Hello from Gloucestershire UK.

[MightyTharg]

Hello chaps

I started riding around a field on a Bantam and a Suzuki A100 - hit the road at 16 (sometimes literally) on a FS1E, went through a bunch of Brit bikes (Francis Barnett, Panther, Matchless, Triumph, AJS, BSA, Norton) and wasn't all that interested in Jap bikes and one day I saw a line drawing of the FJ1100 before it was officially released - and I just thought wow that looks like a serious high speed mile muncher.

Then a friend of my dad's got an early FJ11 and I was impressed so in 88 I bought a 1 year old FJ12 (red and white) and I swear that from that point on my perceptions of speed were just warped.  Being young and an idiot back then I sold that bike and tried other stuff but I kept coming back to FJs and I had 4 in total with the last being one of the last ABS models.

Over the last 20 years or so I've mostly been riding BMWs (twins, fours and sixes) although I did spend 4 years on Harley Streetglides but I'm very much over that now and back to a K1600GT. I have test ridden FJRs a couple of times but was never tempted, at the time they seemed more like a "Super Diversion" than a successor to the FJ. The FJ still stands out for me (especially the first and last ones I owned) as outstanding bikes and I often wonder how much quicker (if at all) some of my my modern bikes have really been (may be a little bit of rose tinted spectacles) although my BMs at least drink less fuel around town than my FJs did. 

Anyway, I've been thinking for a while about giving up on modern bikes and grabbing another FJ so that's why I'm here.   As I live in Gloucester in the UK I'm also pretty well placed for assistance with FJs as I'm not that far from UK FJ Owners club workshop in Wotton Under Edge and there's Spa Motorcycles just down the road in Cheltenham where some of the guys have a long association with Yamaha and they've been racing FJs in one of the historic racing classes.

So here I am, just doing some research into the problems I might face running a FJ now that they're all getting on a bit and looking for solutions to those problems.

Cheers

Andy     

[andyoutandabout]

I'm an Andy from England as well. Welcome to the group, which should you decided to get another Fj, will be a great place to hang out and talk biking bollocks until the sunsets, and then some. Our parallels do not stop there, for I recently bought a UK Fj ( I live in the states now), on Gumtree, so they are definitely out there waiting to be loved. Mine was bought blind, but you have the added advantage of a test ride. I paid 900 notes for a 1991 ABS model with an MOT and about 40,000 miles under the belt and a full set of Krauser luggage.
    Things I had to fix before going anywhere: fork seals - my least favorite job  - a great local mechanic serviced the entire front end for about 200 quid. The rear suspension is used at best, but mine was good enough - figure maybe 500 for a Hagen unit. The motor didn't leak and performed like an Fj should, but next job will be a valve check. Biggest hassle was rust in the tank. Luckily the 1991 version has a fuel filter and that really seemed to do its job - buy a couple of these anyway, they were 7 quid a pop.
If you've been a past owner, you'll already know how awesome these machines are. Many members on this site modify. Pick your level of involvement.
Andy

[ZOA NOM]

God help us... TWO Andys from England. Welcome aboard Andy! You've found THE place for your new bike.

[FJmonkey]

Welcome Andy.

[Pat Conlon]

Welcome Andy!

Back in the early days of owning my FJ, before we had developed such a strong online support here in the states which we now enjoy, the U.K. FJ owners were my support.
http://www.fjclub.co.uk/
I really appreciated their knowledge and guidance. Doc Hacker, Barry Edwards, to name a few, all excellent folks. Andy, your FJ brothers in the U.K. are some of the best guys in motorcycling.

Want to know who invented Moditius?

Check this out: http://www.fjmods.co.uk/

Cheers

Pat

[Millietant]

Hello Andy and welcome to the forum from another UK rider (and modifier). I reckon we FJ owners are very lucky to have some of the very best support (RPM and FJOC) for our bikes, with these guys (Randy/Phil/Barry et al) doing things for us that Yamaha were never even near doing.

I've tried to bring my FJ a little more up to date by adding USD front forks, wider wheel, bigger discs, R1 calipers, Earls stainless brake lines, Fazer 600 m/cyl, Thundercat 17" rear wheel, Hagon shock and modern radial tyres. So far, apart from a K & N filter and a 4 into pipe, I've not felt the need to do any more to the engine as it still lives with everything else on-the-road - and there's a lot of advice around here to help you with any of those modifications. The good news is that me and the FJ still "catch out" riders on modern "superbikes", even today, on twisty road outings 

All the best and I hope to catch up with you at some point out on the road, maybe with other FJ'ers.

[Troyskie]

Welcome Andy.

You clearly know the FJ, Red and White (ambo) are the best  !


Troyskie