[opticcarlton]

Bought a 2004 for 1000$ beat up pretty good, but so far has run pretty well. Couple questions, as I am a newb.



1. Runs pretty good, but curiously, when you hit a bump, like a parking space bumper or a steep curb, the bike shuts off. It will start right back up, but still weird



2. Dented gas tank with chipped paint and a rust spot about the size of a half dollar. Terrible?



3. No dripping, but there is an aura of gas smell around the bike. Normal?



4. The PO wanted to use it as a dirt only bike, and so did a real number on the wiring of the blinkers when he took them off. Is that a difficult/expensive fix?



5. spots of rust here and there on the frame and swing arm.



all advice very appreciated.

 

[FnMag]

I got nothing for the intermittent running.. One of the more experienced guys (QWERTY) should be able to help you trouble shoot...



Tank can easily be sanded and painted over.. Many options on upgrading to a larger tank.



Turn the petcock off after riding and that should take care of the smell.



Wiring diagrams are available in the tech manual.. sticky in this forum I believe as far as downloading it.



Sand and paint any rust..



I paid $650 for my 91 and think I should have gotten it lower for all the issues I've had to fix... But, I guess that's the charm of owning a 20 year old bike, you can do whatever you want to it to make it yours. I'll keep mine until the motor dies I like riding it so much !

 

[RodneyReed]

Bought a 2004 for 1000$ beat up pretty good, but so far has run pretty well. Couple questions, as I am a newb.



1. Runs pretty good, but curiously, when you hit a bump, like a parking space bumper or a steep curb, the bike shuts off. It will start right back up, but still weird - Sounds like a loose electrical connection



2. Dented gas tank with chipped paint and a rust spot about the size of a half dollar. Terrible? No



3. No dripping, but there is an aura of gas smell around the bike. Normal? No



4. The PO wanted to use it as a dirt only bike, and so did a real number on the wiring of the blinkers when he took them off. Is that a difficult/expensive fix? No



5. spots of rust here and there on the frame and swing arm. No big deal



all advice very appreciated.

I would recommend doing a good once over on the entire bike. Check everything. If no major problems are found, you just have to decide how "nice" you want it to be. You could certainly do some cleaning and painting and get it looking alot better with alot of time, but probably not a tremendous amount of money. With only $1000 invested so far, you've got some room to spend some money, and still be able to sell it close to what you would have into it. New air filter, chain, sprockets, tires, grips, levers and a little time and paint could turn it into a real nice machine.

 

[TW-Brian]

Bought a 2004 for 1000$ beat up pretty good, but so far has run pretty well. Couple questions, as I am a newb.



1. Runs pretty good, but curiously, when you hit a bump, like a parking space bumper or a steep curb, the bike shuts off. It will start right back up, but still weird



2. Dented gas tank with chipped paint and a rust spot about the size of a half dollar. Terrible?



3. No dripping, but there is an aura of gas smell around the bike. Normal?



4. The PO wanted to use it as a dirt only bike, and so did a real number on the wiring of the blinkers when he took them off. Is that a difficult/expensive fix?



5. spots of rust here and there on the frame and swing arm.



all advice very appreciated.

1. Sounds like the side stand safety switch. Try taping or tying the side stand in the up position and see if it still shuts off. Your side stand may be loose and flopping around.



2. Not terrible, just cosmetic.



3. Mine does the same thing. Try turning the petcock off when you park or leave it overnight.



4. Unless he removed the wiring completely, you should be able connect replacement or after-market turn signals pretty easily.



5. This is pretty common. Not really a functional problem, just depends on how particular you are about how your bike looks.



Advice - None of these problems should prevent you from riding, so just go out and enjoy your TW. Fix the nuisance problems whenever you have the time and feel like doing it.

 

[opticcarlton]

Thanks for all your posts guys, that was fast. It sounds like theres nothing too bad, which is good, because my last craigslist bike purchase was a NIGHTMARE! 92 500 ninja. everything you can think of, rust inside the gas tank had to be re coated TWICE (second time was free, of course) carbs cleaned no lie like three times in a year, electrical problems. My primary bike is a yami r6, which I love dearly, has been one of the best vehicles I have ever owned. Ive always been timid when it comes to doing my own mechanic work (tooling an 05 R6 isnt exactly beginner-level), but there are less expensive things for me to break on a TW so I think Ill give it a go. Thanks a million fellas.