fj 1200 too low

[longerone]

  hi everyone i just bought 89 fj 1200 with 87000 km on the odo it has no previous history i will like advise from my family members of fj gurus out there by the way i live in nigeria.
1-i am not sure of  the model year of the bike i google for fj pics and the pis of 89 exactly resembles mine.
2-i am a tall man 7feet tall i want to know if there is any height adjustment especially as our roads are bad and the bottom of the bike touch the ground on bumpy roads.
3-what service checks am i suppose to carry out on it and where to download its owners manual.
4-lastly the bike makes anoying noises in 1st gear when releasing the clutch and when moving slowly in 1st gear also idling apeed seems high when the engine is hot.             

                         best regards longerone.

[andyb]

1-Ok.  88-90 were all the same machine with different colors.
2-You can increase preload on the front as well as the rear.  On the right side of the bike near the shock is an adjuster, there is a nut that is tightened after raising a spring-loaded cap that sits atop it.  That will increase your rear preload which alters height slightly.  For the front, remove the black caps atop the fork, and using a heavy screwdriver push the adjusters down quite hard, and rotate them; their function will be pretty easy to figure out.  In the rear you can make alternate length dogbones to replace in the shock linkage, this will raise the rear of the machine.  Remember that you may need a longer sidestand as well as centerstand if the bike is raised significantly.
3-http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?board=34.0  Neither is proper year, but they will be quite close on most things.
4- The camchain and/or starter chain is probably quite worn.  Replacement requires complete disassembly of the motor.  Valve clearance may be out of spec also, which can cause some issue.  

[Pat Conlon]

Hello longerone, welcome.
I can help you with your fitment and suspension.
You are 7 feet tall, I think Tim Collins is about 6'8" and here's what he did to help him fit his long legs on his FJ. Tim installed special order footpegs made by Buell (Harley Davidson) called "lowering pegs". The Buell pegs moved his foot down about 1.0" and back about .75"
Google "Buell lowering pegs" and you will see more info. You will need to order them from a Buell dealer.
Next: Taller seat, add some more foam to your seat to get a extra 1-2" or so, of seat height. You will need to recover your seat with a material of your choice, Zebra hyde would be cool.
If you're 7' tall you gotta weigh about 105-110+ kilos. You need stiffer fork springs, like, as stiff as they come. Get 1.05kg springs from Traxxion Dynamics and replace your weak factory springs.
Rear ride height: Shock linkage: Replace your stock dogbones with shorter ones which will raise the rear end and get you more clearance. With your weight and rough road conditions you really need a new rear shock valved to a heaver spring. The Yamaha oem shock was weak the day it was made, and only more so as the years pass by. The Penske shock is a popular FJ upgrade, also available from Traxxion Dynamics.

Hope this helps.
Cheers!

[rktmanfj]

You are 7 feet tall, I think Tim Collins is about 6'8" and here's what he did to help him fit his long legs on his FJ. Tim installed special order footpegs made by Buell (Harley Davidson) called "lowering pegs". The Buell pegs moved his foot down about 1.0" and back about .75"
Google "Buell lowering pegs" and you will see more info. You will need to order them from a Buell dealer.

FWIW, those Buell pegs may not be especially sturdy, as Tim has broken at least one of them.       

I thought about ordering a set until I found that out.

I tend to stand on the pegs occasionally, and as Herny will be quick to tell you, I'm no lightweight.     

Randy T
Indy

[junkyardroad]

Use heavier fork oil and crank up the rear shock to 5. Stiffer fork springs are available.

I am "only"  6'7" and find this bike to be about the smallest I can ride.

[Kopfjaeger]

7 ft!!! holy crap stretch im 6'2 and complain the world is built by midgets