Buying an FJ 1100/1200 - what to look for in a used bike

[captainmook]

Greetings all --

First off, thanks to everyone for your replies, its great to be a part of this group and talk about these bikes. I'm grateful to everyone reaching out with info about bikes for sale, and I've got a few lined up to look at.

I haven't had a chance to comb through the forums with regard to this topic, but I'd like some opinions on what exactly I should be looking for on these bikes, when looking at buying. Specifics are appreciated, as I don't want to have any real surprises when I buy something and know that a major repair is in order.

I'm checking out 4 bikes (so far) in the next 10 days or so, so please feel free to message me if you have a link or suggestion on what to look for.

Thanks in advance for any advice !!

[fjbiker84]

I've asked various sources about how long these engines were designed to run and the answer that keeps coming back is that there isn't a mileage number you should be looking at as much as an indication that the required maintenance/care was performed over the bike's life.  You can probably get a feel for that thru the seller and appearance of the bike.  That said, early generation 1100s (of which I have) here noted to have relatively weak 1st and/or 2nd gears in their transmissions if subjected to serious abuse - which a lot of these bikes were subjected to back in the day.  Apparently, in later models even this problem was dealt with.  So, I guess my 2 cents worth is to look for the bike in the best condition and a best explanation of the bike's ownership over its life.