850 Commando sitting for 9 yrs

Alan L said:

This will sound like heresy too some, insanity to others and perhaps just incorrect by most but I would simply refresh all fluids, kick over a few times with the plugs out and a few drops of oil then start it. If it was put away in good condition it will probably be fine, stale petrol and varnish being your biggest problem.
There is no end of thing you could do but why? It will run or it won’t.
Regards
Alan

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Off course it will run.

That's not the point.

I gave a long list because it understood the OP wanted to use this bike. That is ride it safely and reliably on the road.

Yes you can make it run. Any half way competent owner can do that.

But will it run safely and reliably and not leave you stranded 250 km from home.

A Mk 2 850 with so few km on it in close to original condition is a gem. It deserves care.

Maybe I'm guided by the bikes which are imported to NZ from the USA. Many have been essentially destroyed in less than 10000 km. Especially the camshaft and followers.

50 year old original wiring will fail if you set off into the sunset without checking that. I can 100% guarantee that

johnm said:

Off course it will run.

That's not the point.

I gave a long list because it understood the OP wanted to use this bike. That is ride it safely and reliably on the road.

Yes you can make it run. Any half way competent owner can do that.

But will it run safely a day reliably and not leave you stranded 250 km from home.

Maybe I'm guided by the bikes which are imported to NZ from the USA. Many have been essentially destroyed in less than 10000 km. Especially the camshaft and followers.

50 year old original wiring will fail if you set off into the sunset without checking that. I can 100% guarantee that

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I agree with most.

INSPECT

I work with industrial wiring daily. And vintage motorcycles X many. 50 years means nothing. If not butchered by a clueless but well intended layman, the age doesn't mean much.
Original wiring on all my old bikes. Repaired where required.

JMWO

concours said:

I agree with most.

INSPECT

I work with industrial wiring daily. And vintage motorcycles X many. 50 years means nothing. If not butchered by a clueless but well intended layman, the age doesn't mean much.
Original wiring on all my old bikes. Repaired where required.

JMWO

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It's that 5 way connector under the tank that usually does it for me. They are typically a crumpled pile of perished rubber. And poor connections inside the switches.

johnm said:

It's that 5 way connector under the tank that usually does it for me. They are typically a crumpled pile of perished rubber. And poor connections inside the switches.

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All easily repaired/replaced.
The cracked female snap connectors, hidden inside the rubber.

concours said:

All easily repaired/replaced.
The cracked female snap connectors, hidden inside the rubber.

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Exactly. But Alan is saying don't bother to even look.

Which in my experience may get you about 10 km down the road. And then stop.

I guess these days there are cell phones.

And to be fair he did say some might consider it heresy.

johnm said:

Exactly. But Alan is saying don't bother to even look.

Which in my experience may get you about 10 km down the road. And then stop.

I guess these days there are cell phones.

And to be fair he did say some might consider it heresy.

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Learning to be an inspector, and what to look for, is a skill in itself.

I would also replace the oil feed to the cyl. head, even if it still looks good.
50 year old rubber or plastic is always suspect.

ludwig said:

50 year old rubber or plastic is always suspect.
I would replace the oil feed to the cyl. head, even if it still looks good.

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They break like icicles...

concours said:

They break like icicles...

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At the junctions .