Bad way to store a bike...

I'm new to motorcycling and I was looking to get a Ninja 250 to start with. A friend of a friend has one that's been sitting in a warehouse for 2-3 years. :confused:
My concern is that the bike might not have been prepped for this from talking to the owner. It's also a '89 with only 1500 miles so I'm worried that it's spent a lot of time sitting around.
Can this be a real problem or are there some things I can do to bring it back to life? Amazingly the battery has just enough juice to light up the dash(?) lights.
Other than the storage the bike is flawless and if I could get it up and running for $500 or less then I wouldn't mind giving him $800 for it. I know it would get used because as soon as I'm done with it my girlfriend wants to learn too.

Thanks for any help...

Oh yeah... I'm not the most mechanically inclined but I know how to perform basic maintenance and with a guide I'll try anything short of taking the motor apart. :bloated:

How many miles on the last oil change? You can figure the carb needs some serious cleaning, and the gas needs to be drained. Figure on a new battery IMHO. You should definately look at the tires too. Regardless of miles, if they're original (betting they are) they're gonna be ridiculously hard after 15yrs.

It all depends on the bike. The carbs will need removed and cleaned. If you dont know what you are doing theis can be a little pricey. Find a local carbeuator (sp) shop. It will need oil and a filter, new tires, new battery.

Also check the chain and sprockets. If the teeth on the rear sprocket are sharp and pointy, or the tips are bent over, the chain and sprocets will need replaced. If the sprocket is ok, use your best judgement on the chain.

Compress the fors a few times. They should feel smooth. If they are rough and sticky, they may need a rebuild. Check the fork legs to see if any oil was left where you can see it. If there is, the seals will need replaced.

If the motos has a sight glass to check the oil, look to see if the oil is mury, this could be a problem that you wont want to deal with.

There are a ton of things to look at, but those are some of the major ones.

I knew I was going to have to clean the carbs and refresh the gas and oil but I wasn't sure if there was anything else that might go bad from just sitting around. Thanks for the tips...