Fly in, Ride Back... Central Oregon to SoCal and then the Adventure Begins !!!

[CatTomb]

After spending the last couple of months looking for a streetbike to augment my dual-sport I settled on a clean one-owner 1987 FJ1200 with the help from some of the members of this distinguished forum.

I just booked my ticket to Santa Ana, the airport formally known as John Wayne International. I fly in the day after tomorrow. I'll inspect the bike with the help of Paul from Streetdreams Streetbikes, buy it $$$ if it looks good and take it to Paul's shop to have the carbs cleaned.

My plan is to spend the weekend with my daughter  in Orange County and then when the bike is ready, hopefully Monday, ride it up to Ventura to visit my other daughter,  granddaughter and some good friends.

I'll take off Friday and head north.

Assuming the weather looks tolerable I'll head up the 395 and spend the night in Bishop. Saturday I'll ride until my butt goes numb or until I start gettin' a little fuzzy and stop again, hopefully, fairly close to Oregon. Sunday, home to the hotness that is my girlfriend, Kelly and the beauty and wonder that is Central Oregon!

Today I'll make a list of necessities and start packing. I have a Giant Loop Coyote soft bag I'm bringing ( giantloopmoto.com ). Taking some advice from the forum I'll leave my camping gear at home and find a cheap hotel to crash in each night (and update ride reports).

I would appreciate any suggestions on what not to forget. I have found a couple of tool kit threads that I'll take advantage of.

I still need to sort out helmet and boots. My dual-sport helmet and MX boots would be underkill and overkill. 

[movenon]

If he is the original owner the factory tool kit should be under the rear tail piece, take off the seat and look in the back. I think there might be an owners manual in the "files" section. I would down load it and read it. There is a service manual there also for reference.
I don't know how much experience your selected mech has with FJ's. There is a learning curve...

TIP: if he doesn't know this and the carbs have to be removed and it has the stock air box, then remove the top bolts (one left and one right side) that attach the rear sub frame. This will let the the frame swing down so you can get the air box out with the bike on the center stand.
You are now on the way to being your own service department .

You could order some new manifold O rings to be replaced while the carbs are off. Buy them from RPM and ship them to your daughters place maybe next day delivery ?
George

[CatTomb]

Day 1 - Flight Day Friday

I'm an overpacker... Made it to the airport and had to check a bag. I managed to fit everything into a duffel and a backpack, although I had to carry the helmet. I flattened the GL Coyote bag and most of the duffel was filled with boots and riding paraphernalia; riding jacket and pants, and body armor.

I hadn't decided on a helmet and ended up borrowing one from Brian at Atomic-Moto, a sweet carbon fiber Vemar. Thanks, Brian! I also found a used pair of Garne G-RS boots on Craigslist.

I am comfortable with the phrase "all the gear, all the time" when it comes to riding a motorcycle. I'll see how that changes as I use the bike as a commuter over the next week before the trip home.

Flying out of Redmond is fantastic. No lines, no traffic, no issues. The flight was easy with a quick stopover in Portland and then a couple of hours to Santa Ana. My daughter picked me up on her lunch hour, we had some Thai food and then I took her back to work so I could drive her car to check out the bike.

I had arranged with Paul from Streetdreams to meet me at the sellers. We showed up together just as the PO was pushing the bike out of the garage. It isn't perfect but it is super clean. The PO has every receipt from new and the bike looks pampered. It has new brakes, chain and sprockets. Paint, fairing and seat are in like new condition, lower fairing has a crack on the left side a few inches in front of the bolt. It has the tool kit and owners manual, a tank bag (never used) and a cover.

Paul started the bike, got it running, poked around and then gave it a thumbs up. It was missing an end cap on a fuel line and was leaking fuel. Paul plugged the line with his finger to listen to the engine and do his divining.

I haggled the owner, handed over the cash and filled out paperwork. The registration was expired but he had paid the fees and listed it as non-op. I will add a trip to the DMV down here and hand over some cash for a moving permit to save me the possibility of problems on the drive home.

We loaded the bike onto his truck and followed him to his well set-up shop. The bike should be ready this afternoon (Saturday). I'm heading to the beach with Sharlyn while I impatiently wait for his call...

Here's a pic of the PO signing it over to ME! More to follow.

[Steve_in_Florida]

Cool!!!

This has all the makings of something EPIC.

Take pictures and share, please?

Good luck, and good travels.

Steve

[Dan Filetti]

Cool!!!

This has all the makings of something EPIC.

Take pictures and share, please?

Good luck, and good travels.

Steve

My sentiments exactly.

Dan

[1tinindian]

Stories like this are what dreams are made of!
I look forward to your journey home and pictures along the way.

The FJ looks like a nice one!

Leon

[The General]

nice. 

[rktmanfj]

  Need more pics... that thing looks nice.

If I had an ambulance, it'd be an '87.

[CatTomb]

Here is one of the Facebook pics. Lots more to follow!

[big r]

She looks like she is in awesome shape. Have a safe ride home and post more pics. Big R

[CatTomb]

Day 2

Spent the day at the beach with my daughter and her boyfriend.





All systems GO! 



Picked up the bike in the evening. The mechanic had some challenges getting the carbs un-gunked and spent a few extra hours getting it done. He changed the oil and took some time to polish the painted pieces after putting it back together. If you are in Orange County I would definitely recommend Paul at Streetdreams Streetbikes. He was competent and had a ton of integrity.



I'm about to go for a shakeout ride....  pics to follow   

[FJmonkey]

Sounds like you found a good mechanic, very rare these days. I have become my own mechanic for my FJ, saves me the thought of some kid younger than my bike, scratching his head, wondering how a bike this old is still running. If you are looking for nice roads as you start your trek North, I can take you on a few. I live near the 210 and the 2, Angeles Crest, with many more nearby. If you are interested then let me know what your schedule is and we will work something out. Kookaloo fellow ambulance rider....

[movenon]

I think you made a good decision on buying that bike. Looks great. One thing about S Cailf. the bikes are usually clean and rust free. Keep the post coming as you get time.
George

[yamaha fj rider]

Great thread, keep the posts coming. Think about attending the West Coast Rally end of May first of June. Congratulations again on the bike.

Kurt

[CatTomb]

Day 3 - Took a couple of short rides but family time ruled the day. Nice dinner with my favorite nephew.

Day 4 - DMV - In Oregon, I go to the DMV office in Bend. No line, everyone is friendly and jovial. The Laguna Niguel DMV was lined up out the door at 8:30 with 100 cars in the parking lot. We drove to San Clemente and only had to wait an hour... angry and disgruntled employees and customers co-existing in a tense standoff of intolerance and dysfunction. On the bright side it only cost me $19 for a trip permit.

Went back and loaded up the bike. The GL bag fits great. I wasn't too sure about the magnetic tank bag, so I filled it with dirty laundry. The bike came with a nice cover which I rolled up and put into a duffel. I put my laptop in my backpack.



90% of my driving in Oregon is on one lane roads. I spend 30 years driving in Southern California but it takes some adjustments when I return.

I said my goodbyes, gave my mom one last hug to assuage her tears and headed out. Traffic was variable, 75 to 0 to 75. I tried to plant myself in the HOV lane (called the diamond lane in California). I rode up to Santa Monica and grabbed Highway 1 north. Traffic thinned as I passed Malibu and the cool ocean air helped to blow off some LA grime.

Neptune's Net is right across the street from the beach on the border between Los Angeles and Ventura counties. They have 28 parking spots for motorcyles right out front! I stopped for some hydration and a quick snack. Neptune's Net has a great vibe and has some great seafood but it isn't cheap. $4.75 for a soda and a candy bar.



The ride from there was easy and fun. The marine layer was returning and temps cooled quickly. The last 40 miles went quickly and it was great to see this when I arrived.



At 52 with the mind of a 12 year old, it is still hard for me to grasp that I am a grandfather. I spent the rest of the day playing with Cambria. The bike ran great. Bags, including the tank bag, were unnoticeable on the bike.





More family time today and maybe a ride to see some friends.