New member in Nova Scotia, Canada

[Old School]

Hey Folks, after working on FJ1100 and FJ1200s for the past 20 or so years I'm looking at retiring.  I have a garage full of FJ parts, which I will be going through and listing soon.  My goal is to get some garage space back.  My personal FJ bike, an 86, is trapped behind all of the FJ parts, and I would like to start riding it again.  Some of you may know me as the Eastern Canada Legends Race car engine builder and the initial manufacturer of the cooling fans for Legend Cars which were sold in the USA through RRC.  I look forward to chatting with members and maybe join in on some FJ rides during my upcoming  retirement years.

[fj1289]

Welcome!

Completing a massive garage clean out myself after being here 12 years.   Thinned out a lot of my FJ accumulations, but always eyes open for certain parts! 

As they say - pull up a chair to the digital campfire 

[86FJNJ]

Welcome!

[Sparky84]

G'day and Welcome Old School,

You say working on FJ's for the past 20 and an engine builder for Legends cars, does that mean you've been stripping engines out of those bikes to use or did you just get the engine from somewhere ?

Just meaning if it was the first then you'd have parts galore but they've probably been tossed as not really useful.

It'll Be an interesting listing

Good Luck in your Retirement and Congratulations

[Old School]

Hey good to hear from you folks.  Old School types don't throw anything away.  I've never removed an FJ engine from a good bike to put in a Legend car.  I have a real appreciation for these bikes and have owned several when I was younger.  I started with an 85 FJ1100, then got an 86 fj1200, an 87 FJ1200, than back to the current 86 FJ1200 I currently own.  I haven't had the chance to drive it for about a dozen years now, as I was too busy working on customers engines, carbs, etc.  Most of the engines came in the cars from the US, many from Hank Scott of RRC.  Most of the parts I accumulated via word of mouth.  If a racer bought a bike for the engine and asked me to race prep it, he usually wanted the remainder of the bike out of his garage.  Bikes w/o an engine aren't worth much so I'd get them cheap.  I couldn't bear to see them left outside the garage to deteriorate...so I adopted them.  Later on the Legend cars switched up to the 1250 engine, and were supplied from Yamaha new.  It was nice to work on brand new 1250s.  I also just kept my eye out for good OE bike parts.  I have a near mint 84 front fairing c/w dash, along with other pieces of bodywork.  Many pieces accumulated, OE exhausts, seats, even a targa bra set for an 84/85 fj1100.  The really nice stuff is in my heated basement.  It's just taking over my space, and I'd like to get rid of clutter at this stage of my life.  It would be ideal if someone could just bring a trailer to load up and we could do a package deal. 

[Sparky84]

I understand Exactly what you mean by "don't throwing anything away", I have a shed full of electrical bits, that if I throw something away, it'll be the thing I need in a couple of weeks time or next year.
I like the sound of OEM exhausts, I do need some new looking black shiny fat headers for a FJ 1100, mine have pitted over the years. But I can't bring a trailer from Australia, so I'll just have watch and envy.

[giantkiller]

Boy if I lived on the east coast.I sure would take you up on the trailer load. I've got a 21' enclosed trailer. But over 1700 miles from my house in wisconsin.

[Old School]

Yeah, those are long trailer hauls!  I"ll wait a little bit and see if I get any takers, and if not I"ll have to sell individual pieces, which will require lots of packing and shipping.  As soon as the weather starts to warm up here I will go lay everything out on the lawn and take some pics c/w descriptions.  PS Those 86 fj1350 & 1380 are pushing the limit.  Must have been fun packing those pistons into the cylinders.  Not much room left for a chamfer.

[giantkiller]

Yeah, those are long trailer hauls!  I"ll wait a little bit and see if I get any takers, and if not I"ll have to sell individual pieces, which will require lots of packing and shipping.  As soon as the weather starts to warm up here I will go lay everything out on the lawn and take some pics c/w descriptions.  PS Those 86 fj1350 & 1380 are pushing the limit.  Must have been fun packing those pistons into the cylinders.  Not much room left for a chamfer.

Hank Scott built the 1350. Used
Cylinder from a 1250 I actually have 2 billet cylinders. In my collection of parts. Can't remember what size that are. One is an ape block.

[Old School]

I've built 1314s for drag bikes, and had to go to bigger flat slide carbs to take advantage of the extra displacement...then billet clutch baskets once they started putting more back tire to the track.  But 1350 in a 1250 cylinder...leave it to Hank Scott...he'll squeeze it all in there somehow I guess.

[Pat Conlon]

Oh hell no....
I had a street engine with the HSR short skirt 1350 Wisecos (82mm) and I was not impressed. It sucked oil, really sucked oil...1 quart every 800 miles, I don't know if it was the ring pack or the instability of the short skirt pistons but that setup has *no business* on a street bike....might be fine at WFO on a race engine, but not on the street.
Randy at RPM changed the 1250 cylinder block over to 83mm sleeves and used long skirt Ross pistons and all is well... 45k miles and counting. Love the 100 ft lbs of torque.

Welcome aboard, what's your name?
Cheers
Pat

[giantkiller]

Yep my motor sucks oil too Same wisco pistons. Did from day one. Need to refresh it some day and go with the Ross pistons too. But I need to get the turbo bike running. If I can ever get my ass in gear.
I already have a billet basket for it. The turbo is tuned to run 200hp on pump gas. Hopefully a fellow I know will work on tuning it. A little. He's getting over 700hp out of an rx1 sled. He figured it should be easy to get 230hp out of the stock fj motor. With modern tuners. Already have egt for it too. If I can ever get back to it.
Then if 230ish hp. Gets boring. I'll add a billet block to it.

[giantkiller]

Hey. If I pass away. My daughter will be in need of help selling off my many fj parts. That I've hoarded over the years. Something I hope I can count on you guys to help her out with.
Not planning on it anytime soon. But you never know. And since this thread is about hoarding fj parts. Thought I would mention it.

[Old School]

Hey Pat, my name is Greg MacLean.  My company that I am currently trying to wind down is GDM Racing Assemblies Inc.  20 yrs of lifting and lugging engines, and too many hours manually honing cylinders. Time to give my back a break.  I still do some race car rearend builds ie 9" Fords, Winters quick changes, and of course the Legend Toyota style gear sets. Nice looking bike you have displayed.  I have a complete fairing, and all of the remaining body panels and gas tank of that same Color scheme.  Only part missing, of course, is the lower chin fairing.  Regarding the 13xx cc piston kits, it's been a while, but I believe the ones I was using were made in Germany, not Wisecos.  I've had several issues with Wiseco pistons.  I've received several that were not finished products.  The wrist pin lube holes were missing on some, and on others the oil drain back holes behind the oil ring weren't drilled.  You have to look at them very carefully.  Piston size fluctuations were also an issue.  Each cylinder had to be honed to fit each piston if you were trying to keep the tolerances close, which I always strived to do.  Nice to hear from you as well Giant Killer.  I can't imagine getting bored with 100 ft/lbs of torque in an FJ bike.  I love the torque of a blueprinted basically stock FJ1200.   It I'm 63 now and my knee dragging days are long behind me now.  Favorite driving now is 50-55 mph on secondary roads where I can actually look at the scenery...and lookout for deer, which we are overrun with up here.  5 slept in my back yard last night.

[giantkiller]

Deer I have 4 or 5 that bed down under my Norwegian spruce about 10' from my door during the winter. I've killed 2 on separate occasions with my body on my 1350r. I'm 61 now too. Soon to be 62. I'm not so fast around the corners anymore. But I still am an addict to power. 

I just never seem to have any time anymore. Even though I only work 3 12hr shifts on the  weekends. Before this job I averaged 60hrs a week for 37years.
Nice to meet you Greg.