikes, but like I said, it was a price I couldn't pass up. I do not plan any mods to this bike (maybe aftermarket headers/pipe, jet kit cause these really open this bike up and drop 20lbs) as I want to restore it to its original state. Back in the day, this bike supposedly revolutionized the sport-bike world. It was the answer to the GPz500 and the Honda Hurricane. It was an amazing bike and will be once again after I fix it up!

[ChrisCBX]

Looks like a steal of a deal.

I've got a little bit of experience with building/restoring old bikes. Let me know if you need any help or need any tool loans.

[FZRguy]

Father of FZR...nice bike and a steal deal!

[TurboGizzmo]

Wow $250 I would pay that just to have it in my garage to sit on and go "vroom" "vroom" haha, keep us posted on the problem

[TFOGGuys]

You'll need an 18mm spark plug socket. The carbs on that particular bike can be quite finicky, so be sure you have float level set correctly and clean all passages with compressed air in addition to carb cleaner.

[Repsol a095]

Are you willing to sell it for $251

[XJ600s]

I've got a little bit of experience with building/restoring old bikes. Let me know if you need any help or need any tool loans.

Thanks, I'm currently on FZRarchives.com/ipb right now getting help from people there with the carbs, but I'll let you know if I need help with any more serious work.

Father of FZR...nice bike and a steal deal!

Yep, this bike and this year were the beginnings of the modern sport bike era. It's like owning a piece of history. That's partly why I want to do a full restore. But powdercoating and painting the plastics, I can't decide if I want full factory (or my best attempts at full factory paint on the plastics) or if I want to do a solid black everything with gold wheels and a few other gold accents (kinda like the Triumph Daytona 675 special edition. I'll cross that road after I get it running.

Wow $250 I would pay that just to have it in my garage to sit on and go "vroom" "vroom" haha

How long do you want it to sit in your garage? Where are you located? I'll gladly bring it by for a night or two to let you sit on it and go "vroom, vroom".

You'll need an 18mm spark plug socket. The carbs on that particular bike can be quite finicky, so be sure you have float level set correctly and clean all passages with compressed air in addition to carb cleaner.

Thanks for that tip, I'll try one of my 18mm deep sockets and see if that'll work. I'm hoping it does as I hate having to buy specific sockets individually and only use them once or twice. I guess its a good thing my dad just got me an air compressor with 3Gal tank for Christmas...

Are you willing to sell it for $251

I appreciate the offer, but I'm going to wait to get this running first before I even think about selling it. And if I can't get it running, I'll keep it as long as possible until its in the way before I sell it. At that price, I could use it as art! (Though it'd be cooler art when its rideable art)!

[McVaaahhh]

Nice find!



Hit me up when you're ready to do some powdercoating.

[XJ600s]

Nice find!

Hit me up when you're ready to do some powdercoating.

Oh don't worry! I already found your powdercoating thread, looked up the prices, bookmarked it all, and am now deciding what colors the bike will be. The powdercoating will have to complement the fairings.

[dirkterrell]

Yep, this bike and this year were the beginnings of the modern sport bike era. It's like owning a piece of history.

No, that'd be the 1983 Interceptor, first designed from scratch sportbike. The FZ's were great bikes. I raced against a few of them back then.

Dirk

[XJ600s]

so I just bought an 18mm deep socket and pulled the number 2 plug out quickly before I had to head to campus. I definitely have spark on that one (plug out of engine, grounding the tip and starting. I see a beautiful spark across the gap).

Don't ask why,but being the scientist I smelled the tip of the spark plug. it's got a swet fruity smell to it. which I'm pretty sure it shouldn't smell like.

anyone have any idea what that could mean? definite sign of old gas in the carbs? I'm going to try and pull the carbs today after class, but we'll see if I have enough daylight.

[Devaclis]

You are running on high fructose corn syrup.

[Devaclis]

I LOVE the lines of that bike. Man, the retro stuff makes my pants tight. Very nice kill man

[Nick_Ninja]

If you can't get her started -- consider this:

http://www.evalbum.com/1497

[XJ600s]

You are running on high fructose corn syrup.

Does that mean my bike isn't diabetic if it runs on pure fructose?

Or are you hinting that the plugs need replacing and carbs de-gummed?

Or are you just making a joke?

I've read up on this a bit and all I can find is a sweet smelling exhaust could mean a bad head gasket. Or it could mean anti-freeze is leaking into the engine(not likely on my air cooled engine).

[Sortarican]

I've read up on this a bit and all I can find is a sweet smelling exhaust could mean a bad head gasket. Or it could mean anti-freeze is leaking into the engine(not likely on my air cooled engine).

Bad head gasket might cause it because that would leak coolaint into the head, which you don'y have, so shouldn't be the issue.

Some race fuels give off a sweet smelling exhaust, but I've never sniffed the plug. (Is that a euphamism?)

Fuel, Spark, Compression, that's all a motor needs to run.
(In the right mix and timing to run well.)
You've got one(spark), now start checking the other two.

BTW,
Nice find.

[Spiderman]

Nice find!
That's a sweet looking bike... I'm envious!

[XJ600s]

Alright, I wasn't able to get the carbs off in time before the sun started going down and I lost most of my light. Some idiot put a hex bolt holding the airbox onto the frame, and it won't come out.

However, I was able to pull all the spark plugs (they look perfect) and replace them with new ones. So I found the float bowl drain screw, and opened it a bit with a white paper towel underneath. The fluid that came out did not look like gas, but it was still a liquid. Have you ever spilled fresh oil and wiped it up with a paper towel? This gas liquid was that color on the paper towel, a light yellow color. It smelled exactly like the plugs smelled like.

I drained the first bowl until gas stopped coming out, but only about 1/8 of a cup came out, if that. But then the flow stopped. Do I do that for all 4 carbs (drain until they stop leaking) and then switch the tank to prime, and then do it again? Or will draining them all once get most of the bad gas out that, assuming bad gas is the only problem, it will start back up?

[ChrisCBX]

Alright, I wasn't able to get the carbs off in time before the sun started going down and I lost most of my light. Some idiot put a hex bolt holding the airbox onto the frame, and it won't come out.

However, I was able to pull all the spark plugs (they look perfect) and replace them with new ones. So I found the float bowl drain screw, and opened it a bit with a white paper towel underneath. The fluid that came out did not look like gas, but it was still a liquid. Have you ever spilled fresh oil and wiped it up with a paper towel? This gas liquid was that color on the paper towel, a light yellow color. It smelled exactly like the plugs smelled like.

I drained the first bowl until gas stopped coming out, but only about 1/8 of a cup came out, if that. But then the flow stopped. Do I do that for all 4 carbs (drain until they stop leaking) and then switch the tank to prime, and then do it again? Or will draining them all once get most of the bad gas out that, assuming bad gas is the only problem, it will start back up?

There may be some type of fuel system cleaner mixed with the gas. You would need to drain each carb bowl. I would suggest dumping the remaining fuel in the tank and starting over with fresh since you don't know how old that gas is.

[XJ600s]

Thanks, I forgot to mention that I've already drained the tank. I put about half a gallon to a full gallon in the tank of fresh gas. I didn't want to fill it too full as draining it took a long time (4 gallons of gas through a tiny 4mm hose, doesn't go quickly)

[FZRguy]

No need to pull the carbs if it’s not necessary. I’d remove the tank and sacrifice that gallon of gas with some swish and dump action. Grab a flashlight and look in the tank. See lots of rust, or is it pretty clean? Regardless, take the fuel petcock apart and clean it. Call around and see if anyone has a rebuild kit while you have it apart. Completely drain each float bowl. If the tank is rusted badly, check out a product called Kreem. It’s no fun using this stuff but if the tank rust is bad, you’ll need to do it…or find a new tank. Reinstall the tank, add two gallons of fresh premium and see if she fires. If not or she runs rough, then pull the carbs and do a good cleaning.

[FZRguy]

Also, you should be prepared to replace the manifolds (about $120) when you do remove the carbs.

[XJ600s]

Yea, the manifolds are a little cracked. But things like that will get replaced eventually. I'm currently putting together a list of parts I will eventually get from BikeBandit or CyeapCycleParts (probably not CCP as they took about 2 months to ship my last order...just ship, the parts were in stock).

I forgot today to pick up an inline fuel filter from the auto-store while I was there getting spark plugs. Guess thats just one more trip for me to go do this weekend.

[FZRguy]

You can score factory Yamaha parts from Flat Out for 20% over dealer cost.

http://www.flatoutmotorcycles.com/