We are so lucky

[planedick]

Our XS's are so easy to wrench on compared to some others. I've been a week with an '89 Yamaha FJ1200. It had been in storage since '04 when it started running bad and was ignored since. After many times with the carbs apart and several problems with the CA smog junk plus a few electrical things, it now runs again. Man does it ever run. I thought the XS's were fast, but this thing is a true rocket. I'm sure it will outrun any XS I know, but it's lighter and has more cc's than the XS's. Being a "crotch rocket" there is lots of stuff to take off to get at anything. Oil filter is on the left side between the tranny and the carbs as is the alternator too, plus baffle plates between the carbs and engine make access to anything a real PITA.

[prometheus578]

I consider these bikes to be extremely easy to work on.
How'd ya like to do an oil change on a Moto Guzzi, where you have to unbolt and remove the oil pan just to get inside at the filter?
Replace the stator coil on Vulcan 750's... pull the engine.
Remove exhausts and frame members to get at some clutches....

No chain and sprockets to replace, nor belt drives to adjust...
Real nice machines. Run forever.

[mason79]

yeah i used to own one of those,albeit a fj1100, i think the xs11 is just a better all-a-rounder, all the way around.

[planedick]

Yes, you're right

My biggest problem was it came with a factory service manual. It doesn't show how to get to most things, instructions just said "replace" after it led you through the test proceedure, but most of all, no site with all the guys who already "been there, done that" to get all the knowledge about how. The manual was very misleading because location of components was not even close in some cases, maybe because of the extra smog stuff.

Turned out he had installed a stage 3 dynojet kit and for some reason it was running extremely lean. After cleaning out the red varnish I did several test runs with different needle positions and in the end had to go as far down with the clip as possible and raising the needle up to get it to even run. Goes pretty good now but the idle screws are about 5 turns out to idle good and I think it's still kinda lean as the transition from ikle to midrange is sometimes a little hesitant. From about 2k to redline it pulls like a locomotive. Exceleration is truly exillerating.

[Wildkat]

But sometimes there's just no substitute for speed...

I just got back from riding my FJ after spending several weeks riding the XS.... I had forgotten how quick the response is on her... almost lost myself on the first run down the street...



However... the XS is MUCH easier to work on... did I happen to say MUCH easier to work on? and usually requires much less work...

[Sibgyp]

Re: But sometimes there's just no substitute for speed...

Originally posted by Wildkat
[B]I just got back from riding my FJ after spending several weeks riding the XS....

Heya folks... I am new .. both to the forum and to the Yamaha world...

I purchased a bike a few weeks ago and 4 days (1 long ride ) later, had the entire electrical system go down, so I am very happy to have found a forum where I might be able to get some help if I get stuck trying to fix it.

My question here pertains to the 'FJ' and 'XS' designations...

The badge (and the manuals) on my 1978 1100 says 'XS', but when my insurance company ran the vin number, they come up with the 'FJ' designation. Anyone know why that would be?

And thanks in advance for any help I may get... lol

Sib

[Wildkat]

Isn't that interesting?

My FJ VIN (going by the number stamped on the engine) begins with 50H and the 78 XS is a 2H7... not even close... in fact... there is little comparison other than the XS was the precursor to the FJ...

My insurance rate for the FJ is still comparable to the XS though because they consider it a sport tourer rather than a straight sport bike (fine by me)...

[trbig]

Maybe someone along the way just listed it wrong? I can't get my insurance to find XJ1100... but they have XS1100 listed... so according to my insurance, that's what I ride!

Like Wildkat said... what's the serial numbers listed on the title say? I may be wrong (Usually) but the FJ started after the XJ.. correct? 83-84ish?


And Sib... out in the forum, click on "New thread".. give it a title, and then describe the symptoms of your "entire electrical system" letdown as well as you can. There are several guys on here that are pros when it comes to the electrical parts of these things. If the alternator is good, what generally happens is just bad contacts and grounds... and you need to get rid of the glass fuses. Well.. you don't NEED to.. but it is highly suggested. You have the first year release (And argueably the fastest version) of this awesome bike... just a little envious!

Welcome to the forum!


tOD

[webbcraft2150]

Re: Re: But sometimes there's just no substitute for speed...

Originally posted by Sibgyp


My question here pertains to the 'FJ' and 'XS' designations...

The badge (and the manuals) on my 1978 1100 says 'XS', but when my insurance company ran the vin number, they come up with the 'FJ' designation. Anyone know why that would be?

And thanks in advance for any help I may get... lol

Sib

Watch for the insurance guys, FJ and XS could make a difference in rates!!!! Before I wised up and bought my XS, I had a Kaw 1100 Spectre, my first insurance bill was really high. I checked it out and found they had a GPZ1100 as the model. Once they fixed it, the bill dropped by $175. I guess they figured cause it had a shaft drive and was a "cruiser", you couldn't get in as much trouble.

[Wildkat]

3 different insurance companies in the last 12 years...

and none of them have tried to raise the rates on the FJ... I guess that doesn't necessarily mean that another company won't... but aren't there standards for these things?

[Sibgyp]

Thank you all...

Thank you all for the help... according to the vin number (2H7 prefix) it is indeed the XS ... I will be getting with my insurance agent to make sure it does not make a difference...

As for the electrical issue, it turns out it was a mechanic issue instead. Apparently, when we changed the battery (because of an ignition switch problem that drained the battery to the point where it would not charge), we disconnected the clip that attaches the harness to the battery.

We had asked the mechanic what that plug was and he said that it was an extra plug for testing... 'most of the bikes have them'.

So... a 75 $US tow to the mechanic, 100 $US cab ride home (stuck 40 miles from home on the side of the road), 50 $US battery, 2 hours of the mechanics time and three weeks of trying to get the dead bike the 40 miles home...

We get it home, take the seat off and I notice the other end of that plug... caught behind the battery.

"Gee... wonder what THIS will do... "

Imagine that... electrical problem ALL better... apparently the 'spare' was not as 'spare' as he thought...

Sorry to vent... utterly disgusted with him right now... told us someone had completely rewired the harness, even wrote "worst wiring job I have ever seen' on the receipt.

The ONLY non-standard wiring we found was where they put inline fuses in and where they did a crappy job with the ignition switch when they took the faring off.

Grrrrrrrrr... I am just glad I did not listen to everyone telling me to try to get my money back.... I LIKE my bike...

I guess I do not get to learn how to read wiring diagrams to the point of making a new harness after all... hehehe.

Of course, since nothing is EVER easy, now we are having a problem with the starter clutch sounding like it is not disengaging.... but that is another subject for another post (in the proper forum).

Really just wanted to say thanks for the help.... and the welcome.

[Wildkat]

Lessons learned

Tow - $75
Cab - $100
Battery - $50

Attaching the correct cables... priceless

Glad to see you got it going (if only temporarily)... No telling how many dollars go into these bikes for reasons that could have been something so much simpler... This site is a life (and money) saver...
You could always look at it as... by having the bike towed you saved it some unnecessary mileage... You got to see the inside of a real cab... and you probably needed a new battery anyway...

Feel better?

[Sibgyp]

Re: Lessons learned

Originally posted by Wildkat Feel better?
[/B]

To be honest, I really do not feel bad about it. I bought 'used' knowing that issues would be following.

I am actually just the slightest bit disappointed that I did NOT have to learn to make a harness... there is a sick part of me that was looking forward to that particular challenge.

The only thing that REALLY is chapping my chips is having paid two hours of 'labor' when it has become glaringly obvious that he did not do more than 30 minutes or so (if that). All of his big talk of 'unwrapping miles and miles' tape, how the harness was screwed up beyond comprehension, etc. and I (who do not know much about anything) was able to figure it out what they did in just a few minutes.

Getting ripped off bothers me... but the rest of it has just been a big adventure... lol...

Of course my partner will read this and roll his eyes... heh

[olebiker]

I don't have enuf money to have an idiot work on my bike. If you are gonna drive old motorcycles you had better do your own work. If not it will likely be cheaper in the long run to buy a new bike. Even the good shops make far too many mistakes.

[Sibgyp]

Originally posted by olebiker
I don't have enuf money to have an idiot work on my bike. If you are gonna drive old motorcycles you had better do your own work. If not it will likely be cheaper in the long run to buy a new bike. Even the good shops make far too many mistakes.

I do not have a problem doing work on the bike... but when stuck 40 miles from home, in the dark, on the side of the road, it did not seem like a bad idea to have someone with a shop (and supposedly experience) take a look at it for anything obvious before paying to have it towed all that way home.

When he did not find the problem in the allotted two hours max we gave him and we were able to get it home, work on it ourselves we did...

If he had actually spent the 2 hours on it (even one) he would have found the plug the same way I did... all we did was take the seat off and there it was. It would have been money well spent if he had only been honest. We would have ridden it home.

I think under the same circumstances, I would probably have done the same thing, that far from home.... I would just have tried to find somewhere who would have simply let me use their shop and tools and done the work myself for the same money.