Questions from a new owner

[FJmonkey]

Get a fork brace from RPM, the fender tabs will stress and break from the forks bowing out. Your front fender may already have cracks from the stress.

[Super]

Oh yeah the buzzing will drive you crazy..
one time I stuffed some memory foam from an old mattress topper between the windscreen and the top of the instruments . That was 3 yrs ago and it is still there to stop the buzzing. I need to go thru all the fasteners and put insulators between the contact points . Maybe this winter .

The bike fell on this side, the stay under the mirror still is difficult to line up properly with the mirror screws.  I need to see if there is some way to insulate the speedo pod from the fairing surrounding it.  The noise is REALLY LOUD and detracts from an otherwise relatively smooth quiet ride.

[Super]

This is FJ porn, a very clean looking '86. I hope to get my '86 looking this good. Awesome dude...

Thanks,
That's the way I got it, other than fixing the missing "ear", I've done nothing cosmetic.

[gumby302ho]

Never tried to see if the noise is there on the stand.  The stay that supports the fairing was a bit bent from the fall.  If I hold the speedo pod with my left hand while accelerating through the 4k range, I can stop the buzz.  It seems that the pod is too close to the fairing.  Seem to recall some foam glued to the pod, perhaps these need to be refreshed and some other adjustments made to the stays.

Man that is a sweet looking ITX, I only wish mine was so clean and fresh like yours. My two cents for your bad buzz is to use a shaved wine cork, cork has worked great for me, widdle it up and stuff it in, again what a sweet ride and would love to here your baking soda blaster trick on those carbs, great work!

[Super]

Man that is a sweet looking ITX, I only wish mine was so clean and fresh like yours. My two cents for your bad buzz is to use a shaved wine cork, cork has worked great for me, widdle it up and stuff it in, again what a sweet ride and would love to here your baking soda blaster trick on those carbs, great work!
[/quote]

I'll take a pic later, just a clear vinyl hose with a slit cut in it an inch from one end.  Insert the tip of the blow gun into the slit, stick the free end into a .99c box of baking soda and "blast away".  The suction of the air through the hose picks up the soda from the box, and the business end removes all the gunk from the soft carb parts. 

Any mess on the lane and in the carbs flushes away easily and cleanly with water.

Lots of pics on the internet, query "home made soda blaster"

[Super]

Get a fork brace from RPM, the fender tabs will stress and break from the forks bowing out. Your front fender may already have cracks from the stress.

Clear or black?  What looks best?

[aviationfred]

On the Red and White FJ's, I think either color will look ok.

Here is a photo of 5 FJ's, all with fork braces. The '86 on the left has a Black brace.





Fred

[FJmonkey]

My '86 with the clear finish and a '90 with clear as well. The clear blends in with the forks. I would choose clear if you are going to be spending time on your FJ. Over time the sun will fade the black. You could also paint it if you prep it properly for painting over an anodized finish.

[nchattaway]

If the bike has been sitting for so long, could the "buzz" be more of a "howl" and be the speedo instrument itself? If you disconnect the speedo cable and take it for a ride, you'll soon find out.

Both my 84s speedos either howl or bark sometimes.

Nathan

[Super]

If the bike has been sitting for so long, could the "buzz" be more of a "howl" and be the speedo instrument itself? If you disconnect the speedo cable and take it for a ride, you'll soon find out.

Both my 84s speedos either howl or bark sometimes.

Nathan

No it is engine speed related . I looked briefly at it last night, definitely the speedo/tack housing vibrating against the fairing at around 4000 rpm.  Does do it on the stand.  I'll take the fairing off this winter and have a look.  Seems as though the rubber washers or whatever holds the cluster in is too loose, allowing the cluster to vibrate against the fairing.  May end up stuffing foam or "shaved corks" as some have suggested.
Dave

[markmartin]

Black doesn't look bad if your bike has a lot off black already, otherwise I would prefer clear. I think the aluminum finish looks like it's part of the suspension and the black looks like an add on.  I bought my black one when that Super-brace was discontinuing the brace for the FJ and all they had left was black.



As for the buzz coming form your speedo, yes corking it will do well for now.  The next time you have the fairing off, you can try tightening the rubber fittings that support the  speedo assembly.  I've added some washers to help squeeze the rubber as the rubber  mounts have hardened up considerably.  They are supposed to provide some play and allow for vibration, so be careful not to over tighten these.  Another source of aggravating vibration might be your headlight assembly.  I had to jamb a piece of rubber in the bracket as show below. --- The picture shows the left side with the rubber 'shim' jambed behind the bolt and the right side before I installed the rubber piece.

[rktmanfj]

A lot of those old rubber parts can be rejuvenated by soaking/boiling in wintergreen oil and xylene.  There's a lot of threads about it out there, including this one:

http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/good-conditioner-for-old-rubber-parts.975603/

[gumby302ho]

A lot of those old rubber parts can be rejuvenated by soaking/boiling in wintergreen oil and xylene.  There's a lot of threads about it out there, including this one:

http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/good-conditioner-for-old-rubber-parts.975603/


Xylene? Never heard of xylene up here in the great wet north, is there another name for this stuff, is there a substitute that can be used? I hope your still fighting the good fight Mr Liberal! 

[rktmanfj]

A lot of those old rubber parts can be rejuvenated by soaking/boiling in wintergreen oil and xylene.  There's a lot of threads about it out there, including this one:

http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/good-conditioner-for-old-rubber-parts.975603/

Xylene? Never heard of xylene up here in the great wet north, is there another name for this stuff, is there a substitute that can be used? I hope your still fighting the good fight Mr Liberal! 

Liberal?  I ain't no liberal...       
No xylene up there, really?   

It's a pretty common solvent down here in the States, available at about any hardware store or lumber yard.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylene

I'm no chemist, but MEK or acetone might work as a substitute.
Use plenty of ventilation and appropriate protection with any of 'em... it's nasty stuff.   

[movenon]

Here is something to read on the subject. http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=29707.0
George