New member from Seattle

[hawkaholic37]

Hi everyone,

I am a new member from Seattle. I love riding and l love my Seahawks

I currently own a 2004 Suzuki SV650. I bought it last Summer when l got back into riding after a 20 year hiatus. I had a close call when l was young and finally got back on the horse. The sport bike has been good for getting back on the road, and it is a great commuter, but l want to do some longer rides and it just isn't up to the task. I guess it is time to admit that l am not 25 anymore

I have been looking at different bikes, some newer and some older. I have thought about a newer FJR, an ST1300, a Concours...but l keep coming back to the older FJ's. There are a few in my area in pretty good condition for sale, very affordable. I am hoping that you guys can bring me up to speed as far as the pros and cons of an FJ. I have heard they are bulletproof, but l have to admit that my biggest concern is with buying a bike this old, getting parts, keeping it running, etc. I am okay with a wrench to an extent, and can learn as l go pretty well. I am not a mechanic by any means though. I have heard they commonly have problems with 2nd gear. Is this a major concern?

My intent would be to use it as a commuter (short commute...less than 5 miles) and day trips, with the occasional long ride. I would like to take a trip to the Midwest next Summer and want a bike that l can be confident with.

If l left anything out, please feel free to holler. And thanks in advance!

[movenon]

Welcome ! Not to many of us here are 25 years old either. If you keep coming back to the FJ then the FJ is probably what you should get IMO.  That said, get on one and see if it fits you.  They are a fun bike and for what you want it for it sounds like a good choice.  Most of us do our own maintenance.  A used bike that is 20-30 years old will probably require some deferred maintenance even one in "excellent" condition.  Once familiar with the bike it is easy to work on.  Lots of good help here.

In your shopping consider getting a 91-95 FJ.  And look for one with hard bags if possable.  IMO don't buy one with no or badly broken plastic's (fairings etc).  The FJ's between 84 and 95 went through some changes. There are basically 4 different evolutions. Not everything is interchangeable.  Someone else will have to comment on the second gear issue.  But it is my understanding it was more of a problem in the early years.  But you can beat anything to death if you try.

Here is a link for Randy at RPM. He is a member here and rider. You can see some of the stuff that is still readily available for the FJ. http://www.rpmracingca.com/products.asp?cat=39

You might be money ahead if you find an FJ to ask questions here before you buy it. Lots of help and advise here. Small things can add up.
George

[Steve_in_Florida]

Welcome back to Moto-Biking.

The FJ is a great ride.

I stumbled onto them on the recommendation of a coworker about 23 years ago. Had one ever since.

Comfortable, easy to work on, and very capable. The FJ does everything that I demand from a sport-tourer.

Be careful trying to use it as a commuter. You might not want to make it into work!

Steve

[hawkaholic37]

Thanks for the replies guys! The one that l have been keeping one eye on is a 1992. It doesn't say if it is ABS or not, so l have to think it probably isn't. I have never had an ABS bike, so l don't know what l am missing. It looks pretty clean, 25000 miles.

[Blackcloud89]

Hey there hawk!
The FJ you're looking at is the 92 in Fall City right?  if so- looks like a pretty clean bike.
I just brought mine home form that side on Saturday!

[hawkaholic37]

Yes it is! Did you happen to look at it? Are you on the other side of the hill?

[Blackcloud89]

I looked at it online- but I didn't see it in person.

I am over in Spokane. 

There is a seemingly great deal on a '90 in Wenatchee- I almost stopped to look at it on the way home.

[hawkaholic37]

Yeah, l saw that one too, but it doesn't appear to have luggage.

[Blackcloud89]

True- but it does come with a Vance and Hines exhaust!  LOL

[hawkaholic37]

True- but it does come with a Vance and Hines exhaust!  LOL

Well, that isn't necessarily a good thing for me. My girlfriend has a really rare condition, she is super sensitive to odors and noise. My bike has a slip-on that is a bit louder than stock, but not obnoxiously loud. I need a nice balance. Anything too loud would not work for me.

[hawkaholic37]

How would you guys rate your FJ as far as dependability goes? Would you hesitate to ride it across the country?

[Capn Ron]

How would you guys rate your FJ as far as dependability goes? Would you hesitate to ride it across the country?

Um...Nope...I wouldn't hesitate at all!   

This is the map of the trip I did in 2012 leaving from Los Angeles:



You can read the stats of that trip on my "wrap-up" post on the ride report here:

http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=10252.msg102557#msg102557

If you're thinking of doing a cross-country trip and have and have questions about anything related...gear, miles, tires, sights, accomodations, camping, luggage, tools...Don't hesitate to ask!

I'm looking to do another big trip here in a couple of months that will be around 10,000 or so miles.  The rough outline of that one looks like this so far:



Can't think of a better bike to do this on!   

[FJmonkey]

How would you guys rate your FJ as far as dependability goes? Would you hesitate to ride it across the country?

Many of do ride our FJs across country. My last ride on my '89 to and from the West Coast Rally covered over 1500 miles in 5 days. And this guy documented his epic trip. http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=10252.0

The Capn routinely makes a few long trips every year. Then have our self proclaimed Midget Mike Ramos, He likely puts more miles on his FJ in a month than I do all year.

So if you use good parts, quality maintenance and don't abuse it, your FJ will be very dependable. 

[edit] The Capn beat me to it....

[hawkaholic37]

Wow! Those trips are pretty darn impressive! I'm sold

[Urban_Legend]

Happy to do 1000miles in a weekend on mine. Comfortable and reliable is the go with these, with a huge dash of wahoo ( commonly called kookaloo on here)

Mark