Starting a VTR after a long lay off.
 

I have a 99 vtr in the UK which I want to now use after a long lay up. First thoughts are to drain the tank as it has been laid up for many years. I can't get it to go, it tries to run but can't be coaxed into life just now. My thoughts are that maybe the fuel has to be drained and refilled with new. Basic question.. what's the best and easy way to do it? I am also conscious that old fuel is in the float chamber so I need to empty the lot. Thanks in advance.

Shoot, after 8 years you may have your hands full. Definitely drain the tank and carbs (they have small straight screws on the bottom of the float bowls and a small teet to attach a drain hose. Unscrew a little and it will drain the carb). Then refill tank w/ fresh and some fuel treatment. Keep that new battery charged up and try again.

To drain the tank, unhook the line to carbs, then apply small vacuum to the petcock to start flow. Sorry I do not have pics to share.

You will most certainly have some work to do on the carbs, even if you had stabilizer in the fuel...8 years is a long time.
Get a service manual and pull the carbs off together, don't worry about pulling them apart from each other. Buy a few cans of carb cleaner and get your compressor ready!

you will have to pull the main jet, emulsifier tubes , slow jet and jet needle. Be careful, there is a "front and rear" main jet and emulsifier tube. Keep track of which one goes where. Internet pics will help.

Soak it all in carb cleaner overnight and make sure that you have cleaned all of the small holes on the tubes...they are small.

I would also pull the float and check/clean the float needle as well. Blow it all out with compressed air and you should be good to go.

Thanks for responses, I have a bit of work to do here. I have all I need for now thanks again.

The needles are also different in each carb. ;)

Thanks for the useful input, I stripped the carbs off and cleaned out everything int the float chamber, cleaned and blew the jets etc. The actual cause was a partly blocked Pilot jet, which is common to other bikes I have worked on. Its seemed a bit daunting to strip the carbs off, with so much to remove first, but the advice was well heeded and did the job. I now have a very nicely running VRT1000f which starts fIrst time on the button! Thanks.

You should remove the pair system while you are in there. It is a mess of tubes that is supposed to reuse some air in the motor but its not needed and is in the way.

There are posts on here as to how. Also putting in fuel filters is an easy mod that will save you future problems.