What we do

[Bones]

Just wondering what type of people ride an fj, what work we do, how long we've been there,  and how we get there etc...

I'll start it off.



I work for the local council driving a tractor / slasher,

been there for 25 + yrs , ride the bike every day where possible and travel about 12km a day.



 Tony.

[1tinindian]

I started my working career by joining the USAF right out of high school, from there I worked factory jobs in three different factories, the last two which closed there doors on us. Been a cop, worked at three  separate auto body shops as a body man/ painter, and for the last 4 years I have been a mechanic for a Chevrolet dealership.

All the while, being an avid motorcyclist.

Leon

[Charlie-brm]

Self employed in graphics, publishing, video, music. Not getting rich at it but meeting cool people who love what they do and help them out with promotions.
It's because I moved to a rural area and my friends all live rural that I thought a motorcycle would be a fairly safe and neat way to show up at their door, using the less traveled roads.
If I was still living in Toronto there's not a hope in hell it would have crossed my mind. I just wasn't prepared for the enthusiasm I have for it, expecially checking out new roads and destinations.
The first month I'd use up a tank of fuel for an after work loop around Lake Simcoe. Then I was into 3 tank days on the weekend. Week 7 I was packed and heading for Montreal.


Anyway, to the bikes: I don't know when I'll ever be able to afford something off the showroom so the FJ offers some real fun for little money. It's the kind of bike I'd buy new if I could - litre bike, one piece seat, hard bag options, conservative styling with fairings, comfy riding stance. A friend has a few FJ's  so he spotted a cheapie 1984 on Kijiji he thought would be good for me and we snatched it up.
Been scraping grease from under my finger nails ever since
Charlie

[FJmonkey]

Now let me think back the 17 years I have had my 86'. I have been with the same company for 20 years so I just need to list all the titles I have had.

1992 to 1999
Mechanical drafter (CAD)
Drafting supervisor
Mechanical designer
Transit line mechanical engineer
Product Data manager

2002 to 2008
Technical manufacturing manager
Senior manufacturing technician
Quality assurance manager
Materials control manager
Engineering products development manager
Engineering projects manager

At present
Facilities and Maintenance manager

I use to commute on a bike when I was younger a more foolish. The city traffic in SoCal is not safe for motorcycles IMHO. So I enjoy the mountains and twisties on the weekends and rally days.

Am I sharing too much?

[yamaha fj rider]

Started riding when I was a teenager, off road then on road. Racing desert then working in bike shops. Still love to ride as much as ever, Yamaha WR500 in the dirt, still love the smell of a two stroke. Ride whenever I can, my FJ is just too much fun, in the last year riding a DRZ400S I bought from a friend. I should have gotten one of these years ago. Last night my wife need a couple of things from the store for dinner, it would have been faster to just take her car but where is the fun in that. I pulled the Suzuki out of the garage and off I went, only about ten blocks one way but better than the car. I used to ride my bike to get to and from work all the time but now I have a company vehicle that I must drive. When I ride now its for pleasure. My 93 FJ I bought new in the summer 94. I still own my first street bike, a 76 Yamaha XS500C, dad helped me get from a friend of his. This was over thirty years ago.

Started working for my dad in grade school, he farmed grew vegetables and had a chickens about 500,000 at its peek. Then he started a construction company that I worked for up until he died. Worked in bike shops after that for over ten years. Then a friend asked me to come work for him managing his service company, left there to manage another service company. I decided that was enough working for other people so I started my own business and have been self employed ever since. This was almost ten years ago. I guess growing up with dad working for him self, it just seemed like the the thing to do. Sorry if this is TMI.

Kurt

[JPaganel]

I'm a tech support analyst at a software company. Been here about 6 (or is it 7?) years. People break their complex and important systems, I fix them.

I've been commuting by motorbike since last summer. The FJ purchase was partly a result of that commute - it's mostly highway, and the XS400 twin got a little buzzy at speed. Sure is good on fuel, though. My wife wants to ride the 400, so I needed a second running bike, and here I am.

[aviationfred]

Riding experience started with a moped at age 12, I purchased my first street legal motorcycle while a junior in high school. A new 1983 Honda XL125. Bought a new 1986 Honda Interceptor 500 in 1986, I rode this bike solo from California to South Carolina as a 19 year old. Ended up putting 96k miles on it before it killed itself. I got my first FJ in 1988, I had it for 2 years before I wadded it up on Angeles Crest Highway in California. I bought a 1984 Honda Interceptor 1000 and rode it for the next 6 years. From 1993 to 1996 I commuted from Palmdale, CA. to Simi Valley CA. every day mostly on the 1000 and occasionaly on the 500. I sold both bikes in 1996 and was bikeless until I purchased my current 1989 FJ1200 April of 2012.

I joined the Marine Corps right out of high school. Started my mechanic back ground there as a Helicopter mechanic. Did that for 8 years. After that I worked for an Automated machine manufacturer in Simi Valley CA for 3 years, then left California and ended up in Kansas. Over the last 15 years I have worked for a number of large corporations, either as a automated machine mechanic/electrician, or a aircraft mechanic/avionics tech. Currently working as a Maintenance Electrician, covering everything from commercial cafateria equipment, to 9 axis CNC milling machines,
Company's;

General Electric Aerospace,
Learjet,
Safelite Auto Glass,
Gulfstream Aerospace,
Farmland Foods,
Love Box,
Sherwin Williams,
Bell Helicopter,
Rubbermaid
Air Midwest Airlines,
Bombardier Aviation Services
Spirit AeroSystems

Fred

[movenon]

Military Vietnam US Navy 65 - 69 Interior Communications.
Cash resister repair, Anchor Data Systems
Self employed, Photo processing lab (pre digital) remember film and slides.....?
AS degree in drafting + 60 other credits in fun courses. (pre electronic calculators) slide rules.......
Worked for Idaho Power Substation design and Energy Management
Back to self employed. Government contacting across the U.S.
Owned a body shop (Son still in the industry)
Back in the military, US Army Aviation, OH 58 (Bell Jet Ranger) Crew Chief on flight status.
Transferred to PT Mugu, Calif.,  P-3 Second Mech / FE aircrew.
Idaho Air Guard, State of Idaho/DOD Air Field Manager / Air Force Aerial Port flight chief. (hard to explain).
Retired 2002
Throw in flying, motorcycles, street rods, RVing, Amateur radio, photography etc. life is a twisty road.
The only thing that sticks is motorcycling.......
George  65.5

[big r]

Jeez, with what you guys are posting makes me almost feel under educated. Graduated grade 12 in 1973, worked in a sawmill for a couple of years, got my class 1 d/l and became a professional driver. Have been driving for 36 yrs. Started hauling logs then went to a wood chip truck,hauled sulphuric acid for a while and am now back hauling logs for the last 24yrs. I turned 59 last month and started riding when I was about 10. My grandfather gave my brother and I a Suzuki 80, from there I went to 1967 Honda sport 90,a 69 Kawi A7 avenger,a1981 920 Virago, 1981 GS1100E and finally my FJ. Its been fun and the FJ is the best bike so far. Hopefully my knees will hold for a couple more years before I have get into something like a(god forbid) cruiser. Big R

[Lotsokids]

Retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2009 after 22 years of service.
- C-141 Crew Chief
- C-17 Crew Chief / Flying Crew Chief (favorite job EVER)
- C-17 Maintenance Instructor

Currently C-17 mechanic for Boeing in Hungary since 2009. Same job as the Air Force, but now with a beard, no deployments, and double the pay!

Bought a 1985 FJ1100 in 2002, owned it for about 1 year
Bought my current 1988 FJ1200 in Hungary

[poker007]

Hi there, my name is Mark Glorioso,


          I've been rideing most motorcycles most of my life. When i was 6 years old my dad whould put me on the gas tank of yamaha 175 or 250 he would then hope off, and let me drive around the court all by my self, . from that point on i've been hooked on rideing motorcycles :good2:Four our five years down the road, my parents bought me a 1980 yamaha GT80 and i rode the hell out of that dirt bike.My dad gave me a 1975 yamaha Mx400 , i let my sister ride the gt80, as I was moveing up to a whole new 2-stroke dirt bike.. So from 7th grade to12 grade that was all i would do go rideing..In  1988 i bought a RD 400, and rode it a lot, the rd was not happy with me and wouldlock up now and then ...i traded it for a very nice ten speed saved my money from resturant work,, and bought a 1980 KZ1000st :i_am_so_happy:i rode the hell out of this one to.30or 40k after buying i shattered my right arm lane spliting,, :scratch_one-s_head:That was a live  and learn. i could have done with out ,,down the road i sold it and bought a 1995fzr600, with 5k on the engine :good2:i was married started haveing kids.joined the ironworkers,L.U. 118in 1992 15 years dowun the road i bought the MotherShip..  My 1985FJ1100,I love this bike with all my heart, I was rideing to Patterson@ back to Carmichael every day..210miles round trip,I would'nt do it on anyother,,Happy FJing ,,,Mark Glorioso

[fj1289]

Started riding on a stripped down clapped out Honda CL100 at 13 and began riding on the street daily a year later on a CB450.  A few years later traded my first POS car for a new old stock Yamaha XJ650 Seca.  Road it for 13 years.  Tried road racing an RD350 and then RZ350 - ended with a high side and collor bone broken thru in two places.  Then bought the 89 FJ as a "rolling basket case" - and been working on it and modifying it for the last 15 years!  
A couple years later bought an 84 for a parts bike that somehow became a dragbike project  
For good measure throw in a short fling with primer grey XS650 cafe-rat-bobber and a lime green big bore Kawasaki KLR650 Tengai

Just finished up 24 years flying in the Air Force - 20 of it in special ops.  Now just started a new job flying for Sierra Nevada Corp -- turns out this NOT the company that brews Sierra Nevada beer  

Hoping to get some more free time now (been out of county for 4 of my first 7 weeks though...) and get to make a rally or ten!

[mst3kguy]

10 years doing child abuse investigations
13 years as a parole officer
3 years on a U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force
retired
presently security officer at IRS facilities

started riding in 1984 when in college until 1986;
started again in 1997.

[Dan Filetti]

9 years for UPS 5 as union scum, 4 as an oppressive manager. (I never signed out of the union, I'm pretty sure they think I owe them many tens of thousands...  ooops, let 'em come and get it...)

4 years as a dispatch supervisor for an Intermodal company.

4 yeas as a Dispatch Manager for a small 3rd Party Logistics (3PL) company

5 years as a subject matter expert/ project manager/ consultant/ for TMS implementations: i2, Manugistics, McHue etc.

13 years (so far) as a product manager, building best of breed TMS (transportation management) software G-Log/ Oracle OTM, from the ground up. Now we're bigger than the next six players in the space, combined.

I have been riding a motorcycles for, counting the mini-bike/ dirt-bike years, 35+ years now.  I have been riding a street bike for 25+.  I have owned about 10 street bikes, with the first being a Yamaha Maxim 550.  Other bikes of note: BMW K75, Honda CB500, 85 FJ1100, Honda CBR1000F, Honda Shadow 1100, and I currently ride a Suzy GSX-R750 and a Kawa Ninja 250.

The FJ died an untimely death, due to a poorly designed "L" fitting in the fuel line coming off of the petcock.  The fitting worked its way loose while I was riding and the bike continued to run on the fuel in the float bowls.  The still-attached vacuum line kept the petcock happily pumping the gas onto the hot motor.  I came to a stop at a stop sign, began to accelerate away and the back tire stepped out.  -"Must be oil on the road" i thought -when in fact it was my own fuel I had just slipped on.  The bike stalled a hundred yards later, finally out of fuel, having exhausted the fuel in the float bowls.  A woman drove by rolled down her window, and asked if I needed help -I answered that I did not, and that my house was .5 miles away and it was down hill.  (what I should have said was "I think I have a bent rod, can you help me straighten it out?" but I didn't)

Suffice it to say it did not end well with lots of gas on a hot motor...  I never saw the old girl, or at least what was left of her, again after that day...

Dan

[Tapartacus]

I've owned 4 FJ1200's starting in 1990. Before that my first bike was a DT125. Then to a Maxim 400. Honda released the VT 750 Shadow I believe in 82 I bought one in 83 and I still have it! I've been working for Air Canada as an Inflight Service Director(flight attendant) for 27 years. Didn't know how to do more than change the oil on my bikes until I joined this forum, so a big thank you to all.

Andrew