My parents always told me I could never ride a bike so as soon as I came across some money I bought my first bike at 19 and put on 11k miles on a 2011 Kawasaki Versys before I started to really get bored of the bike and want something "more".
So as a regular hobby I cruise through Craigslist before going to bed to see what people have for sale so I feel I have a pretty good eye for catching what looks like a good deal. One of these nights I come across an 86 FJ1200 for sale. Of course I do some research and find people discussing the 2nd gear issues and what else to look for so I felt fairly confident in what I might purchase. The bike ends up being phenomenally clean and according to the owner was "restored by an FJ enthusiast" and then sold to him. Has a supposed 31k miles with 1.8k on the new tach. Picked it up for $1400 and rode it home with the intentions of learning how to work on bikes and possibly doing a cafe racer or street fighter build but who knows what's in store.
Welcome to the forum :hi:
Fred
Welcome again, if the plastics are in good shape and you chose not use them for your project, you will find buyers here for it. '86/'87 plastic is becoming more rare each year. Not quite "Rocking Horse Shit" rare but getting there as they are only used parts from bikes parted out or projects. I am partial to the '86 as it is my first FJ. Good find!
Awesome thank you very much, I did contemplate selling the plastics since they are in such good condition and I feel this makes me even more prone to having my first plastics destroying incident.
Some photos of my new baby.
Welcome to the group. Great buy!
Quote from: Troyskie on April 21, 2016, 04:29:36 PM
Welcome to the group. Great buy!
Thank you very much I definitely thought so and now more and more with the active forums and backing of the bike I am feeling reaffirmed in my purchase.
Ummmm... That looks like an '86 except for the upper fairing, it is an '84/'85 and from Canada (Lateral Frame vs. Perimeter Frame) . Still in great shape based on the photos. Really good looking bike.
Mark, wasn't 'Perimeter Frame...' only on the CAL bikes?
Quote from: Troyskie on April 21, 2016, 04:55:40 PM
Mark, wasn't 'Perimeter Frame...' only on the CAL bikes?
All the US bikes that I have seen are Perimeter, Steve (Moparman) has an '86 he brought from Canada and it has Lateral. However it may not be from Canada. The '84/'85 FJs did not have the text in the blue stripe, just the '86/'87 so it was repainted and the lettering added to match the OEM style.
I believe the bike was repainted not sure the specifics.
The Bike looks sweet. It is a bit of an enigma though. The tank and belly pan scream 86/87. The fairing however is 84/85. But as I said. Looks good.
Mark
Well spotted Mark, grab rails on duck tail look 86, and the reflectors below the fairing are 86 also.
Ognog, check the VIN list in the files section to find your bike, any variants are in there. Also, if there is a clock in the instrument cluster, then the instruments are 1200. If not then they're from an 1100.
Just noticed, looks like the choke is through the fairing and not on the handle bar. Looks like whomever did this did a good job.
Quote from: Troyskie on April 21, 2016, 06:50:39 PM
Well spotted Mark, grab rails on duck tail look 86, and the reflectors below the fairing are 86 also.
Ognog, check the VIN list in the files section to find your bike, any variants are in there. Also, if there is a clock in the instrument cluster, then the instruments are 1200. If not then they're from an 1100.
The pipes and lower fairing are '86/'87 as well.
Quote from: Troyskie on April 21, 2016, 07:03:34 PM
Just noticed, looks like the choke is through the fairing and not on the handle bar. Looks like whomever did this did a good job.
No choice, the '84/'85 fairing and fairing support has no provision for a side vent mounted choke.
Quote from: Ognog on April 21, 2016, 01:33:48 PM
.......and possibly doing a cafe racer or street fighter build but who knows what's in store.
That's a beautiful bike. I hope you don't hack it up. That would be a shame.
There are much better candidates for a cafe or street fighter look.
Quote from: Troyskie on April 21, 2016, 06:50:39 PM
Well spotted Mark, grab rails on duck tail look 86, and the reflectors below the fairing are 86 also.
Ognog, check the VIN list in the files section to find your bike, any variants are in there. Also, if there is a clock in the instrument cluster, then the instruments are 1200. If not then they're from an 1100.
There was a new tach recently installed reading 1800 miles but there is no clock so it seems to be solidly 1200 but then again it could be a whole new cluster. I have the VIN so ill look it up and find out.
Quote from: Ognog on April 21, 2016, 08:48:52 PM
There was a new tach recently installed reading 1800 miles but there is no clock so it seems to be solidly 1200 but then again it could be a whole new cluster. I have the VIN so ill look it up and find out.
The cluster will be an '84/'85 cluster to fit the upper fairing and other related bits. I am guessing it is an '86 and had upper fairing issues and an '84 was easier to shoehorn in then fixing or replacing the upper. My one and only low side on my '86 is when the bike hit a curb and collapsed the upper fairing and sub-frame. Might be a similar story. All the other bits look like an '86.
Quote from: Troyskie on April 21, 2016, 07:03:34 PM
Just noticed, looks like the choke is through the fairing and not on the handle bar. Looks like whomever did this did a good job.
Correct the choke is on the front left fairing. I have no idea what's abnormal on this bike haha. Although there does seem to be a good amount of little things here and there done. I'll snag a picture of the turn signals. LEDs integrated into the front scoop and rear plastics.
Quote from: Pat Conlon on April 21, 2016, 07:29:48 PM
Quote from: Ognog on April 21, 2016, 01:33:48 PM
.......and possibly doing a cafe racer or street fighter build but who knows what's in store.
That's a beautiful bike. I hope you don't hack it up. That would be a shame.
There are much better candidates for a cafe or street fighter look.
Yeah the more time I spend looking at the fine details of this bike it's really looking like it's too precious to be chopped up and had anything done to it but restoration work.
I wish my 88 looked that good. :dash2: Welcome to the forum.
Quote from: Ognog on April 22, 2016, 12:47:18 AM
Quote from: Pat Conlon on April 21, 2016, 07:29:48 PM
Quote from: Ognog on April 21, 2016, 01:33:48 PM
.......and possibly doing a cafe racer or street fighter build but who knows what's in store.
That's a beautiful bike. I hope you don't hack it up. That would be a shame.
There are much better candidates for a cafe or street fighter look.
Yeah the more time I spend looking at the fine details of this bike it's really looking like it's too precious to be chopped up and had anything done to it but restoration work.
You have no idea how many FJ enthusiasts just read this thread and had their hearts leap into their throats only to breath a huge sigh of relief when you said that.
Quote from: Nova on April 23, 2016, 02:28:40 PM
Quote from: Ognog on April 22, 2016, 12:47:18 AM
Quote from: Pat Conlon on April 21, 2016, 07:29:48 PM
Quote from: Ognog on April 21, 2016, 01:33:48 PM
.......and possibly doing a cafe racer or street fighter build but who knows what's in store.
That's a beautiful bike. I hope you don't hack it up. That would be a shame.
There are much better candidates for a cafe or street fighter look.
Yeah the more time I spend looking at the fine details of this bike it's really looking like it's too precious to be chopped up and had anything done to it but restoration work.
You have no idea how many FJ enthusiasts just read this thread and had their hearts leap into their throats only to breath a huge sigh of relief when you said that.
Yeah it's been getting A LOT of attention here in town just riding around the past couple days. Also it has a cigarette lighter on the right side. Night sure if that's normal but it's pretty sweet. I think the plan will be to get it closer to perfection and give it some more love while I enjoy it.
Also I find it really needs to be shifted aggresviely from first to second gear especially. I feel a bit tall for the bike at 6'6 And don't know if this my add to that.