'86 FJ1200, Just the Beginning

[iWant2RideMyBike]

Hellooooo, Fellow FJ Owners! 
And greetings from where it's as cold as outer space, aka Minnesota! (Twin Cities, baby!) I am currently 24 years old and I bought my FJ on September 19th, 2019. I already owned a 1980 Kawasaki KZ440 LTD D, but she's my cruiser and I've been slowly restoring her for a while now. I was looking for something from the 80's (b/c I'm a sucker for 80's bikes) that had more get-up and would be happy runnin down the highway, and I found her. Named her Farrah, been in love with the power since. However, another thing that I'm a sucker for is improvement. She runs good, but good isn't good enough for me when I know there is work to be done!

So, I thought it would be fun to open this post up so anybody who was bored or interested enough could follow my progress! I am determined to get my FJ looking and running in tip-top shape. I'll start with the list of things that have been completed. Most of them are in my signature also, and these were completed by someone who I'm sure was a member of this site at one point.

Work/Mods Completed
- Yamaha FJR master cylinders installed
- '93 FJ1200 front fork and brakes installed in place of original OEM's
- RaceTech fork valves installed
- RPM Racing bar risers installed
- Progressive Suspension rear shock installed
- Old rubber brake lines replaced with Stainless braided lines
- Heated grips (thank u to whoever put these in)
- Vance and Hines 4 to 1 exhaust installed
- Stage 3 jet kit
- K&N High Flow Air Filter Kit
- SAFETY WIRED PETCOCK
- Replaced Broken Choke Cable Assembly [me]
- Fixed damage wires resulting from the dreaded Red Plug Problem [me]
- Degreased and cleaned terribly neglected rear wheel cowl [me]
- Installed New Lead Acid Battery [me]

Work to be Done
- Install BOSCH IB301A Voltage Regulator Transpo Modification
- Fix/Splice Wires leading to Dash Gauges [Connector/Wires are fried and melted, causing it to flicker like mad]
- Dynamically Synchronize Carburetors
- Replace Worn Rear 16 inch Tire
- Replace Blown Head Cover Gasket
- Retap Damaged Cylinder 4 Spark Plug Hole
- Repack Vance and Hines Exhaust [God, it is loud as heck]
- Replace Malfunctioning Brake Light LEDs
- Replace Rear Foot Pegs [rivets are destroyed so they hang loosely]
- Replace Front Brake Rotors [front left especially, its "floating" far too much]
- Replace Single Rear View Mirror With New Set of Dual Mirrors
- Set Ignition Timing Dynamically
- Replace Spark Plugs with Iridium Plugs
- Restore Overall Aesthetic of the Bike
- Replace Standard Oil Cooler with RPM Upgraded Oil Cooler

I've already initiated the process tonight by purchasing the BOSCH IB301A Adjustable Voltage Regulator. I will install it within the days following it's arrival. My number one passion in life has emerged to be working on and restoring old motorcycles, so I am very much looking forward to this. I will update you all on my process as I progress! I can't wait to begin! 

Thanks for reading!

Until the next update,
Gabe

[Urban_Legend]

She should come up nice with the work you have suggested. I have an 84 FJ with pretty much everything you listed plus the 17" wheel upgrade front and rear. Made it whole different bike to ride.
I am now in the process of giving the same treatment to a 92FJ. hours of fun in the shed.

Good luck and happy modding.

Mark

[iWant2RideMyBike]

Alright, so I know this isn't much later, but quick update #1!

I got trigger finger, and purchased a new set of Red LED brake light bulbs for $23.77 (including shipping and handling) from superbrighleds.com !
Here's a link to the one's I purchased if anyone is interested: https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/tail-brake-turn/1157-led-bulb-dual-function-27-smd-led-tower-bay15d-bulb/2625/12880/?year=1986&make=105&model=2451&scc_id=1953&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6KrtBRDLARIsAKzvQIGz3HiIQNbe0pTHvnOEzIBFB-ifT7cbUymkEqbIv6iMq7-U-FX8gF8aAjYyEALw_wcB

So, I've got the BOSCH Transpo voltage regulator and new replacement LED tail light bulbs on the way! Exciting! 

[iWant2RideMyBike]

She should come up nice with the work you have suggested. I have an 84 FJ with pretty much everything you listed plus the 17" wheel upgrade front and rear. Made it whole different bike to ride.
I am now in the process of giving the same treatment to a 92FJ. hours of fun in the shed.

Good luck and happy modding.

Mark

Mark,

I'm glad that you think so! That was something I forgot to mention; my front wheel has been upgraded to a 17" wheel. That's why I went out of my way to say I had to replace the 16" rear wheel, lol.  And man, is that 16" tire expensive to replace, but I'll get around to it. It's on the higher side of my priorities before riding next season. Perhaps I should add the 17" rear wheel upgrade to my list of work to be done.

Thanks, I'm looking forward to tackling the issues!

Best,
Gabe

[Tuned forks]

You'll hate that V&H header every time you have to change the oil.  I canned mine and bought the RPM exhaust. 
When you get to setting your timing, do a search for the timing advance mod.
Have you adjusted your valve clearances?  If not, that should be on your to do list.

Joe

[iWant2RideMyBike]

You'll hate that V&H header every time you have to change the oil.  I canned mine and bought the RPM exhaust. 
When you get to setting your timing, do a search for the timing advance mod.
Have you adjusted your valve clearances?  If not, that should be on your to do list.

Joe

Joe,

So I've heard tell. I usually like to keep everything as original as possible, so I'm not terribly happy about the 4-into-1 V&H exhaust. For now, I'll put up with it and channel the money into other parts/repairs that need to be made, but I'm not looking forward to changing it before next riding season.

I wasn't aware the was a timing advance mod, so I will definitely look into it before hand! I want to do this right and in a way that lasts.

As for the valve clearances, it is funny that you ask that. I was literally researching how to do this, as I write this up. It's been something that I've shied away from for awhile. But since I have to replace the blown head gasket cover, I figured I might as well kill 2 birds with 1 stone and adjust those if necessary. If you happen to have any good links to resources discussing the process/procedure, feel free to share them. I'll figure it out eventually, but I have yet to purchase a manual for working on these old girls, so any help is always appreciated. Thanks!

Best,
Gabe

[Tuned forks]

Search ebay and Craigslist plus the classified section of this forum for original exhaust systems.  Most people don't want them.  They are OMG heavy.

Just a way to advance the timing a bit for better performance.

Have you acquired a service manual yet?  The instructions and clearances are there.  I highly recommend you rent the valve shim kit from RPM.

Joe

[FJmonkey]

I got trigger finger, and purchased a new set of Red LED brake light bulbs for $23.77 (including shipping and handling) from superbrighleds.com !

Gabe, the LED lamps you listed do not have a built in resistor. This will look to the bike like the bulb is burned and cause a "Fast Flash" to your turn signals. Adding a resistor will trick the system so you get a normal flash rate.

[Sparky84]

I got trigger finger, and purchased a new set of Red LED brake light bulbs for $23.77 (including shipping and handling) from superbrighleds.com !

Gabe, the LED lamps you listed do not have a built in resistor. This will look to the bike like the bulb is burned and cause a "Fast Flash" to your turn signals. Adding a resistor will trick the system so you get a normal flash rate.

I think it's only the brake light bulbs he's replacing not turn signals.
Only thing with the RED brake lamps is that you don't get a "white" illumination tail light on your number plate, (if that's a problem there), in Australia it needs to be "white" on number plate

[iWant2RideMyBike]

To Joe,
No, I have not yet. I've been lazy about picking one up, I will admit. I will be certain to check out renting the shim kit from RPM to get the job done, and buy a manual very soon.

To FJmonkey,
Luckily, all my turn signals are still good and working correctly. The rear turn signals have even been replaced with an LED set! I'm using these the 1157 LEDs that I bought just for my tail light because several of the lights have gone out in them and sometimes flicker, which I don't like. Also, I just switched my order from Red to Natural White colored LEDs... turns out it's required by law here.

To Sparky84,
you just saved me some serious time and frustration, so thank you. I looked into it and it appears that it is indeed the law in my state that a vehicle's rear registration plate be lit with a WHITE LIGHT. So I went in, cancelled the red LEDs, and instead chose the Natural White colored ones. Thank you very much for bringing up the possibility of that, lol. That could have been upsetting!

[FJ_Hooligan]

For the stripped spark plug thread google TimeSert.  Outstanding product. 

[Tuned forks]

To Joe,
No, I have not yet. I've been lazy about picking one up, I will admit. I will be certain to check out renting the shim kit from RPM to get the job done, and buy a manual very soon.

Factory GYSM are expensive so I don't fault you for not owning one.  You can go here however, if you want to buy a new one.  Yes, this link is for a different year but I'm confident you can figure that out.
https://www.yamahapubs.com/results.php?cat-id=3&year=1993&family=FJ1200&lang=en

Let us know if you need something copied or Pat Conlon has the downloadable manuals in his signature line.  Robert, at RPM, is also a valuable resource as well.  If you become a contributing member to this forum, then RPM offers incentives.  Ask Robert or Randy as I'm not sure about the details.  The shim kit is awesome as it comes with almost any shim you could need and you only pay for the shims you use plus it has the spring compressing tool.

Joe

[iWant2RideMyBike]

For the stripped spark plug thread google TimeSert.  Outstanding product. 

Thanks for the suggestion! I looked it up and it looks like a very promising product. That is one serious price tag, but I'll keep it in mind because it's a job I'd really like to get right on the first try.

[iWant2RideMyBike]

To Joe,
No, I have not yet. I've been lazy about picking one up, I will admit. I will be certain to check out renting the shim kit from RPM to get the job done, and buy a manual very soon.

Factory GYSM are expensive so I don't fault you for not owning one.  You can go here however, if you want to buy a new one.  Yes, this link is for a different year but I'm confident you can figure that out.
https://www.yamahapubs.com/results.php?cat-id=3&year=1993&family=FJ1200&lang=en

Let us know if you need something copied or Pat Conlon has the downloadable manuals in his signature line.  Robert, at RPM, is also a valuable resource as well.  If you become a contributing member to this forum, then RPM offers incentives.  Ask Robert or Randy as I'm not sure about the details.  The shim kit is awesome as it comes with almost any shim you could need and you only pay for the shims you use plus it has the spring compressing tool.

Joe

Joe,
Thanks for the link. Yeah, they're pricey and I'd rather pump the money into parts or required tools at the moment. I really enjoy using this forum, so I'll look into that for sure. As for the shim kit, I will very likely pick up the one from RPM. This is the one you're referring to, correct? http://rpmracingca.com/proddetail.asp?prod=Tools%3AVSKit&cat=39

Best,
Gabe

[Tuned forks]

Yup, dem's da one.

Joe