FJ1200 Fork brace

[conkeyro]

Just received my 1992 FJ1200 winter project.  i'm sure i will have lots of questions as I proceed but will start with something easy.  Looking at the stock fork brace, it does not appear to be very substantial.  Any real noticeable improvements with changing to a beefier brace?

Thanks in advance.

[Pat Conlon]

.....Any real noticeable improvements with changing to a beefier brace?

I Absolutely notice a difference. Normal riding, not much difference, however on tight twisty roads with lots of side to side transitions, I notice the FJ's front end being tighter with the fork brace.
To compare the oem fender strap to a proper fork brace is unfair. Take the fender strap off, look at the 4 holes in the strap. Are they round, or are they elongated? Remember, they were round at one time. Look at the wear on our internal fork bushings. Notice they are worn on the inside? The fact is, under load our spindly 41mm stanchion tubes twist and bend (called deflection) They bow out. They are undersized by today's standards, most modern bikes our size and weight using conventional forks, the stanchion tubes are 42mm dia. or larger, although most modern bikes have evolved to the USD forks.

Ever wonder why our fender tabs keep cracking? Stanchion tube deflection.

Yes, I recommend the RPM fork brace along with these bug shields to keep your tubes clean.
http://rpmracingca.com/proddetail.asp?prod=ForkSeal%26Protector
Your fork seals and fender tabs will thank you.

[conkeyro]

Thanks Pat

[FJmonkey]

More info on the fork brace https://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=11483.0

[giantkiller]

.....Any real noticeable improvements with changing to a beefier brace?

I Absolutely notice a difference. Normal riding, not much difference, however on tight twisty roads with lots of side to side transitions, I notice the FJ's front end being tighter with the fork brace.
To compare the oem fender strap to a proper fork brace is unfair. Take the fender strap off, look at the 4 holes in the strap. Are they round, or are they elongated? Remember, they were round at one time. Look at the wear on our internal fork bushings. Notice they are worn on the inside? The fact is, under load our spindly 41mm stanchion tubes twist and bend (called deflection) They bow out. They are undersized by today's standards, most modern bikes our size and weight using conventional fork stanchion tubes are 42mm dia. or larger, although most modern bikes have evolved to the USD forks.

Ever wonder why our fender tabs keep cracking? Stanchion tube deflection.

Yes, I recommend the RPM fork brace along with these bug shields to keep your tubes clean.
http://rpmracingca.com/proddetail.asp?prod=ForkSeal%26Protector
Your fork seals and fender tabs will thank you.

Hey Pat a few updates on the 89?

[Pat Conlon]

Hey Dan, yep made some small improvements, nothing extreme. She's still a new bike and now has only 10,200 miles on the clock, barely broken in, runs like a top.
New Spiegler clutch and brake lines, R-1 gold spots with a FZ-1 (14mm) master and FJR clutch master, love those adjustable levers. To help the front end handle the new brakes I put in the .85kg/mm straight rate fork springs and RPM valves...what a difference that made. Those oem fork springs were weak and we all know damper rod forks suck.  I replaced that '88 FZR front rim you kindly installed for me. After I got home I stripped off the black paint on the FZR rim and I saw some edge damage (dings) the paint covered and besides, I never liked all the weight it needed to balance. BTW thanks for giving me the heads up on the excess balancing weights. The RPM fork brace tightened things up in front and was the frosting on the cake.
On the back I have a YZF600 back rim waiting to go on as soon as I wear out that 150/80-16 Avon 3D Storm radial you also installed for me. It's a great tire. I also have a Penske shock waiting to go on and a new Transpo VR. The infamous red plug has been fixed.
On the engine, I did the Barnett coil spring clutch plate with the wire ring removed from the clutch pack and a wide fiber plate installed. On the other side of the engine the RPM spin on oil filter went on along with the new clutch slave.
Robert at RPM did such a fine job ultrasound cleaning and rejetting those carbs, that bike purrs like a kitten, pulls very strong and so quiet. I forgot how quiet the stock system is...think I'll keep her stock for now. I kinda like it.
For comfort I put on Oxford heated grips with Grip Puppies along with a Vista throttle lock and RPM's Vibranators bar ends. I need more light out of my headlight....I think I'll do the Eastern Beaver relay mod with a 80/100 halogen.

Background: For folks who don't know, I found an ultra low mileage (7,200 miles) '89 for sale in Wisconsin. This is where Dan lives, Dan inspected the bike, gave me the thumbs up, picked her up and brought her to his new house in Campbellsport. Then he went through the bike to get her running again. New tires, fluid flush, etc. Carbs came off, boxed up and were sent to RPM. She had been in heated storage for 30 years. I mailed my riding gear and extra parts to Dan's house then I flew into Milwaukee, Uber'ed up to Dan's house and for 4 days, throughly enjoyed Dan's hospitality. He has a new house which he built and it is way bitchen. We toured the beautiful Wisconsin country side, I got to see Lake Michigan and then, on an essentially new 1989 Yamaha FJ1200, I headed across the heart of America to my home in Arizona. Funny thing about FJ's, they always seem to draw a crowd. Folks have fond memories about our bikes.
 What a fine trip that was.  Thanks again Dan.

[giantkiller]

You are more than welcome Pat. As are anyone from the forum. That needs a place to stay on their way through. Or needs to work on their bike on a trip. Or just wants to visit. It was fun. Met a new friend, from Minnesota too. Glad you had a good ride back home. Both of you.

[Pat Conlon]

Aaaawww geeze, I forgot to mention that Ted Schefelbein rode over from Minneapolis to spend a couple of days with us...a totally cool dude. Ted has a custom painted beautiful '89

[racerrad8]

Here's one at work.

Look at the speed the forks are oscillating absorbing the roughness of the road surface. The ability to keep the lower fork legs together and rigid will always improve the ride quality.
https://youtu.be/EO7Ohvpil-k

Here is the fork brace: RPM Fork Brace
This is the fork seals Pat is referring to: RPM Fork Seals with Dust Shield

I just made a new post over in the RPM Parts Update section. Unfortunately, I will be raising prices in the new year, so now is the time to purchase to save some money.

Randy - RPM