So I've been using this site as a very valuable resource over the past few weeks, since I was considering buying an FJ of my own. Well, as of last Saturday, I'm a proud (and quite satisfied) owner of a '92 FJ1200A. I decided to call her the "Blue Dragon." At any rate, I went out to put the tags on her today (I rode her to the DMV, how could I not have?), and on the way home--on the final stretch of road to the house--someone driving one of those boxy little asian SUVs cut me off right after a left turn, braking hard thereafter in order to make a right turn into a parking lot. Being in the lane that he cut into, I had little to no time to try and get the bike upright and proceed to stand on the brakes. It wasn't enough time. I low-sided, mangling the shifter assembly all to hell, and grinding up the front fairings (as well as a few other spots) pretty good. Needless to say, I was pissed. I promptly jumped up off the pavement to toss the man a raised middle finger, though that really didn't help any. So now, after having finished recovering from my last accident only a few weeks ago (I got creamed by an F-150 on my '95 1200 Sportster back in mid-September, fracturing the fibula in my right leg and totaling my Harley), I have a bike to repair (full coverage, though, so not too worried about that, plus it definitely wasn't my fault), a few spots of roadrash and bruises to heal, and a pretty crummy attitude to boot. Can't wait for my bike to get fixed up, though. You guys don't rave about these FJs for nothing, and I know that all too well now.
That is just so sad :cray:
You went from lurker to 1st poster with a wreck .
Lucky on your physical outcome.
Hang in there and put the FJ back together again . Ins co may try to total you out.
The most important thing is you are okay. Glad you could join us. Heal quickly. Similar to how an FJ is to be ridden.
That's the definition of a shitty day. Talk about going from a high to a low! Hang in there, and get back on that horse.
Sorry to hear about your mishap. Never a good thing to hear about things like this. Glad that you are ok with some bumps and bruises. The FJ is a very durable beast and repairs are fairly easy to do. Colorrite.com carries paint for your fairing. I was rear ended in June and rode to the Central FJ Rally a month later.
Post a detailed parts list of everything that need replaced. Many members have an abundance of spares.
I will be in Beaufort, SC. Sunday for a week. I will have my '89 with me. Some parts interchange. I can look through my spares and see what I can bring along.
Fred
Wow, glad you are OK. Hope you didn't strain your middle finger. Bike sounds like it should not be too challenging to get on the road again albeit scared a bit. I had similar low speed tumble, I was able to pound my shifter back into shape, gonna get a new on some day. Went it goes wrong... it happens fast man. Let us know how the recovery goes.
Thanks for all the input and good vibes, fellas. I appreciate it. I'm gonna try and rustle up a camera (I can't find even one of the three lurking somewhere in this house) and get some pictures of the damage (as well as the bike's good side, because it's purdy). So far as my condition goes, I'll be fine, just a little sore. Actually, if I had hurt myself worse (like, another broken bone or something), I probably would have hung up my helmet for good. Two broken somethings in a 4-month period would have seemed like a sign that it's time to give up. I can't wait to get all this crap sorted, though. Two days on that FJ just hasn't been enough. If Progressive does try to tell me she's totaled, they're gonna get an earful, because I know that's BS. I'll let y'all know how things are going after I get a better idea tomorrow afternoon.
On the bright side: Maybe you have used up your crash quota for quite some time into the future. To better days: :drinks:
Quote from: LtPwnzor on December 15, 2014, 11:59:41 PMThanks for all the input and good vibes, fellas. I appreciate it. Two days on that FJ just hasn't been enough. If Progressive does try to tell me she's totaled, they're gonna get an earful, because I know that's BS. I'll let y'all know how things are going after I get a better idea tomorrow afternoon.
LtPwnzor,
If the bike
is totaled, you can buy it back from the insurance company (cheap)
for a hobby project, and seek out an undamaged FJ nearby with the accident money.
Best wishes,
Red
Always sad to hear of one going down and worse yet, damage and injury. My last real crash was over 17 years ago, I did better than the bike. I got to work late but still got in a day's work. My FJ sat for years, it hit a curb and took major upper fairing damage. But I did fix it and have enjoyed many more years riding it and upgrading it... You mentioned damaging the shifter, I almost punctured the left side case. Some of us have opted to install the Renntec engine guards like I have recently. I have seen first hand, on more than one crash, one of our FJs ride home. I don't sell them or make any profit from the sales, just promote them to owners that want that extra protection. Randy is a member here and top notch supporter of the FJ and this group. He has the Renntec dealership here in the states and my engine guards were purchased through him (RPM). They bolt on easy and have become mounts for freeway pegs, horns and camera mounts. So as you rebuild, consider some extra protection. We promote ATGATT All The Gear All The Time. This extends to our FJs as well. Why protect just our self?
Heal fast and get back in the saddle soon...
Unfortunately, the insurance will probably total it. They will want to replace fairings rather than repair them. IF they can find one, it's going to be expensive (they deal only in retail pricing). The FJ is worth far more to you than it is to them. They'll just write it off.
The good news is they will sell it back to you for pennies. My 14 year old car got smashed in the passenger door. Replacement parts were prohibitively expensive. Insurance totaled it and gave me a $2700 check. I bought it back for $214. Drove it for another year with the damage and sold it on Craigslist for $500.
Quote from: FJmonkey on December 16, 2014, 10:24:30 AM
Always sad to hear of one going down and worse yet, damage and injury. My last real crash was over 17 years ago, I did better than the bike. I got to work late but still got in a day's work. My FJ sat for years, it hit a curb and took major upper fairing damage. But I did fix it and have enjoyed many more years riding it and upgrading it... You mentioned damaging the shifter, I almost punctured the left side case. Some of us have opted to install the Renntec engine guards like I have recently. I have seen first hand, on more than one crash, one of our FJs ride home. I don't sell them or make any profit from the sales, just promote them to owners that want that extra protection. Randy is a member here and top notch supporter of the FJ and this group. He has the Renntec dealership here in the states and my engine guards were purchased through him (RPM). They bolt on easy and have become mounts for freeway pegs, horns and camera mounts. So as you rebuild, consider some extra protection. We promote ATGATT All The Gear All The Time. This extends to our FJs as well. Why protect just our self?
Very good advice and something I will need to heed to.
If you will need paint to repair the fairing, this is the colors that you will need.
Marble Silver
http://www.colorrite.com/product/yamaha-000l-marble-silver-mas-1810.cfm (http://www.colorrite.com/product/yamaha-000l-marble-silver-mas-1810.cfm)
Dark Violet Metallic, (I am not 100% sure on this one)
http://www.colorrite.com/product/yamaha-0778-dark-violet-metallic-a-dvma-1977.cfm (http://www.colorrite.com/product/yamaha-0778-dark-violet-metallic-a-dvma-1977.cfm)
Fred
So I got everything sorted with Progressive, and yeah, they called it totaled. Just as you said, Hooligan, they wanted to try and replace the fairings. Yikes; the price on that estimate that they came up with was scary. At any rate, I opted to do as a couple of you said and took what money they could give me, and bought the bike from them. I took some pictures of the damage and put them here: https://plus.google.com/photos/108064577079251029572/albums/6093548626882746833 (https://plus.google.com/photos/108064577079251029572/albums/6093548626882746833)
I also got the parts list in the form of an estimate from the company. I'm pretty sure I won't bother just yet with half of the stuff they specified, but here's what they figured they would need to replace:
-Clutch Lever (I really don't think this is necessary for now)
-Left Cowl Vent Cover
-Left Footpeg
-Left Footrest Bracket
-Shifter
-Shifter Rod
-Left Mirror (Nor this)
-Generator Cover (I can probably live with this the way it is, or maybe just sand and buff? I dunno.)
-Generator Cover Gasket
-Upper Cowling
-Front Fender
Now, I'm not afraid to put my heart and soul into this bike, but I'm not a pro with a wrench, either. However, my determination knows few bounds, and my resolve has never been stronger.
I think you have the right idea, fix the functional stuff, then work on the cosmetics. The plastics, like the side scoop can be fixed, even with basic plastic welding skills and plastic fillers they can look like new again. You will feel so much better when you can ride her again... Don't let her sit for too long with out running some gas through the carbs (once every two to three weeks works for me). This will prevent what happened to me and may others and require a carb rebuild. Consider some fuel stabilizer products if you are not going to be riding soon. I have had good luck with Seafoam, others really like the Startron, pick one and it will be better than doing nothing. Or find some really good non-ethanol gas.... I am glad I fixed my bike years ago, I have had many great years of riding and it seems to be getting better and better. Cap'n Ron just posted up our recent mini-rally....
"Now, I'm not afraid to put my heart and soul into this bike, but I'm not a pro with a wrench, either. However, my determination knows few bounds, and my resolve has never been stronger."
Well said.... :drinks:
There is a 92 scoop on ebay right now I think....that seems to be the worst and will be the most expensive. The rest of the bits are up there as well.
The timing ("generator") cover can be fairly hard to find. I would think for less that $500 in used parts (not counting an professional painting) you will
be back on the road.
Other than the wrecked parts it looks like a really nice.
Good luck.
Jeff
Oh...I see upper cowling on your list....that might take a while to find a used one. :dash2: Hopefully it can be repaired if it is not too bad.
Jeff
Quote from: LtPwnzor on December 16, 2014, 04:23:40 PM
-Left Footpeg
-Left Footrest Bracket
-Upper Cowling
I may have these for you... PM and we'll discuss terms :diablo:
Frank
If you replace your plastic, please don't toss out your old stuff. It can be fixed to live again. I made the mistake of tossing my old plastic... Then later I learned that ABS can be welded and look like new again...
Quote from: FJmonkey on December 16, 2014, 06:20:47 PM
If you replace your plastic, please don't toss out your old stuff. It can be fixed to live again. I made the mistake of tossing my old plastic... Then later I learned that ABS can be welded and look like new again...
Can you expand on the welding part?.My belly cowl has a piece broken off that I still have. Would be good to know how to join it back on.
Yeah, I'd prefer to repair what I have over buying replacement pieces, but I'll happily entertain an enticing offer. Spare parts are the bomb. I'm no plastic magician, but I'm sure I'll get by with a little help from my friends. I have a good many people here in the area willing to help out in their spare time.
Quote from: wildfire on December 16, 2014, 06:42:08 PM
Quote from: FJmonkey on December 16, 2014, 06:20:47 PM
If you replace your plastic, please don't toss out your old stuff. It can be fixed to live again. I made the mistake of tossing my old plastic... Then later I learned that ABS can be welded and look like new again...
Can you expand on the welding part?.My belly cowl has a piece broken off that I still have. Would be good to know how to join it back on.
That is a good question, and yes I can... All ABS plastic can be welded and mended. Our FJs are covered in ABS plastic...
A bit long but it covers the basics....
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=abs+welding+you+tube&ei=UTF-8&fr=chrf-yff26 (http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=abs+welding+you+tube&ei=UTF-8&fr=chrf-yff26)
Definitely get some SeaFoam or Star-Tron in your gas and through your carbs.
I use Star-Tron in my FJ, and Sta-Bil in my other bikes with every fill up.
Hang in there,
Anson
I know that I have a spare shifter bolt and shifter assembly, I may have a left foot peg. My spare foot peg bracket won't work for your year.
When I leave Kansas Saturday for South Carolina, I will bring the items with me. If you would like thin, we can meet up and they are yours at no cost.
Fred
Fred,
did you get my Email regarding your trip down to Florida?
Scott
Save that plastic!
http://youtu.be/stO4pDw4L94 (http://youtu.be/stO4pDw4L94)
Mechanically it is not too bad.. Looks like a few parts for the shifter and foot peg and you are rolling again. :good:
Ins. co. is always quick to total an FJ . Just the cosmetics will do it in.
Good choice on keeping the bike , you will not regret it. Sounds like some of the Guys have parts for you already.
This is a great group of people, Just wait till you meet some at an FJ Rally and put a face to the posts. :drinks:
Quote from: FJscott on December 16, 2014, 09:00:55 PM
Fred,
did you get my Email regarding your trip down to Florida?
Scott
I did and I sent you a PM.
Fred
Accidents suck. Glad you're ok. It hurts more when it's a new bike. However, at least your not this guy:
http://youtu.be/HlQQfAz0fbM (http://youtu.be/HlQQfAz0fbM)
50' from the dealer....
Keep smiling
Dan
Quote from: Mark Olson on December 16, 2014, 10:20:24 PM
Mechanically it is not too bad.. Looks like a few parts for the shifter and foot peg and you are rolling again.
My thoughts exactly. I figure the cosmetics will come with time, but at least she'll be operable with a little effort. You ain't kidding about the great people here, either. You guys are awesome. Just a post or two on a forum I just joined, and everyone's ready to help me get my bike back on the road. Glad I found this place before I even bought the bike; it was what convinced me this bike would be a blast. I kinda want to change the name of the thread now. "Road to victory" or something like that is better suited to the way things are shaping up now. Here I was thinking to crack that bottle of Jack to help me feel better and get some sleep Monday night; at this point I think it's better saved for celebrating my bike's recovery.
That's the spirit :good:
Go ahead and strip off the broken shifter and foot peg and see if you need other parts and then post up what you need , somebody probably has them lying around .
It's ok to open the Jack and have a few sips , you made it through the crash in one piece . :drinks:
I don't have a spare bolt, but I do have a spare shifter assembly...............................I know Fred offered one also, but if you need mine it's yours!
And we'll have to share some sips of Jack at a rally sometime...............(I'm partial to Bourbon) :drinks:
Yup..
Carpe Diem.
1. Open the Jack.
2. Make a toast to walking away.
3. Repair the FJ.
4. Ride the FJ to purchase more Jack.
5. Once home, Open the Jack.
6. Make a toast to the rebuilt FJ. Let us know when, so we can toast also..
:drinks:
Quote from: LtPwnzor on December 16, 2014, 04:23:40 PM
So I got everything sorted with Progressive, and yeah, they called it totaled. Just as you said, Hooligan, they wanted to try and replace the fairings. Yikes; the price on that estimate that they came up with was scary. At any rate, I opted to do as a couple of you said and took what money they could give me, and bought the bike from them. I took some pictures of the damage and put them here: https://plus.google.com/photos/108064577079251029572/albums/6093548626882746833 (https://plus.google.com/photos/108064577079251029572/albums/6093548626882746833)
I also got the parts list in the form of an estimate from the company. I'm pretty sure I won't bother just yet with half of the stuff they specified, but here's what they figured they would need to replace:
-Clutch Lever (I really don't think this is necessary for now)
-Left Cowl Vent Cover
-Left Footpeg
-Left Footrest Bracket
-Shifter
-Shifter Rod
-Left Mirror (Nor this)
-Generator Cover (I can probably live with this the way it is, or maybe just sand and buff? I dunno.)
-Generator Cover Gasket
-Upper Cowling
-Front Fender
1. If it was not your fault the other guy's insurance is on the hook and they owe you for your injuries.
question: what did they pay you for the bike (it would be market value) I'd think 3 grand or so which will put you well ahead.
2. I didn't see much damage on the cover ( I think Yamaha calls it an "oil pump cover") but Randy sells "take-off's" pretty cheap (25 bucks if I recall).
Well, ya see, the police report stated that both drivers involved here were at fault. It sounds funky to me, and I can't figure out what I did to be put at fault along with the other guy. I called the local PD to ask about it, but they gave me a runaround of sorts. The officer who actually typed up the report on the computer doodad told me she was just typing it up as another officer had dictated it to her. He didn't want to handle all our personal effects (ID, insurance cards, etc.) because he was starting to come down with something, and didn't want to pass it on to us. Since he was out sick when I called, I asked the officer I had on the phone (the one who typed up the report) to please explain to me what I had done to be put at fault. I wasn't making a fuss, I was just curious. She gave me an explanation that really didn't help me out at all, and was hard to follow; sorta like trying read Japanese when you know nothing of the language. Basically, what I got out of it was that it was my fault for riding a motorcycle, rather than driving a car. So I'm gonna talk to the guy who supposedly dictated the events to that officer tomorrow, when he gets back from sick leave. Phew; quite the runaround, this whole thing. What a pain in my rear. Also, I had a better look at the damage to my shifter/footpeg area, and it looks like I should be good with just the shifter parts and a footpeg. The rest I think I can work with if I monkey with it. I'm gonna try and find someone (like a friend who has a friend kinda thing, preferably) who knows their way around plastics better than I do to have a look at fixing the fairings; if they try to ask too much, I'll study up, practice up, and do it myself.
Your "at fault" contribution to the accident was most likely, 'not leaving sufficient distance to safely stop in the assured clear distance'. Doesn't really matter now as you won't be able to get them to change it anyhow unless you go to court with a swag of "expert witness" testimony. All of this will cost you many times what the repair will. :-(
If you need a footpeg from an Australian '91, let me know. I think I also have a clutch lever.
Arnie
Its called "contributory negligence" and even though the other guys at fault, a portion of the blame is attributed to you for not excercising due caution.
If someone comes through a Stop sign and cleans you up, he's in the wrong, however you cop a percentage of the blame for not approaching the intersection with caution.
Unless you are stationary at an intersection and get rear ended, you are never blameless in the eyes of the law and the insurers.
While this seems, and is, morally wrong, it is the system and you can't fight it.
I had a recent experience of this. I was legally stationary and a guy reversed out into my car door. The insurance company viewed it as 50/50 blame. I had reversed out from an angle car park and as I was about move off the guy next to me backed straight into the side of my car. Stuffed if I can see even remotely how I contributed to that, bit it just isn't worth fighting (and I get free high level legal representation).
Yeah it sucks, but don't dwell on it, move on, get the bike back on the road and enjoy. You can't beat the system and its not worth trying.
Noel
Here in the states you will be at some level of fault if you were moving. Even in a parking lot... Deal with it... Been there, done that... Fix it and ride it man.
What this discussion misses, is that while allocation of fault is (in some jurisdictions) GROUNDS for proprtionate recovery - with 50/50 being the "lick your own wounds" pivot point - the DETERMINATION of such a relative allocation is within the power of the Courts, not the police nor the insurance industry. In the context of the fact pattern presented here, none can state with any certainty what the likely proportions would be.
There is an old Maxim: "the law does not favor he who sleeps on his rights"
I'm still curious as to what the "totaled" value of this FJ was as well as the salvage-title value (bottom line: net payoff) though.
Yeah; I was pretty indifferent to the whole contribution dealio. I never intended to make a big fuss over it; I just wanted an explanation from the guy who wrote it up. Turns out he was very nice about it, and gave me a good explanation and all that. We went on thereafter to have a lengthy (and pleasant) conversation about motorcycles, riding habits, bike preferences, etc. Real nice guy, and by the time we finished talking it was me and about 5 other guys (3 cops among them) having an entertaining conversation. So, that settled, all that's left is to get the bike repaired and get back to riding. Also, Burns, the insurance co. valued the bike at somewhere around $2100 or so (I don't remember the exact figures, just what I wound up with after the subtraction of my $500 deductible and the $300-400 salvage value, which came out to be $1300 or so). All in all, I suppose it's not bad for a bike I paid $1500 for. I think.
Not bad at all. Since you weren't hurt I'd chalk the whole thing up as a win.
Made it up to see Mark and his injured FJ. :yahoo: Spent about 2 hours chatting and talking FJ shop :drinks:
Had the pleasure of riding 1 1/2 hours in the rain. Good thing it was not cold, 55-60 degrees.
Hopefully the shift linkage assembly will go back together and the frame bolt holes for the foot peg are not buggered up.
My FJ sitting in Lake Charleston. The good side of Marks FJ, the paint job is really gorgeous, even without sunlight.
Quote from: aviationfred on December 22, 2014, 06:22:55 PM
Hopefully the shift linkage assembly will go back together and the frame bolt holes for the foot peg are not buggered up.
Did you guys attempt to remove the damaged shift linkage parts and foot peg to see any possible frame damage?
THAT will be the key.
Remember, the frame on the later bike features a box construction with an internal captive nut to secure the shifter bolt. (As opposed to the solid frame that's drilled and tapped on the `90 and earlier bikes.)
From the pictures, it looks like the whole foot peg assembly took quite a hit. All of this AND the side plate have to come off to fully assess the damage. Those are the pictures I was hoping to see.
Regardless, IT CAN BE FIXED!
Steve
Yeah, now that I got the pieces I need (thanks of course to Fred, who came a-riding through the rain to the rescue :hi:), I'll probably be taking all that apart to get it straightened out. I do know that one of mount points for the footpeg assembly wound up a little cockeyed, but it's pretty thin steel so it shouldn't be hard to coerce it back into its prior orientation. Also, the "captive nut" in question, after close inspection, looks to have been previously (and crummily) welded to a hole in the outer part of the box construct you mentioned, where presumably a previous shifter bolt tore free. Not surprisingly, the crummy weld was what broke rather than the bolt. At any rate, I'll post images and updates as I take this stuff apart.
https://plus.google.com/108064577079251029572/posts/L2KVjgftb7Q (https://plus.google.com/108064577079251029572/posts/L2KVjgftb7Q)
So I did a little work getting the parts in order, and I think a little welding is going to be required. Luckily, I have a friend who lives just a block or so away that has several different welding machines at his house, and some talent with welding (unlike myself). So unless you guys think it inadvisable, I'm just gonna shift the bike into 1st and putt it over to his house so he can help me get that whiz nut (the one with the flange in the pictures; I had no idea what that particular type of nut was called before yesterday) welded into the spot where the other nut tore out from the crummy weld that held it in place previously. The other bolt there we're gonna try and use to bend the other mount point for the footpeg assembly back into place (hopefully). If that doesn't work, I'm open to suggestions, but I think I'd be able to live with it the way it is. After all that's sorted, all that's left is to put everything back on and she's rolling again. Then comes the plastics work.