Long time Honda owner... lots of 60's-80's bikes over the years. This '85 FJ1100 is my first Yamaha. Picked it up last week for $350. It has some cosmetic damage (plastic rash) and a smashed pulsar/pickup plate and shifter linkage from being dumped it in a left turn. I've already repaired the broken mechanical parts... got it to fire briefly but the battery seems weak and I think the carbs are gummy. Throttle is a little sticky. Needs new tires and fork seals. Spark leads need replaced... they zap me when I touch them. Overall seems to have weak spark, I attribute to the weak battery (only 10V when cranking), old spark wires, and I need to check grounds on everything. A few melty/frayed wires here and there but nothing to do with the ignition. Despite the general lack of maintenance, it seems solid and should make a good winter project.

-Warren

I have had Yamaha's over 40 years.
Starting with a Yamaha 80cc dirt bike and then a 1968 YR2 350cc, RD350's & 400's and then a 1979 XS1100 which I still have.
I have over 20 XS1100's in my hoard of over 70 Yamaha motorcycles
9  of those are FJ's  of which 3 are FJ11's and 2 FJ12's.

I'm too old to road race. At 61 you break not bounce.
But I would like to drag race or sprint race.

I have been looking for a former XS1100 drag bike.
But nothing has shown up that is reasonably priced.
I want to go and have fun.

I am a graduate Mechanical Engineering Technologist and have a well equipped shop.

Question;
Do you know of any available Yamaha drag bikes?
Price is a consideration since I am from Canada and $300 Usd is $400 Cdn.

Thanks for reading my life story.
Granite

Hello everyone,

I'm Rui, a recent owner of a 1986 FJ1200 1TX from Portugal. I have been on the lookout for one of these bikes for some time, and last month came across a bike that was in a recently closed Yamaha dealership. The bike was in the owners' private collection, and was restored to pristine condition, using nothing but Yamaha original parts. I bit the bullet, and the bike is now in my garage.

The bad things:
Being a collector's bike, it sat for a number of (unknown) years. Fuel in the tank became varnish, and the tank is full of rust inside. Clutch slave cylinder seals have perished, and it needs a rebuild. Battery seems to have seen very little use, but died of old age. I also suspect the fork seals are gone, but will have to look into that more carefully.

The good things:
Condition: the bike has 50k kms, but was totally restored. I mean nut and bolt. If a bolt is not new, it was newly plated. Frame powder coated to original grey. Swing arm and front suspension cleaned and polished. New (or admirably restored) original mufflers. New chain and sprockets, new tires, new air filter, new oil filter... the oil in the engine was still golden, although I have already changed it.

I have already started the bike with a booster and fuel coming out of a hanging bottle. It spurted a bit, the carbs took a few revs to clear their throat, but it eventually idled well.

I already have a clutch slave cylinder rebuild kit on the way, but have a couple of questions to the knowledgeable forum (I have been reading a lot through here..):

1- I have a ticking sound coming distinctly from the top front left part of the engine. I would say it was the exhaust valves in the #1 cylinder, but I would guess that the collector would have left the valve clearances spot on, in accordance to the state of the rest of the bike. Could the bike need a valve adjustment, having sat for so many years? If not, what would the ticking noise be?

2- I also have a whining sound from the clutch basket (bike in neutral), as if a bearing has failed, or two metal discs are rotating against each other. Is it normal, or is it something that should go away when the bike is used?

3- Having run the bike with no battery, starting with the help of a booster, I get 16,2V in the battery connections cables with bike idling (booster cables already disconnected). Is this a reg/rec problem, or do I need a working battery to measure this reliably?

TIA for any inputs you can give.

P.S. Yes, I have already read the petcock warning. It will be done before the bike is ridden.

My Name is Sean and I live in NW Iowa.  I purchased an XZ550RI new when I was a Junior in high school.  I still have her and she has 12k miles.  I later purchased a 1993 Venture, which is awesome.  Recently, I punished myself by purchasing a 1981 XJ750 Seca.  Oh, rode MotoX in the 80's in district 22, Iowa in the 80's class.

I am trying to resurrect the Seca.  After working through many issues, I finally got it started yesterday.  I'll post some pics later on all of my "goods".

The 750 was purchased from an auction of a friend whom had taken his own life.  I have no title so jumping through the hoops of getting a "bonded Title".  I have my doubts I can pull that off.

So, I don't have a title with an accurate VIN.  I am attaching a picture of the VIN on the steering stem, but it's rubbed off.  On my other old yamahas, the first 4 digits are JYA1.    Having said that, the clutch cable has worn off the VIN and I can't read it.  Any suggestions or knowledge is appreciated!!!!

Thanks, glad to be a part of this forum!

Evening all
I was tempted by a shiny red honda blackbird 8 years ago and parted with my beautiful 3CV in white, red, grey. She had some good mods, though not wheels and brakes, and she has been missed.
Finally I have seen the error of my ways and returned to the flock, full of humble - ness/bullsh1t/humour (delete as perceived   )

I am now the slightly stunned owner of a 91 3XW with loads of mods, including USD forks with 3 pots, & swing arm, both in theory from an R1, but not certain and I'm still figuring it out. Hodna mirrors(?), glass fronted clutch casing, crash bars, spotlights, heated grips, alarm (hmmm), cig lighter plug in the LHS pocket.  She's a little scruffy in places, which I'll workt through over time when suitable parts become available. Oh, and the exhausts, they're a bit interesting as is the "stage of tune". They made the water in a glass on our kitchen table ripple, on tick over. This could actually end up being an expensive problem, but you'll have to tune in later for that broadcast, or just cock your ear if you're in Hampshire, UK.
I've bought her, brought her home on a trailer and stuck here in a garage just up the road while I clear space for her in mine (read - sells 2 other bikes (Z1000LTD deposit taken, 1986 VFR750FG barn find with a large stack of VFR body parts). I'll then trundle her down and get intimately acquainted with her workings and see what I missed when looking at her (there's always something). Very curious to see what you all think the USD forks, brakes and swingarm are from, I'll get better pics up when I'm starting on her and would like to thank you all in advance for your wisdom, humour, patience, abuse, sarcasm, despair, and above all, forgiveness for ever selling my first FJ.
Now, where's the rest of that bottle of Jamersons! I'VE GOT ANOTHER WHALE!!!!  
Cheers all
Chaz