DutchFJ1200

I'm sure these courses have their benefits but road/driving circumstances change hourly/daily in real life and some things cannot be taught from a book or on a closed track. Pre-empting which way a cager is going to move (sometimes even before the cager knows) in any circumstance is a skill you learn only by being on the bike and the longer you have done that the better you get at it. Re sitting on the LHS of the road, no way is appropriate. Make yourself as big as you can by sitting as much between the middle and/or close to RHS of the road as possible. I often see these guys, mostly on 'lighter' bikes, tucked in to the left behind a truck or a van with absolutely no view or idea what is happening 50/100 yards up the road. Safe and cautious sometimes does not cut it - some circumstances demand a more aggressive stance to keep the cagers from having a pop at you. I don't think the tutors would like me much ?

It snowed last night ❄8:00 am: I made a snowman.8:10 - A feminist passed by and asked me why I didn't make a snow woman.8:15 - So, I made a snow woman.8:17 - My feminist neighbor complained about the snow woman's voluptuous chest saying it objectified snow women everywhere. 8:20 - The gay couple living nearby threw a hissy fit and moaned it could have been two snow men instead. 8:22 - The transgender man..women...person asked why I didn't just make one snow person with detachable parts. 8:25 - The vegans at the end of the lane complained about the carrot nose, as veggies are food and not to decorate snow figures with. 8:28 - I was being called a racist because the snow couple is white. 8:31 - The middle eastern gent across the road demanded the snow woman be covered up . 8:40 - The Police arrived saying someone had been offended. 8:42 - The feminist neighbor complained again that the broomstick of the snow woman needed to be removed because it depicted women in a domestic role. 8:43 - The council equality officer arrived and threatened me with eviction. 8:45 - TV news crew from ABC showed up. I was asked if I know the difference between snowmen and snow-women? I replied "Snowballs" and am now called a sexist. 9:00 - I was on the News as a suspected terrorist, racist, homophobe sensibility offender, bent on stirring up trouble during difficult weather. 9:10 - I was asked if I have any accomplices. My children were taken by social services. 9:29 - Far left protesters offended by everything marched down the street demanding for me to be arrested. Moral: There is no moral to this story. It is what we have become, all because of snowflakes.

Tinder ?................. ............... I'll get my coat .... lol

On that note 2019 could not have started any better. Due to the mild weather drove the 80 miles to work on da tank yesterday and back home again tomorrow. Would not have expected I could do that in Cornwall/Devon on the 2nd of January

Belated merry Quizmas. Oh well, happy & safe 2019 then.

Yup, when you feel THAT first drop find it's way down there

Mamil or MAMIL (an acronym standing for "middle-aged man in lycra") ............... oh the horror

I'm 6ft and the FJ seat is quite low for my height. It also depends if I'm driving slow in traffic which seems to bring it on sooner but when I'm caning it down the motorway it seems the concentration, adrenaline and different driving position keeps it at bay for longer. I have asked this before and a sheep skin pad that you can strap on the saddle seems to be a solution.

Fantastic write up. Great to be able to do this with better half & son. Once again the bike looks great. How did you cope with numb bum on the bike? The FJ btw has a huge reserve fuel capacity as you probably well know but every time that red light comes on I recognize that feeling, even if there is at least 100 km left in the tank :-)

Hey, there's my bike!! Looks lovely. I'm sure that front end conversion makes a bit of a difference. Left hand side looks a bit 'naked' without the pipe there.

I had an XJ-650 for best part of 30 years. Basically same block and ancillaries. Never had the problems you describe so I agree with what Slice said above. Also look for deterioration in rubber pipes and look where dirt (however small) may come from. How's the inside of your fuel tank iwo rust? I had a separate fuel filter (one of those small plastic jobbies) in the main fuel line between petcock and carbs that I changed regularly. Always loved those XJ-750's with their YICS whine.

Slice, good to hear you managed to stay in one piece mate. I hope the bike ok also? So you planted the front wheel in her wheel arch, that must have made a bit of a mess ? Agree what has been said above about driving standards so won't bang on about that but it is truly diabolical and getting worse. I'm not a passive driver, by far, and make myself as big as I can on the road - especially dual carriage ways ..... blooming outside lane hoggers. Hence always high beam and my crash bar LED's which are pointed up straight ahead and not down. If I do engage one of those bar stewards I always make sure I have an escape route. The speed/grunt of the tank helps too.

Slice, we all get to an age when everything was cheaper in the past. I guess you have just arrived ... lol

I guess you may like some feedback after your good advice. Rear wheel alignment was out, but only by a small margin. Soooo ..... loosen wheel nut ...... no go !! The tire place must have done it up with a breaker bar because I was unable to loosen with my short Bahco shifter. Get 27 socket + breakerbar ....'kinell ..... !! In my opinion that was way overdone and it would not have surprised me that the whole rear drive train was pinched. Maybe they went for the next notch or two in the castle nut to put the split pin in, but ffs, back it off a tad instead of trying to grind the thread off the shaft I'm a firm believer that tight is tight but with a normal spanner and some elbow grease. The chain adjusters with double nut will keep it in place anyway. Did my usual lap to work and back this week and all is sweet as. Good weekend chaps!

Thanks chaps. I only noticed Friday and bike been good since sprockets & chain. Only recent major upset back there is change of rear tire fortnight ago. Tire place did all the work, wheel in & out. May pull the rear shaft to see if everything is ok and check if chain adjusters are in line.

Hi Slice, Tasky, Since you guys know quite a bit about the FJ1200. Yesterday I noticed, when throttling back and coasting in any gear (coming to a junction or down hill in traffic) a notchy sensation (or something dragging) coming from the drive train through my legs. It disappears when I press the clutch. I just checked my chain, rear & front sprockets (new a month ago) that that checked out fine. No play or excessive wear, all nuts nice and tight and chain follows nicely over the cogs with the correct tension. There are no discernible noises coming from the block, pulls like a train and even yesterday coming back from work cracked well over a ton without breaking into a sweat. Since there is nothing to see externally could there be something wearing out in the box? A drive shaft bearing or something? Look forward to hear.

So who's cracked a ton today ? I'll go first 220 Kph --> 136 Mph fooling around with a Mini John Cooper works

Ahhh...... twas down for a bit. Shouldn't have done this then .................

Hello chaps, Ordered 1 tooth + up on the front, standard on the rear and the silver/black X-ring. The gold was not in stock. Put the lot on today, look forward to see what that one tooth + front feels & does.

Morning gents, I know nooby question but you never know what the brain-trust here can advise. Been a while since I changed sprockets & chain and forgot which ones I ordered from Wemoto a few years ago. https://www.wemoto.com/bikes/yamaha/fj_1200_3cv_type/88-90 There are 6 options and price wise not too much in it. Is the most expensive at £147 simply the best ?? Also I seem to remember reading here that there may be an option to change the sprocket ratio to have less revs at high speed/better fuel consumption. I'm aware you lose a bit of bottom end but that's not too important soo, what's the skinny on this? I do quite a bit of dual carriage way miles lately commuting and at a ton I'm doing 6/6.5K revs. and you can see the fuel gauge go down. (okay.... I had a play with a Porsche Panamera yesterday and we went considerably faster than that which didn't help the cons. much. ) Fire away.

Gents, Any of you know what the paint code is for the red stripe on my 1989 FJ1200 ? As you know I have the white/grey + red stripe version. Got a bit of rubbing on the side panel to touch-up. Thanks in advance.

M1 Abrams ..... thank you very much

For a good part of yesterday I did this polishing & cleaning thing that some of you seem to despise ? The ol' bus really came up nice.

Lovely ride today around the Duchy with Dutch friends that come over on 2 Beemers 1200's 124 miles incl. all the beauty spots and Lands-End. Brilliant sunshine showing Kernow at its best.