Hello future friends. I am picking up a 1986 Fj1200 tomorrow. This is going to be the first Motorcycle i have owned and im super excited. I do not have any experience with working on the Fj's or any motorcycle for that matter, I have a fair understanding of mechanics. The fj that i am getting runs and seems to be in good condition. I am very appreciative to all future information that i receive from this forum.
Eddie B
Quote from: Eddieb on May 18, 2016, 01:44:20 PM
This is going to be the first Motorcycle i have owned and im super excited.
Hi Eddie,
Do you have your license already? How much riding experience do you have? The FJ demands some respect... lot's of power and not so good brakes/suspension can get you in over your head quickly. Be careful.
Welcome to the forum... where are you located?
Frank
I can't second what Flynt said enough. The FJ is a muscle bike. It's tempting to "see what it can do." Don't. It WILL kill you. We want you riding and loving your FJ for a long long time.
I love FJ's :flag_of_truce: but I can think of better 1st bike's
Some guys already said this, but to buy a 1200 ccm bike as your first is not good. Don't get me wrong, nothing bad should happen if you use your brain, but there's a reason why every biker will tell you to start with something smaller and progress to the big ones. And yes, FJ is definitely a big one. Big, heavy, powerful bike.
Be smart! :hi:
Ivan
Hi Frank,
I do not have my motorcycle license yet. I am well experienced on dirt bikes but not so much on street bikes. I am located in Birmingham Alabama. The last thing i want is to cause harm to myself. I have driven a few street bikes but never owned one. I learned a long time ago to respect anything that you get on that has wheels.
Hi Eddie,
Do you have your license already? How much riding experience do you have? The FJ demands some respect... lot's of power and not so good brakes/suspension can get you in over your head quickly. Be careful.
Welcome to the forum... where are you located?
Frank
[/quote]
Thank you for the heads up. I do not plan on driving it like a maniac. I chose this bike because i am a very big guy (6,2 300 lb) and i wanted something i felt was stout would compliment my weight. I will totally keep your advise in mind.
I can't second what Flynt said enough. The FJ is a muscle bike. It's tempting to "see what it can do." Don't. It WILL kill you. We want you riding and loving your FJ for a long long time.
[/quote]
Ivan, Thank you for the advise i will stay mindful of it.
Quote from: balky1 on May 19, 2016, 03:24:25 AM
Some guys already said this, but to buy a 1200 ccm bike as your first is not good. Don't get me wrong, nothing bad should happen if you use your brain, but there's a reason why every biker will tell you to start with something smaller and progress to the big ones. And yes, FJ is definitely a big one. Big, heavy, powerful bike.
Be smart! :hi:
Ivan
Quote from: Eddieb on May 19, 2016, 12:15:52 PM
Thank you for the heads up. I do not plan on driving it like a maniac. I chose this bike because i am a very big guy (6,2 300 lb) and i wanted something i felt was stout would compliment my weight. I will totally keep your advise in mind.
I can't second what Flynt said enough. The FJ is a muscle bike. It's tempting to "see what it can do." Don't. It WILL kill you. We want you riding and loving your FJ for a long long time.
[/quote]
At your size - suspension updates will be an immediate need -- FJs are under sprung and under damped to begin with for an average sized rider, even more so as old as they are now.
Enjoy!
Hi Eddie
Welcome to the best community in the world. I hope you enjoy your FJ as much as the rest of us on hear. Threat her with respect and loving and she will treat you right. Just have to remember that an un-upgraded FJ is a bit like having a supercharged big block in a 40 year old mustang. It will go really fast and get you there quickly, but stopping and turning may be an issue.
For a big guy like yourself at the very minimum, I would check/rebuild the brakes and most definitely get the forks rebuilt. They are a really good bike, but as others have said, not for the novice. The sponsor/operator of the forum in one of the best places for FJ parts and good advice (their banner is at the top and Randy is a top guy).
Pat Conlon also has forgotten more about these bikes than most people will ever know. Heed his advice.
Take it easy and keep her shiny side up.
Mark
Welcome to the forum. I'll just add my 2 cents worth. When I first started riding street bikes at 16 an old fart gave me two pieces of advice that I still follow today.
1. If you stay afraid of it, you'll stay alive on it.
2. Always assume nobody else sees you.
Mark,
Thank you for the advise i will start getting everything together for the forks and brakes Rebuild.
:biggrin:
Quote from: Urban_Legend on May 19, 2016, 09:50:56 PM
Hi Eddie
Welcome to the best community in the world. I hope you enjoy your FJ as much as the rest of us on hear. Threat her with respect and loving and she will treat you right. Just have to remember that an un-upgraded FJ is a bit like having a supercharged big block in a 40 year old mustang. It will go really fast and get you there quickly, but stopping and turning may be an issue.
For a big guy like yourself at the very minimum, I would check/rebuild the brakes and most definitely get the forks rebuilt. They are a really good bike, but as others have said, not for the novice. The sponsor/operator of the forum in one of the best places for FJ parts and good advice (their banner is at the top and Randy is a top guy).
Pat Conlon also has forgotten more about these bikes than most people will ever know. Heed his advice.
Take it easy and keep her shiny side up.
Mark
Your advise is strongly noted...
Quote from: Alte Fahrt on May 20, 2016, 10:33:07 AM
Welcome to the forum. I'll just add my 2 cents worth. When I first started riding street bikes at 16 an old fart gave me two pieces of advice that I still follow today.
1. If you stay afraid of it, you'll stay alive on it.
2. Always assume nobody else sees you.
Quote from: Eddieb on May 19, 2016, 12:10:58 PM
I do not have my motorcycle license yet. I am well experienced on dirt bikes...
The dirt bike experience is great IMHO... takes the fright out of a slide on the street. Also gets you on the inside of the bike on your turns.
On your bike, please use Randy's help to make sure it is as safe as it can be for you. Brakes are very important, so put any discretionary money in that direction first. The suspension will get you by as long as you're going easy. Once you decide to pick up the pace, you'll need to do it for safety as well.
For the license, you'll probably want to borrow or rent a smaller bike for the coursework and any riding test you've got coming up. FJ isn't optimal due to size, weight, power, air cooled engine, ease of dropping on its side, etc... A nice little enduro 250 or something along those lines is easier to pass on.
Welcome to the madhouse.
Frank
I took my test on my first fj1200 back in 86. But had been riding my dads cb750 on the streets for a while. :wacko2:
Welcome Eddie, wicked smart folks on here. Bout all the info you could ever need on the mighty FJ....
So your saying pass the test on a bike you can ride.get your license,then go ride a bike you can't ride to pass the test on.brilliant idea!!
Shane,
Don't you suppose that there are some pretty good reasons that the MSF courses use 250cc bikes for rider training? I'd rather have Eddie successfully get his license and then get progressively comfortable and competent on his FJ. Otherwise, the only place that he can legally get time on his FJ is in a parking lot. Sure, all of us can learn something from parking lot drills, but that only takes you so far. :pardon:
Like I said I had been riding my dad's cb750 for awhile. Probably would be better on an easier bike, just because most people get a little nervous when taking the test.
Or ride illegally like I... Or take a rider's course. Might make insurance cheaper.
Quote from: Shane4371 on May 20, 2016, 06:43:22 PM
brilliant idea!!
Thank you... I thought it pretty basic.
Frank
It is, in general, always a better idea to start small and work your way up. It's why pilots train in a Cessna before they learn to fly a 777 or an F-35. It's why you begin with go-karts and not a Formula 1 car. It's why you give your 16 year old a Corolla and not a Corvette.
I actually like the way the licensing system works in much of Europe. You get your licence and can ride a bike up to a certain CC for a period of time before you can graduate to the next level.
Quote from: Nova on May 21, 2016, 01:28:36 AM
It is, in general, always a better idea to start small and work your way up. It's why pilots train in a Cessna before they learn to fly a 777 or an F-35. It's why you begin with go-karts and not a Formula 1 car. It's why you give your 16 year old a Corolla and not a Corvette.
I actually like the way the licensing system works in much of Europe. You get your licence and can ride a bike up to a certain CC for a period of time before you can graduate to the next level.
Yeah, the new rules in most of EU are pretty good, although not so popular with the youngsters.....
You can get your license when you are 18.
18-20 years: Maximum 125 cc and 15 bhp.
20-24 years: New test and maximum 47 bhp (no limit on cc).
24 years+: Passed previous test. No limitations...
Tough rules, but it prevents an 18 year old kid with no experiense from buying an FJ... :sarcastic:
In Australia we have a LAM (Learner Approved Motorcycle) scheme in place where you can ride a motorcycle up to 660cc as long as it doesn't exceed 150 kW per tonne. The days of being restricted to a 250cc while learning to ride are over, which is a bonus for people of larger statue who don't have to squeeze themself's on to tiny bikes, plus it makes it safer to ride something that will keep up with traffic comfortably.
Certain 250's like rgv's nsr, tzr, kr-1's etc... are banned because of their power to weight output, but the system has a few flaws in my opinion concerning 2 strokes, because even the less powerful ones like Suzuki x7's, Yamaha RD's etc...up to 400cc which are approved have power bands which can, and will catch a learner out when that front wheel goes skyward when not expecting it. It's not the power they produce, it's the way they deliver it, but anyway that's just my opinion.
Over all it's a good system with most manufacturers now coming onboard making specific models to suit that are that good that some riders don't feel the need to upgrade and are hanging on to them long after they legally need to.
You won't have to pass a riding test in Alabama - just a written exam - unless things have changed since I last had pass an Alabama motorcycle license test which was back in 2006. I bought my FJ while living in Alabama many years ago but moved it out to California some years ago. I would second (or third) the comment on rebuilding the brake system. Replace the old brake lines and rebuild the brake calipers. The pistons lose power when corrosion and old brake fluid sludge builds up inside the calipers over time. The brakes may seem like they work but not well enough when you really need them to. This is a great forum - enjoy your FJ!
Quote from: giantkiller on May 20, 2016, 04:32:50 PM
I took my test on my first fj1200 back in 86. But had been riding my dads cb750 on the streets for a while. :wacko2:
That's pretty cool. I took my test on my brother's 1979 Kaw LTD 1000 in 1986 the year I got my drivers license. Ah the motorcycle memories.
Quote from: Tuneforkfreak on June 21, 2016, 07:05:52 AM
Quote from: giantkiller on May 20, 2016, 04:32:50 PM
I took my test on my first fj1200 back in 86. But had been riding my dads cb750 on the streets for a while. :wacko2:
That's pretty cool. I took my test on my brother's 1979 Kaw LTD 1000 in 1986 the year I got my drivers license. Ah the motorcycle memories.
Took my test back around 1995 on a 1976 Kawasaki kz900..Miss that old bit*h...
Took my motorcycle test on a Hodaka 100 when I was 15 back in '72.
On the way home, my throttle cable snapped about a block from the house. Timing is everything...
Hi guy's new here, I pick up fj 1200 1989 will need help that's for sure. How come sometimes when you buy something people can't be truthful about the condition the bike is man the things I get my self into.
Quote from: jagcofj on June 26, 2016, 07:06:40 AM
Hi guy's new here, I pick up fj 1200 1989 will need help that's for sure. How come sometimes when you buy something people can't be truthful about the condition the bike is man the things I get my self into.
Welcome fellow '89 owner. Have you made a list of issues yet? That seems standard for buying anything used. If the bike has sat for a few months or more then plan to get the carbs thoroughly cleaned. Not just cleaned, a full rebuild cleaned. How many miles on your FJ? Aside from getting it running the safety issues should be next. Brakes, tires, chain (sprockets), suspension (forks, shock, linkage bearings). Clutch hydraulics are likely in need of a bleed or rebuild. Since you found the FJ ZeeMap you might have a few members near by to help as well.
Quote from: FJmonkey on June 26, 2016, 09:01:06 AM
Quote from: jagcofj on June 26, 2016, 07:06:40 AM
Hi guy's new here, I pick up fj 1200 1989 will need help that's for sure. How come sometimes when you buy something people can't be truthful about the condition the bike is man the things I get my self into.
Welcome fellow '89 owner. Have you made a list of issues yet? That seems standard for buying anything used. If the bike has sat for a few months or more then plan to get the carbs thoroughly cleaned. Not just cleaned, a full rebuild cleaned. How many miles on your FJ? Aside from getting it running the safety issues should be next. Brakes, tires, chain (sprockets), suspension (forks, shock, linkage bearings). Clutch hydraulics are likely in need of a bleed or rebuild. Since you found the FJ ZeeMap you might have a few members near by to help as well.
Thanks fjmonkey, I been working on the bike for a week now. Cleaning it up some wiring repairing some of the fairing that's has crack. Will be posting soon.
Quote from: DieHappy on June 21, 2016, 09:06:45 AM
Quote from: Tuneforkfreak on June 21, 2016, 07:05:52 AM
Quote from: giantkiller on May 20, 2016, 04:32:50 PM
I took my test on my first fj1200 back in 86. But had been riding my dads cb750 on the streets for a while. :wacko2:
That's pretty cool. I took my test on my brother's 1979 Kaw LTD 1000 in 1986 the year I got my drivers license. Ah the motorcycle memories.
Took my test back around 1995 on a 1976 Kawasaki kz900..Miss that old bit*h...
I always liked those old Kaws, they would shit and git.