Starts and stops after 30 seconds

[steptoe]

if thats all it is it's easy to fix,, it'll be the base gasket gone,, order a full engine rebuild gasket kit{ have just had one arrive for myself},will cost a tad more than a single head gasket, pull it down, clean up, re-assemble,,, no more oil leaks, simple

[HMC]

I was wrong. When I went to "glue" the barrels, I discovered that more oil was coming out between barrels and crank case directly below cam chain tensioner along the gasket.. Oil on head stud bolt as well that is leaking onto fins. I tensioned them which helped a bit.  Bikes does go, but not all cylinders. Was impressed with ride but used about 100mls of oil in ten k's.
So officially scratched, rescheduled for superbikes 2011.

[steptoe]

if it's been welded and has cracked again,, I'd be having the head  milled and block checked,, ,,,,,,obviously one is warped,,

to crack the metal, excessive pressure is present 

[Fred]

JB WELD. A good hardware store should stock it. It comes as a two pack and needs to be mixed before application.
Thats the 'goop' I used for the crack, no leak for about 4 years. It's all in the preparation though and shouldn't be considered a permanent fix.
You really have to clean it up well and then I used a dremel to etch out the crack a bit more so that the cold weld can penetrate.
Good Luck

[HMC]

You are correct, bike has been welded and has cracked again throughout.
It has also been restudded which is firm.
Is there any "goop" that will adhere to that alloy? heat and oil resistant.     

[HMC]

Thanks Steptoe                   I will check that out.
All oils are changed.
Bike has been scratched, but could be a late starter.

[Brian]

Don't run the bike till you check your engine oil. 

Dip a small wooden stick into the oil (through the filler hole) and see if you can light it.  I'm guessing that over the years your petrol has drained into the sump and is causing high pressure which makes the oil squirt out the front of the engine.  You may also see the oil level is way higher than it should be.

Even if the oil looks OK it still needs to be changed after sitting for that long.

[steptoe]

it happened to one of my motors,, might pay to check behind the front head bolt in the cam chain journal,,, if the bolt has been done up to tight, it cracks where the casting is weakest,, the crack will run across the the block,,, spray the area with thinners or carby clean to get it very clean,then with a magnifying glass you'll see it,, from there I had the head off anyway,thinners cleaned the inside face and a coating of silastic worked for quite some time

[HMC]

I had another go and kept it going however its running very rough and wont idle.
The bike is in Howlong NSW and was supposed to be going to superbikes but the oil leak is too bad.
We cut a gasket for the cam chain tensioner however I think its coming from the head gasket area.
The cam covers are dry but its dripping that much oil on the pipes that it fills the shed with smoke. Interestingly its not blowing a lot of smoke via the exhaust.
I will steam the carbies as suggested as I just happen to have a steam boiler.
May try a sonic cleaner as well.
I am assuming I need to replace the head gasket.
However its back to the beemer for superbikes, maybe next year for the xs.

[steptoe]

hey mate,, welcome aboard,,  first where are you, now we're getting more members distances between are getting shorter,,

after 8 yrs of sitting you're a long way off running it {in my thinking} carbies out and pulled down straight up, todays fuel goes off after a matter of weeks,,, even yesterdays fuels aren't that good to last 8 yrs,,

a tip I was told by an old guy regarding cleaning,,,pull them so far down that all thats left is carb body,ensuring all rubber and plastics are removed

make a boiling bucket big enough so the carbs can be above boiling water.

I made one out of an old drum with a mesh shelf above water level, sit carbs on shelf so the steam goes straight thru them.

gently boil,, even a steady simmer will do for 5 mins,, the steam releases the gels and other guck in the tiny ventricals

was the only thing that eventually fixed his prob,,and I use it when I clean mine.

after that comes a few more steps, but start with that,,,,,you'll have a blast

[Fred]

Welcome to the group mate.
There's a wealth of knowledge hidden in this bunch of blokes and looking forward to more members and an exchange of great ideas.
As for your problems 
My place to start would be Fuel. After sitting for eight years ther's all sorts of gundge built up in there. If yours has the vacuum fuel drawdown my guess would be to start there as the bowls hold about 30 seconds worth of fuel. Try to run it on Primary from the petcock and check the vacuum line isn't blocked including the nozzels on the carbies.

Oil leaking from the front?
The front of what mate? and how much?
Is it the cam chain tensioner housing? A new gasket (an easy one to cut yourself) and or end plug will fix that.
These bikes are pretty bullet proof and if you can get youself a workshop manual very easy to work on.

All the best

[HMC]

I have an 1100 that has been sitting for 8 years and it starts but stops after 30 seconds and is leaking oil out the front. Could it be a coil?