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Howdy from Alabama

Started by Kizer, March 27, 2021, 12:03:39 PM

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Kizer

I know, Howdy and Alabama do not go together, but I'm a Texan living in Alabama.

My history of owning FJ's goes back to the first days of the model. I used to work the infamous Hurst Yamaha & Marine in Houston, Texas. Home of Kevin Schwantz. I grew up racing out of Kevin's parents and Uncle Darryl Hurst' shop in the early 70's. Out of high school, I went into the oil industry like most everyone in those days. When the industry crashed in the early 80's I ended up going to work at Hurst.

When the FJ1100 came out in 1984 we had a customer purchase one only to bring it back weeks later because it was too much motorcycle for him. With only a few hundred miles on it, but was put into the row of used bike. Luckily for me, employees got to borrow used bikes, so I latched on to the new FJ. I rode it home almost everyday until one night following a big rain storm I was playing "Ricky Road Racer" trying to keep up with my brother on his turbo Kawasaki and ended up overshooting a turn and riding the FJ through two ditches full of water. It was a low speed crash but the FJ ended up looking like a John Deere that just finished mowing a wet cow pasture.

We went to a nearby car wash to asses the damages. Thankfully the tank and all the plastic was fine. I did manage to break two turn signal and tear off one of the foot peg rubber and shifter rubber. There were a couple of other minor things but I can't remember what they were. I could not take the bike back to work without being discovered. So that night I call a childhood friend who worked at another Yamaha dealer and ordered all the parts I needed. While I was at work the next day, my brother went and picked up the parts. That night he and I put everything back the way it was and no one was wiser for the wear.

I immediately started collecting FJ1100 parts. Every time someone brought a bike in for repairs, insurance companies did not do body work repairs, they just bought replacement panels, tanks, etc. for their clients. I ended up with a ton of almost new panels and tanks with minor damage. Then a guy called the shop and wanted to know if we bought crashed bikes. When the parts guys realized it was an FJ, they put the guy on the phone with me. The bike was just a couple of miles from the shop so I rode over to look. Every panel was already remove because they were destroyed, the fairing broke, gas tank dented, bars bent, it looked really bad. I asked, "does it run?" The guys said yes, so I asked if I could ride it. I took it down the road where he couldn't see me. I got up to about 40mph and let go of the bars. It went straight as an arrow. I ended up paying the guy $400 for a almost new FJ. As it turned out, I had almost every piece to fix it. I think I had a total of $200 other parts to buy.

For the next year, I made a commitment not to get in a car for an entire year. I road that bike for the next 52 weeks to work putting on 36,000 miles that year. Then I bought a brand new 1985 FJ1100.

To wrap up this story, Kevin went on to start road racing and became World Champion in 1993. I went on to being the Senior Director of AMA Pro Racing and ended up traveling the country and the world with MotoGP spending a lot of time with Kevin. That all ended in 2008 when AMA sold Pro Racing to NASCAR. That when me and 50 other AMA staffers lost our jobs.

Today I work for the Antique Motorcycle Club of America. We are the only guys in the world with a 100 point judging system for bikes 35-years or older. I always said then the FJ comes of age I'll buy an old one to use as a National Road Run bike. I guess that time has come and I need to find me a 1995 FJ to match the last one I owned. I loved those bikes. I look forward to attending future gatherings. - Keith




fj1289

Welcome!

What part of Bama? 

Born in Birmingham, raised in Huntsville, living in Colorado now

Kizer

I'm in Huntsville. I moved here in 1993 and then to Ohio when I worked for AMA. We came back here in 2008.

T Legg

Nice picture Keith. I didn't realize just how young you were when you rode your first FJ. Welcome to the club.
                   
                   
T Legg

Kizer

Quote from: T Legg on March 27, 2021, 04:18:09 PM
Nice picture Keith. I didn't realize just how young you were when you rode your first FJ. Welcome to the club.
                   
                   

When most kids were on tricycles, our family preferred liter bikes. This is the only photo I could find of that first bike. I was trying to plant seeds in my little nephews head.

Motofun

Welcome...FJ's are kind of an addiction around here.  That way with most clubs I suppose.
I bought my '85 when my local dealer was having a dollar-a-cc sale.  Took it for a test ride and my impression was it was like riding a milk stool at 120!  Of course now it's my sport tourer. :biggrin:
'69 Honda Trail 90
'75 Honda CB400F
'85 Yamaha RZ350
'85 Yamaha FJ1100
'89 Yamaha FJ1200
'09 Yamaha 125 Zuma
'09 Kawasaki KZ110 (grand kids)
'13 Suzuki GSXR 750 (track)
'14 Yamaha FZ-09
'18 Suzuki GSXR 1000R (track)
'23 Yamaha Tenere 7
SOLD: CBX,RZ500,Ninja 650,CB400F,V45 Sabre,CB700SC,R1

aviationfred

Awesome story. Welcome to the forum.  :hi:

If you can find an FJ this spring. We are having the Central FJ Rally at Marble Falls, Arkansas. You will see stock FJ's to highly modified FJ's.
http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=19712.new#top

"I need to find me a 1995 FJ to match the last one I owned. I loved those bikes. I look forward to attending future gatherings. - Keith"

I believe that I have the only 1995 FJ1200 in the USA.





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

Millietant

But Fred......around 30% of your bike is not a 1995 FJ 1200  :sarcastic: :sarcastic: :sarcastic: :good2:
Dean

'89 FJ 1200 3CV - owned from new.
'89 FJ 1200 3CV - no engine, tank, seat....parts bike for the future.
'88 FJ 1200 3CV - complete runner 2024 resto project
'88 FJ 1200 3CV - became a race bike, no longer with us.
'86 FJ 1200 1TX - sold to my boss to finance the '89 3CV I still own.

Kizer

Quote from: Motofun on March 28, 2021, 07:53:34 AM
Welcome...FJ's are kind of an addiction around here.  That way with most clubs I suppose.
I bought my '85 when my local dealer was having a dollar-a-cc sale.  Took it for a test ride and my impression was it was like riding a milk stool at 120!  Of course now it's my sport tourer. :biggrin:
I'm with ya. I've since rode and raced many much nicer bikes, but for some unexplainable reason those heavy frontend slugs were my favorite motorcycles. I now work for the Antique Motorcycle Club of America. Bikes must be 35 years or older to participate in any of our events. The far majority are 40's-60's Harley's and Indians sprinkled Japanese and British bikes. On our road runs, slow and steady is the rule. I joked for years that when the FJ came of age, I was going to buy another one and bring it to a road run. The problem is I still ride like I'm 24 years old. Those guys would lynch me. Still I want one.

Kizer

Quote from: aviationfred on March 28, 2021, 02:57:36 PM
Awesome story. Welcome to the forum.  :hi:

If you can find an FJ this spring. We are having the Central FJ Rally at Marble Falls, Arkansas. You will see stock FJ's to highly modified FJ's.
http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=19712.new#top

"I need to find me a 1995 FJ to match the last one I owned. I loved those bikes. I look forward to attending future gatherings. - Keith"

I believe that I have the only 1995 FJ1200 in the USA.

Oops, I misspoke. I meant I want a 1985 FJ1100. That was my red on pearl white. Thanks for the links. If I score one before Marble Falls, I'll see you there.




Fred

T Legg

When I joined the AMCA the first meeting I attended I rode my CB 750K1. I was the only Japanese bike there. The members were polite but not very interested in my bike. A few years ago a friend of mine who is a member of the AMCA invited me to go with him to a breakfast meeting they had and I brought one of my 84 fj1100's which had just turned thirty five. It was definitely out of place . Nobody wanted to go for a ride after breakfast (although to be fair the temperature was only around forty five degrees). They did have some beautifully restored Harley's and Triumph's and one old Ducati. Our Rally's are a ride your own pace and we will all meet up at the next stopping point. If we have riders that are not that confident there is usually an experienced riders  who pulls up the rear position.
T Legg

FJ_Hooligan

35 years huh?  I think I qualify



How many point do I get?
DavidR.

Troyskie

That's beautiful mate.

I love the red wheels.

Are those case bars Yamaha? They're really neat and minimal.

Troyskie
1984 FJ1100 Ms Effie brand new :)
1984 FJ1100 Pearlie, stock as.
1985 FJ1100 Mr Effie 647,000K and still running hard.
1985 FJ1200 'Yummy' takes a licking & keeps on ticking
After all is said and done, more is said than done :)
2013 Trumpy Tiger 800, let's do a lap of Oz

Troyskie

Welcome Kizer.

Nice intro.

It is always fascinating for me to hear peoples' story with the FJ.
For decades my brother and I thought we were the only riders who had a preference for the FJ.
We were 'late' starters, first rode and 1100 in late 86 or early 87, and never looked back.

When I discovered this forum it seemed like a revelation. There are other FJ lunatics (and Hooligans :) ) out there!

One of these days I'll follow in the footsteps of Klav, Doug and Rover and attend a US rally to prove to everyone that an Aussie can win the slow race  :sarcastic: whilst trying to remember what side of the road I should be on.

Troyskie
1984 FJ1100 Ms Effie brand new :)
1984 FJ1100 Pearlie, stock as.
1985 FJ1100 Mr Effie 647,000K and still running hard.
1985 FJ1200 'Yummy' takes a licking & keeps on ticking
After all is said and done, more is said than done :)
2013 Trumpy Tiger 800, let's do a lap of Oz

FJ_Hooligan

Quote from: Troyskie on April 02, 2021, 12:03:26 AM
Are those case bars Yamaha? They're really neat and minimal.

Those are Rentec bars.

DavidR.