FJ1100 Mothballed for years

[LOTL]

Going to look at a 1984 FJ1100 this weekend. Supposedly it only has 7000 miles on it and is in great shape.
They said the carbs may need cleaning and the tires have maybe a season left on them.
Its been off the road and in a storage shed since 1987. They want $500 for it.

If it wont start, itll be tough to know what kind of shape the engine is in or the rest of the bike for that matter.
Sounds like a gamble, but the teenager is chompin at the bit for me to go look at it.
Anything specifically i should be looking at to help make this gamble less of a gamble.
Ill bring a flashlight and have a look in the tank to see if its full of rust and look over the engine, rotors, chain, brake and throttle cables etc to see if they are rusted.
I dont know how much digging ill be able to do, but if its worth trying to have a look in the carbs im all ears on whether that will be an easy or quick thing to do.

Is there anything these bikes are known for that i should be looking at?

The kid is 19 and aside from riding his mothers V-Star 650, itll be his first bike. Im a little concerned that this might be too much bike for him. He did well in his motorcycle training course he took this summer and is super cautious when i ride with him. Any input on that is appreciated.

[Harvy]

They want $500 for it.

Buy it.... buy it now!!!!....  even if its not running. With those low miles it's gotta be worth more than that in parts alone!

Harvy   

[FJmonkey]

The tires are toast, dry rot & oxidized from age and O2. Don't ride on them any more than if you were riding in the dirt. The carbs need a total tear down and ultrasonic cleaning. Replace all O-rings in the carbs, cheep insurance. Hell, anything rubber is suspect. Brake lines, fuel lines etc... The clutch slave likes to fail, lack of use may have dried things out. At $500 you are getting a good deal. See if you can pull the plugs and squirt some oil in each cylinder and turn the engine over in 5th gear (plugs still out) by the rear wheel. Any metallic noises should reduce the price. You already mentioned checking the tank. 2nd gear is possibly an issue but you need to ride the bike to know what condition it is in... Good luck, tell us how you did...

[aviationfred]

Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. For $500.00, even if you put $1000.00 worth of new parts on, it is still a steal.

Be prepared to replace..... Tires, Brake lines, Intake boots, Plug wires, Rebuild the Front, Rear Brake and Clutch Master Cylinders, Rebuild the Brake Calipers, Rebuild the Clutch Slave Cylinder, Rebuild the carbs with a rebuild kit from RPM, Definitely do a valve adjustment. That is a start from the top of my head.

The main thing to look out for is if it pops out of 2nd gear under hard acceleration.

Fred

[giantkiller]

If you don't want to do the work it'll take to get it back on the road. Like Mark said anything that has anything to do with brake fluid will need rebuild or replacement. And tires even if they look good will be hard as rocks, and very dangerous. (Slippery). And anyhing rubber. Will need close inspection. You should post here where it is. So someone here can have it. It's well worth $500.if you are willing to do the work

[LOTL]

If we dont grab it, ill suggest they put it on Craigslist and that i know some people who may be interested. Im in the MA/NH area.
Thanks to all for the good suggestions. Without a garage, im not so sure this is a project we want to take on.

[FJmonkey]

If we dont grab it, ill suggest they put it on Craigslist and that i know some people who may be interested. Im in the MA/NH area.
Thanks to all for the good suggestions. Without a garage, im not so sure this is a project we want to take on.

Tell them about FJowners.com someone will consider it... Too bad you don't have a member near by with some garage space and tools...

[Flynt]

Going to look at a 1984 FJ1100 this weekend... I'm a little concerned that this might be too much bike for him.

+1,000,000,000...  He's 19 for god's sake, let's not hand him a loaded weapon.  I'd go toward a nice 650 range modern bike...  Suzuki SV650 is a great starter I hear.  An FJ is just asking for the inexperienced rider to get in over their head in a moment of machismo, then fly through a fence and into an oak stand as they miss a corner horribly.  The torque and acceleration should be saved for experienced riders really.

I would recommend you buy the bike however.  It will be a project, but if you like to ride it will be fun.

Frank

[Country Joe]

^^^^^ +1.
The only way I would give an FJ 1200 to a young man as a starter bike would be with 2 spark plug wires pulled off. There are way too many good starter bikes in the 500-650 cc range. I have a 17 yo son who is expressing an interest in learning to ride, so I have had ample opportunity to think about this. Just my 2cents.

   Joe

[Bill_Rockoff]

The Japanese manufacturers figured out big power, and then brakes, and then handling.  The FJ1100 came out somewhere in the middle of "brakes" and well before "handling."  An '84 can be made to handle and brake well, but as-delivered it had okay braking and was, er, a little hesitant to corner, even if it is comparable to the not-quite-cutting-edge bikes of today in a straight line. 

A bike featuring 560+ lbs of road-mugging weight, a tall-ish seat height, okay brakes, and a bit of a reluctance to corner (and a tendancy to stand up and run wide in corners under braking) are a horrible combination for a new rider.

(I have let my teenager ride mine, but he has been out-riding me for half a decade in the dirt and on the street.) 

Get the FJ1100 for yourself.  (Replace the tires a.s.a.p. and probably the rubber brake and clutch lines, o-rings, seals.)  If you decide you like the basic riding position, feel, and behavior, you have a lot of options for making it stop and turn as well as it goes.

Get a $1,500 250 Ninja for your son (claim it for yourself, they're a total blast, but it would be a suitable first bike for him.)   Nearly anything you can do(*) in normal sport-touring, someone riding a 250 Ninja can do with you.  (*)Exceptions are the pure-power aspects - it's a bit tougher passing cars in passing zones aboard a 250 Ninja, and 85-90 mph is at the top of what they can do comfortably for a long stretch on the highway; they'll do 100 but much more than 90 is working the bike more than is conducive to a long ride.

[fintip]

Yeah, power aside, this is a really heavy starter bike. There's no recovering from a brief misjudgement of balance or accidentally grabbing the brakes too hard from 10mph-0mph, it will fall down. You need to have really careful brake control and really nailed down your balance before you're on a bike this heavy.

...And yes, that's power aside.

Find something light and nimble. Much more fun for learning.

[andyb]

SCREW THAT!

My experiences mean that I can say that it's just as painful to fall off a much lighter, smaller capacity machine, and just as likely.  The difference is that you don't get the rewards of having something powerful and responsive when you are keeping it upright.

[fintip]

My experiences beg to differ, but you do outrank me in experience. I think your problem may be the fact that, once you reach a certain skill level, you are just as likely...

...beginners, though, might find that difference substantial.

[giantkiller]

 My 86 fj was the first bike I ever owned. But I had ridden my dad's cb750. That being said. I put 14000 miles on it in 2 1/2 months  and totaled it @ around 135mph or so  :

[jamesearthdrum]

Did you buy this bike? I'm in MA.

james