Someone has to stop the Legends racing guys!?

[mr blackstock]

I found this on ebay:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/YAMAHA-FJ-1200-/201545939010?hash=item2eed12f842:g:LW0AAOSw2ENW72~X

He has two FJ rolling chassis for sale, I sent him an email inquiring about the bikes, he replied that he has removed the engines for legends racing.  Someone needs to let the legends guys know there are other engines out there... within a couple of years the landscape will be dotted with engineless FJ carcases. 

Perhaps an education program letting them know the virtues of Kwaka engines?  GSX engines are pretty good too, why are'nt they into big V twins?  If we infiltrated their forums we could spread such ideas, and after a few years they will begin plundering other brands...  Legends racing is only going to get bigger!

This is an alarming trend, we need to establish an action committee!  Can you see the forlorn look in this FJ's headlight?

[Arnie]

Gareth,

I understand the emotional pain at seeing those empty hulks that used to be fine FJ motorcycles.
BUT, IMO Legends (aka AussieRacing) is why we still have a ready supply of OEM engine parts. In fact, you can still buy a BRAND NEW XJR1300 crate engine from Yamaha, and likely will be for some time to come.  You can also argue that Legends is also the reason good used FJ parts are so available.

Maybe the fault lies with current and would-be FJ owners who aren't willing to pay the same as these mini car racers for used FJs.  Or, those scavengers who pay more for parts (ie Engines) than for whole bikes.

And finallly, without Legends racing would RPMracing even exist as an FJ parts supplier business?

My take is that the Legends (and Aussie Racing) crew has been good for us FJers.

Arnie   

[krusty]

Some (very few, hopefully) of those guys don't want to buy them but steal them. You can ask me how I know.

[mr blackstock]

G'day,

Arnie I know you are most likely correct, you do make some good points, but could it also be considered that as the legends guys are willing to pay so much, many of the parts may be listed beyond reasonable cost in regards to wreckers? 

I have found it cheaper in the past to purchase off RPM for a new part, than a local wrecker who was capitalising off the demand for parts.  I guess that means alot of us will be sourcing new parts then.

Krusty, you mean we might have to guard our FJ's?   

Cheers, Gareth

[Bones]

Perhaps an education program letting them know the virtues of Kwaka engines?  GSX engines are pretty good too.

This quote from Gareth got me thinking, why DO the legend racers stick with the FJ/XJR engines when there are engines from other makes that make far more horsepower and torque.  Hayabusa, ZX1400, GSXR, Blackbird, etc...

Not sure how many years the legend racers have been around, was the FJ engine top dog when first started and they just kept with the formula, or is there a specific reason to continue to use them. I understand about control engines where everyone runs the same to keep things fair, but with the engines available these days why haven't they upgraded to something more modern. I know you can buy brand new engines for the XJR, but they are still based on a 30 yr old design.

[4everFJ]

In fact, you can still buy a BRAND NEW XJR1300 crate engine from Yamaha, and likely will be for some time to come.

Not so strange since the XJR1300 is still in production... 

[Dads_FJ]

Perhaps an education program letting them know the virtues of Kwaka engines?  GSX engines are pretty good too.

This quote from Gareth got me thinking, why DO the legend racers stick with the FJ/XJR engines when there are engines from other makes that make far more horsepower and torque.  Hayabusa, ZX1400, GSXR, Blackbird, etc...

Not sure how many years the legend racers have been around, was the FJ engine top dog when first started and they just kept with the formula, or is there a specific reason to continue to use them. I understand about control engines where everyone runs the same to keep things fair, but with the engines available these days why haven't they upgraded to something more modern. I know you can buy brand new engines for the XJR, but they are still based on a 30 yr old design.

Maybe because we Fj owners keep bragging about how what an awesome torque monster the mill is... We should start more threads on how bad and undependable they are.

nah.

[Arnie]

Mr Blackstock said, "I have found it cheaper in the past to purchase off RPM for a new part, than a local wrecker who was capitalising off the demand for parts."

This has nothing to do with the Legends guys.  This is a function of the greed of Australian wreckers and their common pricing formula of 50% of current new Australian RRP.  The RRP of FJ parts is not much different than the RRP of similar parts from Kwaka or Suzuki bikes.  Australian bike dealers rarely discount anything except the value of a trade-in.  They certainly don't yet realize that there is a world marketplace with which they need to be competitive. I would prefer to pay a bit extra to keep them around, but not the 50-200% extra they demand.
The problem is that Aussie dealers have so many sticks up their ass they think they're big wheels.
Then you're comparing those prices with RPM's discounted (and fair) US parts prices.

Arnie   

[PaulG]

.... why DO the legend racers stick with the FJ/XJR engines when there are engines from other makes that make far more horsepower and torque.  Hayabusa, ZX1400, GSXR, Blackbird, etc..... I know you can buy brand new engines for the XJR, but they are still based on a 30 yr old design.

Could it be that the FJ/XJR basic design leaves plenty of room for modding out without exploding?  The engine was overbuilt to begin with, more like a tractor than a motorcycle.  Modern engines on sport bikes are tweeked so much from the factory I would imagine they would require more frequent rebuilds than the FJ.  Yes you can get more horsepower/torque but at what cost in reliability, esp when hauling around a Legends car weighing  3 times (?) that of an FJ.  Even in WSBK they allot 7 or so engines per team for the season.  That's almost an engine every other race weekend.  I'm just guessing cuz I don't know much about the Legends, but I think that could be a main reason 

A solid 30 yr old design is not obsolete by any means.  The Triumph parallel twin lasted over 30 yrs basically unchanged, and the BMW air head boxer well over 60 yrs.  You could consider the FJ/XJR design the modern equivalent of these.  The Cessna 130 (?) or even your toilet - all still function as originally designed.  There is a Chrysler slant-6 (or is it a straight-6?) in the Smithsonium museum with over 1,000,000 documented miles on it.  If I could plonk that engine into my Ford Escape I would.

But now the question is... In the post Armageddon future of tumbleweeds and kaleidoscope skies, and there are no more FJ engines left, can you wedge an XJR engine in without any cutting and pasting?

BTW - not being from OZ am I allowed to chime I on this thread?  My niece just married an Aussie and moved to Melbourne last year, and I have a cousin near Adelaide.  So that should allow me a couple of posts a year? 

[ribbert]

This is a function of the greed of Australian wreckers and their common pricing formula of 50% of current new Australian RRP. 

Arnie   

I bought a set of very low mileage fuel pump FJ carbs 3 weeks ago on ebay. Professionally cleaned and rebuilt with as new diaphragms - $180!
A wrecker in Sydney has a set (presumably still has them) straight off the bike for $650.


I bought a headlight (just to have on the shelf in case) for $44.80 from a private seller. A wrecker had one for $125. I offered him $75 and he refused.

Noel

[FJmonkey]

But now the question is... In the post Armageddon future of tumbleweeds and kaleidoscope skies, and there are no more FJ engines left, can you wedge an XJR engine in without any cutting and pasting?

The XJR engine will fit an FJ with some minor grinding of the cooling fins on the rear of the heads. And then some spacing out of the rear sprocket and all is good for an FJ1300. 

[giantkiller]

I got the Corbin seat and a complete upper fairing , chin spoiler side panels, handle bars with levers throttle and cables all for $250. And offered $40 for the super trap slippons. And got them for $50. From a legends guy. He was selling the seat and asked if there was anything else I needed...all in near mint condition.  he had no need for any of it. And had no clue what it was worth.

[aviationfred]

I see what is meant by the high prices for parts in Australia...... A pretty steep price are an engineless FJ.


Fred

[ken65]

Here's a classic example Fred..

2nd hand Battery strap for R1.     http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/161969342838?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

New from Yamaha dealer which I purchased last week.  $7

[Arnie]

Just a bit more about why I am not unhappy with the Legends guys.....

Without them it is unlikely that businesses like Curt Andrews, Woody's, and most important to us RPMracing (Yay Randy) would exist.  These business' bread and butter is from Legends.  
We are the frosting :-)

Sure, they will rape a perfectly good FJ for the engine, but they then sell the rest at bargain bin prices, and THEY are the ones wearing out and breaking engine bits, which provides the volume needed for parts to remain available.  (they also keep FJ bike prices up just in case we sell)

Legends forever!