[philthy]

I'd appreciate advice on the following please;

My 1989 851 ( 15k ) has now been laid up for about 2 years. I have been firing her up every now and then, but have been advised by Woods of Abergele and also on the message board not to do so, due to belts hardening and subsequent risk of piston / valve contact if they snap while running.

I was going to have shims set and belts renewed at Woods, but I won't be able to ride for another few months at least, so I may as well wait for the work to be done when I can get back on the road.

My questions are;

1. The oil has not been changed during this time, and I seem to vaguely remember being told that acids are present in used oils and can damage the engine if left standing.

Should I therefore do a '' cold '' engine oil and filter change and then turn the engine over by hand with the bike in gear to try and get some oil onto the bearing surfaces?

2. The coolant has not been changed for 8 years. Can I just drain and replace, or does it need certain hoses to be removed while filling to stop air locks which might leave some parts of the system unprotected?.

Also, is there a recommended coolant to use when re filling?

This has been nagging away at the back of my mind for a while now and I would like to start the new year with one less worry!

Thanks in advance

Phil