No longer just lurking in the guestroom

[WestOzFJ]

G'day to all, I'm Victor and yes, you guessed it, from the west coast of Australia....

My first bout of acute FJitus started with in 1985 with an 1100 and then in '86 I bought a (then) near new 1200 with just 6000 kms (3600mls) on the clock. To justify the "extravagance" for several years I didn't even own a car and needless to say that gorgeous bike took me to all the places that young restless spirits explore through tens of thousands of miles of vast countryside around where I live....

Now some 25 years later, while searching for an affordable solution to commuting costs, I stumbled upon a beat up red/white '86 that wouldn't start or run and wasn't liscensed... Yayyy!! I was hooked again, and so life returns the full circle....

In the past six months of cleaning, tidying up and polishing since then, I've also acquired another child - a midnight blue (with red strip) '87 that has previously had a much more loving home life than the '86 obviously didn't have....

Later will re-paint the '86 frame and assemble from scratch....

So far the plan is to keep the '87 at least looking original, keep the pods, change the exhaust back to 4 into 1 into 2, find some good value for money mufflers lighter than and with less back pressure than the originals, but keep the style of the orginal - perhaps a nice pair of generic carbon fiber shelled cans seem reasonably priced, some subtle engine work - bigger cubes and injected, and just keep improving it's overall condition while riding it 92 kms (56 mls) on my daily commute, which is a lot easier with a complete set of spares to re-condition and prepare to just swap over when ready - usually on weekends...

Currently setting up and re-jetting the carbs from the 86 to be transferred to the 87 which has pods and a 4 into 1 so stumbles off the bottom with the standard carburation so just going to go up a size on the pilots and have lifted the needles one groove has made an awesome difference so far. Have a full set of number drills and plenty of practise at attention to detail hand making injector nozzles so we'll see how nice I can drill some jets. Yes, I know it's not perfect but I will get running better without spending too much money on carbs when the bigger picture is injection...

I'm also very interested in landspeed racing, have raced methanol fuelled RZ500 engines in dirt track cars for which I designed and built my own constant flow fuel injection system. Accomodating a full-house two-stroke's fuel requirement matched to it's insanely logarithmic air ingestion capability when it's transitioning into that "tuned into pipes zone", with merely a mechanical system of an engine driven pump, valves and regulators and without the aid of modern electronics was one heck of bucking bull to ride....

So engine projects are in my blood, currently trying to learn if there is any advantage to starting with an XJR engine as a starting point rather than just sticking with engines I now have a couple of. Have a Wolfe 3D to map up the fuel and ignition (not interested in staying with the Yamaha system here - needs to plug into MY laptop - am also looking around for throttle body ideas as in between going through the rest of the mechanicals on the '87.

Hahhaa, years ago when I had my first '86 I used to think the '87 and later was a traitor (maybe something to do with preferring the quicker steering 16" front and that LOUD red to the ambivalent midnight blue). NOW, I think the midnight blue is very cool and somehow suits me better - incognito, a man on his Alloy Horse....

A big thanks to all the contributors of tech article and advice on this website, has helped bring my knowledge up to speed (I'm a heavy diesel mechanic so this is like working on Swiss clocks). Have put much of the knowledge to good use already - preserve the mighty FJ...

regards,

Victor.

[Dan Filetti]

Welcome Victor.

Nice first post.  Seems to me, you'll fit right in around here.

Dan

[racerman_27410]

G'day and Welcome to the group Victor,

life does turn full circle sometimes   

i believe we had a couple of members trying to do fuel injection and IIRC they were basing theirs off some  early model injected GSXR1000 throttle bodies.



Looking forward to keeping up with your project!


KOokaloo!

Frank

[Mark Olson]

Victor welcome 

thats the fj spirit , rewire it for more power ,  arrr arrr arrr.

[Travis398]

Cool!

Victor, it will be nice to hear about your progress as you get going.

Cheers 

[Harvy]

Frank........ have not heard much from Steve C lately...... hope he is doing OK............which brings me to the point of the reply.

Victor, Steve was experimenting with Hyabusa T/Bs iirc, and a Megasquirt.... cant remember where he got to with manifold?

Harvy

[WestOzFJ]

Thanks for the welcome guys, me thinks I will fit in around here....

The last time I had to choose injector bodies I started with a goal and then applied the maths from some old trusted texts on the subject and was stoked with the result, even though all I ended up using was some old cast iron like 32 Mik bodies with the bowls cut off, holes plugged up and a billet ally block to go in behind to take the injector...

The main goal for the engine that ends up my '87 commuter is not necessarily to make more power, but to turn bigger gearing (more torque).

Won't know until I do the maths what size butterflies/slides will spec at, may even end up being only one inlet. Have had a preliminary look at even cutting up the existing carbs - solves many linkage/mounting issues straight up. Will post more as things progress....

[Harvy]

Thanks for the welcome guys, me thinks I will fit in around here....

The last time I had to choose injector bodies I started with a goal and then applied the maths from some old trusted texts on the subject and was stoked with the result, even though all I ended up using was some old cast iron like 32 Mik bodies with the bowls cut off, holes plugged up and a billet ally block to go in behind to take the injector...

The main goal for the engine that ends up my '87 commuter is not necessarily to make more power, but to turn bigger gearing (more torque).

Won't know until I do the maths what size butterflies/slides will spec at, may even end up being only one inlet. Have had a preliminary look at even cutting up the existing carbs - solves many linkage/mounting issues straight up. Will post more as things progress....

Victor, what sort of gearing are you talking about?

I am running 18/38 sprokets on a 17" wheel........indicated 4000rpm at 120KPH......which is probably (seems they all read high) more like 110KPH.

Anything bigger on the front and you have clearance issues with the c/s cover........ and if you clear that issue its going to be touch and go with other components. Anything smaller at the back and you have the chain trying to saw through the top of the swing arm.

But the thing is, doesn't seem to matter what gearing combo you run, your economy will stay fairly constant and controlled primarily by how hard you twist that right wrist.


HTH
Harvy

[WestOzFJ]

Hi ya Harvy,

well I recently made a rear sprocket change so became 17/39 and was planning to go 18 front after I get my money's worth out of current setup. I hadn't even yet considered going as tall as you're running, you've got me thinkin' now....

Found my way to the excellent gear/rpm charts in the library last night, will try to make time on the weekend to do one in excel to convert it kms/hr to gain a bit more perspective.

The taller gearing seems to suits how I ride more - short shifting and holding it back in fourth humpin' through outer northern city fringe traffic and then cruising out onto the highway towards the national park area where my pad is.

Hey it's interesting to learn about the no change in fuel consumption Harvy, I wonder if others find the same thing? No doubt many different states of tune could make for some wildly varying results. I'd expected that only a small change may yield some small gain and more changes eventually reach some point of diminishing return depending largely on what the engine is tuned for?

Have now got a working odometer so have begun logging some numbers to crunch..

Hey cool bike Harvy, like your work...

Actually there heaps of very suave bikes here....



Tell me, does the

[carsick]

Tell me, does the

Does the WHAT??? The suspense is killing me. I'll have to start ending my posts that way just to

[simi_ed]

Bastar     
 

[WestOzFJ]

Ahhh, how 'bout, "tell me, does the spilling of my coffee on the keyboard signal a premature end to my post and rapid exit into shutdown mode".

[andyb]

Found my way to the excellent gear/rpm charts in the library last night, will try to make time on the weekend to do one in excel to convert it kms/hr to gain a bit more perspective.

This one already reads in kph, if you'd prefer.

If you're considering FI for the joy of tinkering, okay.  If you're seriously wanting some bang for your buck in the torque department, a set of rather larger pistons will take you a bunch further on the same dollar.

[Harvy]

Sure does!


Harvy