Hi from Cape Town

[Malone]

hi folks
thought i'd get a bit of a head-start here, technically i'm not yet an FJ owner, but i should be taking delivery of my 'new' 93 FJ1200 in black/gold livery in the next week or two.
so, as my excitement builds, i've been lurking about a bit here, gleaning what useful info i can.
figured it's probably time to say hi, then - i'm a 48 years young single dude living near Cape Town - Simon's Town, to be exact - i'll post up some of that location info and stuff once i have the bike.
i've had a natural love for motorcycles since as far back as i can remember, getting my hands on my first bike, a Honda 50cc at age 15.
some of the bikes i've owned and enjoyed over the years include a brand-new(to date, the only bike i have bought new) Suzuki RG250 two-stroke party animal, lol, a more sedate Yamaha XJ750 shaft, which gave me many enjoyable miles across the country, as well as a '93 GSXR-750 which i unceremoniously scrapped while trying to impress some mates.....
i then stepped things down, got a smaller Honda XR250, which is an absolute pleasure for the short commutes which my life largely consists of right now.
soon, i'm going to have time for some extended trips again, and so, the plan for something like an FJ formulated.
spent the last six months browsing the sales, speaking to those in the know, and never really found the sweet deal my pocket could afford.
now i think i found it - the above-mentioned '93 model, in superb condition, all stock except for the silencers, and a genuine low mileage of 25000km (+-15000miles)
so, i'm bound to be prowling about and asking random questions over the next few weeks/months/years, as well as having a bit of fun in the forum.
have a good day, one and all! 

[fjbiker84]

Welcome to the forum and congrats on the bike - sounds like a really great find!  There are some really useful topics and discussions on this website and amazingly knowledgable people from all over the world.  I, too, grew up on motorcycles as a kid and young adult but gave it up till the chance to buy my 84 came about 10 years ago.  Now it's become almost an obsession! 

[FJmonkey]

Welcome, once you get on the FJ you are really gonna love it. Are you sure it is a '93? The colors you describe are stock for the '89. It could be a '93 in '89 colors.

[Malone]

thanks for the welcome  
i guess it's possible that it's an '89 which was first registered in '93? those sort of things can get a bit confusing, especially here in South Africa. will find out more about that when i next speak to the owner.

edit - that's a pic of it as my avatar - maybe you fundi's could spot at a glance which year it might be? i'd be impressed... 

[FJmonkey]

Check out the FJ ZeeMap, there are a few FJowners in your area. https://www.zeemaps.com/map?group=724879#

[Malone]

i saw that, thanks
in fact, i had a good chuckle, as a chap on the Cape Town section of the map, name of Karl, appears to be in some serious trouble, about 50 nautical miles south of Cape Point.
as a volunteer sea rescue member, i'm tempted to launch the boat to see if we can go and rescue him. lol, jk

[FJmonkey]

i saw that, thanks
in fact, i had a good chuckle, as a chap on the Cape Town section of the map, name of Karl, appears to be in some serious trouble, about 50 nautical miles south of Cape Point.
as a volunteer sea rescue member, i'm tempted to launch the boat to see if we can go and rescue him. lol, jk

If you find Karl let him know that I can move his map pin to a dryer location. The salt water is gonna be real bad for the FJ. 

[aviationfred]

Welcome to the forum

I believe FJmonkey makes a good point. It also appears to me that the FJ in your Avatar is a 1988 or 1989 MODEL year. I fully understand that in Europe and many other countries, that if the bike sits on the showroom floor for 2 years before it sells, that the title and registration will reflect that it is the year model of the year that it was first registered.

With all of that said..... The importance of knowing exactly which FJ model you have is important. There are some key differences between some years, and not all of the parts are interchangeable.

Have a look at the bottom edge on the right hand side of the main fairing, just below the air scoop. There should be a casting in the plastic. If it shows a 3CV like in the photo below. You have a 1988/1989 model. A 1993 model will have a 3XW or 3YA

Fred

[Malone]

thanks fred, that's good to know -
now. i'll be inspecting the bike probably over the weekend, so i'll look for that marking.
while on the subject, are there any recommendations for someone like me who's about to buy one.
should i rather be looking for another year model? if so, which would be the best model to look for?
if i do go for this '88/89 model, are there any issues i should know about specific to that model?
my main concern here is the mileage - once i am satisfied that this mileage is genuine, then i'm not that concerned over the year model - or should i be?
thanks in advance for any tips.

[aviationfred]

which would be the best model to look for?
thanks in advance for any tips.

Good question..... As with anything, opinions vary and reasoning is subjective.

Each generation of the FJ has it's merits and it's detractors.

For the 1988-1990 model years, (I own a 1989) about the only flaw is slight buzzing in the hand grips due to the semi rigged engine mounts. Easily dealt with by adding the RPM bar end Vibranators.

Look at the following link for some more general descriptions of the different models. http://www.yamaha-tech.com/wiki/Yamaha_FJ1200

There is also some good information here. http://fjowners.wikidot.com/start

[FJmonkey]

The FJ/XJ engine is near bullet proof when properly maintained. They are used in legends racing and run at red-line for 20 laps a race and they keep going. We have a member here with over 200K miles on his original engine in his FJ. So mileage is less of an issue for our FJs. I own an '86 and an '89, two different generations. I like them both. '89 and up are fuel pump, before that gravity feed. '92 and up are rubber engine mounted and are reported to be much smoother. Not having ridden one I cannot compare. Good plastic is getting harder to find so that would be a plus when shopping. Look in the tank for rust. Light rust is normal for bikes this old, heavy rust will cause problems, especially on gravity feed years. Plan to change tires, chain, sprockets, oil as part of your start up cost. If the tires look good and the date code is less than 5 years then you can save that cost. Oil and filter are low cost so just do it. Chain and sprockets are like insurance. Not knowing the condition of your chain is like riding with an old un-exploded shell under your seat. When a chain breaks it tends to destroy the case. The FJ is a stump puller so a high strength chain is critical. And be prepared for Moditus. It converts your wallet in to the best bike you will ever have.

[Malone]

all good points, and duly noted, thanks gents.
of the things he mentioned, one issue i suspect i might find is rust in the tank. the owner has mentioned a 'very tiny' leak in the tank apparently 'easy to repair.'
is this a danger sign? (aside the obvious inherent dangers of a leaking fuel tank, lol)
the bike has been on or near the coast for several years, but has always been garaged, never ridden in rain or adverse weather, and so has no visible body/frame rust.
if there is indeed a problem with rust in the fuel tank, what are my best options?

[Tuneforkfreak]

For the 1988-1990 model years, (I own a 1989) about the only flaw is slight buzzing in the hand grips due to the semi rigged engine mounts. Easily dealt with by adding the RPM bar end Vibranators.

Funny you should mention this Fred,since the day I first rode my bike its had a low buzzing noise up in the fairing/dash area.  Ive had that thing apart ten times trying to eliminate it and figure it out. Ive just learned to live with it now but it still bothers me. Vibranators are the next thing on my list when $$$ comes available.

[FJmonkey]

all good points, and duly noted, thanks gents.
of the things he mentioned, one issue i suspect i might find is rust in the tank. the owner has mentioned a 'very tiny' leak in the tank apparently 'easy to repair.'
is this a danger sign? (aside the obvious inherent dangers of a leaking fuel tank, lol)
the bike has been on or near the coast for several years, but has always been garaged, never ridden in rain or adverse weather, and so has no visible body/frame rust.
if there is indeed a problem with rust in the fuel tank, what are my best options?

The most common option for rust and leaking tank repair is having it properly cleaned (de-rusted) and lined. There are a few products out there designed just for this fix. pour-15, Kream, and Red Kote. here is a link on the subject. http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=151.0

Another thread from the Files Section http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=8450.0

There are also other products to make spot repairs. But if the tank is leaking from being rusted out, this would only be temporary as it will continue to rust then leak in other places.

[rktmanfj]

the owner has mentioned a 'very tiny' leak in the tank apparently 'easy to repair.'

In the case of tank on my '89, the tiny leak was very hard to find, and turned out to be a very small pinhole along where the fuel filter bracket was brazed onto the tank.  We re-brazed the area, and have had no further issues with it.