One Kitty Power

[Steve_in_Florida]

This is my 1990 FJ-1200 back from the powdercoat shop. The model is my cat, Terrapin. The date on the photo is incorrect.

[andyb]

That is very likely going to be a really pretty project when it's done.  Looks kinda arty already

[markmartin]

Nice.  Keep posting pics as you make progress.

[FJTillDeath]

Awesome looking colour, please keep us posted :good2:and good luck

[Steve_in_Florida]

These are pictures of my original 1990 FJ-1200 behind my dormitory in Kaiserslautern, Germany, probably around early 1996: (Also pictured are my 1995 HD Fat Boy and my first bike, a 1981 Yamaha XS-400)





After a slight highside mishap in the late 90's, I decided to strip the bike to the frame and do a powdercoat/paintjob on it. Halfway into the sandblasting & prep work, the project went on the back burner. (Read: BASKET CASE!) Thanks now to the computer age, I've tracked down all the necessary parts and acquired the motivation to ***FINISH THIS DAMN PROJECT***!!!

Sent parts to be powdercoated:



Then proceeded with the initial assembly process:



Right now, it's sitting on a spare set of wheels, until I can put rubber on the powdercoated set. I have two sets of the original color fairings, but they both have broken parts. The dark fairing is one I procured on an auction site a while back. My immediate goal is to get it <mostly> together, then take it to my local independent certified wrench for final setup and ignition. (Decent shop in Apopka, FL called Southern Cycles. Fair prices, and they stand behind their work) The bike also has a set of three GIVI 45-liter hard bags, hence the rack system on the back.



Here, Terrapin the 1200cc Thunderkitty is more interested in the squirrel in the next yard:



The full album for this bike can be viewed at: http://s1085.photobucket.com/albums/j434/Steve_in_Florida/Yamaha%20FJ-1200/1990%20FJ-1200/

The only reason I'm not rushing to put this together is because it shares a stable with some "other" projects, too:

[andyb]

Lovely, but more of the XS400 if you have more pictures

That was my first bike as well (78-79ish with a bunch of frankenstein'd 1980 parts on it), still have it in the garage.  It's on my to-do list to clean and fix up properly, looking for ideas

[Steve_in_Florida]

Unfortunately, I don't seem to have any more photos of my old XS-400. Back in those days, I was a poor enlisted guy, and film cost $$$. The money was more likely to go for gas and insurance!

Back in the early `90's, I reenlisted and got a bit of a bonus for doing so. Started taking flying lessons, but saw that my money would soon be gone, and I wouldn't have much to show for it. That's when I decided to take the 3-day MSF course and get the motorcycle endorsement on my military license. Rented a Yamaha Virago 535 for the course, and have been hooked ever since.

About 2 weeks after the course, a co-worker told me he had the XS-400 for sale, asking $400.00. I didn't even haggle! Paid for the bike with change I had saved in empty liquor bottles, and even had enough left over for insurance, gas, tires, and a second-hand set of leathers. Excellent bike. I can still hear the "tinny" exhaust note, if I think about it hard enough.

Approximately 2 weeks after purchasing the XS-400, another co-worker disclosed that he had a 1990 FJ-1200 with GIVI bags for sale for $2,500.00. After a short test ride (on the autobahn, in the rain) I agreed to buy it from him, and it became my new "daily ride".

Sadly, the XS-400 went on the back burner, but it still got ridden a lot. In my spare time, I was taking auto mechanics and body courses at a school about two-minutes walk from the dorm, so I ended up refinishing and painting the tank and plastic covers a really nice metallic blue color.

I kept my bikes under a balcony in the back of my dormitory, which happened to overlook the main vehicle registration and auto shop building for the area. (Kapaun Air Station, Kaiserslautern, Germany) It seems that EVERYONE who had business there could see my stable from the waiting room, so I got all kinds of passers by who wanted to talk bikes. Motorcyclists are a tight group anyway, so it was really easy to make new friends.

I found that the XS-400 was the PERFECT bike to lend or rent out for others to take the MSF courses, so they could get their motorcycle endorsement on their military license, too.

I remember that another dorm rat from down the street, James, used to borrow the XS-400 all the time. (I miss him, he was a cool dude!) One year, a group of us were going to go to Oktoberfest in Munich, and camp for the weekend at the military facilities in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, just north of the Austrian Alps. James and his girlfriend Mona packed all their camping stuff on the back of the XS-400 and hit the road. (Read: *WAY* OVERLOADED) The venerable little bike handled the task, though.

Ultimately, I ended up selling the XS-400 to another co-worker for $1,000.00. He had it for a long while, but eventually sold it and got a Yamaha Seca (I think). That spiffy little XS-400 is probably still running around somewhere in the Kaiserslautern Military Community.

Prost, little bike!

[Mark Olson]

Had a xs-400 S. 79 I think , the s meant it had disc brakes and mag wheels .

My ride in high school , tried to teach my girlfriend to ride it.

replaced a lot of parts on that bike.

[BrekD]

This is my 1990 FJ-1200 back from the powdercoat shop. The model is my cat, Terrapin. The date on the photo is incorrect.

Looks great!

[movenon]

Looks like you are on your way to getting her back on the road ! Keep the info and photo's coming as she go's back together. 
George