Just an Observation - Are FJs Bulletproof?

[Lotsokids]

Doesn't seem like many FJs have catastrophic engine failure. My bike seems to be solid as a rock these days. Today I was thinking about my piece-of-crap ZX-11 I owned a few years ago. I had the engine out 3 times in less than about 1 year. Those bikes had a problem with the #3 piston leaving the engine case at high RPM. Compared to that, my FJ seems bulletproof, even with as much torture as I give it. I was pushing it HARD today. How can I resist that deafening roar of the pod air filters at over 3/4 throttle?

Anyone have to pull their engine because of serious engine damage?

[Pat Conlon]

Bulletproof? Not hardly.  Durable?  Ask Randy, Bob and our other forum folks who race these motors at 8-10k night after night.....
There is a reason that these Yamaha engines are the motors of choice in the Legend and Thunder cars.

[E Double]

You try hard enough you can nuke anything.

I think that FJs (like most Yamahas and Hondas, and a few other manufacturers' bikes) can live long lives, as long as one keeps them running right; Carbs set up right, proper fluid levels and changes as needed and not letting them sit.

The guy who owns the shop where I've taken bikes for the last 10 years said it best when he remarked that "The best thing you can do for any bike is ride it."

I just tripped 83K miles this afternoon, and I don't see a reason why I won't get many more tens of thousands of miles out of it before I need to go into the motor.  It runs better now than other bikes bikes I've owned with less than a tenth the miles on them that this has on it.

[andyb]

Don't run it out of oil, don't overheat it, and don't overrev it, and the answer is pretty durable.  But hell, unless something is fundamentally wrong with a design, that should be true of basically any motor.

They're a big engine in a low state of tune and that's going to limit how stressed things get.  They're also not ridden by.... er... they're mostly owned by more experienced folks who take care of things, which also doesn't hurt.

[ribbert]

[
Anyone have to pull their engine because of serious engine damage?
[/quote]

Yes, at only 45,000 km's.  I cooked it, 42 deg. and absolute gridlock (accident).  I did the work myself - except for the boring - and it cost $1300 to do the top end only! DO NOT GET IT HOT!!!!!!!!
Noel

[Mark Olson]

Bent rods at 15k from a bad fuel petcock and hydro locked cylinders. not me it was the P.O. tried to jump start it with the car and bent the rods.

[tmkaos]

  They're also not ridden by.... er... they're mostly owned by more experienced folks who take care of things, which also doesn't hurt.

[FJTillDeath]

  They're also not ridden by.... er... they're mostly owned by more experienced folks who take care of things, which also doesn't hurt.

MOSTLY LOL that would not include me

[rktmanfj]

Many of us weren't so 'experienced' when we first bought them.       

[pdxfj]

The owner of Pashnit.com had a FJ for a number of years and did experience a catastrophic failure when for some odd reason the engine decided to blow a hole though the cylinder wall of #2.  He was able to ride the bike 10 miles to the closest town with a hole in the engine.

http://www.pashnit.com/fj1200.htm

IIRC, Tim Mintz found a FJ1200 engine in a dumpster that had suffered the same failure as the one mentioned above.  Tim was able to salvage a few things from it including a coil spring clutch kit.

I would ride my FJ anywhere and not even worry about it.  I just recently did around 3,400 miles and it never skipped a beat.

[FJTillDeath]

As said, never over rev it, especially with no load on the engine.. But hey my FJ is still running even with the abuse I have given it. If they can withstand me, they may be very close to "bulletproof"

[oldktmdude]

If they can withstand me, they may be very close to "bulletproof"

Must be a few members of this forum that are "bullet proof" as well!  Regards, Pete.   

[weymouth399]

Bulletproof? Not hardly.  Durable?  Ask Randy, Bob and our other forum folks who race these motors at 8-10k night after night.....
There is a reason that these Yamaha engines are the motors of choice in the Legend and Thunder cars.

Ya Pat there was a reason.
But it was $$$$, the legend car was originally built with a evo motor. US legends called HD and asked for 2000 motors. They (HD) laughed at them, saying we have dealers that would like to get 2000 motors. Then they (USL) did research and yamaha told them they had a motor going out of production that would work. The big selling point with USL is $$$$ and that they have a split plain main bearings For easier rebuilding. So we got the FJ power plant, and then we went thur ALL of them. 
Yamaha was selling the XJR in Europe USL started using them but with a seal on them. (so guys like me and a bunch more couldn't get a motor from a bike and use it)

Randy may have more to put in, (He has worked with the powers to be before they pooped on him too) but in my 15 plus years with legends thats what I've been told and learned on my own.

Bob W

[markmartin]

OK, I'm dense.  Are they (or anyone)  still producing the Yamaha 1200 motor??  Or just parts?

[weymouth399]

Hi Mark

No, parts only for they 1200 sadly. There are people assembling 1200s with new parts but the cost is outrages. 
But you can still buy new 1250 XJR motors, but the output shaft is longer and will need upgrades to work right.
But unless you ventilate the cases it's cheaper to rebuild what you have.

Bob W