The bike I'm restoring hasn't been ridden for a couple of years and I know there were electrical problems with it (immobilisoer etc.) when it last worked. There are a few more things wrong with it now i.e. no ECU and no keys and a bit of a chopped up wiring loom. Question is, once I've got those replaced, would you have a go at starting it to see if the engine / wiring loom / ECU etc. are all working or do I need to: Change the oil (I'm thinking yes!) Fresh Petrol (may as well) What about belts etc...??? is that necessary just to see if it will start - is it taking a risk if I don't??? I'd def look to change the belts once it was all up and running, but just wondering if it's necessary just to see if it will start. Is there anything else I should change or check before trying to start it? Cheers
NB Reason I'd rather not change the belts initially, is I'm not sure if it's something I can do myself (or would I need special tools to do it)? Getting it to a shop to do it for me won't be straight forward if it doesn't ride! In my ideal world, I'm hoping I can change the electrical bits etc. start the bike and ride it down to the workshop where they can service it and change the belts etc. for me and then I go back to restoring the rest of the bike. But I don't want to take any risks if there's a significant chance it might bugger up the engine!!! just after your thoughts! What would you do?????
It wouldn't hurt to have the belt covers off and do a visual inspection, if they look decent and in good shape (not cracked or frayed) I'd be tempted to go for it. Reason being that if a belt is going to let go, it's going to do so under heavy load imho, I don't think just trying to start it poses much of a risk. Good luck.
As the bike has been standing for a couple of years it's a good idea to get the oil circulating and up to pressure before starting.
Have a look on my website at Chris Kelly's instructional video's to get an idea... www.exactUK.com - DucatiTech Instructional Video's
Thanks Exige, nice one! I'll def check those out, looks like a lot of vids there that will be useful to me. Cheers