I will try to make this story as short as possible.
I currently live in the USA, on a trip home this summer I purchased the bike off ebay with a plan to collect, ride to Bath and store it there. I did tax it for 6 months.
Upon collection it would not not stay running for more than a few minutes. I thought faulty fuel pump even though it had been recently replaced. I tried to ride it but could not locate a petrol station before the battery was draining after many restarts and I gave up. The fuel tap was on reserve but it did restart and ride for a few minutes.
The bike is still in the sellers garage in Colchester, Essex. I was going to import it to the USA but it is too expensive to make sense to keep it.
Since I returned to the USA the seller has added petrol and told me that it idles for at least 10 minutes, I have a video of it. Turns out that he never rode it, he purchased it but then had wrist/hand surgery which proved to prevent him from enjoying it. I have the previous owners contact information, he went through it, valve shims, seals, bearings, carb cleaning etc, etc and rode it approximately 500 miles.
So, I think at this point I will be selling it. As I am not a resident, the logbook is now in my brothers name. I just want to recover my investment which is 1650 pounds. I will need to verify with my brother, but i believe the mileage is low 40k, with 12 owners. (he and seller never rode it).
Let me know if you are interested and i will send a few photos, it is complete, seemed stock except aftermarket exhaust can, EXUP is there but rattling. the plastics and tank were in very good shape.
looks like this version:
https://s1.cdn.autoevolution.com/images ... 4104_3.jpg
Pete.
1990 Yamaha FZR 1000 For sale. Colchester, Essex.
1990 Yamaha FZR 1000 For sale. Colchester, Essex.
1990 Yamaha FZR1000 (in UK)
The problem with the bike is probably the reserve switch, the sender (in the tank) is switching the fuel system to reserve (fuel pump stops in a few minutes) but the switch is not turning the system to reserve.
The wiring to the switch may be broken or the contacts within the switch dirty.
If the bike works fine with a full tank, this is the problem.
Good luck with your sale
Merry Christmas
The wiring to the switch may be broken or the contacts within the switch dirty.
If the bike works fine with a full tank, this is the problem.
Good luck with your sale
Merry Christmas
1992 RU midnight blue, Wiseco 1070, 6 speed, r1 calipers, ducati discs , 157 bhp crank, Ohlins shock
I agree with Creedexup.
Just to clear up my confusion, you say that the fuel tap is on 'Reserve'. Do you mean the switch on the left hand side of the fairing infill panel? The fuel tap is under the tank and should have two positions, either on or off. The Exup fuel system including the reserve is operated electrically, and not by vacuum/gravity. You could try a bypass, by connecting the solder joints on the back of the switch together, with a short length of wire. Just twist the wire around the terminals so that it makes good contact and keep the whole unit away from any metal on the bike itself. We are only talking about small currents here so you will not have a problem if careful. Make sure that the fuel cap is shut and there are no fuel leaks anywhere. Then try to start the bike. If it keeps running then the switch is your problem. This is easily remedied by pulling apart the switch with a small electrical screwdriver. The parts are quite small, so be careful! More than likely you will find that the electrical contacts are oxidised/dirty and preventing the passage of the current. Clean the contact areas with a fine grade emery paper, reassemble and refit. Clearly you are not coming over from the USA to do this, but I have deliberately made my reply simple and easy to understand (i hope), just in case you have some one do it for you. If the symptoms persist then you may have an electrical problem (dirty connectors or broken wiring) further down the loom.
One final thought. You mentioned that the seller had 'added petrol'. Any idea how much? It may have only been a small amount that may have lifted the fuel level barely above reserve, which when you rode it, returned the fuel to a reserve situation again. A good idea would be to add a decent amount of petrol to prevent rust in the tank and allowing the bike to run on cleaner fuel and hopefully avoid any carb blockage problems. Add a fuel stabiliser if you can as the bike is remaining inactive for long periods and is running on reserve in the dirtier part of the tank(the bottom). If you have a premium fuel filter (which your Exup probably doesn't) it may filtrate down to about 10 microns. Rust particles can be as small as 4-20 microns. So much for the filter then! Looking inside your tank and assessing that the fuel and tank is clean is not enough. Anything in there below 40 microns in size will be invisible to the naked eye. I do this with my own EXUP as it has not turned a wheel since 2014, and only gets started every three to six months. Takes a bit of cranking, but it ALWAYS starts.
A bit of a long winded reply I know, but I hope it is of use to you and resolves your situation It would be a shame not to import your Exup, or worse still sell at a giveaway price when the problem may be easily rectified.
Please post again to let us all know of any progress or if more information is required.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and yours.
Nick
Just to clear up my confusion, you say that the fuel tap is on 'Reserve'. Do you mean the switch on the left hand side of the fairing infill panel? The fuel tap is under the tank and should have two positions, either on or off. The Exup fuel system including the reserve is operated electrically, and not by vacuum/gravity. You could try a bypass, by connecting the solder joints on the back of the switch together, with a short length of wire. Just twist the wire around the terminals so that it makes good contact and keep the whole unit away from any metal on the bike itself. We are only talking about small currents here so you will not have a problem if careful. Make sure that the fuel cap is shut and there are no fuel leaks anywhere. Then try to start the bike. If it keeps running then the switch is your problem. This is easily remedied by pulling apart the switch with a small electrical screwdriver. The parts are quite small, so be careful! More than likely you will find that the electrical contacts are oxidised/dirty and preventing the passage of the current. Clean the contact areas with a fine grade emery paper, reassemble and refit. Clearly you are not coming over from the USA to do this, but I have deliberately made my reply simple and easy to understand (i hope), just in case you have some one do it for you. If the symptoms persist then you may have an electrical problem (dirty connectors or broken wiring) further down the loom.
One final thought. You mentioned that the seller had 'added petrol'. Any idea how much? It may have only been a small amount that may have lifted the fuel level barely above reserve, which when you rode it, returned the fuel to a reserve situation again. A good idea would be to add a decent amount of petrol to prevent rust in the tank and allowing the bike to run on cleaner fuel and hopefully avoid any carb blockage problems. Add a fuel stabiliser if you can as the bike is remaining inactive for long periods and is running on reserve in the dirtier part of the tank(the bottom). If you have a premium fuel filter (which your Exup probably doesn't) it may filtrate down to about 10 microns. Rust particles can be as small as 4-20 microns. So much for the filter then! Looking inside your tank and assessing that the fuel and tank is clean is not enough. Anything in there below 40 microns in size will be invisible to the naked eye. I do this with my own EXUP as it has not turned a wheel since 2014, and only gets started every three to six months. Takes a bit of cranking, but it ALWAYS starts.
A bit of a long winded reply I know, but I hope it is of use to you and resolves your situation It would be a shame not to import your Exup, or worse still sell at a giveaway price when the problem may be easily rectified.
Please post again to let us all know of any progress or if more information is required.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and yours.
Nick
Thanks for the probable diagnosis. That makes sense, yes I meant the switch was on reserve, the petrol level was probably too low for ON position to draw any fuel. I believe the seller only added a small amount of fuel, I am concerned about the formation condensation and no fuel stabilizer. My plan was to ride it then add stabilizer, run some more ,and top up before leaving the country. Now I am stuck with no where to store it. I might come back in the spring to tinker and ride it once I secure some storage. FYI, shipping via SEA freight plus import duties/ port fees to Houston, Texas adds up to more than three thousand pounds.
1990 Yamaha FZR1000 (in UK)
Hi (Pete?)
Thank you for posting a reply. I am glad that the suggestions put forward make sense to you.
On the surface, given the symptoms it doesn't sound like a lot of work, so I expect you will have it up and running (for more than a few minutes) should you return to England next spring.
Three thousand pounds for import by sea! I dread to think what air freight costs would be. I did look at importing costs for an old school V8 from the US about 18 months ago. Between 5 to 5.5 thousand pounds Sterling by sea. Then there's making it road legal in the UK (mainly lighting) and re-registering to obtain a license plate. Don't even dare consider changing the steering wheel etc to the right.
I do not know if you are British or American, but isn't it about time some trade deal was implemented between the two countries. To encompass Bikes and Cars obviously.
Nick.
Thank you for posting a reply. I am glad that the suggestions put forward make sense to you.
On the surface, given the symptoms it doesn't sound like a lot of work, so I expect you will have it up and running (for more than a few minutes) should you return to England next spring.
Three thousand pounds for import by sea! I dread to think what air freight costs would be. I did look at importing costs for an old school V8 from the US about 18 months ago. Between 5 to 5.5 thousand pounds Sterling by sea. Then there's making it road legal in the UK (mainly lighting) and re-registering to obtain a license plate. Don't even dare consider changing the steering wheel etc to the right.
I do not know if you are British or American, but isn't it about time some trade deal was implemented between the two countries. To encompass Bikes and Cars obviously.
Nick.
I am British. The arrival fees are ridiculous , the best price that I have been quoted to collect, crate and ship is funnily enough the exact same price as I paid for it .. 1620.
But then a separate entity handles the arrival fees, port and import customs fees which are another 1250, so just under 3 grand at 2870 total. I have another quote for AIR freight that comes to 3400. If I was to fill a half container up myself with another 5 bikes then it would work out a lot cheaper each.
I was told that the total cost for 1/2 container is under 3000 for arrival fees. Seems bikes like this are cheaper there but that would be a big outlay.
But then a separate entity handles the arrival fees, port and import customs fees which are another 1250, so just under 3 grand at 2870 total. I have another quote for AIR freight that comes to 3400. If I was to fill a half container up myself with another 5 bikes then it would work out a lot cheaper each.
I was told that the total cost for 1/2 container is under 3000 for arrival fees. Seems bikes like this are cheaper there but that would be a big outlay.
1990 Yamaha FZR1000 (in UK)
Blimey!
I see the dilemma. Either import several bikes or sell the one you have in the UK. That's economies of scale for you.
I would imagine there are plenty of other people who would import, but are put off by the cost. I wonder if there is a site on the internet where like minded
individuals could club together and rent a container, thereby reducing individual costs. A cursory search on the net and I found this.
https://upakweship.uk.com/shipping-containers/shared/ . This company advertises 'Save money by only paying for the space you use'. May be of interest to you, and a more in depth search may reveal more.
Anyway, best of luck in your efforts, and please keep in touch.
I see the dilemma. Either import several bikes or sell the one you have in the UK. That's economies of scale for you.
I would imagine there are plenty of other people who would import, but are put off by the cost. I wonder if there is a site on the internet where like minded
individuals could club together and rent a container, thereby reducing individual costs. A cursory search on the net and I found this.
https://upakweship.uk.com/shipping-containers/shared/ . This company advertises 'Save money by only paying for the space you use'. May be of interest to you, and a more in depth search may reveal more.
Anyway, best of luck in your efforts, and please keep in touch.