It's a Steamer!!

[woodsey]

Finally commited myself and am collecting my 1998 Steamer Thursday 23rd!
Colour: Red
Miles: 81,000 miles
Owners: 4
Has been off the road for the last two years and am now needing guidance as to what is needed to put it back on the road.
Obviously an MOT ha ha
Please can you provide guidance as to what to look out for?
Thanks in advance.

[JetdocX]

Does it run?  Does it start?  Start there, I guess. :lol:

[Dr. Mordo]

You can anticipate carb work, which well cost a decent chunk of money, probly $500-$700 for parts and labor.  Also, it'll likely need tires.

I'd examine all the usual stuff - chain and sprogs, front forks (check for leaks), the shock (take it for a ride and see if the shock dampens; if it's bad the bike will bounce up and down forever after hitting a bump).

It could get expensive fast.  My shock failed a few months after I bought it.  My sprag was bad when I bought it, but if it goes it'll be very expensive unless you do the work.  

I would say that buying a running bike is preferable to a non-running bike because you know exactly what you are getting.  A non-running bike would have to be dirt cheap to be worth it as far as I am concerned.

[woodsey]

It's a runner.
Tyres okay for the MOT
All lights work, the exception is a replacement oil pressure dash board warning light. The bulb works when tested on the dash but the sensor is a dodgy replacement from a.n.other bike!!
Exhausts okay
No leaks from the fork seals
Light creaking sound from rear end when compressing? Might just needs lubrication on the pivot points?
Brakes work
Needs new chain and sprockets
Engine runs and ticks over nicely, slight rattle from a 81,000 mile engine.

Hope i have not bought a retiring Steamer?????

[woodsey]

Big Day tomorrow.
Collecting the Steamer by m/c trailer.
Looking forward to seeing her again and cannot wait to start the long overdue TLC!
Still have to inform the wife though.....
Thought I would just surprise her!
Wish me luck, it's a 3 hour each way trip.

PICTURES TO FOLLOW AS SOON AS

[JetdocX]

Good luck.  Remember it's way easier to get forgiven than to get permission.   Words to live by from another divorced white guy, rider! :roll:

[Stretch]

Sounds familiar.  An actual conversation:

Lovely Wife answers the phone:  "Hello?"

"Hi, can I speak with Eric, please?"

"He's at work.  Can I take a message?"

"Yeah, this is Barry at Cycle World.  Tell him his loan has been approved."

"  ...  "

[oxnsox]

...  and those of us who laugh the loudest at this,   are probably laughing at ourselves....

[MontanaBBQ]

"Still have to inform the wife though.....
Thought I would just surprise her!"


Been there, done that.   A few years ago, in a moment of weakness, I bought a BMW out California - got a loan, had it shipped to my work in Montana.  I had it in the garage for 3 weeks before she found out.  Needless to say - I don't have that bike anymore (but I still have the wife - she's a keeper)  8)

Good luck with the new ride!

[MIMbox]

Hi there and congratulations on your new arrival.
If I could recommend only one thing it would be a NEW BATTERY. If you try to start these babies on a weak battery, you run a big risk of destroying the starter sprag, which on a late model bike like yours is engine out repair. Maybe see you around.

MIMbox

[woodsey]

Thanks to all for the interesting replies!!!

Currently I am in the 'dog house'.

Wife didn't like the bike and I am trying to keep them both.

Will post news as soon as things happen!

[Sin_Tiger]

Currently I am in the 'dog house'.

Feel for you too.

I recently bought a 1050 without telling her ladyship and was dreading the inevitable showdown.

I turned up in the drive the evening of picking the Tiger up to see her looking out of the wndow with her sister. "Here goes" I thought, going to get it in both ears.

Through the door and the first question out of her mouth was not what I expected "Where's my car?"

That put me on the back foot straight away "What do you mean?"

"What have you done with my car?" I still didn't twig where this was going.

"I left it at the train station when I went to pick up the bike, why?" honesty was the best policy I thought, the penny still had not dropped.

"Thank God for that, I thought you had taken it for trade in against that bike" the tension is now begining to ease a bit.

"So you're not bothered that I got the bike then?" let's be clear about this!

"Oh no, I knew you would do it sooner or later" waves of relief are now begining to sweep over me like a glass of warm milk.

Then I start to feel a bit odd  :roll: , emotionally short changed after all the apprehension, am I really that transparent? am I less important than the second car? Deflation, for all of 30 mins till I realised it was still sunny & daylight and there's petrol in the tank,  :lol:  :arrow:

[nightrunner]

Well congrats on the bike.  Hope it works out with the wife.   Take her shopping for a toy too.

Anyway slight rattle may be DAR, (or Dreaded Alternator Rattle).  Lots of threads on this but its usually an easy fix.   If it sounds like a diesel engine at idle and gets smooth as you rev it, its DAR.  

Plan on doing the carbs yourself; they're pretty easy.   Once you get it going, you might want to rejet; the Tig is a pretty lean bike from the factory.  

If the shock goes, you can get a good rebuild (and upgrade) from one of the members here.  I think its Sasquatch but my memory is failing this time of night.   Search on shock threads and you'll find it.  Or you can go first class and get a Wilbers with adjustable everything and remote preload adjuster.  

The three ignition coils are likely junk.  If not, they will start to fail intermittantly and you'll think its the carbs.  Two solutions.  Most of the cat riders here like the Nology coils, which are bolt-in aftermarket replacements.  The other option is to switch to on-the-plug coils from a TT600 or other Triumph model.  $30 or so on ebay will get you a set, and you'll have to extend the wires over to the plugs.  But the stockers are junk.  Do not go to the dealer and order new stock coils.   They will fail on you again in a few K miles.

Congrats and good luck with it.  Please keep us informed on progress and other questions.

[nightrunner]

Oh yeah, there is this tiny tiny little fuel filter inside the fuel line where it meets the carbs and splits into three lines.   It fits inside the rubber hose so you dont even know its there until it plugs.  Most of us install a larger filter near the petcock.  The you can either ditch the little one or leave it as a back-up.

[Sin_Tiger]

Oh yeah, there is this tiny tiny little fuel filter inside the fuel line where it meets the carbs and splits into three lines.   It fits inside the rubber hose so you dont even know its there until it plugs.  Most of us install a larger filter near the petcock.  The you can either ditch the little one or leave it as a back-up.

Good to know, similar caught me out with Mercury outboards years ago, any idea what filtration size is 10 microns?

Thanks