Love at first site

[CanDman]

It was 1984 and I was renting a house near the Sheppard subway station in north end of Toronto. I was driving past one of my neighbors about 20 houses away, when I first laid eyes on this Canadian flag on wheels. Like a bolt of lightening, I was struck with a million volts of pure love and adrenalin. She was leaning on her side stand and like a proud mare, sitting there like the streets belonged to her. She was the queen of the roads and she knew it. I sat there and stared.....eyes fixed.....my heart glowing as the hairs on my entire body rose up at attention as if to salute.......It was a moment in time that I'll never forget..... I was walking past CanD today, when I suddenly stopped to take a good look at her. And out of no where....all the hairs stood up on me again and I was teleported back in time to that first day I first set eyes on this timeless beauty. I would love to hear your moment when your love for the mighty FJ was born........  
CanDman        

[giantkiller]

Mine was when I crashed my car for the second time. 2 weeks before my 17th birthday. I decided I needed something more exciting and cheaper. So I decided I needed a bike. Had no idea what bike. But I heard Pannetty Yamaha had some good deals. So I went there. I walked in the door and saw the first 86 fj1200 in the state. With a hand written sign that said $4400 I called my dad and asked if I could Barrow $500 for the down payment.. Got them to throw in a helmet. And rode my first bike home. Put 14,000 miles on it in 2 1/2 months. And totalled it out. When a guy on a cb1100. Crashed in front of me somewhere around 135 mph.

But 2 of my friends liked mine so much that they later traded their bikes on 86 fj1200s.(one traded his Hurricane 1000, and the other a V65 Sabre) My friend that traded the Sabre is the one that I bought my current fj1350r from. With 10,000 miles on it. For $600. It came with the crashed 87 that had  865 miles on it. That he had bought in case he needed any parts.

[RobbieKNobbie]

First time i saw an FJ1100 was in a 1984 copy of Cycle Guide, in an article comparing the 1/4 mile times and top speeds of (going on memory here...) the VF1000, GS1100, 900 Ninja, and the brand new FJ1100.

The FJ won that contest, and together with the big Ninja, burned an image in my mind.

Two years later, i had just bought a yamaha Vision and was visiting Harr Brothers Yamaha. Two things struck me that day... The radical steepness of the front fairing on the FZ700, and the big broad bodywork on the big FJ. I was also struck by the choke knob and how it made my beautiful new (to me) Vision seem so low tech. Silly in retrospect, but thats how i remember it. I still have a soft spot for the early Ninjas, the original GSXRs and of course the big FJs.

[aviationfred]

In 1988, I was a 20 year old Marine stationed in Jacksonville, NC.. I had become friends with the manager of a small motorcycle parts/service/used bike shop and I was there a lot. One day I showed up at the bike store and this beautiful 1985 FJ1100 was sitting on the floor for sale. I was riding a 1986 Honda Interceptor 500 and had about 1 month to go before the loan was paid off. Being the arrogant young Marine that I was, I told the manager that the FJ1100 was mine and he could not sell it to anyone. He had to wait until my 500 was paid off and I could sell it. A month goes by and the Honda gets paid off, I sold it to the parts girl that works at the bike shop and I get my first FJ. A final twist in the story...... 18 month later, I ended up marrying the motorcycle shop's parts girl and I get my Interceptor 500 back....


Fred

[CanDman]

Ah Fred..... awesome story.....they all are....keep em coming ....this is great 
CanDman

[PaulG]

Mine never started as a "love at first site".  When I first started motorcycling the FJ1100 had just been released so it wasn't even on my radar back then.  Within a few years I may have seen one or heard of them but they never entered my conciousness.

My path to it was strictly analytical to start with.  After my hiatus from riding due to my accident and life in general, I started researching what bike I would need to re-enter the fray.  This was an on and off exercise over a couple of years. I have covered this in other posts but what the hell. Here it is again.

It checked off all the boxes.  Sporty without being painful - long distance touring ability while maintaining comfort - mechanically/electrically reliable -  ease of maintenance.  The fact that it looks like what a bike should look like is a bonus.  Aesthetics has always been far down the list of requirements for me. After all the previous bike to the FJ was a 97 R1100GS.

I was raised in the age of the UJM where one bike could suit most of your needs (for the street anyway).  Most of my older brothers had one at one time, or even worked in the industry. I've only owned five bikes since 1985, only one of them was brand new.  By the time I bought my first bike I already knew that what I desired (RG500) and what was reality were two different worlds.  It's a good thing I never got the Gamma (couldn't afford one anyway) as I'd probably be dead.  So I settled on a used 750 Seca kitted out with Krausers.

Since then functionality has always been the primary driver when considering another bike.  So by the time 2005/06 came along it was time to start some serious considerations.  My search kept coming back to the late model 1200.  This site was a main influence on my decision also.  In late winter of 06/07 I found my 1992ABS at a reasonable price.  Initially even the wife liked it, though by now she would really like a K1200LT for that arm chair comfort (as I am constantly reminded).  Two up riding has become very infrequent now, and a K1200 is not in the cards.  So it will be the FJ for the foreseeable future.

It's been a relationship growing more comfortable each year. In fact it's "our" 10th anniversary this year. I've owned it longer than any other car or bike.  Each passing year I become more confident in my ability to maintain it/her.  I strain to call it "her" or even give it a name. Before I joined this site I never heard of that.  A near perfect design of aluminum and steel intermeshing in unison yes. If you were to anthropomorphize it, I guess it would be realizing the girl next door is no longer just the girl next door.

So here's to another ten years. 

[gumby302ho]

 I was in high school in 1984 when I seen my first FJ, back in the day 750cc bikes were considered huge and they would make you dream to hop on one and want to almost twist the throttle off, when I seen FJ1100 on the side covers of this awe inspiring beautiful red and white machine I was smitten, Oh my god, 1100cc's in a flipping motorcycle, I thought time travel just might be possible. My two dream bikes to own in my future were the FJ and the GPZ, as life goes I ended up being a late bloomer and those two bikes came into my life only in recent years and finally was able to fill my hearts desire owning both bikes. Riding street bikes has been a great learning curve from riding dirt bikes for many years. I still have much to learn. I asked my buddy whats it like to hold his FJ1100 wide open, he said its like riding a missile! Another pal sold his 1200 because it was too much bike for him, another lost his life on his riding fast at night and went out to pass a couple cars and when he swung back in his lane he smoked a trailer that had no running lights. Night time riding in the country can be scary, mostly animals crossing the roads so I dont ride at night very often. I sometimes get pretty crazy using all my 1200cc of FJ grit and feel that I need to calm down and respect it more, its just so much fun to feel the go fast grunt on what I consider to be one of the best looking production bikes of its erra out of Japan, thankyou Japan!!!!

[Urban_Legend]

It wasn't love at first sight for me. It just kind of grew on me.
I had heard of and seen the FJ as I had a friend that liked them, but in my younger days money was a real issue. Then life happened for 20 years. Fast forward to 3 years ago when I was looking for a project to work on. I was originally looking for a CB750, but any to be had were asking stupid money. Then I heard about a guy out in the bush selling 2 FJ. So I grabed a trailer from a friend and went for a look. They were they sorriest excuses you have ever seen of bike. But I thought I could make I good one out of the 2 of them.
To say I got to know the bike intimatley is an understatement. My Girlfriend was getting jealous. Full ground up rebuild later and more money then is wise (and still spending) put into the bike and we have many adventures. I ride it every day as it is my only transport, and i love it. Many more adventures planned.

Mark

[rlucas]

I was working - briefly - at a multi-brand motorcycle dealership (who shall remain nameless) in Cleveland, OH.

Okay, it was Rick Case Honda\Yamaha. Otherwise known as DickFace Honda.

There was a new '86 FJ on the sales floor and I thought it was a really nice looking bike. My ride at that time was a Suzuki GS550E with Dunstall rearsets and a Z1R fairing, and the FJ appealed to me, but I really had my eye on the Seca 900.

Many years later, being back in the bike market after not riding for some time, I found a used '86 FJ. And I just knew it was the right bike.

I was correct.


rossi

[Pat Conlon]

Hey Kev, here's what I posted 7 years ago....

I bought my FJ1100 (47M-000303) in May of '84. I was debating over the Honda VFR750/1000 or this new fangled Yamaha FJ1100 I've been reading about....I'm glad I decided to wait for the FJ. The Honda's were nice but in no way did they have the grunt of the FJ.
So after anxiously following the development of this new Yamaha, at that time the flagship of the Yamaha line, I located a new FJ in Costa Mesa, Calif. at Champion Motorcycles. I called them, drove down in my Ranchero, rode the bike and instantly fell in love.
Without my wife knowing, I financed it (at $4900) and came back to Palm Desert.
The big problem was that I could not bring the bike home, no way, no how, SWMBO would have made me sleep in the garage.
My solution: Phil, my friend at work, lived just down the street, so I kept my new FJ at his house.
I would make up all kinds of excuses to go over to Phil's house so I could don my Simpson full face helmet with tinted visor and ride my new beauty. This lasted about 4 months, I was running out of excuses.

Pat: "Honey, I've got to go over to Phil's and help him with his sprinklers..."
Jann: " You just did that last week"
Pat: "Oh yea, but it's something new...."
Jann: "Whatever..."
One time Jann drove by Phil's house, saw my car parked out front, went up to Phil's front door and asked if her husband was there. Phil's wife (bless her heart) said, "No, sorry you just missed him, he went down to the store to get the paint." Jann replied," I thought he was working on your sprinklers...??"
Things were getting frosty at home. I would leave for 3 or 4 hours, come back with bloodshot eyes and matted sweaty hair.
My wife was convinced that I was having an affair.

Looking back, in a way I was, just not the way she thought.

One night it all came to a head.
Laying in bed together Jann turned to me and asked "Pat, are you seeing anyone?"
I thought, oh shit, here it comes, how can I play this?
I said, "Yes"
Jann: whimper..."Whats she like..?"
Pat: "She's Japanese"
Jann: sob,whimper..."Do you love her...?"
Pat: "Kind of, in a way, she's a lot of fun to be on..."
Jann: (tears are flowing now) "Fun to be on? What's her name?"
Pat: (big swallow) "Yamaha"
Jann: stony silence, no more tears leaking (how can they do that so fast?) "But, but, that's a name of a motorcycle..."
Pat: "Yea honey, I've been meaning to tell you for some time now, I bought a new motorcycle. I know that we don't have the money so I was afraid to tell you. I've kept the bike over a Phil's house and that's were I go when I want to ride".
Jann: "Yea, right." Rolls over and goes to sleep, no doubt in disbelief, yet relieved

The next morning, bright and early, Jann said, "Take me over to Phil's house and show me this motorcycle, right now."

So I do. I show her the bike, the registration card and my helmet. She checks out my story with Phil's wife.

Jann smiles, "Ok honey, you can bring her home..."

Jann and I have been together for 36 years now, she's a keeper.

Since that day, Jann has referred to my bike as "Pat's Mistress"  I don't mind, kinda in a way, it's true.

Cheers!

[Firehawk068]

A final twist in the story...... 18 month later, I ended up marrying the motorcycle shop's parts girl and I get my Interceptor 500 back....

Fred

When I first read this, I thought I was reading "9 months later" 

These are all great stories!

[CanDman]

  .... These are truly great little stories........I luv it   ...... Pat.... .....you're living proof that it is better to ask forgiveness than permission..... .....   Keep em coming.... maybe I should regail the thread with part 2.
 I ended up getting FJ's little sister instead.....at the time it was the Seca 650 turbo. It was a fine ride back then but was prone to high speed wind wobbles. I drove the bike for 3 years and eventually got rid of her. I never rode another bike for years.....20 in fact. It wasn't until I moved into where I am now when I saw mid life running up on me and I started to take stock of my life and what I doing for fun. I became a bit of womanizer after my "X" decided to chase down Liz Taylors record for marriage's and handed me my walking papers......was something to do with my sports car at the time.....she gave me an ultimatum........it's either me or that sports car   ...... well I told her quite immediately that the car was far less maintenance and much better ride......  . Sadly it was true........
Anyway.....after some deep reflection, I decided I was going to rekindle some of youth and lined up a couple of early passions.....Drumming was one of them.......I had 100 acres for my side front and back yards.....so no chance of disturbing the peace......so I went out and bought my first Yamaha in years     A few years later, after talking to one of my younger brothers. He had become an avid and passionate motorcyclist as was my older brother.......so I thought it would be cool us brothers to ride together.......so off I was....in search of the perfect beast. The first bike that came to mind was that Red and White. I thought it was a smart transmission from where my riding days left off. I eventually found what I was looking for in Kijiji and proceeded out to Whitby to by my second Yamaha........Man what a thrill...... I brought her here and gave her a new home.
 It wasn't long after that I found my way here at FJ Owners....... I was truly excited to meet so many great people who the same passion and a ton of knowledge..... I must say..... I say I completely blown away. Pat Conlon was the first to make me feel welcome. I will never forget his kind words and patient fatherly advice. Anyway......the one thing that lit another fore were all the mods and I...... like most of the folks in here.......I was infected.. and out of that was born what some of you may know as "CanD" .   ... I could not have done it without all the help in here...... Thank you my fellow Fist Jammers ....    [/url]000760_zpsc79f4235 by yamyman, on Flickr[/img]
CanDman      

[FJmonkey]

  ...... zero luck.....not happening Randy......I have messed with this for almost an hour and nadda .... a little frustrated...
CanDmad

I made an edit to the code so it works now. One of the changes I made was replacing the [url] with [img].

[CanDman]

BEFORE


  CanD Now

 

It kind of sucks now.....  .... it was supposed to be part of story......