Bike for life

[Troyskie]

Early in my motorcycle life I believed the Kawasaki GPZ900R was the bike to have.

My brother bought a wrecked FJ1100 in 1988 or 87.

This bike has proved pivotal to my motorcycling life.

No other bike has lasted the distance or fulfilled so many roles as the venerable FJ.

I've had Hondas, Kawasakis, Jawas, and the Yamaha FJ.

This was by chance, not choice, so I can't profess to any prescience.

My brothers bike is still in the family. Still running, in fact, it recently crossed the country, including a high speed fang through the Victorian high country, arguably the best ridging in Australia. This bike has over 600,000k's on it. Yes it has had some modifications and a top end rebuild, but it is still a 1985 FJ1100.

Why is it a bike for life?
Power. This thing still pulls hard in any gear, at all revs.
Handling, no not a nimble scratcher, but it won't be far behind anything.
Comfort, I've ridden these bikes across Australia multiple times. No drama, at all, really. As a youth I could hunch over and throw my weight around and it was always ready for more. As I age it becomes more of a cruiser that still has the low down growly grunt and high revving howl I crave to re-visit my youth.
Maintenance, it is fundamentally a simple machine. Yes a superbike of its era, but CV carbies, monoshock rear, solid front end and overbuilt frame. It can be maintained DIY by a novice, almost always with the engine in the frame. The bike is easy to work on, and only the piece of shit air box is a challenge until you pass the re-install airbox test. You can always cheat and put pods on. Parts are common, except for cosmetics, and if not available can actually be manufactured locally.
Although a road bike, it can handle most anything except deep ruts in dirt. They even ford deepish water (with airbox). It really is an all-weather bike. They start frozen or boiling.
Tough. I can't state how tough these bikes are. Bash the shit out of them and they just keep going. They almost always get you home.
Ageless. As a youth it had the power to impress, looks to turn heads, more  performance than  I had ability and the price to afford. As I age it stays the same. As I learn to do more maintenance, minor modification and appreciate the subtle sophistication of the beautiful design and engineering. People who don't know bikes see and FJ and think it's as modern as anything else next to it.
Smooth. It has all the groove in all the riding styles, sport, cruise, and commuter comfort.
Beauty, well that is subjective.
In summary, as a youth it had everything I wanted except the GPZ badge, and I don't see many GPZs on the road anymore. As I age it has way more. It still looks fast standing still, it still goes fast, really fast (perhaps even faster  ). It taught me how to do maintenance, modification, and general motorcycle appreciation.
I doubt I'll find another bike like the FJ. I doubt many others will also. It truly is a bike for life.

Troyskie

[Pat Conlon]

Well said Troy. 
In the '60's and '70's I was a Honda guy. After leaving Uncle Sam's employ in the early '70's I bought a Honda CB500 which I enjoyed immensely. I was very close to buying one of those new Honda VFR's in '83 but I saw an article in Cycle magazine about a new bike coming from Yamaha. I'm glad I waited. One ride on the mighty FJ and I was convinced, just a taste of the FJ kookaloo was enough.

Alas, I wish my FJ had fuel injection, but living with those Mikunis is a small price to pay for the FJ's competent versatility.

Yeppers...She's a keeper.

[giantkiller]

Pat beat me to it. Exactly what I thought. Well said.
I've owned, ridden, and built many bikes. But now out of the 12 bikes I own (mostly future projects) 6 of them are fjs.

I eat at taco hell at a local gas station.  I've had people walk over or even pull over and park get out and walk around, and stare at the 1350r. Atleast 10 times.
They are timeless.

[Waiex191]

Well said. I'm not planning on replacing mine.  If I strike it rich I might get another FJ to modify a bit.

[T Legg]

That's one of the other great things about the FJ's,  they are so reasonably priced you dont have to strike it rich to own several . The most I've spent buying one is 1,300.00 dollars. I did make the mistake of adding up a pile of parts receipts I had including tires and that was shocking.
      Like my cb750 sohc bikes they are so loved and so many were manufactured that they are  easier to find parts for than many of the much newer motorcycles. Cheaper parts too.

[giantkiller]

That's one of the other great things about the FJ's,  they are so reasonably priced you dont have to strike it rich to own several . The most I've spent buying one is 1,300.00 dollars. I did make the mistake of adding up a pile of parts receipts I had including tires and that was shocking.
      Like my cb750 sohc bikes they are so loved and so many were manufactured that they are  easier to find parts for than many of the much newer motorcycles. Cheaper parts too.

Most I ever spent was $4,400 out the door. For my first 86. Brand new in the spring of 86.

[Old Rider]

Hi Troy i totally agree on all your statements and i answer them with purple tex

Why is it a bike for life?

Power. This thing still pulls hard in any gear, at all revs.
That is so true the fj keeps up with many new bikes.Last year i was cruising in speedlimit on a highway when suddenly i was passed by a total idiot riding in about 200-250 km/h
he was only inches from hitting me .i should have keept calm ,but got mad and turned into a idiot myself and decided to catch up with him to confront him.Long story short i finally
after some minutes that included that i almost drove off the rode in a long righthand curve was able to get him to stop after he  took of the highway .he drove a M10 and i could see thru his helmet that he was very young so i was easy on him no violence involved  just told him all the worst words i have in my vokabular.He just kept saying im from poland and dont understand =) also have a few other episodes where newer bikes tried to humiliate my fj but will spare you for that stories =)
Handling, no not a nimble scratcher, but it won't be far behind anything.
Agree the first time drove the fj  back in 1989 and i bought a white and blue fj1100 it felt heavy, but that feeling goes away fast .Now the fj feels light as bicycle to me
Comfort, I've ridden these bikes across Australia multiple times. No drama, at all, really. As a youth I could hunch over and throw my weight around and it was always ready for more. As I age it becomes more of a cruiser that still has the low down growly grunt and high revving howl I crave to re-visit my youth.
agree great bike for touing to
Maintenance, it is fundamentally a simple machine. Yes a superbike of its era, but CV carbies, monoshock rear, solid front end and overbuilt frame. It can be maintained DIY by a novice, almost always with the engine in the frame. The bike is easy to work on, and only the piece of shit air box is a challenge until you pass the re-install airbox test. You can always cheat and put pods on. Parts are common, except for cosmetics, and if not available can actually be manufactured locally.
Although a road bike, it can handle most anything except deep ruts in dirt. They even ford deepish water (with airbox). It really is an all-weather bike. They start frozen or boiling.
Agree wery easy to wrench on but the airbox is a problem. yamaha should have made a lid on top of the box so you can put hand in there to get the rubber airboxintakes easier on,but if the rubber inntakes is in good shape it is not to bad to get the airbox on
Tough. I can't state how tough these bikes are. Bash the shit out of them and they just keep going. They almost always get you home.
Agree i had 2 roadsidestops one was when the fuelline was kinked after having the gastank off then after 3 kilometres the bike starts to sputter and stops.The other time was a short from the rearbrakelight connector at the rear brake resevoir had came lose and shorted to the frane and blew the 15A fuse.I was lucky and could see the spark when i tired to fix it
Ageless. As a youth it had the power to impress, looks to turn heads, more  performance than  I had ability and the price to afford. As I age it stays the same. As I learn to do more maintenance, minor modification and appreciate the subtle sophistication of the beautiful design and engineering. People who don't know bikes see and FJ and think it's as modern as anything else next to it.
Agree Yamah made a masterpiece when they designed the FJ
Smooth. It has all the groove in all the riding styles, sport, cruise, and commuter comfort.
Agree with well cynched carbs it is real smooth
Beauty, well that is subjective.
It is a true beauty had many times had people telling me what a wonderful bike it is .If it is women they say ohh what nice colors your bike has =)
In summary, as a youth it had everything I wanted except the GPZ badge, and I don't see many GPZs on the road anymore. As I age it has way more. It still looks fast standing still, it still goes fast, really fast (perhaps even faster  ). It taught me how to do maintenance, modification, and general motorcycle appreciation.
I doubt I'll find another bike like the FJ. I doubt many others will also. It truly is a bike for life.
agree i also love the gpz expessially the 1000RX and the 900 painted in black and charcoal
Old Rider


Troyskie

I actualy have a Gpz900r in black cagcoal but if you look a little closer you can se it is not possible to ride it =)

[Troyskie]

 

[Millietant]

Of course you can't ride it, it has no registration plate - that would be illegal   

[ribbert]

Everything you say is true Troy.

Between 2008 (when I bought my FJ) and 2019 I had the pleasure of adding 245,000km to odometer. These were all recreational miles and I can't remember a single one of them when I wished I was somewhere else or was riding something else.
On one ride I did 5000km in 6 days, spent a day cleaning it and then did a 700km day ride the day after, even knowing it was going to rain, simply because I couldn't stay off it, I'm lucky to have year round riding weather (although most would disagree)

My bike never fails to draw comments about it's amazing condition for it's mileage, comments made on the assumption the odometer is on it's first time round, not the third! In all those miles it has never once failed to get me home, not even limped home, it has been rock solid reliable, having a great mechanic helps. 

Even after all these years, a bog standard FJ remains an immensely rideable bike, even in the company of modern machinery and the mods we are all familiar with such as suspension, brakes, wheels etc just make it that much better.

My FJ's fuel pump is the original, as are the coils and even the leads, in fact all the electrics, including switches, except the red plug. It has only had a few sets of spark plugs, one set of clutch fibres (after using wrong oil) is only on it's 3rd chain and sprockets, slave had only one new seal then just recently a SS liner, carbies and manifolds are original and only ever been off for re jetting and fixing the floats, a couple of sets of fork seals, original front guard, even original fuel lines!

There's a very long list of things I like about my bike but I'll spare you all, you get the idea.

A quick calculation tells me that over that time I've spent $10k on tyres, $10k on rego and ins, $4k on oil and filters and $30k on fuel, $15k on mods and accessories (plus the $5k I paid for it), and God knows what on all the other maintenance stuff, and I don't resent a dollar of it.

I can truly say that when I'm in the groove and pushing it along, the bike feels like an extension of myself, it's a fabulous feeling, I don't recall that sensation on other bikes I've had or ridden or even my other bike now.

This is how the old girl looks now.....



The mighty FJ is indeed a wonderful machine and a truly great all rounder.

Noel

[Waiex191]

I do have another bike for life - my 1981 GN400.  Still awesomely fun, as long as you don't need to go over 60mph or so.


Plus, after riding the GN400, the FJ seems that much faster.  I think that all I lack in my collection is a dualsport of some sort, although I'm not sure where I'd ride it anyway.  

From Troyskie's list, the GN has got the maintenance and tough items checked off.  Comfort is not bad, and handling benefits from its 300 lb weight.  Smooth it is not!  Stablemates on the opposite ends of the spectrum.

[Millietant]

She looks beautiful Noel - a credit to your stewardship of her 

[FJmonkey]

She looks beautiful Noel - a credit to your stewardship of her 

I am not sure how Noel finds the time to ride with a bike that clean and polished. I would have to park around the corner in shame if I went on ride with Noel. A good looking example of the mighty FJ.

[FJ1200W]

I'm in agreement.
Mine has outlasted more bikes than I can remember, and I think I've only been responsible for it since 2015.
I'm pretty sure it had 24,000 miles on it. 2nd and 3rd pictures are from then.
Yesterday, it hit 62,000 miles at the Big Burr Oak tree south of town. 1st picture is immediately after we returned home.
Waiex191, the Suzuki GN400, I've had a couple, and they are so full of character. The starting ritual, like most big thumpers, must be followed perfectly or it's not going to start. Kick start, that is, and that is, all it has. The engine had a wonderful powerband, it reminded me of a big block V8.
Back to the FJ, and I can only speak for the 1989 variant, it's nearly ideal for my 6'4" body. RPM Risers, Buell foot pegs, just right.
The engine is wonderful.
The only mods I have done are the ignition advancer, dyna coils, Yoshimura full system (ceramic coated header), clutch mod with Barnett coil spring conversion. Pretty much bone stock. Oil is changed every 2000 miles. I might go further as I am now riding half the speed of half fast Fred.  
The plugs are kept fresh, valves adjusted as close to perfect as possible, carbs always synched, "sweet" describes how it runs.
On the interstates and secondary's it will cruise at 90 effortlessly and leap well into the triple digits from that speed with minimal wrist action.
Comfortably. I've had no tickets on the bike, an added bonus and I hope I did not just jinx myself.
It truly is one of the last air cooled big block carbureted inline fours, and coming from the UJM ages, motorcycles come no better.

[melloncollie]

I've had bikes that I didn't want to get rid of, but the FJ is the first bike I want to keep.  For all the reasons listed in the thread already.  I could reword those points but I wouldn't be adding anything new.

I get more people approaching me while riding the FJ than I did when I was riding a KZ1000.  I thought it'd be the other way around.  I even had one guy in a small Wisconsin town double back to talk to me, turned out he had 12 bikes (mostly future projects) and 6 of them were FJs.