I'm on this site cause I just bought my first FJ1200.  A '91 nonrunning bike in nice shape that sat for 10 years.  So I'm just starting the project and learning a lot here.  Thanks to everyone in advance for all the great information.

My first bike back in the 90's as a poor college student was an XS650 Special. I then had an 850 Special, then several 1100 Specials.  I quit riding for 25 years, then got divorced and started buying bikes again.  I keep finding nice old Yamaha XS1100 Standards and Specials in the back of garages that just need a new battery, a carb clean, brakes and tires, Euro bars to replace those horrible ape hangers, and an afternoon with some NevrDull and Colonel Brassy, and I can flip it and fund the next bike project. (And maybe cover an alimony payment).

One of the bikes I bought last year came with a 4 into 1 Kerker exhaust and air pods.  The PO said he never got it running right way back when, so he parked it and forgot about it.  I rebuilt the carbs with the right jetting, and got it running almost perfect.  The only problem I was having was a little bit of stumbling off of idle at low rpms. When I got over 3k it cleared up. 

The general consensus with a lot of the XS1100 guys is that pods aren't worth the hassle.  They're fraught with tuning problems, including the stumbling I was experiencing. As explained to me, the air turbulence created by the pods causes problem as it enters the carbs. A stock air box smoothed the air flow out before entering the carbs.

To try to correct this, I added 2" tubes between the pods and the carbs. The idea was to give the air flow a chance to settle down before entering the carbs.  I cut down plastic connectors from a shop vac hose that happened to be exactly the right diameter. (Always on a budget) 

This worked beautifully. The result was smooth power from idle to WOT at all rpm's. Right or wrong, I believed that I had found the miracle cure for pod problems. Or at least my particular pod problems.   

So my obvious question is if anyone else has tried something like this on their FJ1200?  Or has anyone had this same stumbling problem with pods off idle, or at any other rpm range? 

My FJ project bike has a 4 into 1 Vance and Hines exhaust and the stock air box.  I'm going to replace the box with pods both with and without my extension tubes and see what happens.

I've got 42.5 pilots and 117.5 main jets on order from JetsRUs.com, along with an All Balls rebuild kit with adjustable needles.             

The bare stainless pipes are beautiful!  That may be something I will consider in the future, but in the present I am inclined to leave them in their original color.

Another question that I have is how to improve the appearance of the weathered engine. 

The picture below shows a side view of the current exterior condition of the engine, which sat in a carport for many years and suffered serious weathering, as you can see.  The only surviving original gloss black paint on the engine is on the valve cover, which was protected by the tank.  The cooling fins are now bare metal.

What are the options for improving the appearance of the engine while it is on the bike beyond doing a thorough cleaning? 

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Steve

Riding in February in central Missouri is a rarity, God Bless weather change!

My buddy Kenny has done the Harley/Indian routine, with the latest greatest machines of their making, and he has now landed on a Honda GL1800 with a automatic transmission.

He loves it, he really does.

I enjoy blasting past him effortlessly.

Quote from: Millietant on November 03, 2025, 02:30:03 PM

Quote from: FJ1200W on November 03, 2025, 07:30:33 AMI must be the exception as I have never had an issue with the stock slave cylinder.

I never really had an "issue" with mine, just since the bike clicked over 100,000 miles and slave cylinder maintenance periods were getting a bit closer together, I thought "why not give it a try" - plus, the big reason behind it all was................ MODITIS.

I've changed or upgraded the forks, brakes, 17" wheels, yokes, rear shock, FZ1 bars, FZ1 mirrors, Remus exhaust, modified fenders/mudguard, all the lights are LED, FJR clutch master cylinder, FZ1 brake master cylinder, span adjustable levers, all braided hydraulic lines, K & N air filter, iridium plugs (for longer life), the list goes on and on........

And I was getting the itch to change/improve something else (I'm not a fan of the spin on oil filter swap, just happy with the stock affair).

Probably the next thing I'll upgrade/change is the oil cooler, but maybe I'll wait for that until I decide to give the engine a big bore kit and some tuning - the only thing is, I'm loathe to take the engine apart while she's still running so well and reliably.

I'm really struggling to find any other worthwhile bits I can add/change on the bike to improve it, or make it more "my bike" (I've also already also got crash bars and a full Krauser luggage system, and a usb socket for charging "things" on the move).

Despite all the changes, 99% of other bikers think my bike is stock when they see it 

We have A LOT in common.

Perseverance pays off!
Well done not over done

nice pipe and fairly priced GLWS!

Here's pics of the exhaust system,all hardware included to install, Will look at offers, 6056658683 gregg

Quote from: STLanduyt on February 11, 2026, 07:44:30 PMI had initially thought of painting the pipes, but am now thinking of leaving them in their current state.  Any thoughts or experiences out there on just leaving the pipes alone?

Steve

Some of the guys have polished their pipes.  They are stainless underneath. 
This is Noel's picture:

The carbs are with RPM, as already mentioned, and are currently soaking to dissolve "the ethanol gunk in the bowls and carb bodies" per RPM ... meanwhile I removed the exhaust pipes and de-rusted them using Rustoleum Rust Dissolver, which took off the rust and revealed a very shiny dark grey surface on the pipes, albeit with very tiny "pinpoints" of silver all over.

I had initially thought of painting the pipes, but am now thinking of leaving them in their current state.  Any thoughts or experiences out there on just leaving the pipes alone?

Steve

Good job