Hello from Maine

[Dieselman7.3]

New here. Just got my first bike in 7 yrs. 85 fj1100. This is my second Fj last one was a 86 1200.  Absolutely loved the bike and regret selling it. First things to do are a tune up on the carbs and new tires and brakes. Any suggestions? Also I regeared my sprockets on the 86 up one in the front down two in the back and really loved the cruising rpm and still had a ton of low end take off. I'd like to do the exhaust and suspension this summer and then serious mods this winter. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks

[red]

Dieselman,

Replace all the old fluid in the brakes using the correct DOT spec fluid, and the clutch also.  Speedbleeders.com will make it an easy one-person job.  If the brake lines are original, braided stainless steel hoses will be a solid upgrade in braking performance, when you get to that.  RPM (on the banner-head here) can supply the new brake hoses, among others.
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[Dieselman7.3]

Thank you that will be on the list. I remember my 86 was a royal pain to bleed the clutch

[aviationfred]

Welcome to the forum

Red gives great advice with the stainless brake lines. I have found the easiest way to bleed the brakes and clutch is to use a vacuum brake bleeder. Cycle Gear has a good one.

With the dreaded disease called moditus, we can can help you spend your hard earned cash at a rapid pace. RPM has many items that can update and improve your FJ. 4-2-1 exhaust, larger oil cooler, rear shock, fork valves, spin on oil filter adaptor  just to name a few.

Fred

[Tuned forks]

Dieselman, beware of moditus.  I have contracted this ailment and there is no cure, only treatments.  I can attest the RPM exhaust is awesome.  As Fred stated, I used my MityVac to bleed the clutch and brake systems.  It gets most of the air but not 100%.  Good luck, safe riding.  If you add your location to your profile, often members that are close to you will often offer to ride or help.

Joe

[krusty]

I've never really understood why people have trouble bleeding brakes and clutches. I've done dozens, perhaps hundreds on cars and bikes over the last 40 years or more without resorting to devices. Am I Robinson Crusoe?

[red]

Thank you that will be on the list. I remember my 86 was a royal pain to bleed the clutch

Dieselman,

Now you can get replacement banjo bolts with a bleeder fitting in the head.  Just the ticket for connecting the hydraulic lines to the master cylinders on the handlebars.  They cost from US$15 and up ('WAY up) for one.

Since Fred mentioned headers, most 4-2-1 headers block the engine oil drain plug, so you need to take down the headers, just to change the oil.  The RPM headers let you do an oil change without removing the headers.  I would need a real reason to change the stock exhaust to headers.  On my bike, the pipes were rusted out completely when I got it, so I got Vance & Hines headers.  Wish I could have used the RPM headers, but they were not available yet, back then.
.

[fj1289]

For brake bleeding - this is the easiest, most common sense method I've read and used:

https://www.gixxer.com/forums/22-mods-how-tos/283074-brake-bleeding-problems-look-here-fail-proof-bleeding.html#/topics/283074

[Dieselman7.3]

Thanks for the input moditus has been a problem for me with just about every vehicle bike and atv I've owned I guess I just like one of a kinds. I plan on spending way to much on the bike. Hopefully for things I want and not need.

[Motofun]

A trick for getting the last air bubble out of the front calipers is to remove them from the forks.  Put a stick between the pads the same width as the rotor.  Raise the caliper as high as possible (tie a string to the handle bar and caliper).  This way the air bubble will rise up rather than have to be forced down.  With a little practice you can get rock hard brakes this way.

[Troyskie]

For brake bleeding - this is the easiest, most common sense method I've read and used:

https://www.gixxer.com/forums/22-mods-how-tos/283074-brake-bleeding-problems-look-here-fail-proof-bleeding.html#/topics/283074

Thanks! That tip of 'keep a column of fluid over the nipple' was a real facepalm kind of moment. Why did that never occur to me?

[fj1289]

For brake bleeding - this is the easiest, most common sense method I've read and used:

https://www.gixxer.com/forums/22-mods-how-tos/283074-brake-bleeding-problems-look-here-fail-proof-bleeding.html#/topics/283074

Thanks! That tip of 'keep a column of fluid over the nipple' was a real facepalm kind of moment. Why did that never occur to me?

Glad I'm not the only one that had that moment!  Nearly 40 years of bleeding brakes and I never thought of that myself...