car and motorcycle coming out of long term storage?

[Midget]

i'm nearing the end of my deployment in iraq, and excited to get back on my bike and put my car back on the road!


but first, what are things you suggest for me to do to ensure my automobiles are ready to ride?


background, i have a nissan 350z and a suzuki sv650. the car has been put up on blocks in a storage unit. before i left, i drained/replaced the oil out of both. i topped off the tanks and added fuel stabilizer to both.



can i just get back on these vehicles and ride? should i get all the fluids drained and replaced? if so, which fluids? where might i go to get this done, and estimate cost? do i have to worry about things like gaskets, seals, or anything of that nature? this is the first time i've put vehicles in storage for long term, and i'm not too proficient with autos as is, so please bear with me.


thanks in advance!

 

[Foilist]

You'll have to charge up the batteries, probably, and air up your tires. No big deal. It wouldn't be a bad idea to change the oil again before too long, as it can break down a bit. Since you topped off the tanks and added Sta-Bil or something, your fuel systems should be okay if you ran them for a bit to circualte the stabilizer when you added it.

When I put up my motorcycles for the winter, this is all I do and I've never had a problem.

Welcome back and enjoy your rides!

 

[orthogonal1]

Yeah, you did what I used to do when I went I deployment.

When I got back, I had no issues when I simply charged up the batteries as Foilist mentioned (first I simply tried to start the vehicles without charging - usually charging was not needed, but battery life is affected by the long non-use period). Also check the vehicles for hobos - sometimes mice and such "move-in" and nest.

With the first fresh tank of gas, I'd throw in a bottle of carb/injector cleaner.

 

[Fraser]

Welcome back!

Just do one thing for me when you get back. When you get on your bike take it easy for the first few days. Go to a parking lot and do some figure 8's, braking drills and so on. Rebuild your riding skills.

Lately, we've had a couple of good riding days. However, it seems like some guys took the bike out of the garage and raced around like wildmen. We've had some pretty serious motorcycle accidents in my area due in no small part to the riders not being totally up to snuff in their riding skills. They were stale because of the winter layoff.

Thank you for your service to our country.

 

[Bushman5]

after you refill the oil in the car, turn the engine over with the coil disconnected and the spark plugs out a few times (no gas) . This will circulate the oil thruout the oil galleries and lube everything up. Then reconnect the coil and plugs and fire er up. check you air filter too....sometimes rodents can get in and use it for nesting material.

i had to rebuild a holley carb once that had a mouse in it.

 

[ericb445]

When I was in the Air Force I was stationed in Korea twice for a year at a time. Both times I just parked the car in the garage with a full tank of fuel and took the neg off the battery, a year later I came home hooked the battery back up checked tire pressure and took off to the jiffy lube to get an oil change. Never had any problems. The last time I did it I drove from my home town in IL straight to my next base in CA. That one truck was a Toyota that I put well over 200k miles on it with no major maintenance done to it, Hell I would still be driving that little truck if some drunk didnt decide to hit it.

 

[Mountainman38]

.....That one truck was a Toyota that I put well over 200k miles on it with no major maintenance done to it, Hell I would still be driving that little truck if some drunk didnt decide to hit it.

I love Toyota's! I finally replaced the timing belt on my '99 Tacoma V6 at 145,000 miles (supposed to be at 60,000), and the mechanic could barely tell the difference between the old and new belts.

The water pump was starting to leak, so we replaced that, but other than a mass air flow sensor, I haven't had to replace anything major on my truck in almost 10 years of reliable, hassle-free ownership. Plus, it's great off-road, and a pleasure to drive.