Thinking of buying a 1987 fj1200

[DanielUtah]

Hello form Salt Lake City, Utah. Names Daniel and I went and looked at a 1987 fj1200 red and white, looks in good shape, rides nice. the owner said he just went thru the fork seals and new oil in them, he also cleaned and reset the carbs. the only thing I noticed was when I put it in first with the clutch in the bike started to pull a little forward. Don't know if need adjusted or clutch is going out. I could use some help knowing what to look for or what questions to ask the owner, if you'll can think of anything please let me know thanks.

[oldktmdude]

   G'day Daniel and welcome to the Forum. The clutch, being hydraulic, is not adjustable. It may need bleeding which is a simple thing to do if you follow the instructions that you can find on this great site. It's fairly common for the clutch slave to be leaking on bikes that may have sat around for some time without being ridden. The telltale sign is paint missing or peeling off the oil filter housing, which is located directly under the clutch slave cylinder. Rebuild kits are readily available as are complete slave cylinders.
Some electrical problems are also not unusual as the wiring is starting to become aged. These problems are commonly in the connector plugs as corrosion and loose connections are the main culprits. Other than these, just the usual problems for a bike of this vintage. Fork seals, brake hoses, age of tyres, cracks in the plastics and minor oil leaks. These all depend upon the maintenance and care of the previous owner/s.
   By the way, Red and White is by far the best colour scheme.   Regards, Pete.

[FJmonkey]

You can't go wrong with any Red and White FJ, I love my 86... The lurch forward could happen when the engine is cold. The clutch is wet with oil, the 1200 CC's take some time to warm up and the oil with it. I notice it more with my oil at 20/50, I will be switching back to 10/40 to reduce this. But check the slave, it may be leaking. You can limp along by bleeding it but if it is leaking then a simple rebuild is in order. Welcome to the FJ asylum where we all get our fix of Kookalooo...

FYI, don't talk about oil... I pisses off the brand loyal elitists. Oil is just oil....

[FJ1100mjk]

 :diablo:no

   By the way, Red and White is by far the best colour scheme.   Regards, Pete.

Couldn't agree more, but I'm a biased owner of an '85 and '87. The good ones with the white duckbills. 

[tcat1709]

can I please ask guys
is there any difference cosmetically between the fj 1100 1985 model and the fj1200 1988 model
thanks in advance

[movenon]

can I please ask guys
is there any difference cosmetically between the fj 1100 1985 model and the fj1200 1988 model
thanks in advance

Short answer is,  yes.  Although the FJ's generally look all the same they are not.  There are a lot of little differences between years.  If yours is an 88 then you are looking for 88-90 for parts to directly interchange.  If you can then post a picture of what you have that might help us.  Lots of photo's in the "Gallery" section to look at also.
George

[andyb]

Please note that we've run into problems with this before in some markets.  There was no US 88 model, so no worries here.  Some people have reported having bikes registered as 88's that would normally be considered an 87 (1TX) or a 89 (3CV).  To avoid confusion, if you can find/figure out which version it is, it will make your life easier to remember.  USA'ians will otherwise frequently end up confused.

The other thing to be aware of is that enough things DO interchange, and the bikes are old enough, that there are some serious frankenstiens out there.

Most of the cosmetic changes were minor but big enough that things like the fragile side scoops don't interchange.

(I'm sure someone will leap in if I screw this up, but from memory:)

The F1100 models had handlebar mounted mirrors, stuck into the lever perches.
All 1200's had them mounted to the fairing.

The three versions of the 1200 had differences in the fairing size and shape (slightly).  Over the years, the wind protection increased, but so did the bulk.  

Plainly, the 3CV is the obvious best choice, as it's an ideal compromise for discerning riders.  

[movenon]

Plainly, the 3CV is the obvious best choice, as it's an ideal compromise for discerning riders.