The rest of the story (AKA she rides again!)

[gmac]

After a few posts about my gas tank experience I figure you guys and gals deserverve (and may even want to hear) the rest of the story.

As posted before, I bought my '83 Vision new in '85 after selling my 400 special.  She was a beauty, black and gold like my X1/9 with the factory fairing. I put a few mile on her while in tech school, and a few more after, but eventually life took over and I put her in storage in my fathers shop.

Life moved on, met a girl, got married, bought a house, thought about bringing her around but it's no fun riding on the freeways of Minneapolis. Had 3 kids, did the usual things, thought about her once in a while.

Fast forward to fall 2004.  Got a call from mom, she says the shop burned down, visions of a charcoal black Vision come to mind. Come to find out someone torched the shop, but for some reason dad got sick of my old bike in his way and moved it to the storage shed a couple weeks earlier.

Now my son it 12, bought him a Suzuki DS80 with a bad engine, get it put together for him to ride and brings back old memories. Figured it's time to get her on the road again.  Next trip to mom and dads pull the gas cap... man, what a mess, rust all over.  Naively put gas in and try to start her up, she pops once in a while but that's it, put 2 cycle mix and some sea foam in the tank to try to start the cleaning process and keep any further rust from developing.

Spring 2005. The snow has finally melted here in MN and still hot to get the old Vision fired up (can't believe the last license expired in 1990), armed with all kinds of new information from that riders of vision board.  Start cleaning the tank and realize the damage is worse than I had thought, it leaks from the tank and the petcok leaks... Get the tank off and start cleaning, over the next 3 weekends (my parents place is 120 miles from mine) get the tank cleaned out, sealed, dried, clean the carbs, change the oil, etc. Wait for a fuel pump kit from Yamaha, clean the carbs again.... Get everything put back together, try to start her, fires and runs at idle but dies when I turn the throttle. Get on the riders of vision board and find a post by Lucky about the main jets being in the bottom of the carb (duh!! knew those plugs were for something..).

Next weekend.  Clean the main jets, clean the carbs yet again, get the in line filter installed, turn the key, hit the starter, boom, runs good except for some hesitation when I crack the throttle.  Off down the road, after a few miles the hesitation goes away. Give all 3 kids a ride, cruse a while on my own, park her again. She's still at dad's but she won't be forgotten again.

Only a few problems.  Never noticed any front end vibration before reading this board. Not sure if it is really there or if it's just in my mind. Didn't know the perfect bike had any problems. Man, if my stator dies I'm coming after you guys (grin).

Gary

[Lucky]

if the tires are that old, they are probably flat spotted, dry rotted & causing vibration & acne. (or that could be from feeling young again, lol)

that'sa where i'd start looking for vibration. for your own safety, replace them...  then inspect the ft end.

--Lucky