New FJ owner from Tampa, Fl

[Bluezero]

Hey y'all, my name is Brandan and just bought an '89 fj1200 with about 79900 miles on it. Got it for only 1600$ but it's super clean and has many mods done to it. Since I got it though, I have noticed a tapping noise from the valve area that sounds almost exactly like this http://fjrforum.com/misc/ticksound/ I keep reading that noise in these engines is normal but it's a bit unsettling to me. Any help is appreciated, thanks!

[simi_ed]

Welcome, Brandon. If that's what your FJ sounds like, I'd say you're in good shape. If you want to be 100% sure, remove the valve cover & check the valves. Not a terribly hard job & it'll give you the peace of mind going forward.
How about some pix of your new ride?

Ed

[FJscott]

Hey Brandon,

Welcome to the group and congrats on your new FJ. The FJ is a fine bike and has a very loyal following. your concern over top end noise is a little subjective, whats normal FJ clatter to one, is excessive to another. get your valves adjusted, get a good quality oil in it, sync the carbs and see if she quiets down some.  

Randy at RPM has all the parts and service advice you will need and is very helpful, he is also an FJ owner himself.

There are a few fellow Floridians on here, Steve is in Orlando, Jeff and Nancy in Ormand beach, Dave in Palm Beach and I am in Vero beach. we should hook up for a ride someday, possibly a rally.

Scott

[Bluezero]

Thanks for your response Ed, it puts my mind at ease knowing that it sounds ok. The previous owner told me he recently did the valves so if anything it maybe the cam chain tensioner but I'll get it checked out if it starts sounding any worse. Also oil is on my to do list and yeah that sounds great Scott haven't gone further than Orlando in years. And here's a pic of the bike with my other baby sitting in the background  .

[cclase]

Hi Brandan, welcome to the group!  You've got a great lookin' ride there!

Chris

[aviationfred]

Welcome to the group  

Great looking 89', with a few good mods done. The FJ engine is a noisy beast. Mostly when the noise you hear is rhythmic, all is good.

Listening to your links, the carb jetting sounds a bit off. Another thing that will give you an engine valve ticking sound is loose exhaust nuts at the exhaust ports. The torque on the nuts are low and they do occasionally work their way loose.


Fred

[movenon]

Welcome ! Sounds mostly normal.  To the last I could hear some ticking.  As the bike is new to you and it is my nature not to trust to many previous owners on what they claim or say. "Trust but verify" is the best I can say.  I would pull the valve cover and check the valve clearances and check the TQ on the camshaft caps. It is not hard to do if you have a few basic tools.

Brandon I would also strongly recommend a service manual. You see them all the time on e bay. Ask questions as you go there is lots of good help here pretty much 24/7. A lot of members have owned there FJ's since new and they are a great resource.  
George

[Capn Ron]

Brandan,

Great looking '89 you have there!  You've already scored points with stating it's an '89 (1989) and not claiming it's an 89' (89-foot long FJ!)


I'm with most of the others here...that engine sounds great and there's *maybe* a bit of valve ticking.  Nothing to be overly concerned about, but worth checking them yourself.  Not at all hard to do...just a process you have to go through and then you'll know.

Welcome to the group...I personally know a couple of the most excellent Florida guys...always good to have another sitting around our digital campfire.

Plenty of helpful folks around here so feel free to ask questions.  Some of the best ones are:  "What's the best oil to use?",  "Are K&N filters any good?" and "What are the best tires?"   

[Bluezero]

Thanks for the responses y'all! I'll definitely have to get around to taking the valve cover off and checking a few things since I'm on winter break. Did it on my old XJ650 so I'm assuming it should be pretty similar but I'll go ahead an order a manual to help me out. And yup the bike is big enough as it is Capn Ron I don't need to be adding another 84 or so feet lol.

[Mark Olson]

Welcome

The fj makes noise . set idle to 1100rpm .

If the engine noise goes away after it is hot , your valves need adjusting.

Never trust what the p.o. claims to have done to the bike . Unless he handed you a record of all service with the repair manual.

[FJmonkey]

Welcome Brandan, we affectionately call your color scheme the "Theft deterrent Silver and White".  I am an "Ambulance Rider" with my Red and White '86. The silver and White colors look good on an FJ, no need to rush out and paint it. If you can find a member or two near you, you could listen to how other FJ engine noises sound to help you get a base line of normal. I have had a loose valve so I know exactly what it sounds like, I could not detect it on your sound bite. However, don't take any short cuts. A tappy valve is happier than a tight valve. Loose means slight reduction in performance and that annoying "tick" under idle at stop lights. A tight vale cannot fully close and allows hot gasses to slip past the valve that eventually burn/destroy them. The fix is a top end rebuild $. So get them checked and have peace of mind that your Kookaloo machine is in good order. One more thing, get your ass to an FJ rally near you. Posting is fun as we sit around this digital campfire, but meeting and sitting around a real campfire with these people is priceless. I made my first one in 2011, pissed rain most of the time. I had an awesome time meeting and getting to know the people I had spent years posting with.

[Mark Olson]

Holy shit MonkeyMark , that was actually some good info.

Way to go. 

[Steve_in_Florida]

Yes, welcome to the campfire, Brandan.

Let's plan a ride sometime. FJScott is also a member of the MSTA (Motorcycle Sport Tour Association), and they have a couple of low-key ride-to-eat events each month. Brook is from the Plant City area. Nancy and Jeff and I met for brunch and a ride around DeLeon Springs and the Ocala forest.

It *COULD* be interesting to organize and hold a SouthEast Rally, but where? Florida roads are pretty long and straight. Maybe it could happen around Bike Week, and we could make sport of passing the Harleys.

Anyway, drop me a note if you're going to be around Orlando or need a hand with checking your valve adjustment.

Steve

[simi_ed]

<snip>
Maybe it could happen around Bike Week, and we could make sport of passing the Harleys.
<snip>
Steve

This sounds like riding in a locust swarm.

[FJmonkey]

This sounds like riding in a locust swarm.

  Bring your best bug spray and plenty of cleaner for your visor....