I have not had a sport bike in probably 30 years. I started riding Harleys and other V Twin Cruisers around 1990 and just got my FJ about a month ago. I had to wait about a week to get into the DMV and get it registered etc. and I have been really busy with everything else that I have not had as many opportunities to ride as I would like. lol
VTwins are full of torque and you dont have to down shift to accelerate at low speed all the time. I kind of got used to driving them and I don't think this bike likes the way I drive. lol Out on the open roads and highways the bike loves to eat up the miles and 3000-3500 rpms is around 65 mph in 5th gear. But tooling around town I think I have a tendency to either not keep my rpms up or sometimes I go too long without shifting and if I let off the gas i get a bunch of gurgling and an occasional backfire. Does this sound about right?
I have found a few minor cosmetic details I want to fix. Mostly small cracks in the plastic body panels and minor paint scratches but overall I am still completely thrilled to ride it whenever I get a chance.
Welcome. That doesn't sound right. My FJ would out torque and out lug my buddy's Harley Springer Softail any day of the week.
Sounds like you have either an air/exhaust leak/issue or your carbs need setting up properly - I don't know of anyone who has a well set up street FJ, that backfires.
I had an Aprilia V twin for 17 years alongside my FJ and what I noticed mostly was that the FJ was so much smoother and had so much more torque than the supposedly torquey V Twin - I can ride around in 5th gear on the FJ at 35 mph and still pull away smartly without downshifting. Having one gear that can take you easily, smoothly and quickly from 35 mph to over 150 mph is what made the FJ unique when it came out, and that flexibility/performance is what people really loved about the FJ. You can literally ride around in only 1 gear all day long if you wish.
Once you've got yours nicely sorted you'll see what we all mean about "Kookaloo" :good2:
I really think you need to find your Kookaloo! After that, you will WANT to keep a little more RPM in hand to get there again!
Don't forget, lugging an engine (ANY piston engine) is much harder on it than revving it out. Cylinder pressures get very high when lugging the engine and is a perfect way to start detonation. Just down shift a little sooner and you and the bike will be happier.
I also think CV carbs help encourage riding in too high of a gear since they won't fall flat on their face like a set of smoothbores or flat slides will when you open them too quickly from too low of RPM.
Just my two cents worth :drinks:
The big twins sing bass...the FJ's are more baritone. They can handle to lower register but a down shift is much more rewarding....hold on tight though as the kookaloo is unforgiving!
Quote from: fj1289 on April 14, 2021, 03:27:44 PM
I really think you need to find your Kookaloo! After that, you will WANT to keep a little more RPM in hand to get there again!
Don't forget, lugging an engine (ANY piston engine) is much harder on it than revving it out. Cylinder pressures get very high when lugging the engine and is a perfect way to start detonation. Just down shift a little sooner and you and the bike will be happier.
I also think CV carbs help encourage riding in too high of a gear since they won't fall flat on their face like a set of smoothbores or flat slides will when you open them too quickly from too low of RPM.
Just my two cents worth :drinks:
Right on - throttle control is what it's all about, mechanical sympathy/empathy in a rider is essential IMO to longevity. Rolling on the throttle rather than whacking it open is the key to smooth riding on a FJ, "feeling" for any sign of detonation/pinging is something I became aware of in my early riding days back in the (late) 60's and 70's and something my dad lectured me on incessantly as a young rider.
Quote from: Loukiii on April 14, 2021, 02:19:27 PMOut on the open roads and highways the bike loves to eat up the miles and 3000-3500 rpms is around 65 mph in 5th gear. But tooling around town I think I have a tendency to either not keep my rpms up or sometimes I go too long without shifting and if I let off the gas i get a bunch of gurgling and an occasional backfire. Does this sound about right?
Loukiii,
Nope, that sounds bad. You
MAY need the carbs balanced or otherwise tuned for your altitude, but first I would suggest using up a can of Seafoam or other quality carb cleaner in the gas tank, mixed to the label specs. Seafoam is magic stuff, but it is not instant magic. Seafoam will take a coupla tanks of gas to work its' magic, but I think you will be happy with the results.
If you have an exhaust leak or a vacuum leak, naturally such problems would need good maintenance, but the place to start (for me) would be with Seafoam.
It's possible to tool around in too-high a gear, sure, but the real FJ just comes alive above 5000 RPM. Get a grip, and hang tough. There is good reason why we maintain these machines, even after decades. Low-level flyin'.
:biggrin:
.
My biking buddy rides a Harley and its very apparent that the power delivery is different on each. If I ride in a high gear gear there are times when he pulls away and times when I'm having to brake to avoid his back wheel. When I'm choosing my gears, I'm easily out front. The Fj mill is generally smooth, so if you're backfiring, all is not well. Mine has a nice burble on a closed throttle, but not when on the gas. Additionally, I would count your sprocket teeth as 3000-3500 seems a little low to me at 65. (mines more like 4000 at 65).
Man are you sure its an FJ your riding, I want to hear back when you ride a fair running FJ even with 80 plus K on the clock, not many bikes as mentioned has as much low end stomp. Maybe one of those huge "INCH" Hardleys could make more low end grunt but it wont matter. Sure all the big new stuff has the numbers for thousands of dollars but our FJ's are not that far off in the real world. F@#% Covid 19.
Quote from: andyoutandabout on April 16, 2021, 03:23:33 AM
My biking buddy rides a Harley and its very apparent that the power delivery is different on each. If I ride in a high gear gear there are times when he pulls away and times when I'm having to brake to avoid his back wheel. When I'm choosing my gears, I'm easily out front. The Fj mill is generally smooth, so if you're backfiring, all is not well. Mine has a nice burble on a closed throttle, but not when on the gas. Additionally, I would count your sprocket teeth as 3000-3500 seems a little low to me at 65. (mines more like 4000 at 65).
18/38 sprockets will give you 100kph/62mph at 3500 rpm. An ideal combination in my opinion, still more than enough power through the gears but a relaxed cruising rpm at highway speeds.
Bones what kind of chain would you suggest with sprockets? new owner here 91 fj1200 doing little at a time
Quote from: dbc on April 18, 2021, 11:02:49 AM
Bones what kind of chain would you suggest with sprockets? new owner here 91 fj1200 doing little at a time
Any chain like EK or DID will do, spend the extra though and buy a good quality one not a $50.00 special. The size is 530 and I think standard length is 110 links.
I tried the SeaFoam stuff. I was planning on doing it anyway, I figured it couldn't hurt anything.
So I filled up the tank with gas, rode the bike home and put in 5 oz. of SeaFoam. I let the bike idle for about 5 minutes and then took it around the block (about 3 miles)
I think I made it angry. I don't know if it was the 5 minute warm up, (the bike was already warm though since I took it to the gas station) or the SeaFoam but there is no hesitation when I twist the throttle. This thing was already quick but it seems just a little quicker. I still need to have someone take a look at it just for peace of mind. And I want to put some new tires on it. The tires that are on it look almost new but they are well about 7 or 8 years old. I don't think the previous owner rode it much the last several years. He had a nice Vulcan 2000 in the garage that was probably more suited to his girlfriends riding tastes. So I will ask the mechanic to give it a look over when the change the tires.
]
Now... what kind of tires?... I dont want track tires. More of a touring guy. I will say if I would have got this bike when I was 20 I would probably be a pedestrian by now. lol
Maybe I will post a sound clip. It runs good. It just makes an occasional pop when I am in say 2nd or 3rd if I rev up and dont shift or suddenly let off the throttle.
Could be kind of normal for all I know.
Quote from: Loukiii on April 21, 2021, 03:41:07 PMI tried the SeaFoam stuff. I was planning on doing it anyway, I figured it couldn't hurt anything. So I filled up the tank with gas, rode the bike home and put in 5 oz. of SeaFoam. I let the bike idle for about 5 minutes and then took it around the block (about 3 miles)
I think I made it angry. I don't know if it was the 5 minute warm up, (the bike was already warm though since I took it to the gas station) or the SeaFoam but there is no hesitation when I twist the throttle. This thing was already quick but it seems just a little quicker. I still need to have someone take a look at it just for peace of mind. And I want to put some new tires on it. The tires that are on it look almost new but they are well about 7 or 8 years old. I don't think the previous owner rode it much the last several years. He had a nice Vulcan 2000 in the garage that was probably more suited to his girlfriends riding tastes. So I will ask the mechanic to give it a look over when the change the tires. Now... what kind of tires?... I dont want track tires. More of a touring guy. I will say if I would have got this bike when I was 20 I would probably be a pedestrian by now.
Loukiii,
Okay, newbie mistake, sure, but you want to add the Seafoam when you are
at the gas station,
THEN fill the gas tank. This way mixes the cleaner with the gas very well. You do non want to run the bike on a heavy mix of Seafoam.
If you have a 16" rear tire, your tire choices are limited. I run on Pirelli Sport Demons, and Avon makes nice radial tires in that size. If you have 17" tires, you can use almost anything in that size, but my preference then would be the Pirelli Angel GT. Pirelli tires are not the cheapest, but since you have a really good ride there, I'd say Enjoy It! Others here can tell you more about alternate choices, but in general, a traction (race) tire sticks well, but won't give you lots of miles. A "mileage" (hard) tire may last a long time, but you may not like how it handles in the cold, or on wet roads. Just a cautionary note: the tire debate on any bike forum is endless, and everybody's tire is the best, or stickiest, or hardest, or the cheapest. Me, I'm just another rider here, out for a good time.
:biggrin:
Quote from: Bones on April 18, 2021, 04:03:28 AM
Quote from: andyoutandabout on April 16, 2021, 03:23:33 AM
My biking buddy rides a Harley and its very apparent that the power delivery is different on each. If I ride in a high gear gear there are times when he pulls away and times when I'm having to brake to avoid his back wheel. When I'm choosing my gears, I'm easily out front. The Fj mill is generally smooth, so if you're backfiring, all is not well. Mine has a nice burble on a closed throttle, but not when on the gas. Additionally, I would count your sprocket teeth as 3000-3500 seems a little low to me at 65. (mines more like 4000 at 65).
18/38 sprockets will give you 100kph/62mph at 3500 rpm. An ideal combination in my opinion, still more than enough power through the gears but a relaxed cruising rpm at highway speeds.
+1 for 18/38... Perfect ratio IMHO. Don't cheap out on the chain, and always replace all three together.
Quote from: red on April 21, 2021, 04:12:32 PM
Quote from: Loukiii on April 21, 2021, 03:41:07 PMI tried the SeaFoam stuff. I was planning on doing it anyway, I figured it couldn't hurt anything. So I filled up the tank with gas, rode the bike home and put in 5 oz. of SeaFoam. I let the bike idle for about 5 minutes and then took it around the block (about 3 miles)
I think I made it angry. I don't know if it was the 5 minute warm up, (the bike was already warm though since I took it to the gas station) or the SeaFoam but there is no hesitation when I twist the throttle. This thing was already quick but it seems just a little quicker. I still need to have someone take a look at it just for peace of mind. And I want to put some new tires on it. The tires that are on it look almost new but they are well about 7 or 8 years old. I don't think the previous owner rode it much the last several years. He had a nice Vulcan 2000 in the garage that was probably more suited to his girlfriends riding tastes. So I will ask the mechanic to give it a look over when the change the tires. Now... what kind of tires?... I dont want track tires. More of a touring guy. I will say if I would have got this bike when I was 20 I would probably be a pedestrian by now.
Loukiii,
Okay, newbie mistake, sure, but you want to add the Seafoam when you are at the gas station, THEN fill the gas tank. This way mixes the cleaner with the gas very well. You do non want to run the bike on a heavy mix of Seafoam.
If you have a 16" rear tire, your tire choices are limited. I run on Pirelli Sport Demons, and Avon makes nice radial tires in that size. If you have 17" tires, you can use almost anything in that size, but my preference then would be the Pirelli Angel GT. Pirelli tires are not the cheapest, but since you have a really good ride there, I'd say Enjoy It! Others here can tell you more about alternate choices, but in general, a traction (race) tire sticks well, but won't give you lots of miles. A "mileage" (hard) tire may last a long time, but you may not like how it handles in the cold, or on wet roads. Just a cautionary note: the tire debate on any bike forum is endless, and everybody's tire is the best, or stickiest, or hardest, or the cheapest. Me, I'm just another rider here, out for a good time.
:biggrin:
Gas station is only about a mile from the house. I dont think it messed up the seafoam/gas ratio much. lol I see what you are saying about mixing better by putting it in before the gas though.
Here is a short clip of me starting it.
https://youtu.be/JnNWLYboc0A
Sounds like it needs a carbie sync and an idle adjustment. Should idle around 1,000-1,100 rpm.
Looks to be in good physical shape!
Regards, Pete.
Im still learning to search this website. Is there a post that details the procedure for a carb synch?
I checked the tires and although they appear to be in great shape... the rear tire is from 2005 and the front tire is a 2011.. so a 1 year old tire and a 10 year old tire... Time to do some tire shopping. I ordered some Pirelli Sport Demons because those seem to be what alot of y'all are recommending and I know Pirelli's are good tires. I had a set on my truck and they did well. That was easy. The hard thing was finding someone to put them on.
I originally called the local Yamaha dealer (they were even listed as a pirelli dealer in the website) and said I need to get some tires for my 86 FJ1200, I even gave them the sizes.
"We cant get them. They are out of stock" they said. "But I get get you some blah something or whatever"
"No thanks", I said. "If I get the tires can you put them on?"
"No, we dont mount Internet tires. You will have to take them to Rad's bike shop in Riverview"
"Ok, I will thanks for the heads up"
So I call "Rad's" bike shop. I tell the guy who answers the phone. "Hi, I have some tires and I want to put them on my bike"
"Ok. What kind of bike is it?"
"It is a 1986 Yamaha FJ1200"
"I'm sorry sir. We only work on street bikes. We don't work on cruisers"
... I almost hung up then but I bit my tongue. "This isn't a cruiser. It is a sport bike. This bike was the reason Suzuki came out with the Hayabusa." (I know it is bs.. but he probably didnt lol)
"Huh? hold on... Hey Rad! Will you work on a Yamaha FJ1200? Huh? Oh okay... Yes sir. He said to bring it in and he will put the tires on it."
"ok thanks. I will call you when they come in" ... unless I can find someone who actually knows what an FJ1200 is first.
Not 20 minutes later my prayers were answered lol. I got a call from a guy who owns a small show who has been working on bikes for 47 years. He is factory trained and certified and came highly recommended but the person who told me didn't know if he had retired. When I tried his number I got voicemail so I left a message and didnt hear back till the next day. I also described my concerns about the popping noises I was hearing when I let off the throttle and he said. "Do you have aftermarket exhaust? that's normal if they remove the innards. I can take a look at it but it doesn't really hurt anything but your ears" lol
I told him about Rad's and he said, "I don't care if you bring it here or take it somewhere else, but whatever you do, do not go there." I told him I had already come to that conclusion when they didnt even know what my bike was. lol
He told me to call him when my tires come in and he will take care of me.
Quote from: Loukiii on April 22, 2021, 10:10:27 AM
Im still learning to search this website. Is there a post that details the procedure for a carb synch?
I just rented the carb sync gages from RPM. Check this form, direction on it t(hey also rent the valve adjust kit). It was super easy. Flip tank around, remove the 3 plugs and one hose from the manifolds and hook the gauges up. Be sure the bike has warmed up, use a fan to keep it cool. There are YouTube vids (not for a FJ but they really are about the same). watch it 2 times so you understand what is going on.
a VERY SMALL turn makes a big difference so go slow. It took me around 2 Min or less but they were close already.