Hello from Brooklyn

[Dphokcheong2000]

Hello all,

Really great to find this forum. Just purchased an 85 FJ1100 after having looked for a good one for years.  It came from the second owner who rode it regularly kept it garaged for the last 25 years. Bike has 30k miles - he said he serviced it regularly and it's pretty stock and complete except for some aftermarket exhaust and custom paint.  From what I can see there are no leaks except for some fluid very slowly from the master cylinder around the clutch lever. Clutch and brake lines look good but the front pads seem ready to be changed.  It runs a little rough but starts up easily and is still pretty quick.  There also seems to be an idle issue where about half of the time in traffic the bike is idling at 2500rpm. Bringing it to s stop in gear kicks the idle back down to around 1200. I measured the mileage at about 25mpg over 100 miles which I figure is likely due to the tuning and idle issues. I'm getting ready to start digging in and educating myself so any suggestions from you guys would be appreciated. Right now I have and will be working with the Yamaha service manual.

This is my first foray into working on 4 stroke machines. Previous bikes are 84 Honda Nighthawk 450 (wrecked), 1975 Kawasaki KH 400 (sold), Qingqi QM200GY (left in China), 2 1975 Yamaha RD 350's (one stolen, one I still have). 

Really glad to be joining the community! Thanks to everyone for sharing their knowledge - have already read through a number of helpful posts.

David

[PaulG]

 

First thing.  Invest in some new steel braided lines asap.  The old rubber lines may look ok on the outside but the inner walls will be cracked and they expand under pressure making an already mushy OEM set up even worse.

Check out the carberrator files section. You should find what you need there.  If you want to search more specific use Google instead of the sites search function using "fjowners.com" in the query. Usually works better than through the site.

e. g.  high idle fjowners.com

It will steer you to specific threads.  Sounds like you got a decent low mileage example.

[fjbiker84]

Another FJ resurrected!  There are a lot of things to work through to get an old bike like the FJ back in condition but it's worth the effort if you find a good one.  I'm going on 12 years with mine and fully convinced it will last longer than I'm able to ride it.  Carbs are a difficult thing to get right if you don't have much experience with them.  May be worth your while to find someone with that expertise....and be willing to pay a little for it.  That's what I did.  Anyway, welcome to the forum!

[red]

Hello all,
Really great to find this forum. Just purchased an 85 FJ1100 after having looked for a good one for years.  . . .   It runs a little rough but starts up easily and is still pretty quick.  There also seems to be an idle issue where about half of the time in traffic the bike is idling at 2500rpm. Bringing it to s stop in gear kicks the idle back down to around 1200.
David

David,

Run a can of SeaFoam through the gas tank, before you get too wrapped around the axle here.  One can will treat two or three tanks of gas.

Check and lube the throttle cables, on the same terms.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRZiDcj8GNk&html5=1

Do not use WD-40, that is just kerosene; it is not oil.  It dries up, you get almost nothing left, and what is left is not oil.  Any decent petroleum lube in an aerosol can will work, or there are specific cable lubes in aerosol cans.  The cable-adapter typically costs ~US$10.00 (+/-).

[FJmonkey]

Welcome David, happy to have one more in the FJ asylum.

[Dphokcheong2000]

Thanks everyone, will let you know how things progress.

D

[aviationfred]

Hello all,

  There also seems to be an idle issue where about half of the time in traffic the bike is idling at 2500rpm. Bringing it to s stop in gear kicks the idle back down to around 1200. I measured the mileage at about 25mpg over 100 miles which I figure is likely due to the tuning and idle issues.
David

Your gas mileage should be in the 40+MPG range.

The clutch slave cylinder is known to leak and air can get introduced into the system. I mention this for your idle and gas mileage comment. Try this test. With the engine warmed up and out for a ride. Come to a stop with the bike in neutral. See if the idle is at or close to the 2500rpm as mentioned. Pull the clutch lever in and put it in 1st gear, does the idle drop to 1200rpm or so? Also check to see if the bike wants to creep forward if you do not have the front brake on. If any of this happens, the idle/poor mileage problem is actually a Clutch problem. Bleeding the clutch may show an immediate improvement, but the symptoms may come back in a week or two. A clutch slave cylinder rebuild or replacement may be the solution.
Just my 2 cents.

Fred

[Pat Conlon]

^^ worth way more than 2 cents....

Welcome David!

[Dphokcheong2000]

Thanks Fred. The bike does not exhibit any of the behavior you mentioned, but I guess I will bleed the clutch and see if it makes a difference. 
I went in and checked and lubed all the cables, everything seems ok there.  Synced the carbs with a motion pro syncpro and that was pretty straightforward.  It was pretty out of whack and runs way better now.  Improved rough running and a big power loss around 3k rpm. Also added some seafoam to the tank. 
Had the bike out for about 25 miles and it ran really nicely.  The idle still hung around 2500 rpm after pulling off of the highway same as before.  Feeling like I should pull apart the carbs if the clutch slave isn't the issue. 
One thing I struggled with was the airbox.  I'd love to replace that with something easier to manage - anyone have a suggestion there?  Next up also will be new brakes / lines and fixing up some damaged plastics.

You guys have created a really excellent resource here - all the information I've gotten here has been incredibly helpful. Many Thanks!

Not sure of protocol but I guess I will follow up in a general topic if that's the way to do it. thanks again -
David

[FJmonkey]

David, you can change to single or dual air filters. The paper singles don't seem to filter well in my opinion. I use the dual UNI pods. Washable, the carbs stay clean, and they have a nice intake growl when you open the throttle.

[Pat Conlon]

Yep, Uni's are the way to go...pleated paper or cotton (K&N) filters are inferior.
http://rpmracingca.com/proddetail.asp?prod=Carb%3ARPMPod

Don't forget that you need a crankcase breather filter with the Uni's
http://rpmracingca.com/proddetail.asp?prod=Engine%3ABreatherFilter

Be sure to use the correct *foam filter* spray on the Uni's
http://rpmracingca.com/proddetail.asp?prod=Carb%3Afilterspray

Re: the idle hang, try a leaner setting by turning *in* (clockwise) your air/idle mixture screws 1/2 turn and see if that helps.
A rich setting will cause the high idle hang after the engine gets up to running temp.

Cheers and thanks for the complements on this site.
Many fine folks have unselfishly spent hours of their time contributing their knowledge and experience for the benift of all of us.

FJ Owners rock. They are a great bunch of folks.

[FJ_Hooligan]

And BEFORE you go into the carbs, get the Carb Screw and O-Ring Kit from RPM (best $22 you will spend)

(Pat will insert the link below)  :-)

[edit] Got your back David: http://rpmracingca.com/proddetail.asp?prod=carbkit

[RobbieKNobbie]

Welcome!

I'm pretty new here myself, just having bought an 89 a few weeks ago. I agree that there are a million things that have to be looked after to get a 30 (+-) year old bike run properly. I just put in stainless brake lines on the front of my FJ and it really makes a huge difference.

I've had success fixing hanging idles by cleaning out the pilot jets. Sometimes they get crudded up when a bike is left to sit with the carbs full over the winter (or longer) and the blockage that results leaves the mixture lean. If the seafoam doesn't clean it out you may have to clean the pilots manually. There are lots of videos covering this on YouTube. If all else fails, there's a place called the Carb Shack. He'll make any carb sing like a dove. I've used him once or twice and he does an excellent job. http://www.thecarbshack.com/  (No other affiliation)

Above all, be safe with your new toy!

[Dphokcheong2000]

Awesome thanks. Hey by the way when one says a can of seafoam would that mean the entire can? I just put in the 1oz per gallon recommend on the can's instructions

[FJmonkey]

Use Seafoam as directed. Too much will lean out the fuel. I have used it in normal and slightly heavier solutions with good results. If the jets are not fully clogged then SF can help and avoid a carb overhaul. Once the jets are blocked, you gotta pull the carbs.