FJowners Rocks!

[cclase]

Hi! 
I know that y'all already know, but please allow me to provide a new guys perspective on how totally cool this forum/group of FJ riders are!  I received an email response to my introduction post from DavidR (slowoldguy) that said simply "I can help you with those carbs!".  I was thinking "hopefully I'll get some good advice"...man, was I in for a surprise!  The short of it is that we are practically neighbors and I spent this past Sunday afternoon with him running through my FJs carburetors as well addressing some other stuff that needed tending to.  The bike was transformed!!!  But for me the most valuable part was the opportunity to work with, learn from and make friends with someone who was willing to take time out of his life to share his experience and expertise with a newbie.  This truly is an amazing community!  Thanks for doin' what y'all do!  Off to a good start and totally stoked about getting on with the next project!   

Chris

[Pat Conlon]

Yep, that's David for ya......directly or indirectly David has helped many, many of us on this forum.

Thanks Chris for the nice note.

[the fan]

You forgot to mention his glorious mustache...



... please tell me you washed you bike before meeting him. If not did he have a stroke?

[Yamifj1200]

Your a very lucky man, your carbs have been properly cleaned by one of the best FJ carb experts on the planet. You also got to meet one of the most friendly and helpful people on this site. His knowledge of these bikes and maintenance tips will keep your bike running the way it should for years to come.

Welcome to the site,

Eric M

[magge52]

Ya know I was thinking the same thing the other day. Being a newbie I've enjoyed reading through old posts and I'm really impressed with the quantity and quality of help provided. And the give & take, good natured ribbing and occasional elevated tempers is fun entertainment. Motorcycle forums in general are similar in nature but this one is in the upper echelon, imho.

On that note I guess I've stroked enough egos so I'll ask a question. I think the ABS paraphernalia is thwarting my attempts to check/adjust the settings of the rear shock. Looks like some of the plumbing is directly blocking access to the preload adjustment. I can't even see the top of the shock. What do I have to do to gain access? The PO is a big guy, maybe 6-2, 250-275#. Don't know if he stiffened the preload but it is pretty stiff for 5-8, 175#. No problem with the rebound settings tho.

[rktmanfj]

The PO is a big guy, maybe 6-2, 250-275#. Don't know if he stiffened the preload but it is pretty stiff for 5-8, 175#. No problem with the rebound settings tho.

Perhaps he did the 'fool the adjuster' trick... crank it all the way up, disconnect the chain, turn it back all the way, reconnect and crank it some more.

I'm about the same size as the PO, and on a scale of 5, mine's on about 7.   

[Arnie]

George,

Spotted the question. "How do I get access to adjust the rear suspension?"
If that's the case, I can't really help as my bike has no ABS.

However, before you spend hours trying to work around or remove and replace the various ABS components, are you certain that your ABS is still working?  Many of these units have stopped working, possibly due to infrequent fluid changes, and cost serious coin to replace.

You may just want to test that it does still function as it should, first.
And, if it isn't working properly, decide if you want to repair it or just remove it.

Arnie

Randy, the '92 has no chain for shock adjustment, just a ramp and collar for preload.

[magge52]

George,

Not trying to harrass you, but I didn't see a question in your post. 
Maybe an implied question of, "How do I get access to adjust the rear suspension?"
If that's the case, I can't really help as my bike has no ABS.

However, before you spend hours trying to work around or remove and replace the various ABS components, are you certain that your ABS is still working?  Many of these units have stopped working, possibly due to infrequent fluid changes, and cost serious coin to replace.

You may just want to test that it does still function as it should, first.
And, if it isn't working properly, decide if you want to repair it or just remove it.

Arnie

Yup, that is my question. It doesn't look like an enjoyable task to get at the shock.

Not sure if the ABS is working but the ABS lite only flashes on startup, nothing while riding. I bled the front brakes last night and took a test ride in the hood. Hit the brakes a couple times pretty hard from 30-35 mph and didn't feel the typical ABS stuttering, maybe not fast enough so I'll try again. I'm lukewarm on ABS. More stuff to go wrong and I figure if I haven't learned how to brake in 40+ years it's probably a lost cause. On the other hand if it saves my keyster even one time I'll sing a different tune for sure.

Thx,
George

[simi_ed]

George, If you want to test the ABS, get in a safe area, speed up to 35-45 mph and hit the rear brake hard.  If the wheel doesn't lock, you'll see and/or feel something to indicate the ABS is working.  If you try that same trick on a non-ABS bike, it will lock the rear wheel. 

Obviously, be careful that the rear end doesn't come around and high side you or something else catastrophic.  Don't end up as a crash test dummy.