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Know your parts.

Started by aviationfred, April 24, 2017, 06:41:45 PM

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aviationfred

As our favorite riding machine ages. Many parts are becoming more difficult to find. There is a huge listing on eBay for FJ1100/1200 parts. Many here on the forum have experienced the purchase of a part listed for their generation and upon arrival, find out that it won't work because it is specific to a 1TX model and you have a 3XW model.

Here is a box of parts that look like there are some hidden gems. Poway Motorcycles in Southern California is typically a treasure trove of used FJ parts. The key too success with ordering is....Know what you need and know what you are looking at. The shopping is by photograph only, there is no description of the parts.

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNv3nVvNl_fDjtmEK9Z3Ed70EPma7ARmzM3oaobmHPIx7g6Z-Xh397ERLvYDoCQvQ/photo/AF1QipOez_hcYYl9DIvE2KnxAVAL9PUHdUvqfcFfWs0z?key=UHQ0UGNEQWdLTnFqa3BLZ1ZzTjQzZW5QUVI2SkxR


The above photo I see some very important parts. For anyone that regularly rides 200+ miles away from home on a day ride should carry a few extra parts. There are 3 ignitor boxes, 2 of which are for '86/'87 models.... Notice the little elbow on the bottom of 2 of them. That is the vacuum advance port. On the '88 and later models the ignitor boxes do not have this port. There are 3 relay units. The Ignitor box and the main relay are very important. If either craps out on you. Your ride is over.... No bypassing a simple contact. I am seeing an OEM ignition rotor. Also there looks to be a NEW OLD STOCK Vance & Hines ignition rotor.  I would bet that it is a 5 degree advance rotor. There is a pair of rear turn signal brackets. For those that have GIVI  WingRack II luggage frames, these are a common item to break. A simple phone call or email and you can find out exactly what year specific items are for and pricing.


A transaction that happened because I recognized a certain part..... I was surfing through the Poway Motorcycles used parts photos and came across an item that appeared to be an ignitor box. The difference was, it was aluminum. I immediately recognized it as a Vance & Hines PowerPak. I also know that you can not determine what bike it is for unless you remove the cover. I sent Bill an email asking it the PowerPak was for a FJ1200. He replied back that the item in the photo was for a 1989 Kawasaki ZX10. But, if I am looking for a FJ1200 PowerPak, he had a NOS, still in the original package sitting on a shelf, not currently listed for sale. If I was interested, make an offer that he could not refuse. I made an offer and I ended up with a brand new programmable ignitor box. Moral of the story......Know what you are looking at, you may find that rare part that you didn't know that you needed.


Fred
I'm not the fastest FJ rider, I am 'half-fast', the fastest slow guy....

Current
2008 VFR800 RC46 Vtec
1996 VFR750 RC36/2
1990 FJ1300 (1297cc) Casper
1990 VFR750 RC36/1 Minnie
1989 FJ1200 Lazarus, the Streetfighter Project
1985 VF500F RC31 Interceptor

ribbert

Quote from: aviationfred on April 24, 2017, 06:41:45 PM

A transaction that happened because I recognized a certain part..... I was surfing through .....

Fred

I got lucky some years back with a poor quality photo of an FJ for wrecking on an eBay site. The indoors photo just showed enough detail to see it had a 17" rear wheel. I rang to buy it and the guy said he hadn't removed it from the bike yet and was pressed for time so he would send a wheel from another FJ he had already dismantled. I insisted he send the one in the photo. He said he could but it would come with a "lot of bits I probably didn't need or want"

What turned up was the complete rear end, he had just pulled the pin on the swing arm and sent the whole thing down, even the master cylinder was still attached and to this day I haven't even bled it.
The tyre was a 180 Michelin that looked so new I suspect the rider pranged it on the way home from having it fitted.



The complete swing arm with mounted 17" wheel, disc, caliper, sprocket, stay, m/c, hose and new tyre cost $180!!  Second best FJ deal I ever had, the tyre was worth way more than that.

Yep, scan those photos, you never know what treasures may be lurking.

Noel

"Tell a wise man something he doesn't know and he'll thank you, tell a fool something he doesn't know and he'll abuse you"