Just bought a 1991 FJ1200!!

[Tim_IA]

Hello everyone!

I'm Tim, I live in Cedar Rapids, IA, and I just bought a very nice 1991 FJ1200.  Pics are here:  https://picasaweb.google.com/109817667934112590257/1991YamahaFJ1200#

The bike:
It only has 12k miles, is blue/white, and is in very good cosmetic and mechanical shape.  The PO farkled it very nicely:

• Krauser K2s: blue/white 35L side cases on blue rails.  The blue is several shades too light to match, but the Krausers are very lightweight, big enough, and detach very easily.  (I already heard about the scarcity of Krauser K2 keys, so I've ordered the last matching key from Twisted Throttle).
• Rifle system touring windshield.  The PO had the solid base painted to rougly match the dark Yamaha blue.  I put the original windshield back on, but the Rifle will be great for long trips.
  
• Corbin Gunfighter + Lady seat with detachable backrest.  The PO custom-ordered this one and attempted to match the color scheme.  Corbin's blue leather is more like slate blue (almost grey), and doesn't match at all.  The pink piping is outrageous, but actually is a color match for the pink pinstripe Yamaha put on the bike.  Oh well, I can't see the seat when I'm riding it, and it fits very nicely.

I plan on adding a GPS bracket and wiring, and maybe some small highway pegs to stretch my legs on longer jaunts.  I'm planning a trip out to CO this spring to visit a friend (and tear up the mountain roads).

Maintenance so far:

• New tires (Avon Azzaro/Storm) and brake pads
• Oil change, plugs, tune up
• Replaced fuel hose from pump to carbs; original was leaking

Me:
I started riding last year.  I waited so long (I was born in 1977) because I had 3 kids, and the Military was very doom & gloom about riding.  And hundreds of young soldiers and sailors prove them right every year by wrapping their new RR's (and themselves) around telephone poles.  However, they convinced me to always wear proper safety gear when riding.  I have an armored mesh jacket, gloves, helmet, and boots.  Still looking for nice armored pants.
I spent 8.5 years in the Air Force; I was a navigator on B-1B bombers.  (Maybe that's why I like heavy, fast machines from the 80s?)  Now, I'm out of the military--and out of the marriage, though I'm still very active with my kids.  They love the motorcycles, btw. 
I took the Beginning Rider Course (MSF) at the local community college last spring.  The course was great; I recommend it to everyone I know who's thinking about getting a motorcycle.  In Iowa, you take the DMV driving test at the course, so you can get a license with that and the written test.  This worked out perfect for me, as I didn't have a bike yet.
I'm a bit of a car guy, but now focus more on bikes.  I've had some fun cars over the years ('78 MGB, '02 Civic Si, and '05 Cadillac CTS-V!!) but now just have a pickup truck and a couple bikes.  Bikes are waaaay more fun to ride, and way cheaper to mess with.  My Caddy had a 400hp Corvette V-8, but even a small bike spanks it off the line and in the corners.

First bike:
I didn't want to blow a bunch of money on a bike I'd be done with in a year, so I started looking for something cheap and simple.  I was looking for an older Honda four (750 or so), Kawasaki triple, or something along those lines.  Instead, I found a 1984 Honda V65 Sabre (VF1100S) for $1500 on craigslist!  Pics are here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/109817667934112590257/1984HondaV65Sabre#
It's a bit much for a first bike, but I'm 6'1" and 225 lbs, so I didn't want a teeny 250cc.  120hp, shaft drive, 6 speeds, nice fairing and hard bags?  Sign me up!  Plus, the gear indicator and fuel gague were great features for a noob, and it's been a great bike.  I added Avon tires to it, new brakes, a Corbin seat, and not much else in the year and a half I've owned it.  It's for sale, if anyone is interested.
The early Honda V4's have a great online community, Sabmag.org, of cantankerous and helpful people who still love these old bikes, and they are great.  I'm expecting a similar level of help--and sass--from FJowners.com.
My Sabre experience showed me that you can spend small cash on an older Jap bike, and you'll be just fine so long as you pay attention to maintenance.  It also made me want something similar, but a tad sportier.  I was looking at VFR's and such before I stumbled across this FJ.  I don't think I ever was a Harley guy (I kinda like the look, but hate the sound, and don't really like the "cruiser" riding position), and probably never will be because of how expensive (even Used) they are.

Thanks for the site, it has great information.  I'll keep an eye out for FJ events, though I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere.

Thanks,
Tim

[flips]

Hi Tim
Welcome to the group.You will find the combined knowledge on this forum excellent and a fun bunch of guys more than willing to help with any fj question or problem(hint-try the search feature-most questions have been answered many times!).I tried the link for pictures of your fj but it didnt work.The old sabre looks kinda cool though.I wanted to see the pink pinstripes on your fj.Do you have matching pinstripes on your riding gear?
Cheers an ride safe!

Jeff

[Flyover Country Joe]

Tim,
Welcome to the campfire! Sounds like you found a nicely farkled garage queen! Congrats on your new ride.
KOokaloo' ya'all!
    Joe

[racerman_27410]

Welcome to the group TIm,

looks like a very nice bike and i'm sure you will have a great time with it.


Kookaloo!


Frank

[CanDman]

Hi Tim........welcome to the group...although I am relatively new here myself..................can not tell you what a great find you made here........so many great people including the "ONE AND ONLY" Racerman....aka...Frankinberry (Count who?) ......THE ORIGINAL MOORE........ Roger that ..... ....lol....anywho........look for Mr. Pat Conlon (Felix of the CIA)..........especially if you are planning any mods.....the most helpful guy I have met in here !!!!! Bar none. Mr Rittner is also an excellent modder....maybe the best in here? Just keep in mind...if you do have a question for him...you may want to start off with "WE'RE NOT WORTHY.....WE'RE NOT WORTHY"...you may just hear some purrrrrrrrrring.... then ask away.......hehehehee. Lots of great great people.....keep an eye out for Harvey.......from down under.........he is one of the "Men at Work" in here.......truly a wonderful soul. Happy trails and always ride safe.
Kev

[FJTillDeath]

Great intro and welcome to the forum, enjoy the ride mate

[cyclenutk75]

Welcome, Tim, and thanks for your service.  My son is AF - SERE specialist currently at Fairchild in WA.  Sounds like you've got your hands on a sweet ride.  Since you're fairly new to riding I'll say that the most important piece of advice I heard from an MSF instructor when I took the course with my son was "scan agressively".  Altough I had been riding for 30 years when I took the basic rider course, and always practiced that, I never heard it described that way.  That's why I love to ride.  Nothing on my mind but the ride and the potential hazards around me.  Ride safe and good luck with the new scoot.

[Tim_IA]

I tried the link for pictures of your fj but it didnt work.The old sabre looks kinda cool though.I wanted to see the pink pinstripes on your fj.Do you have matching pinstripes on your riding gear?
Jeff

Try the link again, Jeff; it seems to work now.  No, I don't have matching pink stripes on my riding gear  ; it's black with reflective piping.  If I had a plainer Corbin to swap out, I would, but I'm not putting the stock seat on there over an ugly Corbin.  Love how the Corbin feels, and I don't have to look at it when I'm riding!

Tim

[Tim_IA]

Welcome, Tim, and thanks for your service.  My son is AF - SERE specialist currently at Fairchild in WA.  Sounds like you've got your hands on a sweet ride.  Since you're fairly new to riding I'll say that the most important piece of advice I heard from an MSF instructor when I took the course with my son was "scan agressively".  Altough I had been riding for 30 years when I took the basic rider course, and always practiced that, I never heard it described that way.  That's why I love to ride.  Nothing on my mind but the ride and the potential hazards around me.  Ride safe and good luck with the new scoot.

Thanks!  I took the MSF course last spring, and recommend it to everyone.  I always ride defensively and scan aggressively.  Sometimes it's hard to see past the grin on my face, though!   
Tell your son to take care of himself, and to not beat the "bastards and bitches" too hard! (That's what they make the SERE "prisoners" refer to themselves as.)

And thanks to everyone else for the greetings!  My new FJ is proving to be a bit of a garage queen, as it's leaking fuel out the carbs.  Thankfully, there's a shop around the corner from my  house that specializes in Jap bikes.  His faves are the big, air cooled lumps like mine; he drag races 80s-90s GSX-R1100s and big Kawasakis on the side.  I should get it back today or tomorrow.  I'd have rebuilt the carbs myself, but it would have taken me three times as long to work my way through them, and by then there would be no riding season left here in IA.
Cheers!
Tim