FJowners.com

General Category => Introductions => Topic started by: Millietant on July 31, 2018, 12:02:31 PM

Title: New member from the UK
Post by: Millietant on July 31, 2018, 12:02:31 PM
Good evening everyone.

After 32 years of FJ ownership and 20-odd years as a member of FJOC in th UK, I've now joined here. The info and banter seem good and right up my street.

Bought my first FJ (a 1TX 1200) new in '86, then sold it to my boss in'89 when I bought a new 3CV. I've still got that 3CV and am in the process of giving it a spruce up at the moment. I had a 2nd 3CV for a while in the early 2000's which became a race bike.

My current FJ is being fitted with a FZR USD front end with R1 blue spot calipers and FZS 600 master cylinder (that I've had for nearly 10 years now!!), Thundercat 17" rear wheel, Hagon rear shock absorber, Remus stainless 4 into 1 (I also have a set of Kerker "silencers" which were on it for a while - I love them, but they're a bit loud for touring use) and the usual maintenance upgrades (K & N filter, braided stainless lines etc etc).

For most of its life, the bike has had a set of Krauser pannier mounts fitted (panniers only really used for holiday tours) and at various times either a Givi or Krauser top box.

To be honest, the bike hasn't been used since 2010, as I've also had an Aprilia RSV Mille which I've used for track and road use and also in the garage are a Fazer 1000 and Fazer 600, all of which have been in constant use since the FJ was put into semi-retirement. The plan was always to "improve"/refurbish it (after 70k miles of use) and use the others while it was off the road, but everything (work/family/flying) conspired to stop me from spending the time on the FJ, until is year.

I've got the majority of the conversion works done (not that much engineering really) and am busy doing some cosmetic refurbs - before I get down to the nitty gritty and the get the carbs off, give them a thorough clean and new diaphragms, and give all the major service items some attention (including adding a FJOC oil cooler kit).

Fingers crossed, the bike should be back on the road in a few weeks - ready for myself, my wife and our youngest son to take the FJ and the two Fazers on a 2 week round Europe tour. Anyway, it's good to find another source of chat and info about my favourite bike (I'll never sell the FJ), so "cheers" to you all.

I've not got any recent photos of the bike, as it's been in large pieces in the garage, but here's a couple from our last touring holiday before I decided to "upgrade" it (together with my wife and her Fazer 1000).

(http://i28.tinypic.com/2605nxx.jpg)

(http://i33.tinypic.com/16ae7v7.jpg)
Title: Re: New member from the UK
Post by: Troyskie on July 31, 2018, 04:26:30 PM
Welcome aboard mate. Good to see the nice work done.
Title: Re: New member from the UK
Post by: FJ_Hooligan on July 31, 2018, 04:31:20 PM
Welcome

Love the red Fazer!  They never released that color in the US.  :-(

What year is it?  I saw that color in a magazine test back in '01 time frame.  Very disappointed that it never made it here.
Title: Re: New member from the UK
Post by: Millietant on July 31, 2018, 06:54:34 PM
Yeah, it's a 2001, with the "official" Yamaha fairing lowers, actually made by a Dutch firm, TCP (now out of business I think).

Both bikes have, in my opinion only, a pretty timeless look that means they don't really look dated even after all these years (a neat trick from Yamaha) - then again, I also think the same about the 2003 "Foxeye" Fazer 600 we got for our youngest  :-)
Title: Re: New member from the UK
Post by: FJ_Hooligan on July 31, 2018, 10:55:12 PM
Know what you mean.  I own 3 FZ1s.  Great bikes!
Title: Re: New member from the UK
Post by: Millietant on September 05, 2018, 04:39:50 PM
Quote from: Troyskie on July 31, 2018, 04:26:30 PM
Welcome aboard mate. Good to see the nice work done.

The bikes almost complete now, but I haven't taken any photo's since last Thursday, before most of the progress - all I have to do now is attach the brake lines (when they arrive), finish off fitting a final few parts and then give the engine a go, set up the carbs and take it for its MOT test
Title: Re: New member from the UK
Post by: Millietant on September 05, 2018, 04:43:59 PM
Photo's from last Thursday

(http://i64.tinypic.com/j814d5.jpg)

(http://i65.tinypic.com/2pyq3a9.jpg)
Title: Re: New member from the UK
Post by: Millietant on September 06, 2018, 04:46:32 PM
Progress is slower than I'd like, but it's still being made - almost there ! - don't know how to "unsquash the photo's

(http://i65.tinypic.com/2hzo8hw.jpg)

(http://i68.tinypic.com/2hfql4k.jpg)
Title: Re: New member from the UK
Post by: Millietant on September 29, 2018, 01:50:05 PM
The bike is finished, it's had its shakedown rides and last week I took it on a 1200 mile round trip to a load of beautiful spots in Northern Ireland, with my wife and youngest son on their bikes.

Glad to say the FJ performed flawlessly (as did the FZ1 and the Fazer 600).
Title: Re: New member from the UK
Post by: Tuned forks on September 30, 2018, 08:38:17 AM
I've never been to Europe so I have to ask what may be a silly question.  If you live in Britain, then to ride in Ireland you put your motorcycle on a car ferry?

I'm also impressed with how far you stripped your motorcycle down and really impressed that you have a motorcycle lift.  Color me envious.

Joe
Title: Re: New member from the UK
Post by: red on September 30, 2018, 09:56:03 AM
Quote from: Millietant on September 06, 2018, 04:46:32 PMProgress is slower than I'd like, but it's still being made - almost there ! - don't know how to "unsquash the photo's
http://i65.tinypic.com/2hzo8hw.jpg (http://i65.tinypic.com/2hzo8hw.jpg)
http://i68.tinypic.com/2hfql4k.jpg (http://i68.tinypic.com/2hfql4k.jpg)
Millietant,

FIFY.  
Not sure what "unsquash"  may mean, with an image.  Of course, I would oppose anything with "squash" in it.   :yes:   An easy fix is to open the image with "Windows Picture and Fax Viewer."  Use the Rotate icons at the bottom to get the image upright, then close the image.  Check out the free image editor at GIMP. ORG (they may or may not export it from the USA).

Nice bike!
Title: Re: New member from the UK
Post by: Millietant on September 30, 2018, 12:10:47 PM
Quote from: Tuned forks on September 30, 2018, 08:38:17 AM
I've never been to Europe so I have to ask what may be a silly question.  If you live in Britain, then to ride in Ireland you put your motorcycle on a car ferry?

I'm also impressed with how far you stripped your motorcycle down and really impressed that you have a motorcycle lift.  Color me envious.

Joe

Hi Joe, yes the bike goes on the "car" ferry - in the picture of our bikes on the ferry below, the FJ is in front of my son's Fazer 600 and alongside my wife's Fazer 1000

(http://i63.tinypic.com/1qg601.jpg)

I actually got the bike down to a bare frame and an engine lump before I scrubbed, stripped and prepped them for painting. It took about 6 weeks to do everything once I got started - Liz said it would have been much quicker if I hadn't polished every nut and bolt before I put them back on  :smile:

I think I'm most pleased with the frame finish - it's ended up that even people with other FJ's don't realise it's not the standard colour. I prepped the frame with Hammerite Smooth anti-rust primer, then 2 coats of grey primer, then 3 coats of Hammerite Smooth Silver, before leaving it a week then giving it 3 coats of Halfords Heavy Duty PU Lacquer - I really love the finish quality and the colour  :smile:

The motorcycle lift is actually just a home made thing using a standard DIY store trolley jack, some 2" square steel tube and some 2" steel angle iron, with a 3/4" heavy duty plywood top. I bought it (nice and cheap) from the guy who built it and it's absolutely brilliant - I can push bikes on and off it using my bike-trailer ramp easily enough and friends who have paid hundreds of £'s for the "professional" ones are seriously jealous at how stable and strong mine is - the only thing is, when it's put together it's it's a heavy lump and can't be repositioned unless you take it apart again (although that's really easy, just a few nuts and bolts to undo). I can let you have details of the bike lift/bench if you'd like (dimensions/layout etc) - as long as it's  not against forum rules.
Title: Re: New member from the UK
Post by: Millietant on September 30, 2018, 12:16:00 PM
Thanks Red - nice to view the pics here "unsquashed".

I've put photo's of the finished FJ in the Projects section and absolutely love how it turned out  :good2: