New FJ Owner

[wildfire]

Hi Everyone

Growing up in Ireland I started riding at 17 with the purchase of a Yamaha RD 350.
I thought it was a cool bike until I saw the FJ1100 but at its price I could not afford it.
Well fast foward 27 years and various bikes and I find myself in the US and I have bought a 92 Fj1200 .
I love the bike, its old school lines and confortable riding position and the familiar style.


I do have an issue with my clutch that I hope someone can help with.
It seems to be a very heavy clutch in that a lot of pressure has to be used to pull
the lever in.

The clock says it has 14K on it I dont know if that is correct or not. The clutch does
not slip no matter how much gas I give it so I dont think it worn plates. It is also
easy to shift up and down through the gears.

I replaced the fluid and bled both master and slave cylinders when I got the bike.
My understanding is that the FJ does not use a number of spings in the clutch but a
plate like single spring. I also dont know if the previous owner has changed
the oem plates for aftermarket ones.

So fellas what should I be looking for to have such a heavy clutch..

Thanks in advance

[movenon]

Welcome ! The clutch spring is a diaphragm.  One mod is to double up on them.  Here is a good link to read.  It might help to give you a picture of how it is designed. I tried stacking the spring once and personally found it to stiff so I went back to a new single spring.  http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=1808.0
George

[wildfire]

I will look in to that. I wonder how much easier it is to pull in the clutch lever using a FJR 14 mm piston than the stock FJ piston. If I could get a 25% improvement I would be happy.

[movenon]

Someone else will have to answer that. I am using the stock FJ M/C.
George

[ribbert]

Wildfire, that is an uncommon issue unless, as George points out, someone has doubled up the spring which at 14k would seem unlikely, although people have been known to do it even without a slipping clutch.

I have the same model (not that it matters) and it is a very easy 2 finger operation, even 1 finger is easy.
I sometimes change gears thousands of times a day and never give it a thought and without any sign of fatigue.

A different m/c is not the solution because a standard FJ clutch is not heavy, there must be some other reason.

At that mileage and age it has spent a lot of time sitting around unused. How many miles have you put on it since buying it?
Bikes tend to show their mileage more than cars and it should be reasonably obvious is the odometer is in the ballpark.
The system is pretty simple with only a few components that could cause this. Start with simple stuff, is the lever free moving and well lubricated.

If you have acces to an experienced mechanic he should be able to narrow down where the stiffness is happening by feel.

Even if you ultimately isolate each component to check for freedom of movement, it's not a big job and there are plenty here that will walk you through it.

Good luck, the 92's are a great model with many improvements over the early years but most significantly, the rubber mounted motor is turbine smooth at highway speeds. The FJ is a great allrounder.

Noel

[aviationfred]

Welcome to the group. 

As the above members have stated, a heavier than normal clutch pull is rare on an OEM clutch. The doubled up OEM clutch spring has been addressed. Another possibility is that you have a Barnett or A.P.E. clutch installed with the heavy duty springs.


Fred

[wildfire]

Thanks all for the replies. I do suspect that the clutch had been modified since it is way too heavy for what I feel it should be but is really only a pain  in traffic. I will have a look at it and see what if any changes were made to the oem clutch . At least I dont have to drain the oil to do so which is great. Worse case scenaro I will put it back to stock specs assuming clutch components are easily obtained..

[FJmonkey]

I recently replaced my clutch as it was slipping. I discovered it was an after market clutch with thinner (redish colored) fibers and steels to increase the friction surface area. But it was a sticking clutch for the 17 years I owned it, damn the PO for that down grade!!! I now have the OEM steels and fibers with a single spring and all is well. Butter smooth if I had to describe it. The OEM clutch is one thing that does not require change(s) for a healthy stock engine....

[wildfire]

Ok so can anyone in the US recommend a good online store that sells FJ OEM Parts and actually keeps their website up to date.

[ribbert]

Mark (monkey) and I agree that a stock clutch with a single spring will give you the same life expectancy and performance as any other wet clutch, on average about 80k. This figure varies wildly though depending on use or abuse and choice of oil and frequency of changes.

In my opinion, the widely held view that the FJ clutch is weak is a myth. Although I formed that view from a wide spread of bikes, my own only started to slip at 80k and even then only under the harshest conditions, high revs, high gears,full throttle. I rode it for another 15k before replacing it. I consider this a pretty good life from a wet clutch.
Stock components are readily available and modestly priced.

Noel

[big r]

RPM You will find him on this site. Randy sells a lot of FJ specific parts and is a wealth of knowledge. Anything you want to know he will probably have an answer for you. Big R

[FJmonkey]

Ok so can anyone in the US recommend a good online store that sells FJ OEM Parts and actually keeps their website up to date.

As Big R pointed out, I got my clutch parts from RPM www.rpmracingca.com. I have been to his shop and enjoyed a few FJ rallies with the man. He is a Yamaha dealer so he gets parts direct from the supplier. Feel free to check his prices, he is a straight shooter and has my full support...

[racerrad8]

Ok so can anyone in the US recommend a good online store that sells FJ OEM Parts and actually keeps their website up to date.

www.RPMracingCa.com

Randy - RPM

[movenon]

Can you tell us where you are located and are you comfortable working on your bike ?  Do you have basic tools ?  If I were you I would pull the clutch cover off and investigate what you have for a spring.  You will need a clutch cover gasket, a torque wrench and a few sockets.  With the bike on the side stand you will not lose any oil.  To read about it and look at the pictures it can look confusing but it is real simple if you have some basic mechanical knowledge.  Hard to judge ones desires or ability via the internet.  The most important thing is to ask questions first and take your time.  As you can see there is lots of help here.

As noted a stock master cylinder works fine with the stock or near stock diaphragm spring.  If you ever want to upgrade or replace the spring then get with RPM and buy the FJR spring he has.

A picture sometimes helps. Go to this link scroll down to the clutch topic and click on the picture. When you remove the cover this is what you are looking at if it is stock.  The spring is what you are looking at under those 6 small bolts and small steel ring.  http://www.fj1200.info/Engine.html
George

[wildfire]

Can you tell us where you are located and are you comfortable working on your bike ?  Do you have basic tools ?  If I were you I would pull the clutch cover off and investigate what you have for a spring.  You will need a clutch cover gasket, a torque wrench and a few sockets.  With the bike on the side stand you will not lose any oil.  To read about it and look at the pictures it can look confusing but it is real simple if you have some basic mechanical knowledge.  Hard to judge ones desires or ability via the internet.  The most important thing is to ask questions first and take your time.  As you can see there is lots of help here.

As noted a stock master cylinder works fine with the stock or near stock diaphragm spring.  If you ever want to upgrade or replace the spring then get with RPM and buy the FJR spring he has.

A picture sometimes helps. Go to this link scroll down to the clutch topic and click on the picture. When you remove the cover this is what you are looking at if it is stock.  The spring is what you are looking at under those 6 small bolts and small steel ring.  http://www.fj1200.info/Engine.html
George

I am in Lake Bluff illinois.I have replaced clutch packs, basket hub etc on bikes and atvs before along wth other general mechanic work , carbs, stators etc
and have all the necessary tools so I am not phased about working on the FJ. I just wantd to confirm what i expected.

On a side note I do have a few valve shims that I have left over from replacing some on my  FJ so
I am more than willing to donate them to the forum when I dig them out as I have just moved house and thingsare still in boxes.

Tom