Considering an 02 Connie. Have a few questions!

[Edarahk]

First of all the ad states that the bike needs a new battery and new gas.  It's got 8900 miles on it so this leads me to assume that the bike has sat for some considerable amount of time.

I'm gonna call the guy about it later today and I was wondering if there are any questions that those of you in the know might ask that I myself might not think of.

Firstly my main concern is of course the possibility of hydrolock.  If the bike has sat for some time it could possibly have cylinders full of gas right now.  I'm going to ask him if it will start or if he has attempted to start it recently.

I'm also wondering that if a connie has been hydrolocked in the past, would it start if the cylinders were no longer full of gas? would it run? would it be making some really obviously out of the ordinary noises that I might notice?

The price seems to be really good on this motorcycle.  I'd really like to own one.

I had a zg14 that got hit by a car and totalled.  And although I really loved the bike, I just kinda have a thing for old tech.

Thanks in advance for your time, and any advice you might have to offer.

Sam

[Ron Dawg]

Others who know more will weigh in soon, but...

Do a search for the hydrolock test and see if the owner will let you do it.

Check the tank for rust, inside, outside, around the lower rear edges, bubbles in the paint, etc.

How old are the tires? If they look good, check the date codes on the side and if they are more than a few years old, plan on replacing them 'cause they get dry and hard. 

See if he has any maintenance records. If the bike actually has only a few miles, it may never have had the valves adjusted or the plugs changed. Not hard to do and not expensive if you do it yourself. Manual and parts are less than $100 including gaskets, plugs, etc. Lots of info around on that.  Brake pads might be due. Most of these bikes are pretty solid, but age and disuse will take a toll.

Oh, the brake and clutch fluids as well as the oil need to be changed-probably as well as coolant. Possibly hoses? Good luck.

[gPink]

"First of all the ad states that the bike needs a new battery and new gas.  It's got 8900 miles on it so this leads me to assume that the bike has sat for some considerable amount of time."

Old gas=bad carbs

[Ron Dawg]

gPink is right. But search for SISF on here. Old gas will clog the carbs. Steve in Sunny Florida will fix that for you. If it runs and you can ride it, clogged carbs will be pretty obvious because it will NOT run well.

[Stasch]

A previously hydrolocked motor can run with out any obvious sounds to clue you in.

Even if a motor is known to have hydrolocked at some point, it doesn't automatically mean a bent rod.

You need to do the hydrolock cylinder height test to determine this for sure.

[Steve in Sunny Fla]

yeah, this sounds like a hydro / bad carb candidate for sure. I've seen it all before - bike gets issues, gets parked. no good can come from that. don't get pushed into how great a bike it is because of the low mileage; there's ghosts in that bike, I promise you. Steve

[Rhino]

If there is a concern about hydro lock you can pull the plugs before cranking it. Or put the bike in 5th gear and see if you can turn it over by pushing it. I think the bigger concern is if sat for a long period the carbs will be gunked up. I have seen a bike with gunked carbs be brought back to life with SeaFoam. Depends on how bad it is.

[Steve in Sunny Fla]

1) seafoam won't clear clogged pilots and enrichener jets, it won't clean off the buildup on needles, emulsion tebes and the needle jet from long sitting;  I just did another set of carbs with distended slide diaphrams that the owner "only" used seafoam on. Seafoam "won't hurt rubber" ... but it does.

2) the issue on a hydrolock isn't just "does it have one now?" but also "has it had one previously that bent a rod?"

3) the only way to be sure the rods are straight is to do the hydrolock rod test. Concours ZG1000 hydrolock rod test  Steve

[Edarahk]

Guys, I really appreciate all the input, this is a great and knowledgable community you have here.

I'm just gonna be patient and wait for a less questionable bike.

[Steve in Sunny Fla]

Guys, I really appreciate all the input, this is a great and knowledgable community you have here.

I'm just gonna be patient and wait for a less questionable bike.

If the bike is close / available to you, I'd go look at it and do a hydrolock rod test. In fact, I wouldn't buy any  connie without doing a hydrolock rod test. You may do the test, it passes, and then still work a great deal because of the battery and carb issues. JMO, Steve