Thoughts on moving Frank, the garage king, from Colorado to Calgary, Alberta

[eurofjr]

Hi all,

So, Frank has been garaged for a few years as I bounced around overseas. Yes, that's bird poop intermingled with dust and dirt. He needs a new stator (I think) but otherwise was fine before I "put it in storage". I had gotten stuck in bad winter traffic while wearing new electric gloves and vest and hadn't yet installed a voltmeter. Also, I will need to buy a set of blue 2005 saddlebags since those were somehow lost in the years of moving around. He hasn't been started in all this time.

What I'm wondering is whether it would be better to try and get Frank serviced and repaired in Colorado Springs and then ride it up to Calgary or have it shipped to Calgary and then worked on here. The former allows me a nice ride but the latter means I will be able to get it serviced locally and develop a relationship with the mechanic/shop vs a one and done with a shop that knows they won't see me again. This won't happen until the summer or whenever the snow goes away.

For those of you familiar, Frank was Radman's FJR. I rode him a good bit until I got sent back overseas. That ended up lasting over 10 years until our recent move to Calgary. I'm retired from the Army and, ironically, now live where snow covers the ground more than half the year. Go figure. Still, it's time and both me and Frank need to get going.

Jim.

 

[RossKean]

My guess is that the stator is OK, but that is easily tested. I think I would have it looked at locally before shipping to Calgary - by yourself if you are comfortable with that stuff before taking it to someone who will want money. Might turn out that problems developed during storage could make it not worthwhile to put back in good running order. Rusted tank, corroded electrics, mouse-chewed wiring, leaky forks, rust in the cylinders, water pump, radiator, fuel pump, starter motor etc. A day or two of cleanup and close examination of the more vulnerable bits might make it easier to decide. A borescope could be helpful for examination of the gas tank and tops of the cylinders before trying to turn it over.
Were cylinders fogged or oiled before storage? Tank empty or full? Rodent-free storage spot?
How many miles on it?

Good luck and welcome back to the forum!!

 

[eurofjr]

Because we were moving at the time, I wasn't able to actually test and examine the stator (or the regulator/rectifier) but, yeah, maybe not the stator (hopefully anyway).

Those are good questions about storage. I believe it was stored with only a quarter tank of fuel, which was the max amount that the shipping company would accept for transport. As for "rodent-free storage spot"? I wish. It's in my Dad's barn which has serious issues with mice and birds.

Still, I'm kind of sentimental and will probably dig my heels in and figure out a way to rehab the bike vs toss it. I know that there are solid used FJRs out there for a good price but I'm a sucker for a story. This being Radman's bike is meaningful to me and I'd like to get him up and running again.

That being said, your recommendation to examine it in CO is a good one. It could end up costing well beyond buying a "new" used bike. I guess that means I have some time to see if I can find someone trustworthy in Colorado Springs. My Dad was a long-time HD rider but I'm not so sure those guys are going to be much help...

 

[escapefjrtist]

Since you asked...if I were in your shoes I would arrange a trip south to retrieve the bike and have work done in Calgary. Road trip, you're retired, right? That way you can take time, not be rushed and get clean-up and inspections completed to see just what you're starting with. This could easily turn into a money pit having a third party start from scratch.

Good luck! With Radman at the helm, I saw that bike a few times at various rally's. Nice to see it's still around.

~G

 

[Panman]

Never met Radman as I'm a newbe only coming on the sean in September of 07. Did know him thru the Forum and was sad to loose him as he was funny and smart dude. I'm with escape on this, finding someone who would take it in without breaking the bank could be hard. Don't try to turn it over without letting some Marvel Mystery oil sit in the cylinders for awhile. Put some dielectric Grease on as many connectors as you can, replace the air cleaner. RossKean had some good ideas.
It would be hart warming to hear that Frank was up and running, I love a happy ending but don't let it break you either.
Good luck Pan.

 

[Rogue]

Good luck, if you need a stator I have one of those "HO" ones I never installed. They didn't turn out to be as durable as we hoped but you can have it for shipping.

 

[eurofjr]

Thanks to all the suggestions, I've got an Excel spreadsheet up and running as I figure I'll spend the next few months planning out possibilities.

@escapfjrtist, that's a good observation. Maybe just rent a trailer and head down to see my Dad and other CO-based family for a bit, then trailer it up to Calgary. I do like the idea of not feeling rushed to get things done and maybe having to leave without a level of certainty. I'll keep working on my spreadsheet and have to mull this one over. You and RossKean both make good points and... they both make sense for different reasons. Damn. Honestly, this would be easy if I wasn't emotionally attached to the bike.

Like many, I only knew Radman through the site and wasn't able to link up with him at the only WFO that I attended (Reno). I think he was there anyways. So, when I went to Minneapolis to pick up the bike, we spent several hours chatting about the bike, military life, lots of things. One of my groomsmen, who is HRT, did his first post-Army FBI tour in Minneapolis so I was curious about that aspect too. Basically, once we started talking, we just kept on going. He really seemed like a good dude and he took amazing care of Frank. If he wasn't so knowledgable on bikes, I'd have thought it was highway robbery to buy the bike at the price that he sold it. His workmanship was top notch and, even now in its dirty condition, I'm kind of amazed at how meticulous he was with everything.

I definitely don't want to sink a ton money into the bike but I also hate the fact that I never got to ride it like I had my first FJR (an '01 German model that was stolen in Paris). I feel like I owe it to myself to get him back on the road and start putting miles back on. Who knows how I'll feel after the first few days of reality, inspections, and stuff. I kind of feel like this is maybe going to be a tougher decision than I was initially thinking.

 

[SkooterG]

If this bike has set for many years with only a quarter tank of gas there is an excellent possibility the tank is well rusted and the fuel pump is inoperative. I've encountered that twice in the last two years when buying project FJRs.......

 

[Bounce]

Hi all,

So, Frank has been garaged for a few years as I bounced around overseas. Yes, that's bird poop intermingled with dust and dirt. He needs a new stator (I think) but otherwise was fine before I "put it in storage". I had gotten stuck in bad winter traffic while wearing new electric gloves and vest and hadn't yet installed a voltmeter. Also, I will need to buy a set of blue 2005 saddlebags since those were somehow lost in the years of moving around. He hasn't been started in all this time.

What I'm wondering is whether it would be better to try and get Frank serviced and repaired in Colorado Springs and then ride it up to Calgary or have it shipped to Calgary and then worked on here. The former allows me a nice ride but the latter means I will be able to get it serviced locally and develop a relationship with the mechanic/shop vs a one and done with a shop that knows they won't see me again. This won't happen until the summer or whenever the snow goes away.

For those of you familiar, Frank was Radman's FJR. I rode him a good bit until I got sent back overseas. That ended up lasting over 10 years until our recent move to Calgary. I'm retired from the Army and, ironically, now live where snow covers the ground more than half the year. Go figure. Still, it's time and both me and Frank need to get going.

Jim.

My 2003 was "put up" for about 10 or so years. I did it with intent though, so fuel was drained, fluids swapped, etc. But the new owner had it up and running within a weekend. Most of that was putting the plastic back on it. The point being that you might be surprised at this aspect of the FJR's "durability".

 

[Mr_Canoehead]

I'd recommend getting it 1) fixed in CO and riding it or 2) trailering it back rather than shipping it. Getting it across the border is going to be a PITA if you are not there. Even if you are there, you are going to need a bunch of paperwork and an appointment to import it (assuming that is your intent, you don't say). Good info here: Importing MC to Canada. Even if you are not importing it, you being there will make everything a lot easier. If you aren't there, you'll need to hire a broker.

Welcome to Calgary, I'm in the Calgary area with a big shop if you need some help with the bike once it's here.

 

[Whooshka]

....... Put some dielectric Grease on as many connectors as you can, .......

I wouldn't just slap dielectric grease on the connectors. I'd spray them with ACF-50 (or similar like Dioxite?) first and let it creep into the connector to break down the corrosion, then pull them apart to clean the contacts with contact cleaner. Then another shot of ACF and reconnect. Dielectric grease is an inhibitor and really should only be used on the outside of the connector to keep the elements out.