Just a Few Questions . . .

[IanDMacDonald]

Hey guys-

Looking at an '86 FJ1200 on Craigslist.  Mileage is not too high, V&H pipes, new sprocket and chain.  Other than that, my guess is the maintenance was minimal on the two years he owned it.  That's not the issue:  left-side air intake cover is busted, along with the front fender.  I know looking through ebay & CL, that they are next to impossible to find.  Sale price is a grand obo.  I've seen the bike naked, so I know it's possible to go without a fairing at worst-case.  Bike looks to be in decent shape besides that.  Opinions?

[Capn Ron]

Ian,

Welcome!  Tons of great advice to be had here on this forum...everything from ABS plastic repair to how to strip that down to be a street fighter and what things are worth.  What is your question?

[Pat Conlon]

Welcome, the air scoops come up from time to time, as do the fenders. Randy @RPM has new fenders you can buy but you have to paint them to match the '86 red...no biggie, my paint guy charged me $50 to do mine.

Does the bike run? Is it close by where you can ride it? You need to check out second gear...see it the tranny skips while under full acceleration.
The early FJ's were plagued with soft shift forks causing them to bend and then the tranny gears separates under load. 2nd gear is the culprit.

Trust your instincts. If the bike looks like it was rode hard and put away wet, it probably was. No telling what you're getting into.

Do you like working on bikes?
If so, then a $1,000 FJ would be fine...if not, then pass on this one and look for a cleaner '91-93 example to invest in.
They are out there...

Cheers

[Capn Ron]

Pat...as usual...is right on the mark.  I was recently offered a motorcycle for FREE...I'm on the fence as to whether it's worth the price.     A lot comes down to what you know, what you're willing to put into it, what your expectations are when it's ready to ride.  Whatever you decide, someone here has solved whatever issues come up.   

Oh, yeah...and what part of the country are you in?  I recently looked at a Craigslist FJ with a fellow member here.  Might be good to get an in-person opinion from someone who knows these bikes inside and out.

[IanDMacDonald]

I've been wrenching on bikes my whole life, so this is not my first rodeo.  Own quite a few Yammy bigger displacement bikes, two are XS1100's, which could be the predecessor to the FJ.  I'm familiar with the mechanics of the bike.  That's really not my issue.  I guess it just irritates me that I'd be riding a bike with a big chunk missing from the side.  The plastics on these bikes kind of make up the bike. 

[IanDMacDonald]

I do have another question:  the bottom fairing seems to be different than pics of other FJ's.  The fairing looks like it's covering the entire side of the engine, versus other fairings that appear to be just a scoop.  I asked the seller about it, and he said it was stock.

[FJ1100mjk]

left-side air intake cover is busted, along with the front fender.  I know looking through ebay & CL, that they are next to impossible to find. 

It's not pristine, and could be cheaper, but here's a LHS air scoop...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1986-1993-Yamaha-FJ-1200-Left-Air-Scoop-Intake-/271789851822?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3f47f004ae&vxp=mtr

If you're in the mode for a more complete FJ, you may want to wait for something like that to come up for sale. They're out there, and should be more available in the Spring or so, and can probably be had for around $1,500.

[FJmonkey]

Welcome, you will find the FJ easy to work on if you already have bike experience. How bad is the front fender? Can you post pics? If you have most of the pieces it can be repaired without too much work. Same with the scoop. When you get the front fender fixed I recommend you install a fork brace to stop the forks from flexing and breaking the fender again. I have a fork brace from Randy at RPM and it also helps keeping the front stable in corners. I may also have a spare scoop for an '86 that I would be willing to sell. Where in the world are you?

[FJmonkey]

I do have another question:  the bottom fairing seems to be different than pics of other FJ's.  The fairing looks like it's covering the entire side of the engine, versus other fairings that appear to be just a scoop.  I asked the seller about it, and he said it was stock.

The stock lower fairing is just a scoop and leaves the engine exposed.

[IanDMacDonald]

Howdy.  The more research I do, the more I realize that this bike is not far-off from my XS1100.  Same issues, same mods, etc.  He sent me a few pics of the damage to the fairing.  It literally looks like someone ripped the cowl off.  I can honestly say, it would absolutely kill me to be riding around on a bike with a big chunk missing on it.  I may take the advice from above and wait on another.  It's a hard deal to pass-up on, but I've been through the motions before of hunting down expensive body panels.  Thanks for the advice fellas.

[IanDMacDonald]

http://centralmich.craigslist.org/mcy/4861648833.html

[FJ_Hooligan]

That's an aftermarket lower fairing.  Lockhart maybe..

[Capn Ron]

left-side air intake cover is busted, along with the front fender.  I know looking through ebay & CL, that they are next to impossible to find. 

It's not pristine, and could be cheaper, but here's a LHS air scoop...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1986-1993-Yamaha-FJ-1200-Left-Air-Scoop-Intake-/271789851822?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3f47f004ae&vxp=mtr

If you're in the mode for a more complete FJ, you may want to wait for something like that to come up for sale. They're out there, and should be more available in the Spring or so, and can probably be had for around $1,500.

The scoop in the Ebay listing isn't a left hand...it's for the right hand side.  It's also only for the '89-'90 years.  A misleading listing for sure.