noob with a 88' big bear

[jonathanhayden]

so im new to ATV's and i purchased a 24 year-old quad with only 500 miles on it from an old man. it has never even been off road not one scratch on the skid plates or frame anywhere, he just used it to taxi his boat to the lake. and it has sat for like the last 5 years.

so my question is, is there any necessary maintenance anybody can think of before i take this thing on a long ride. it appears to have sat with the fuel valve in the open position the whole time....(its impossible to turn without large pliers). i changed the oil and it seems to run great.

ill put up a pic soon.

[wylde1]

I would drain and replace the fluids. The fuel system is probably gummed up so the carb will more than likely need to be taken apart and cleaned good. The battery of course. Check for any rust or corrosion on connections. Check all the grease fittings and make sure it is lubed up. Make sure nothing is leaking. First time out take it easy and let it break back in to make sure of no leaks or other problems. Anything that is rubber check for dryrotting. Thats all I can think of right now.