Randy Raduechel is The Man

[Bminder]

First off, I'd like to thank Algore for inventing the Internets that made this all possible. 
Second, I'd like to thank this forum for being there and being so supportive. You guys are great!

But most of all I'd like to thank Randy for all his help getting my bike to run and run right. 

Beginning of June I bought a non-running 92 FJ1200 from an Air Force recruiter here in Cheyenne.  He bought it 4 years ago in Cali and only rode it a couple times so it sat for well over 3 years.  I paid $1100 for it and I bought it partly because I did some research and found this site and was impressed by what I saw.

I'd never worked on carbs so I sent them to Randy and he said they were the most gunked up he'd ever seen. (They've since been bumped to the #2 spot by 'not a lib's' carbs.)  When I got them back, put them on and it fired right up but wouldn't idle.  Randy said the pilot jets were plugged again and walked me through cleaning them and the entire idle circuit. But even after repeated cleanings it wouldn't idle right. I happened to run into the PO said it always idled poorly and needed some throttle to stay running.
I told Randy and he said that it sounded to him like the cams are out of time.
He walked me through how to check them, and sure enough he was right, they were off. 
He walked me through how to get them back in time correctly.  He helped me troubleshoot some other minor things too, and each time I told him how it was acting, he knew immediately what it was.

The bike fired right up and idled and ran better than it had since I got it running.  Then as I went to sync the carbs it was back to it's old tricks again.
Randy said the new pilot jets must be plugged again.  He was right again.  Pulled the carbs, the jets were plugged. Cleaned them, but now I could tell the throttle plates were closed all the way. Randy walked me through how to bench sync them.
Put it back together and it fired right up, synced it tonight and now it runs beautifully.

It's amazing how Randy can accurately diagnose a symptom described by a newbie through an email or phone call and be right every time. 
He's like the FJ Whisperer.
When I buy parts from him they are delivered in a couple days and at a great price.

I can't say enough good things about Randy.
I am going to hang a huge portrait of him in my garage over my FJ.
I am going to name my next 3 kids after him.

Thank you Randy! You are a great guy!

[Firehawk068]

^-------This------^

All True!

You need to plan a day,  shoot down to Denver and meet us for a ride!

[FJ_Hooligan]

Sounds like the tank might need to be cleaned?

[Capn Ron]

+1 on that!!!

At mile 6,000 of my 17,000 mile trip I was all the way on the East coast in South Carolina.  The bike had been acting up for several days and I was staying at a friend's house where I had time and a place to sort it out.  Took us two long days in the garage tearing that bike apart, but we finally concluded it was a bad ignitor.

I called Randy...had heard of him from the forum and bought a fork brace from him at the start of my trip, but certainly didn't know him very well.  Ran the symptoms by him and in about three questions and 30 seconds he says, "Yeah...that's a bad ignitor."  Impressed as I was, I then asked, "Okay...I'm 3,000 miles away...only one month into a three month trip...How in the world to I find one of those out here?"  He puts the phone down and comes back in a few minutes..."I have one for your year on a race car I'm not using...I'll ship it out to you and just return it when you're done with your trip."  Whaaaaat?  Is this guy for real?  Yeah...he is.  Delivered, installed it...running perfect!

I didn't write this on the forum for fear that it was a very special case...one where he only did this for me because of my situation.  I worried that everyone would start calling Randy and ask for a loner this or a free that...  A little over a year later, I've bought more parts, heard countless similar stories and met him in person at the WCR.  He's just that kind of guy.

Thank you again Randy!!! 

Cap'n Ron. . .

[Bminder]

Cap'n Ron,
I was thinking the same thing, that if word gets out Randy will be deluged with people calling and emailing him.
I don't know how he keeps up with it all now...