What needs to be replaced now?

[FJFAST]

Hey guys...I have an '85 that I bought new in '84. I have been riding 2 up now for 4 years with my "new wife" who loves to ride with me, whether it's evening rides or short weekend stuff here in Ohio. Here's the problem, we have been stranded once (generator) and almost stranded a couple of times due to carb issues. Had a used generator put in last summer and a "new" set of rebuilt carbs from Randy last weekend. We would like to venture out a little further this summer into PA and Michigan but given the issues of touring on a 32 yr old bike, I'm a little hesitant.
So, ID like to be proactive and start replacing (within reason) some  "mission critical" parts. My guess is to start with some electrical stuff like coils, rectifier, etc. Let me know what you guys think.

Thanks

GS

[FJ1100mjk]

GS:

How many miles are on your 85?

One thing that comes to mind, and is cheap, is rebuilding the clutch slave.

[CutterBill]

Given the very small price difference between the rebuild kit and a new clutch slave from RPM, I would just buy a new one.

[FJ1100mjk]

Given the very small price difference between the rebuild kit and a new clutch slave from RPM, I would just buy a new one.

You must have deep pockets. The "very small price difference" is over $60 USD. Unless, I'm missing something.

Clutch Slave Versus Slave Rebuild Costs

[fj1289]

Given the very small price difference between the rebuild kit and a new clutch slave from RPM, I would just buy a new one.

Buy both - bolt on the new, rebuild the existing one and have it as a ready spare  -- IF it is rebuild able

[FJFAST]

Oops.. Forgot about replacing the clutch slave last summer..32000 miles. By new wife, I meant second wife..first one didn't like to ride. Why'd I marry her the first place?..

[TexasDave]

Oops.. Forgot about replacing the clutch slave last summer..32000 miles. By new wife, I meant second wife..first one didn't like to ride. Why'd I marry her the first place?..

Replaced 1st wife with new FJ--way cheaper and much better ride.  Dave

[ribbert]

Hey guys...I have an '85 that I bought new in '84. I have been riding 2 up now for 4 years with my "new wife" who loves to ride with me, whether it's evening rides or short weekend stuff here in Ohio. Here's the problem, we have been stranded once (generator) and almost stranded a couple of times due to carb issues. Had a used generator put in last summer and a "new" set of rebuilt carbs from Randy last weekend. We would like to venture out a little further this summer into PA and Michigan but given the issues of touring on a 32 yr old bike, I'm a little hesitant.
So, ID like to be proactive and start replacing (within reason) some  "mission critical" parts. My guess is to start with some electrical stuff like coils, rectifier, etc. Let me know what you guys think.

Thanks

GS

Motorbike components deteriorate with two things, time/age and use. Most mechanical and electrical components will only deteriorate with use and anything soft like seals, hoses, o rings, fuel taps, boots etc will also deteriorate with time (and use). How many km's has your bike done?

I'm not a big fan overly preventative maintenance.

Fix what needs fixing now, leave the rest alone and carry a few spares and a few tools.

I carry a spare ignition box, a coil and leads (which services 2 cylinders) and a fuel pump. Doesn't take up much room and pretty much covers everything that can't be jury rigged on the side of the road.

Murphy's Law would suggest though, the minute I stop carrying these spares, they will fail 

I figure anything short of a catastrophic mechanical failure, and carrying these spares, I will get home (or continue the trip)

My bike has 150,000km on it ( I bought it at 30,000km 7 years ago) and I have not had to replace any of those items yet, all original. The clutch slave has had one rebuild about 100,000km ago, the fork seals have been done once at about the same mileage and my bike gets a hard time. Electrically, nothing has been replaced.

This better than average life from these components is in my opinion not good luck, but more about leaving the bloody thing alone while everythings working. If you are being "proactive" and start replacing bits that might fail, where do you start, where do you stop?

Too much is made of the reliability of these bikes because of age.

My bike has not only always got me home, it's never needed a roadside repair.

Yes, it might break down at some point, but trying to guess what will be the cause and taking steps to prevent it before it happens is a lottery.

I see way to many examples here of "If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is"

A dud generator or "almost" carby issues are never going to leave you stranded.

You can always join an auto club with a membership level that covers bikes. My membership does and it gives me the same benefits as a car I can no longer drive while out on the road - hire car, accommodation, vehicle retrieval, roadside assistance etc.

Two weeks ago I did a multi day ride covering thousands of Km's with 5 other bikes, a BMW 1200GS, a BMW 1200RT, a Ducati 1200 Monster, a Triumph Tiger 1050 triple, the FJ and (embarrassingly) a Yamaha Bolt (we'd finished eating by the time he got to each stop)

All the bikes except for the GS and the FJ were low mileage. The only bikes never to have suffered a breakdown while out on the road were the FJ and the one week old RT, with only a 1000 Km's on it from new.

The Triumph stripped 5 teeth off the starter idler gear on the first day of this ride and needed a bump start for the rest of the trip.

IMO riding an oldish bike a long way from home requires a bit of an adventurous spirit, if worrying about it is going to spoil the ride, ditch the FJ and buy a newer bike. However, as you can see from the examples above, that's no guarantee either.



A thousand km's from any useful help and my only concern was the wine selection that night in such a desolate place, not the reliability of my bike. If it happens, worry about it then.

Noel

[FJFAST]

Noel..thanks for your perspective.. You make some good points. Believe me, I know nothing is 100% dependable. One thing I like about the FJ is it is from a simpler time.  Im old school..air cooled, no electronic this or that to potentially fail (wonder what those bikes" reliability will be like in 30 years)? Would love to ge IMOt another newer bike (late model FJR maybe) but thats on hold till kids out of college. I just want to try to minimize any potential issues within reason because of my wife. She's a trooper but a  newbie to the travails of sport touring. I figure if I can reduce the chances of a road fail, it's a win for us. I love taking her with me and I don't want her to get cold feet for future trips.
Thanks again for your input.

Greg

[mr blackstock]

G'day,
I always carry tools, tape, fuses, torch+ batteries, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, and cargol tire repair kit, see the link below for an example.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Cargol-Turn-Go-Emergency-Puncture-Repair-Kit-G-K007-CLC-/111619810134?hash=item19fd0f2356:g:R-0AAOSwNSxVAbQO

Most bike shops carry them, and you save on postage.  If you do carry some tools, take the ones you actually might need, ie large socket for rear axle nut, allen keys, long shaft screwdriver and phillips head, etc.  Some generic tool kits may not have what your FJ will need.

And keep in mind, you may ride the bike everyday to work, day in day out, covering a thousand or more kms in a month, so going on a tour may not be beyond what the bike is already used to doing... hence if a part was gonna go, it will before your big trip.  If you do not ride it often, spend a couple of weeks riding lots locally, just to be sure there are no faults.

cheers, Gareth

[Pat Conlon]

84/85's are notorious on overcharging. Don't ask me how I know.

On long trips with the charging system pumping out over 15+ volts, after about 6-7 hours riding, over multiple days, your battery can boil dry. Conventional lead/acid wet cell batteries are durable (to a point) just add distilled water, but if you have a newer generation AGM or Li you will be screwed.
I recommend doing the Transpo voltage regulator mod (see the Files)

Getting the Transpo voltage regulator remote mounted (under side cover) and away from the engine heat and vibrations is key and a good thing as with any solid state component.
A benefit with the Transpo is that the voltage output is adjustable, so if you get an AGM battery that specifies a maximum charging voltage of 14.4 volts, you can dial in the correct voltage.

I am not a fan of the oem engine mounted, non adjustable voltage regulators.

[mr blackstock]

Pat,
Just a quick question, if I wired in a voltmeter directly to the alternator output wiring, would that give me a direct reading on the output?  I always wanted to put in a voltmeter just in case, and mostly to monitor my spotlight draw.  It may be better to replace the regulator though...

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2-In-1-Car-Auto-12V-Red-Blue-Dual-Display-LED-Digital-Thermometer-Voltmeter-E5-/182047346582?hash=item2a62de0f96:g:Sg8AAOSwBLlVP0cf


cheers, Gareth

[markmartin]

....Would love to ge IMOt another newer bike (late model FJR maybe) but thats on hold till kids out of college. I just want to try to minimize any potential issues within reason because of my wife. She's a trooper but a  newbie to the travails of sport touring. I figure if I can reduce the chances of a road fail, it's a win for us. I love taking her with me and I don't want her to get cold feet for future trips.
Thanks again for your input.

Greg

Greg, I'm in the same situation.  Love the FJ and ride 2 up quite a bit and feel the same about the whole situation. My only stranded issues have been electrical.  Everything else seems to be able to be avoided by good maintenance at your leisure. Check out this post.  This was an issue for me. http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=13052.0  The connector is red and located on two wires just below your airbox / left side.
Also this post; http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=14220.msg144336#msg144336

I'm paranoid about bearings failing so have changed them all over the years. I'm at 80,000 miles thought, but a thought if you are planning to keep it until the kids are out of college.  That's been my plan.  The last one starts this fall.

[Pat Conlon]

Pat,
Just a quick question, if I wired in a voltmeter directly to the alternator output wiring, would that give me a direct reading on the output?  I always wanted to put in a voltmeter just in case, and mostly to monitor my spotlight draw. 

Gareth, IMHO the most important thing to monitor is your battery charging voltage, so I would hook it up to the battery.

[balky1]

That's almost nothing in miles for FJ. I know a guy in Croatia, his 1100 FJ got more than MILLION KILOMETERS on the clock!!!! He traveled whole Europe, most of Africa and almost whole Asia with it. Of course, he rebuilt the engine a couple of times, only once changed the pistons (without honing the cylinders I'd say, but don't hold me for it) and only once his FJ failed on a trip when he was in Spain (burnt exhaust valve) and even then he got back home on 3 cylinders (1500 km trip!).
His name is Darko Labaš.

So guys, our small odometer numbers are simply not worth mentioning. :-)

Ivan