Me and my FJ

[zz28zz]

Started riding at 6 yrs old on a Honda trail 70. Killed a few more machines that were near death already the next few years.  Raced a 77 RM125 during my early teen years. Traded the RM for a DT125 enduro when I got my drivers lisense. DT died a quick death t-bone'ing a late 70's Lincoln Continental. Boy, lots of thick steel in those ol cars I barely dented the thing!!

Then, my first street bike, a 72 Kaw H1. It came with a huge windshield and saddlebags. Unloaded it from the truck and stripped off all that garbage, Armor all'ed the seat and went for a ride. Bad idea.. Luckily the rear turn signals were still installed. They were completely responsible for keeping me from sliding off the back the first time I found the power-band. As ugly and bad handling as it was, I loved that bike. Abt a year and a half later, some hot chick arguing with her younger brother T-boned me. May the great angry orange mosquito smoker rest in peace...
Next bike was a 82 Seca 750 I bought brand new. Once you got passed the BIG red continously blinking master warning light, it was a great bike. Rode my first multi-gear street-bike wheelie on that thing. Who says you can't wheelie a shafty?!?

Then it happened. It was noon sharp on bright sunny summer day in 1984.
The local Yamaha dealership received their first FJ-1100.
Oh my.. My heart went pitter-patter. I still had a number of payments left on the Seca, but I couldn't help myself, I just stood and stared at it for, well I'm not sure how long. I was in love. The owner of the dealership (who knew me on a first name basis) came walking out with a couple of his buddies headed out for lunch. He spotted me and came over, whispered to me, "the wheels have been balanced real good". 

I hopped on and was under way in abt 3 secs. Took it thru town towards the straightest strech of highway around. I rode it the way I rode my 750 when I wasn't in a hurry; 1st, 2nd, 3rd,,, looked down at speedo, holy crap!, I'm doing 65 in a 35!! Wow.

It took my full concentration to keep that thing anywhere near the speed limit. It was soo deceiving. I finally got to that lonesome strech of table-top flat, table-top smooth highway 277.

After a quick clearing of the head, I rolled on the throttle, tucked-in and hung on. Went past 100 in no time at all. Got up to 140 and it seemed that that was abt all she had. Made a couple of lane changes to get a feel for the girl. She was soo stable, soo smooth I was in awe. Then I noticed I had some throttle left, so I got her pointed just right and opened her up fully. Switching my attention quickly from the tach, to the road, to the speedo, back to the road, back to the tach.

At a indicated 156, I noticed still had abt 300 RPM to go until red-line, but I figured I better shut her down. Speed dropped quickly as I eased-off the throttle.  When I got her down to 140 I felt comfortable enough to sit-up. Another bad idea.. The wind lifted me completely off the seat. Luckily I still had a death grip on the bars. Made a mental note to myself to never sit up at 140 again!!

As the speed continued to drop I noticed turn-around coming up so I made plans to take advantage of it and grabbed a handfull of brake. Nope, I was till doing 60 as I passed my turn. Wow, this bike disguises speed unlike anything I've ever imagined. Made a promise to myself; one of these days, I will own one of these great beasts..

Anyway, I rode the Seca for a number of years more. Sometimes I had a running car, sometimes I didn't, but the ol Yammy never let me down. Rode it thru 130 deg heat, on the ice when it was below zero, even rode it home one time with 2 flats (another mental note: don't pop wheelies at night in parking lots you're not familiar with), what a trooper she was..

Moved to N Calif in the mid 80's. Discovered the San Bruno Yamaha dealership so I stepped inside. What did I find? I left-over yellow/black Kenny Roberts signed RZ-350. How could it possibly still be here? After virtually worshiping the king since I was a kid, I had to have it. Back in my H1 days, my riding buddy had a RD350 with mostly TZ parts in the eng, so I knew what the potential was here. Sent the eng off to Burbank to a little outfit known as SpecII. Wound up with a 290 lb bike with somewhere north of 80 hp and a VERY low CG. It was like a big-bore dirt bike for the street. You thought abt turning and it was turning. I lost my drivers liscense for a while that year. Thing must have had helium in the front tire. Everytime I left the house I knew there was no way I could keep the front tire on the ground in the first 3 gears for sure.  I spite of dirt-biking it off a couple of canyon walls (damn off-camber turns) and one perticularly harrowing fast right-hand sweeper where I used ALL the road, I never layed it down. (Although I still get chills over that near-miss).

Figured if I wanted to contine using public roadways, I would need a way to sastify my urge for 2-wheeled exurbance. Back to San Bruno Yamaha. What's this?? A left over IT490. Oh yeah,, a 490cc 2-stroke. That 's the ticket. How could it not be fun?? Spent thr next few years enduro racing in N Calif. Don't ever let anyone ever tell you enduro racing is for wimps. Some of the guys that lay-out those courses are completely out of their mind.
I almost didn't return from a couple of those races. I'm pretty sure there's a few folks still out there,, somewhere in the mountains of N Cali..

Moved back to Texas in 91.  Took the new wifey for a spin on the RZ. Damn helium. She vowed to never get on that machine again.

Well now, looks like a I need a big-bore cruiser if wifey is to ever experience the ol wind-in-the-face again.. Humm, what to get... Oh yeah, I know..
I know exactly what I want..

[yamaha fj rider]

  Welcome, glad to hear you finally got the FJ you always wanted. IF you are looking to make the most of your FJ this is where to fine out how.

Kurt

[racerman_27410]

Great introduction....Welcome to the group friend! 


KOokaloo!


Frank

[Pat Conlon]

Great introduction. The best I've had the pleasure to read in a long time. I can relate to your lust after the '84 FJ's.....the same thing happened to me....except (unbeknownst to SWMBO) I bought the bike.

I'm glad I did.

I've had her ever since. What a great bike. What I have learned over the years is that she is a much better bike than I am a rider. Does everything I ask of her.......effortlessly.

Welcome. We are on a first name basis here, so what should we call you?
(edit) never mind, I saw your first post....welcome John.

[Firehawk068]

awesome post!
Enjoyed reading it, and welcome!

[I make oil]

Welcome John, I like your style.  Your going to fit in here.