[Bike Revenant]

I've inherited my father's bike and want to get this thing started. Not sure if I'll be able to handle such a monster machine, but first things first. I've bought a new battery, so it turns over. Now I want to drain the old fuel. However, I think the petcock might be under what appears to be an add-on intake device of sorts pictured below. What is this thing? If I can drain the fuel, what should be my next step. The oil light is on, so I may as well change that. I would love to have a list of things to do/check in order of importance to get this guy going.

 

[Vinish]

I am not an expert on VTX1800 bikes so seek other input before deciding your path. This bike is fuel injected so there is no petcock. I am not sure where the fuel pump is. If it is in the tank, I am not sure how you drain the tank. If it is elsewhere on the bike, you should drain the tank using the hose from the tank to the fuel pump.

Remove all the sparkplugs, inspect them, and, if necessary, clean/regap them. They can likely be reused. Put a little oil in each cylinder through a sparkplug port to assure the pistons are properly lubricated while trying to start the bike.

Discard all the fluids and install fresh. This includes clutch, front brake, rear brake, coolant, oil, and gas.

How many miles are on the bike and what year is it? Check the tires for their age and replace if more than ~7 years old. You can find the date of manufacture code on the sidewall of all tires. It will be a 4-digit number in a circle or oval and the numbers indicate the week and year of manufacture (e.g. 1415 means the 14th week of 2015).

 

[Mr. Incredible]

no petcock, this is a fuel injected bike,.


pre-2004 it has the pump internal to the tank, post 2004 the pump is external and under the bike at the rear, the drain hose on the left side rear of the tank.

sitting for 2+ year with fuel the fuel injectors will be varnished as will the pump be most likely, so you will need to rebuild or replace both, been there done that.

also there are 2 oil drain plugs,, you need to drain from both, and there are 4 plugs on this bike, if needing to replace do them all.

 

[Bike Revenant]

Ha, I was watching these videos where the guy points to the petcock and says that is the way to drain the tank and I'm looking at mine saying WTF, it's not there. I've only ever owned two much older and smaller Hondas, so I'm lost with this thing. The fact that the kickstand needs to be up to start the bike was equally amazing to me.

This is a 2003 with about 35,000 on it.

I'll check the plugs and tires and do the oil change first.

How big is this pump in the tank, I can't imagine how one would reach it to remove and inspect it? Let's say the pump and injectors were miraculously okay, what is the normal way to drain the tank with this setup?

 

[Mr. Incredible]

probably watching the video for a 1300 that has a peacock and carb,, 1800 is fuel injected.

the pump is under the tank, there is a hole cut in the tank that it passed through, pump technically on the outside, pickups on the inside.

remove the tank and it will become obvious.

 

[Mr. Incredible]

tank removal and draining:

How to remove fuel tank from your motorcycle Honda VTX1800. Fast removal. - YouTube

Honda VTX1800 How to remove the gas tank .. step by step instructions - YouTube

 

[Mr. Incredible]

this is the newer ones with the external pump, but the cleaning process is essentially the same:

Cleaning The ENTIRE Fuel System (Including Tank!) On A Motorcycle - Honda VTX1800 - YouTube

 

[Mr. Incredible]

coolant flush:

Coolant Flush on a 2002-2004 Honda VTX 1800 - YouTube

 

[PaXman11]

That thing on the right side of the engine for an air intake is a Hypercharger. Fancy name, doesn't do jack sh## as far as any performance gains. Strictly there for a certain LOOK. And it gets in the way of your leg. Stock Iridium plugs on a VTX are good for 100,000 mi. Use a mirror tool to inspect the inside of the tank. If really rusty, it will need drained, cleaned either by an abrasive or chemical solution, re-sealed against further rust. ALL fluids are hygroscopic meaning they draw moisture, should be changed every 2-3 years for optimal performance. Rear 'final' drive oil should be changed too, and as most of us get less than or around 8-10K out of rear tires, when the tire is changed is a good time to clean the final drive splines and re-coat with MOLY paste, -not- grease! A little goes a long way. Not real easy to find, but Loctite makes some. Fork oil is usually the last fluid to get changed, usually when new springs are being installed. Replace the shock bushings with the Honda GREEN bushings. A little search will find the P/N. Inspect the disc pads. If they look real thin or scored, think about replacing them, and use OEM Honda for best performance. Don't go cheap, you will be sorry in the long run. Cheap pads squeal, make tons of brake dust, wear much faster, and eat rotors. A few things you can consider: When changing your tires, going to steel 90* valve stems. Using 'Ride-On' internal gel tire balancer and sealer. Insurance in a bottle. Replacing ALL your fuses with the EZ-ID or Smart-glo kind that light up when they pop, makes troubleshooting a problem so much easier when you can eliminate all but the offending circuit. Consider upgrading all lights. The 1157 brake bulbs can be changed to 2357, a bit brighter. VTX Daymaker is a very good headlight swap. They offer a bunch of brightness & colored halo options. Don't waste $ on running HI-TEST fuel. These engines were designed to be run on 87 octane for best performance. Run 38-40 psi in the tires, and adjust to preference up/ down from there. Some things printed in the owners manual just haven't proven to be the best! There are a bunch of us here every day to answer any questions. Where are you located? Welcome from central Pa. high atop the Alleghenies.