Good Morning from SoCal!

[movenon]

Thanks for the picture. I thought they were home made, I was interested in how they mounted them.  I think your front brace is a stock brace. They are a bit flimsy but work for normal riding.  RPM has a nice fork brace if and when the time comes.  Thanks again for posting the picture.  You are in good company down there in So Calif. with the FJ group !
George

[FJmonkey]

As for the fork brace, there is a piece of curved metal that arches between the forks and looks to be where the fender would bolt to.  Is that the brace?

If you pull it off and see that the holes have elongated, or are no longer round, then No, it is not a brace of any kind. The one I pulled of my 86' has evidence that forces stronger than a thin piece of aluminum between the forks are in play. I think I already posted some pics of my fender bracket. Our front axial is not stiff enough to sync the forks together. A real brace or alternate front end is required. After I installed the RPM fork valves and brace, I am really happy with how the front performs in the corners. Bumps in the road seem more like they are paint on the road and have no dimension. Time for the RPM rear shock....

[Tuneforkfreak]

Mines missing the entire left rear section from the oil filter back...

This is an indication that the clutch slave cylinder leaked at some point. Brake fluid is corrosive to the ABS plastic. Pretty common to see, in exactly the same place. (Two of mine are afflicted in this manner!)

Steve

You know now, that you pointed that out it's starting to make sense to me. When I installed the drive chain and removed the slave cylinder and primary side cover, the slave cyl looked relatively new. Also the clutch master cylinder looks brand new like it just came out of the showroom. In comparison to the look of the front brake master cylinder you can tell the clutch system has been replaced. I keep seeing quotes on this site about the brake lines being ticking time bombs, I'll need to look into where you guys are sourcing those, hopefully someone has a kit or something?

[Firehawk068]

The little dude in the picture is doing the kookaloo dance.....very cool.

It's quite possible he likes motorcycles more than I do.  "Vroom vroom", " truck", and "motorcycle" are in the top 20 list of his first words.



Here's a close up of the engine guards.  They do look a little home made on closer inspection, but very functional.  As for the fork brace, there is a piece of curved metal that arches between the forks and looks to be where the fender would bolt to.  Is that the brace?

I don't believe they are home-made.........................They look like an early aftermarket guard. I think they were called "Case-Savers" or something like that.
I found a set on ebay some time ago that I gave to Erich V in Phoenix.............

[racerrad8]

Thanks!  I actually have the side covers, just need some rubber mounting grommets to hold them in place.

I have the side panel retaining grommets in stock;
Oval Side Panel Grommet
Round Side Panel Grommet

In regard of the front fender, the only color still available for the FJ is the "AJ" red color which are new, not NOS, and on the shelf ready to ship; 84-93 Yamaha FJ Front Fender

Check out the RPM website for all of your other FJ parts requirements, such as fork seals, the recommended fork brace, handle bar risers and tons of other FJ specifically designed and manufactured parts.

Randy - RPM

[Maticuno]

Thanks!  I actually have the side covers, just need some rubber mounting grommets to hold them in place.

I have the side panel retaining grommets in stock;
Oval Side Panel Grommet
Round Side Panel Grommet

In regard of the front fender, the only color still available for the FJ is the "AJ" red color which are new, not NOS, and on the shelf ready to ship; 84-93 Yamaha FJ Front Fender

Check out the RPM website for all of your other FJ parts requirements, such as fork seals, the recommended fork brace, handle bar risers and tons of other FJ specifically designed and manufactured parts.

Randy - RPM

Thank you.  I was actually browsing your website earlier today taking note of parts I will need both now and later on down the road.  I'm glad I purchased an older machine that has such a dedicated support system including this forum and enthusiastic vendors.

[charleygofast]

Welcome! Another beautifull Red/Silver 84, nice find dude.I too run a  dual sport(85 Suzuki 600) and an 84FJ I find they complement each other and one does what the other cant...you will learn alot about your FJ here.Theres alot of info and long term owners that I consider FJ experts. Enjoy your sweet new ride! Oh yeah, Ive seen those guards before and I do believe they are "Case Savers".                                                                                                                                     Cheers! Charley.

[Maticuno]

Finally had a chance to put some miles on her today.  What a completely different machine than anything else I've ever ridden.  The couple of times I was brave enough to grab a fist full of throttle, all I could think about was:



A couple of questions to you experienced riders:

1) Does it seem like there should be a 6th gear?  I feel like I'm hitting 5th and reaching for another way too soon.  I also find I skip 2nd and 4th quite often.
2) Stoplights.  I haven't had this problem with the other bikes I've ridden, but twice today I pulled up to a ground sensor style stoplight and waited multiple cycles for the left arrow before I finally just looked around and ran it because the light didn't seem to recognize I was there.
3) I smell gas.  Last night while wiring the fuel petcock to avoid possible immolation, I noticed there was a breather valve of some sort at the front of the tank.  It looks like there should be a vacuum hose attached, but I could not find one that would go there.  I'm thinking the gas smell is coming from this open breather.
4) Does anyone's fuel gauge read accurately?  When I fueled up for the first time today, the needle was bottomed out and the fuel light was on, but it only took 4 gallons.  After that, the needle only came up to a little above half.  Is this common or do I need a new sender unit?

[CutterBill]

(1)  Stock sprockets are 17T front and 42T rear.  Count the number of teeth on your sprockets and see if perhaps someone has changed them.
(2) A common problem with all lightweight bikes that don't have a lot of metal.  I believe here in California it is legal to go thru a "stuck" red light after one cycle, assuming it is safe to do so.  At least, that's what I do.
(3) Sounds like someone removed the carbon canisters.  You should have two black cylinder things, about 6 inches long and 2 inches in diameter, bolted up inside the frame, just in front of the fuel tank.  The vent hoses connect to these so they can absorb the fuel vapors.  See if your canisters are missing.
(4) Sorry, can't help you there.  But if you bring your bike to my house, we can do the basic resistance checks called out in the service manual.

Skymasteres (Mike) and I both live in Rosamond.  What town are you in?

CutterBill

[Maticuno]

(1)  Stock sprockets are 17T front and 42T rear.  Count the number of teeth on your sprockets and see if perhaps someone has changed them.
(2) A common problem with all lightweight bikes that don't have a lot of metal.  I believe here in California it is legal to go thru a "stuck" red light after one cycle, assuming it is safe to do so.  At least, that's what I do.
(3) Sounds like someone removed the carbon canisters.  You should have two black cylinder things, about 6 inches long and 2 inches in diameter, bolted up inside the frame, just in front of the fuel tank.  The vent hoses connect to these so they can absorb the fuel vapors.  See if your canisters are missing.
(4) Sorry, can't help you there.  But if you bring your bike to my house, we can do the basic resistance checks called out in the service manual.

Skymasteres (Mike) and I both live in Rosamond.  What town are you in?

CutterBill

Lots of excellent info, thank you.  I'm out in rural Hesperia, but my sector office for work is near Lake Los Angeles.  I appreciate the offer for the help on the fuel gauge, but I just discovered a much larger issue that needs immediate attention.  During my ride today I could see that the fork seals are leaking, but when I got home I found that they are leaking right onto the brake calipers.  Rotors and pads are soaked and I'm not sure how I was stopping today.  Once the fork seals are replaced the brake job should be well within my skill set.  What is outside of my skill set is replacing the fork seals as I've never had a need to do so on my other bikes.  I have the FSM and vaguely understand the process, but I don't have the two specialty tools it calls for relating to the damper or the seal drivers.  Is this an at home job with basic hand tools?  Is there a write up somewhere on this forum with step by step pictures that can supplement the manual?

[charleygofast]

You can use a piece of pvc pipe as a seal driver as long as it fits into the gap on the fork legs. Cut about 8" long, and Use a plastic hammer and tap around the edge  till its far enough to get the clip in the slot. You can use a tall (about 1") 27mm nut and socket, or wrench to remove the fork caps. Follow the steps in your service manual and its not that hard. And I do believe there are threads regarding seal replacement right here, check suspension files. This is also a good time to do fork upgrades such as heavier springs and valves. Check RPM for these. Hope this helps.                                                                                              Good luck! Charlie.

[FJmonkey]

You have a few members near by that have serviced their forks. I believe Mike has replaced his seals and I have completely rebuilt mine when I installed the RPM valves. I borrowed the seal driver but I can make one real quick using PCV pipe. Maybe it is time to have a manshed day again in SoCal to work on forks. Saturdays are tough for me but Sundays I can host and offer tools and guidance. The forks are really not that difficult, just order the parts you want to replace and schedule some time to wrench. If you don't know how long it has been since the forks were serviced, I recommend a full rebuild with new bushings, seals and oil. If the budget wont allow it then fresh seals and oil will get you by for a while.

[movenon]

You have a few members near by that have serviced their forks. I believe Mike has replaced his seals and I have completely rebuilt mine when I installed the RPM valves. I borrowed the seal driver but I can make one real quick using PCV pipe. Maybe it is time to have a manshed day again in SoCal to work on forks. Saturdays are tough for me but Sundays I can host and offer tools and guidance. The forks are really not that difficult, just order the parts you want to replace and schedule some time to wrench. If you don't know how long it has been since the forks were serviced, I recommend a full rebuild with new bushings, seals and oil. If the budget wont allow it then fresh seals and oil will get you by for a while.

Have these members give you a hand.  You don't need to much in the way of tools but it is nice for the first time to have someone guide you through.  I made a PVC seal driver but truthfully I was able to seat them just fine without it and they don't leak.. Just tap them in gently.  I made a tool with an 18mm bolt and an old socket to get the dampener tubes out.  

You have a lot of good members down there with everything needed to do the job.  It is nice to have someone that has done the job before and knows what to inspect while apart.  As time go's you can make your own tools.

Here is a stand that "markmartin" designed and I use the heck out of it. Scrap 2X4's and plywood.

I have changed the design a little since this photo was taken.  I can sent the dimensions if you ever want them.  I lowered the height of the cross piece so anyone with a Vance exhaust system can use it and put on some side blocks to keep the frame from sliding off.  I never had that problem but better safe than sorry.  Just put it on the center stand on a 2X6 and have someone push down on the tail and slide the stand under the front and you are good to go.
Great for fork work, adjusting head bearings, chain work, removing rims, rear suspension work, cleaning etc..
George

[penrynFJ]

Movenon - I would love to get the dimensions of that clever stand that you've created.  Looks like a great tool for working on the bike and removing the rims!

[penrynFJ]

Never mind - made my own version yesterday... not as pretty but very function - but thanks for the idea!