New Member kind of..................

I previously owned a Cadburys Boost and now i have bought a Red Bull

I have been on this forum a few time in the past 6 month and require a little assistance on this bike.

Its got 11,000 genuine miles on the clock and i believe its been sat in a dry garage since 2003 (9 years!!!!!!!)

The bike started after several attempts and ran for 5 minutes when the previous owner started it up to prove it was a runner. I then got the bike home and started it again after several attempts and it ran for about 5 minutes with the choke on, i knocked the choke off and in was ticking over at 1100 rpm for a few more minutes and then it cut out. I tried starting it again and it backfired and i cant get it started again.

The bike has a new battery and i removed it fully charged it, and tried to start it again to no avail.

The fuel could be many years old and so could many other things. Can you throw some ideas at me to get it running again.

I am thinking:-

Fresh fuel (unknown age)
New spark plugs (previous ones cold be old/damp/clogged up)
Replace/Clean Air filter
New oil? Not sure how this would help it start though....
Recharge battery fully and try to start again
errrrrr............. thats all i can think of for now.

Has anyone heard of those cans of 'start ya bastard' think i need a can.

Here are some photo. How common is this paint scheme? Its the only Red Bull one i have ever seen

I would give the carbs a good clean out, unleaded fuel left for any length of time does horrible things.

Nice looking example though

If mine has been sitting for a long time (months) I can struggle to start on the starter.

I've always managed to bump start it though which can still take a couple of attempts. Just remember to put the ignition on as it annoying if you only remember at the bottom of the hill.

Think it is best to bump in 2nd gear.

Good luck.
Rosco

Lovely looking bike.

Mine had previously stood for a long time unused and I had a blocked idle jet or two. I thought I had sorted it out last year, but I'm not doing high mileage anymore and it seems to have come back and haunting me.
Had the carbs cleaned but still having issues.

Likewise, mine won't start and run.. it'll fire and run for a few seconds and cut out, after a good few attempts it will run and 'pop' rather than backfire, although it has done that a few times. Even when it does run, it isn't very good below 4k RPM.

I'm sorry, this isn't solving your problem as much as me listing my issues - but maybe help you a little.

I would change the fuel and try again to start it. There is a strong possibility that you might have to get the carbs out and cleaned.

You owned a 'Cat before, so would know the starting technique. Choke on and no throttle. I my bike's current state, the slightest touch of the throttle kills the engine and it takes some time for it to catch again.
I let it splutter and pop for a while before attempting to ride it.

I hope it is a simple fix for you, please let us know your progress

Lovely looking bike though
Once you're sorted you'll have it flying for sure with decals like that

Yes Roas bump start in 2nd.

Personally I'd be looking to clean the entire fuel system, tank replace fuel, carbs cleaned, for what it is new plugs and air filter, get it running and then I probably throw some redex through it to clean the lines and displace any other crap knocking about.

Once you're confident get it out there and spank the nuts off it, give it a really good blast. If it being stood is the only issue this combination of things should get it going good and proper.

Good luck and oh yes..... Nice bike

I agree with Snowcat there! If it was me I would just fill her up chuck some redex in and give her a good blast in high revs (once she's warm) if the problem still persists then think about all the cleaning/replacing stuff... As you said she cuts out after the choke I would choke her for a bit longer to get the temp up ( I am talking about the bike) then start opening the throttle up a bit whilst taking the choke off as this may clean out the system a bit and see if she ticks over then.

You said she has been stood 9 years? Make sure you check the tyres for cracks before taking her out as they may be no good!

Thanks for all the comments and ideas so far.

I spent about 4 hours stripping the bike down to see whats going on.

First i removed the lower fairings.



Then before i remove the tank i thought i would have a look inside. I am assuming the fuel is 9 years old and useless, so my plan is to remove the tank, clean it out and put 2 liters of fresh fuel in it.

This it what i found





The 'H' looks like its the 'H' from a Yamaha Logo but not off this bike. I have no idea how it got there or how long its been there.

Next i remove the fuel tank and drain 14 liters worth off old fuel into a bucket. Remove the fuel filter, give the tank a clean out with some fresh fuel and put it to one side.

I then decided to remove the air box to examine as much as possible.





I then decided to have a look at the down pipes as they were now visible with the fairings removed.



I was unsure if this was just crap between the pipes or if the are actually attached at this point. I decided to give it a knock with a screw drive and i think i may have made a hole in my down pipes, doh!

I have just had a delivery of spark plugs, new oil, new oil filter, carb cleaner and air filter.

I am now going to attempt to clean the carbs using this video and the workshop manual.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exa467_eoXw

Fingers crossed i dont break anything expensive

Does anyone know if YAMAHA R6 5EB down pipes fit my Thundercat? A friend has offered a set for Free

I did some work on a FZ600 I ran a few years ago, the exhaust down pipes were prety bad on that. I had them shot blasted, welded up and then sprayed them myself.

You can see the work here

http://bikemeet.net/index.php?topic=5725.0

(Apologies to the mods for linking to another forum)

You'll be hung for treason young Radar, nice to see you working hard tho and a productive job too
Fair play!

ellie wrote:You'll be hung for treason young Radar, nice to see you working hard tho and a productive job too
Fair play!

That was back in 2008 I think, I have sold the FZ600 to a mate. he still has it, but has never ridden it. He bought for when he passed his test, but he still hasn't got around to it!

Anyway, the basic premis was get the down-pipes welded up if you don't want to spend out on a stainless set

The guy who i bought the thundercat off bought it 9 years ago never passed his test and now he is 30 and has had kids. Money was going towards a baby food and toys and a helmet to protect his head now he is under the thumb.

After draining the fuel tank, putting 2 liters of fresh fuel in the tank, spraying some 'easy start' in the air intakes and fully charging the battery i got it running again.

It was running rough so i sprayed crab cleaner in the air intakes while the bike was running and this seemed to make it run smoother, after 5 minutes running i turned it off and left it for a day. It started the next day first press of the button.

It was still running a little rough so i ran a little redex directly through the air intakes. I did this for about 5 minutes and used 200ml of redex approx and when i was finished it was running great. It definitely made a massive difference.

I then decided to fix the hole in the exhaust. I bought some exhaust tape to fix the hole but due to the position of the hole i was not confident it was going to work so i bought some exhaust putty.

I mixed the exhaust putty compound in my fingers and applied it to the exhaust hole after cleaning the area with i wire brush. I then ran the bike for 5 minutes to heat up the exhaust putty which makes it set rock hard. It worked! Now the exhaust is a lot quieter at the front end where it was blowing before.

Next job is to refresh brake fluid as it looks black and the front lever is a bit squishy(maybe old fluid or old flexible brake pipes) Might invest in some new braided pipes.

Result......love it when a plan comes together

Right few more snaps, First job was to remove the side fairings and have a look at the condition, this is after a bit of cleaning



I then removed the other side and gave it a clean



Then removed the rear fairings to give it a clean and check over



Popped the fairings into a safe place





Then decided to remove the front fairing to have a nosey, just plenty of cobwebs






Then next i removed the air filter which was a little dirty and had become quite thin and frail



Then i decided to spray some easy start in the carb and this got it running again after fully re-chargeing the battery.



I replaced:-
Engine oil, oil filter, air filter, fuel filter, engine coolant, spark plugs, brake fluid, brake pads front and rear, brake piston seals, brake levers(spazzo).

Before and after



I then decided to re grease all the bearings and moving parts that require grease which was easy enough. I then went all the way round the frame and checked for corrosion and found none.

Now the bike was running sweet so i decided to start on the cosmetics, from what i could tell the bike had never been down the road so it was just a case of cleaning and polishing the bodywork and metal components

I gave these bits a taste of autosol, they were orange with rust before i started



Then i noticed that one of the down pipes was not heating up, and found that one of the spark plugs leads was not correctly connected. After plugging it in correctly all down pipes seemed to reach the same temperature when running.

Then got the autosol out on the end can



Then studdied a few youtube videos to work out how to set the suspension up correctly for my 12.5 stone ass.

Cable ties came in handy for taking measurements



Finally i was happy with the bike and put all the bodywork back on. When i put the bodywork back on i gave it a misting of wd40 and left the bike for a week. The wd40 seems to clean all the crap off the bodywork better that anything else i have tried.

I then washed it off with warm water and let the bike dry off. Next i gave it 3 layers of different polish and sat back and admired.

Then decided i needed to insure it, MOT it and Tax it.

Went to the MOT station today and it passed. with advisory on low brake fluid level and slightly pitted front disc which i knew about anyway. He also noticed on the machine that test brakes that the tyres had slight flat spots due to being sat 10 years, they will get replaced in time.

Decided to take a few snaps on the was home Such a good feeling when all the hard work comes together and i now have a bike that should run all summer issue free.

R/H side







Chain and sprocket nice and clean



blue bleed nipples because i am a sad front-bottom



spazzo levers £17 a set!!!!!!!



Tank view(awaiting racing fuel cap)



L/H side

A point to note is that i may even be considering selling as i think i want a true sports bike, i am undecided yet as the Thundercat is probably one of the best all rounders. I may keep it over the summer and sell as winter hits and buy something else to tinker with next winter.

Anyway, just putting it out there if anyone sees this and is interested. I must have spent about £300 in parts and easily 20 hours working on the bike. If a dealer was to have spent that time it would have cost a small fortune.

As of 13th of January 2013 the bike has:-

12 Months MOT
12 Months Tax
V5 In hand
Current mileage 11,500
Both original Keys
Owners Manual
Service book with Yamaha main deal services at 600 miles, 4000 Miles, 8000 Miles stamped in the book. The garage used for the above services was www.ianbellmotorcycles.com
Full major Service and clean at 11,000
Engine oil Replaced
Oil filter Replaced
Air filter Replaced
Fuel filter Replaced
Engine coolant Replaced
Spark plugs Replaced
Brake fluid Replaced
Battery Replaced
Brake pads front Replaced
All cables lubed
Tyres have nearly full tread front and back but do have slight flat spots due to being sat a while.
Various Bearings have been packed with fresh grease.

Mileage can be checked on the VOSA website to confirm its a genuine mileage bike.

PM me if interested, or make me an offer. Ian

now thats an extremely tidy bike there good sir!

wish I had the technical noose to do all that to my bike

Very, very, very nice. Good job, well done.

MrNutt wrote:now thats an extremely tidy bike there good sir!

wish I had the technical noose to do all that to my bike

I have not done anything particular difficult, its just a case of doing it in a logical order and keeping your garage /workshop tidy, oh and making sure you don't force things that should not be forced. Ohhhhhh and just spent a lot of time cleaning it.

I am attempting replacing the clocks and downpipe gaskets on my cat soon, if that goes well I might scale up to bigger things..

That's a good looking bike you've got there, and all ready to rock n roll for some lucky beggar looking for a nice tidy bike.

ian505050 wrote:

MrNutt wrote:now thats an extremely tidy bike there good sir!

wish I had the technical noose to do all that to my bike

I have not done anything particular difficult, its just a case of doing it in a logical order and keeping your garage /workshop tidy, oh and making sure you don't force things that should not be forced. Ohhhhhh and just spent a lot of time cleaning it.

.... It's like we were separated at birth.