Long time lurker, First time poster...

[carsick]

  Hey Folks,
  I am both inspired and amazed by this forum. Thank you Marsh and congratulations on the boy, I talk about my two all the time, good and bad. The rest of you really impress me with your generosity and dedication to the FJ cause and bikes in general, thus leading me to join and post for the FIRST TIME EVER! Anywhere!
So the story...
My uncle had an FJ1200. I never got a ride on it, but the seed was planted. I knew it was a fast sumbitch, had perfect style, and that I'd find one eventually. Fast forward 20 years, skip over many borrowed bikes and never a license, I felt it was about time for eventually. My wife, bless her heart, let me take the MSF ridercourse. I was trying to set a good example for the boys and reassure her, I surprised myself by having great fun and learning how much I didn't know. No more target fixation wrecks! Bought a Maxim 550 to get around on, quickly procured a CB700SC Nighthawk S to bring some more life to the party. Started lurking here, more out of fantasy than possibility. Nothing really had the style and power together like the FJ's.
So, teh bike...
  Saw a post on here Octoberish about a parts FJ 2 hours from me here in Vermont on CL. Called right away, but one call too late. I was all torn up, because you see I am a) thrifty (cheap!) b) underfunded (unless you count my wealth of parts and projects!) c) convinced I can fix any broken thing. (Yes, an ex-car mechanic, although
you can never really give it up.) Consoled myself with all sorts of rationalizations, find a better one next time etc. About a month later a similar bike pops up on CL, 45 mins away. Thursday afternoon, it's been posted 15 min, rare sunny day, I'm off work, the wife and older son are gone for the day. There are hundred dollar bills in my pocket. I have an empty truck bed. Quarter tank of gas. Just me- and the 4 year old. This never happens. I email. He calls. I ask the boy "Do you want to go see a motorcycle?" " Yeah Dad, let's go!" So much for restraint.
  And there she is. '91 FJ1200, pool of brake fluid below, covered in mud and salt. Broken plastic. Punk stickers all over it. Nose first into a dark corner of the garage. Poor, poor girl. I feel like animal control confiscating an abused pet. However, she runs (on 3). And moves. And charges! I wonder how long I need to hem and haw before he pays me to take it away. I notice it looks to have been flipped end over end. I wonder if it's a death bike? Will the curse follow it? I offer a bit more than what the previous owner was asking. He wants to keep it, but I think he's overwhelmed by the appearance. He had done some legwork and made sure it wasn't stolen, got the key, replaced levers, and tried without success to bleed the clutch. Nice fella, so I offer a few more bucks. He says there are more parts coming in the mail. I counter with I'm here with cash not BS, or you can see who else turns up. Wondering all the while what the hell I'm doing, I've bought two bikes already in two months, if this one doesn't kill me the wife will. But you all know the sickness, so I digress. He says pull the truck up, and I hurry to get it loaded before he reconsiders. My son says "Did you get the mo'er cycle?" Yep. " Good job, Dad." I stop twice on the way home to wipe grime off the side panels and laugh as I whisper to myself " I've got an FJ!"
  Wash it, remove stickers, list the Maxim on CL before the wife and older son get home. When they arrive, I take my 9 year old around the side and his eyes widen. "Another bike! Does Mom know?" Uh-Uh. We both laugh nervously, and he gives it an appraising look. " It's nice. Did you get a deal on it?" Yep. " Well that's OK then. Can I sit on it? " So the three boys are together on this one, just have to convince Mom. Luckily the younger one has momentarily forgotten our adventure and is more interested in eating groceries being unloaded.  I say to her " I need to talk to you." Dead serious. " what? What?"  " I.. bought a bike." " Another one?  I hope to hell you finally got the one you want." Yep and Yep. What a wonderful woman. Happy day.
Putted around the yard and dropped it a couple times, lotsa torque for bald tires on wet grass. Tinkered for a few days and slipped out under cover of darkness for a test run. Ladies and gentlemen, at 52K she still has her Kookaloo! NOW I know what you're talkin' about! It is very contagious, I'm still suffering these winter months. I had a pre-existing condition of moditis with the 6 vehicles, 2 bikes, one each snowmachine and go-kart, but the FJ has caused a flare up. I've spent twice more on mod parts than the bike. And here is where you enter the story, kind and gentle reader, because I'll need guidance with this makeover. Parts are amassing, wrenches yet to turn. GSXR rear wheel and brake, R1 muffler, blue dots and R1 master, all 4 braided lines, crushed fairing to be replaced with FZ headlights, etc. First question, how do I insert an image in this post? The insert image button just gave me  [img]. Halp! Looking very much forward to the conversation (2 more months of snow then mud before we can reach pavement)-
Doug

[Harvy]

Doug.....excellent first post! 

SO for this Image:


the pic has to be hosted somewhere......... this particular one is in the gallery of this forum.

when you click the image icon you get {img}{/img} with the cursor sitting between the {img} and {/img} (exxcept that the curly braces are actually square braces).
paste the URL of the image location right where the cursor is sitting.

Like this:
{img}http://fjowners.com/gallery/421_16_02_10_9_54_12.jpeg{/img}.


Hope that helps

Harvy

[LA Mike]

Parts are amassing, wrenches yet to turn. GSXR rear wheel and brake, R1 muffler, blue dots and R1 master, all 4 braided lines, crushed fairing to be replaced with FZ headlights, etc.
Doug

Doug,

Welcome to the forum and the Sickness...that is Modifying.

Enjoy your new bike,
Mike

[TRoy]

an ex-car mechanic

Hey Doug, congratulations! Thanks for the great read man it made me feel like this:

[TRoy]

woops. I mean it made me feel like this:

[jvb_ca]

Welcome Doug...great intro. You won't find a better bunch 'o' guys and gals anywhere. Only cure for moditis is more modding.

tRoy...great photo  

Cheers...Jake

[Dan Filetti]

Welcome here Doug.

Nice intro. There is no kown cure for Moditus but, like Nymphomania, is not the worst affiction you can have. 


Dan

[racerman_27410]

Welcome brother!

The kookaloo legion gains another strong soul.....

time to have some fun now!

KOokaloo!   


Frank

[Mark Olson]

Doug,

Outstanding first post. welcome to the group , you have found your people.
The Moditis bug is a strange thing that comes and goes.
Just when you think you are done and you  draw that line in the sand you may find yourself changing something else.

come to a rally and you will see the bikes and mods and meet fj'ers from all different walks of life brought together by an awesome motorcycle.

[83elite]

Wow, this makes me wish I could go back and redo my first post. Excellent read!

After having the 700 Nighthawk, the FJ is a natural progression. The Nighthawk is good, but the FJ is better,

Welcome, I've only been on a few months, but this is a great forum.

[carsick]

 Hey folks,
  Harvy, thanks a bunch for the pic post tutorial, I'll work on it, hopefully they don't display upside down following your instructions! Everyone else, I really appreciate the warm welcome and encouraging words. I'll try to be good for a while before I start offending with my sarcastic twisted humor. Although the bar is set pretty high already.
Doug

[racerman_27410]

LOL just be yourself........ we tolerate teh Klavdy eh? 


Kookaloo!

Frank

[Yamifj1200]

Hey folks,
 Harvy, thanks a bunch for the pic post tutorial, I'll work on it, hopefully they don't display upside down following your instructions! Everyone else, I really appreciate the warm welcome and encouraging words. I'll try to be good for a while before I start offending with my sarcastic twisted humor. Although the bar is set pretty high already.
Doug

Just remember, you can't buy cool but you can sure as hell build cool. Welcome to the fire lad. Theres lots of great folks here and more info that I can keep up with... ps ya got the best looking year....... runs for cover.......




Eric M

[carsick]

 Eric,
  You might have the best looking year but I bet I've got the worst looking example! Any challengers to make me feel better? She was just like yours before the crash...sniff...
So what king hell firestorm do I start if I put an early fairing on her? Sacrilege? I've gone naked with the headlight only because I can't find a decent fairing and associated pieces. That and I always go for performance and reliability over cosmetics given the choice.
Doug

[Marsh White]

Doug,

Great Intro!  It sounds like you have a great family and a nice solid base in reality!  Glad to have you aboard...just no more dropping your FJ in the yard!!  

Harvy's lesson on pic posting was spot on.  There is also this as well: http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=341.0

Eric, your FJ would look SOOOOoooo good in a rubberized flat/satin black coating like on some helmets and cellphones!