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New from France

Started by Volto, March 15, 2023, 05:06:22 PM

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Volto

Hi everyone,

I have owned a 36Y since the last year that I have rided for about 10.000km though France, the Swiss Alps, and German Black Forest.
Since this year, she have a friend just like her that I'm curently trying to save.

I will add infos and post some photos later

;)

red

Volto,

Welcome to the FJ Forum!  Pull up a seat, and be among friends.
Yes, please keep us posted on the restoration work.
There is a lot of experience available here, if you need advice.
Cheers,
Red

P.S. Life is too short, and health is too valuable, to ride on cheap parade-duty tires.

FJmonkey

Welcome, looking forward to seeing your updates.
The glass is not half full, it was engineered with a 2X safety factor.

'86 Ambulance - Bent frame, cracked case, due for an overhaul
'89 Stormy Blue - Suits my Dark Side

aviationfred

Welcome to the Forum  :hi:



Fred
I'm not the fastest FJ rider, I am 'half-fast', the fastest slow guy....

Current
2008 VFR800 RC46 Vtec
1996 VFR750 RC36/2
1990 FJ1300 (1297cc) Casper
1990 VFR750 RC36/1 Minnie
1989 FJ1200 Lazarus, the Streetfighter Project
1985 VF500F RC31 Interceptor

Millietant

Welcome to the group Volto - looking forward to photographs of the bikes and news of the progress  :good2:
Dean

'89 FJ 1200 3CV - owned from new.
'89 FJ 1200 3CV - no engine, tank, seat....parts bike for the future.
'88 FJ 1200 3CV - complete runner 2024 resto project
'88 FJ 1200 3CV - became a race bike, no longer with us.
'86 FJ 1200 1TX - sold to my boss to finance the '89 3CV I still own.

Pat Conlon

1) Free Owners Manual download: https://tinyurl.com/fmsz7hk9
2) Don't store your FJ with E10 fuel https://tinyurl.com/3cjrfct5
3) Replace your old stock rubber brake lines.
4) Important items for the '84-87 FJ's:
Safety wire: https://tinyurl.com/99zp8ufh
Fuel line: https://tinyurl.com/bdff9bf3

Volto

I thought that I'll be able to modify my first post, but I haven't found the modify button so...

There are the photos of the fleet !
'84 FJ1100 36Y (x2 : blue/grey & red/white)
'86 XT600 43F
'97 T595 Daytona
(The Guzzi Breva isn't mine)

For the moment, the there's only the R/W 36Y in running order... There is 2 old cars, an old house and a used cat that needs attentions too ^^'

Work status :
* Braking : constant but a bit soft (doesn't leak), masters cylinders paint went off.
   - Changing to aviation type line.
   - Repaint all the parts.
* Suspension : front plunge and "clonk" into hard breaking, feeling of asymetry or induced steering while breaking, right preload locked up.
   - Oil fork change ;
   - Anti-dive rebuild (I want to try to make it work for the moment) ;
   - Forks caps rebuild ;
   - Lose some weight. Bike and driver. Mostly driver... (not far from 350kg combined in running order)
* Chassis : feel some sort of play just after entering a bend.
   - Checking the tighting of all the nuts and bolts ;
   - Rear wheel alignment ;
   - Front wheel and fork bearings (rear ones changed).
* Engine & Drive : Add ~1l of oil every at refuel (no leaks, no blue smoke), microcuts during hard pulls, upshifts misses, holes in power delivery.
   - Change oil plugs and O-rings ;
   - Change pistons rings ;
   - Check killer switch ;
   - Shifter kit (axe and spring) from RPM brought ;
   - Air box deleted, carbs tuning (jets & needles to upgrade), check valves clearance.
* Electrical : turn signals "delete", hard to start in cold, "ticking" noise upfront.
   - Home made rear light with build-in turning lights ;
   - Li-Ion battery (power, weight & size savings are mind-blowing !!!)
   - Checking ignition relays
* Bodywork : some rust patches, cracks and paint scratches, seat is slippy.
   - Derusted and repainted the seat scaffolding (battery acid spill) ;
   - Side fairings, under skirt and front cover cracks stitched ;
   - Not sure if I'll repainted it... I like patina.
   - New alcantara confort seat ordered !

That's all for now ^^

red

Volto,

Speedbleeders.com can make brake bleeding into an easy one-person job. 
RPM (our host here) https://www.rpmracingca.com/products.asp?cat=39
can supply banjo bolts with bleed screws, for the handlebar master cylinders. 
Always use new hydraulic washers there.
Any decent hydraulic shop can make new stainless-steel braided brake hoses for you, or you can buy tailored sets.  RPM sells the Spiegler brake line and clutch line kits.
Specify hydraulic hoses with pivoting ends.  Normal hose ends will not twist to fit.
Not sure what turn signal "delete" may mean.  The FJ1100 has self-cancelling turn signals, which cancel by time or distance limits.
Check the rear swing arm for bad pivots.  Bushings and bearings are available.
RPM has suspension parts (fork cartridges, rear shock).  Forget the anti-dive junk.
As you continue, we may have better advice to help.  Keep us posted.
Cheers,
Red

P.S. Life is too short, and health is too valuable, to ride on cheap parade-duty tires.

Pat Conlon

Front end clunk = sacked out fork springs.
Best: RPM fork valves and new .85kg/mm springs.
Minimum: New progressive fork springs.

If the bushings in your 84/85 swing arm linkage are toast, they are no longer available to buy, you will have to 1) make new bushings or 2) drill out your 84/85 linkage to fit the needle bearings used in the later 86/87 swingarm linkage (new needle bearings still available) or 3) install some used 86/87 linkage which already has needle bearings installed.
1) Free Owners Manual download: https://tinyurl.com/fmsz7hk9
2) Don't store your FJ with E10 fuel https://tinyurl.com/3cjrfct5
3) Replace your old stock rubber brake lines.
4) Important items for the '84-87 FJ's:
Safety wire: https://tinyurl.com/99zp8ufh
Fuel line: https://tinyurl.com/bdff9bf3

Volto

Hi red, Pat,

Quote from: red on June 19, 2023, 08:43:17 AM
Speedbleeders.com can make brake bleeding into an easy one-person job.
Personnaly I just open the filler cap, fit a clear,  hose to the bleeder and let it drip, adding fluid at the top.
The hose diameter must be small enough to keep the surface tension of the fuild from breaking, which prevent air bubbles to go up.

Quote from: red on June 19, 2023, 08:43:17 AM
RPM (our host here) can supply banjo bolts with bleed screws, for the handlebar master cylinders. 
RPM sells the Spiegler brake line and clutch line kits.
Specify hydraulic hoses with pivoting ends.  Normal hose ends will not twist to fit.
I took the Spiegler ones at RPM so must not have issues with that.

Quote from: red on June 19, 2023, 08:43:17 AM
Not sure what turn signal "delete" may mean.
It's more get rid of thoses 4 fly swatters with something that doesn't look too modern.
For the rear I have put LED brake/signals light inside an original housing and used the same connectors to be able to switch back to the genuine ones.

Quote from: red on June 19, 2023, 08:43:17 AM
Check the rear swing arm for bad pivots.  Bushings and bearings are available.
Quote from: Pat Conlon on June 19, 2023, 09:27:41 AM
If the bushings in your 84/85 swing arm linkage are toast, they are no longer available to buy.
Didn't thought of that... It can explain the bend I feel in the frame. I'll check, thanks !

Quote from: red on June 19, 2023, 08:43:17 AM
RPM has suspension parts (fork cartridges, rear shock).
Quote from: Pat Conlon on June 19, 2023, 09:27:41 AM
Best: RPM fork valves and new .85kg/mm springs.
I hesitated to get them in my order but it was already a good budget...
Plus the 200$ shipping cost & customs fees ! =S
Is it always so expensive ?

RPM - Robert

Quote from: Volto on June 21, 2023, 06:35:41 AM


Quote from: red on June 19, 2023, 08:43:17 AM
RPM (our host here) can supply banjo bolts with bleed screws, for the handlebar master cylinders.  
RPM sells the Spiegler brake line and clutch line kits.
Specify hydraulic hoses with pivoting ends.  Normal hose ends will not twist to fit.
I took the Spiegler ones at RPM so must not have issues with that.


Quote from: red on June 19, 2023, 08:43:17 AM
RPM has suspension parts (fork cartridges, rear shock).
Quote from: Pat Conlon on June 19, 2023, 09:27:41 AM
Best: RPM fork valves and new .85kg/mm springs.
I hesitated to get them in my order but it was already a good budget...
Plus the 200$ shipping cost & customs fees ! =S
Is it always so expensive ?

All of the Spiegler kits we sell have adjustable ends to clock.

Unfortunately, international shipping is getting pretty bad. Time wise they are doing great your last order left June 5th and was delivered in France to you on June 9th.

Cost wise not so much, we just got two engine guard sets from the UK and it was $250 USD in shipping.

Also, as should be noted, we adjust the "total" below $30 USD to help with customs fees. Unless you showed them your original invoice duties should have been negligible.


Volto

And with the vintage black hoses, they really look like the genuine ones. Nice !

Really fast shipping indeed ! But holy golden bollocks, the cost ! Is it Amazon/Alibaba completely flooding the shipping industry that they have to pump up the prices of all the other senders ?!
And French customs guys opened the package (got a nice ribbon on it) and must have set the value up because it was 55€ fees. Meh ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

Anyway. I have what I need for the carbs, the brakes and the shifter for now. It's gonna take me some time to up all of these on !

(And beside that I have to create my bathroom before next winter. 2 seasons of showers in an unheated room are enough !)

RPM - Robert

The vintage black does look very good. We just finished up a bike here and used thoe.

Amazon, along with the cost of fuel, minimum wage increases, which in turn increases all other pay scales and CoGs, etc, etc.

Odd. We only include a packing slip with no prices for parts on the inside of the package. On the outside on the customs form we keep it under $30 USD, in an effort to squeeze every cent from you maybe they went to the website and searched the packing slip or just took a random stab at what they thought it would cost.

Volto

Quote from: RPM - Robert on June 21, 2023, 01:33:33 PM
maybe they went to the website and searched the packing slip or just took a random stab at what they thought it would cost.
Haha, French officials knows how to find money, but only where there isn't much. We call it "le flair" !
Bref...

Quote from: RPM - Robert on June 21, 2023, 01:33:33 PM
The vintage black does look very good. We just finished up a bike here and used thoe.
I have put them on mine but, the anti-dive ones are a bit short. Well no really, because the allover length is the same than the genuine ones and the banjos have roughly the same bend, but the clamping length is longer on the new ones. This make the hoses that a longer route (see the pictures).


In other news, I have switched the forks and the strange feeling while riding is gone ! I now have to find what is it.
Quote from: Pat Conlon on June 19, 2023, 09:27:41 AM
Front end clunk = sacked out fork springs.
I will check them, and the fork internal seals... Maybe I'll find a got reason to take the RPM fork valves ;)

Oh ! and look at that space gained with li-ion battery and the dual-pods ! (⊙⁠_☉)

RPM - Robert

The ends on all the spiegler kits are clickable with those little blue tools that came with it. You should be able to position it and make it work.


Also, when upgrading to the RPM fork valves you will be disabling the anti dove so you won't need those lines anyways.