Hello from Minnesota - bring on the kookaloo!

[Neoday2]

Hello fellow fans of FJs!  I am new to the FJ joy.  I grew up riding, fixing and racing dirt bikes, was into street bikes (honda V45 and Boss Hoss) and then took a hiatus until this summer. I picked up a Suzuki GS 650GL and had a blast but after an overnight trip to the headwaters of the Mississippi river, I decided that a larger, more touring focused bike was in order.  After countless hours searching online, reading reviews and looking on craigslist, my heart was constantly pulled back to an FJ1200.

So far, everything is working great but I am sure I will be spending plenty of time on the forum this winter as I get Gypsy Danger (1989 FJ1200) all ready for next summer.  Not that we are done riding in MN yet, it was only 28 degrees (F) this morning.  I'll be riding until they start salting the roads.

Thanks for the community, hopefully I can help out as I learn, play and tinker.

[FJmonkey]

Welcome Neo, I am also an owner of an '89 (and an '86). Happy you found us and joined up. Post up pics when you can, and tell us more about you and your bike adventures...

[1tinindian]

Welcome.
I used to live in Ramsey, near Anoka several years ago.
I'm living back in my home town in northern Iowa.
You have joined the right forum for the FJ.

Enjoy!

[aviationfred]

Welcome to the forum 

Fred

[Pat Conlon]

Welcome Neo!

[JPaganel]

Hi there, neighbor.

[Neoday2]

Here is one photo from early this morning when I was out watching the Orionid Meteor Shower.  Didn't get any good pictures of meteors (saw a ton) but had fun and chose to ride to a city named "Cosmos" in Minnesota.  I was using the dark sky finder and trying to see where to watch from and thought "sounds like the perfect place to stare up at the stars"

It was over 100 miles round trip, temps were cool enough for frost on parked cars.  Two raccoons decided to cross in front of me within 10 minutes of leaving home, gave me a good chance to practice target fixation avoidance. I left home around 2am.  Got back at about 6am, just enough time to sleep for an hour before heading into work.  Lots of coffee today for sure 

There will be many more adventures, 500+ mile days and even a 1,000 plus mile day sometime next summer. 

This is a great community and I am excited to be part of it!

[FJmonkey]

What a perfect backdrop for the dark '89 colors.

[The General]

Wow! What a great pic!
....I know I shouldn`t but I luv short night rides.
....mmmm, Wouldn`t mind a star studded night shot of the Glasshouse Mountains with a similar foreground multiplied. (just think`n out loud!)   

[Neoday2]

night rides- yes, a definite guilty pleasure. Now that it is getting dark closer to 6pm, night rides are almost a requirement. I have always been a creature of the night.  And mornings.  And day.  And evenings.  I guess sleep just gets in the way of having fun.  Being that in about a week, it will be dark by the time I get home from work, I pretty much have a headlamp by the door and put it on as often as a winter hat. 

I was doing some looking- is there any meet ups in the Midwest?  Not that we have the best riding in the world but there are some fun roads.  I have a number of adventures floating around and would love to hear from other people and get some ideas of other neat day/multi-day rides. 

For instance, has anyone ever ridden up to Hudson Bay?  I have never been but it seems like a great way to enjoy the trip up there.