FJ1200 - A Newbie's Review!!

[Ttaskmaster]

Heya,

I felt like contributing something to the forum, so here's a quick bit on my findings in the last two or three weeks of being brand new and completely unfamiliar with the FJ1200. I'm not a professional writer or anything, this is just my thoughts thus far. Hopefully readers will find it useful and/or entertaining!


First a bit of my riding background...

I'm probably not what you'd call a typical Cruiser guy.
I have neither beard nor bandanna and do not belong to a Club or MC. Neither do I only ride on sunny weekends, when I have time off from a boring accountant's job. I ride every day in all weathers, whenever the road is free of ice and snow (although I've done that a few times too), along open A-Roads, down miles of motorway, filtering through congested town traffic and deftly avoiding whichever idiots the god of Fate sends to test me.

I'm actually an on-site engineering technician and although I may listen to the likes of Whitesnake, my Cruisers have always been stalwart workhorses. I don't care about chrome accessories - My mods have been practical, from luggage and SatNav to heated grips, 12v sockets to a CB Radio. Things that actually have function rather than cosmetic features.
I started out on a 125 Dragstar and graduated to the 650 Custom model, partly because it was all I could afford and partly because it was the most comfortable for my long limbs.


The 650 Draggie is a very forgiving bike, lets you throw it around and can be *very* well ridden if you develop the skills. It's also very lazy... You don't have to think too much on the late Friday ride home after a long week of work.
Every slight riding nuance can be felt as a dramatic change - Rolling off the throttle gives a sudden surge, rolling on is really vibey, countersteering is pure upper body with no actual lean, cornering is a massively long and slow afair like banking a large WW2 bomber. It also rides with the speed and agility of a dead cow, so you have to make a lot of effort to get in trouble with this thing. If you ride like a cock and properly rag it, 0-70mph will still take around 10 seconds.

The real downsides are that it has no major performance, that the single disc front and rear drum brakes are made of cheese and that it's not meant for all-year riding. It will handle almost everything you throw at it, but it will die a lot sooner than you'd hope. The sump sight glass is very badly located, the large reg/rec is mounted on a flimsy one-bolt bracket right behind the front wheel, the rear shock is prone to corroding well within the specified service intervals... and the fecking thing is covered in chrome.
For some reason, though, it's still a lovable little bike.


Therefore it is mostly this style of riding I will use as a primary comparison for the FJ1200...


I have the 1992 3XW non-ABS model, the last major revision before Yamaha ceased production. Mine has had 9 previous owners and only 45,000 clocked, the last 98 of those being over a period of 6 years according to the MoT Cert!!
An acquaintance picked it up at an auction, got it running and decided he preferred his Ninja so passed it on. It needed a bit of work so has spent a few weeks with a good friend and professional mechanic (referred to as 'Blokie' in case he doesn't want his name bandied about the 'net), well-known as the best in Reading town and well-versed in most bikes made since the 1960s.

I assisted Blokie getting the FJ up to top spec so I could learn as much about its maintenance as possible and get to know the bike as we went. From Day 1 when he showed it to me, this is what I found:


It's big, but not majorly so. It's the same length as the average bike, I suppose. There's a new Ninja, YBR125 and a Triumph Trident parked next to mine right now and the FJ is maybe a foot longer than the last one.
Certainly it's dinky compared to the FJR I tried out and much easier to handle.

It's wide, but again not as wide as it feels. The Dragstar is about 3' at its widest point, but the FJ feels as slim, trim and toned as it is.

It's heavy. 266kg to be precise, which is a cupcake under 42st. The weight is obviously higher up than a Cruiser boy is used to, but not much heavier that the 230kg Draggie. There's a few things to be aware of, like front brake rebound in an emergency stop, but nothing not covered in your DAS course. Crack out your old training notes if you're unsure.

It's tall and I'm afraid there's little getting around this one. It's not as tall as an off-roader like a Varadero, but you won't be lazily manhandling it like a Cruiser either. I'm 5' 11" with 33" inside legs and have no trouble sitting and manoeuvring this thing carefully around. My Mrs is 5' 4" and is on tippy-toes at standstill, which means she will not be riding this except in an emergency. Good, all mine then!

Now, let's sit on it for feel and have a look around.


The first thing that hits is how thin the FJ's grips are.
I'm used to holding Oxford Heated Grips for Cruisers, which are about the same diameter as the big D-Cell Maglite torches. This means you have to really twist the wrist to get a relatively small increase at the throttle end. Also, the freeplay tends to be larger and quite rattley.
By contrast, the FJ's grip is thin and takes only a slight increase in grip pressure to take up the freeplay and open the throttle. The initial roll-on is alarmingly sensitive and just a small twist massively increases the revs. Many riders end up putting Grip Puppies (see Club shop) on, for added comfort and control.

The engine sounds screamy for anyone used to a grumbly V-Twin, but a few revs up to the 7,000rpm (in Neutral, if you please) level gives a sense of perspective and riding a bit obviously helps the feel.

The next thing you notice is the clocks - Before I had a speedo with tripmeter and 4 idiot lights. That was it and you had to look down to your crotch to see them.
The FJ has a rev counter, fuel gauge, six lights (including one indicator for each side) and even a digital clock (which keeps perfect time as well).
Looking further around, you find little gems that have previously eluded the Cruiser market - A centrestand and handy manoeuvering handhold, an easily viewed oil sump sightglass, pillion handles, fork suspension preload adjusters and a hydraulic clutch.

Plus there's the obvious advantage of the fairing, but even here you find vents that direct engine heat toward you for Winter, an electric Reserve switch and a little 'ashtray' pocket so you can have change to hand for the likes of the M6 Toll Road or the Dartford Crossing.

Speaking of that pocket and storing stuff - Bags of space for a large 2-lid topbox, panniers and even a tankbag and (smallish) tailpack set if you ride alone. I always wondered how you could cope with one of those massive tankbags on a bike - Now I know and even that is much better than I anticipated.

The best bit, of course, is cracking off the seat - Two cool little latches on the sides and up it pops. This gives access to a rear storage area comparatively spacious for bikes like this. I have the original toolkit, but there's also space for a small pouch of spares like bulbs and spark plugs too. I daresay a little creativity would give you room for some great little essentials there.
But the part that has me grinning is finding such easy access to the battery, fuses and so on. It's all just right there.

Undo the two bolts and whip the tank off (ie turn it 180º and rest it on the back) and you're at the engine proper. From here you can do all your carb fiddlings, adjustments at the cams and so on. Its all just 'there', presented to you easy as.
I've done this stuff to a Dragstar and an R1 before and they were monumentally fiddly by comparrison. Everything about the FJ just screams 'convenience'. I think the most awkward thing I've had to do so far is alter the rear suspension preload!


Now, on to riding the damn thing...

It's a chain drive. Great. Crack out all the old DAS paperwork and read up on how these things work again. I'd been blessed with a shaft drive on the Drag Queen, although I'd argue that's my reward for having to deal with the other 'routine' maintenance that always required at least a 50% disassembly.
But hey, no biggie - Chain drive, plenty easy. Scottoiler is immediately marked up on the shopping list for next payday. Plus this thing has a centrestand, which makes it easier at least.

Finish yer ciggie and start it up, let it warm to a 1,000 rpm idle, do your POWER checks while waiting, suit up, hop on and let's go.


The bike jumps a little as you click into first gear, a familiar characteristic of every Yamaha I've ever ridden. Of course, I'll have to remember my footpegs are now under my backside and not forward. At best I'll end up kicking the engine bolts... at worst I'll kick empty air, upset my balance and fall over on the left, looking a complete dick all the while!!

Now, I've watched Blokie blast off on this, but he's used to R1s, Ninjas and Fireblades. 40bhp was my lot for 7 years and here I am taking on double the cc with thrice the HP and a tight throttle. Gently is the key here... A short trip round the block to start with.

A few slow looses on the clutch to memorise the biting point, a few slow increases on the throttle to find the rev ranges and then we're off.

OK, so it pulls away very gently at about 1500rpm. Very gently. It does the same at about 2-3500 revs too, but I'm not as experienced as Blokie.
Bimbling along, I get braver after a bit and, on a clear road, I roll on. Gentle increase in speed. Right, so let's get up to speed and gear up. 2, 3 and 4 are very comfy. Engine can sound pretty revvy and screamy, but check again on the rev counter and you'll find you're not doing that much.

This bike is 21 years old. I've actually dated women younger than this thing. Therefore I expected a bit of rattling. My fairing is a touch loose and vibey, especially as the inner strips behind the mirrors are missing. The rattley buzzing ceases past a certain speed and the mirror image is clear. You notice it when you go over those little speed bumps and things, as the whole thing goes clunk... Obviously I'll need to do something about that, but it just makes the bike sound like a tank, which I love!!

Handling is amazing - When you think you'll have to lean and crank the bike right over, as you do with some others, thing beast actually leans comparatively little to achieve the same result. Tight corners are noticible, but even still surprisingly easy to negotiate. After about a week of riding aroudn and getting the feel, learning the limits and dimensions, I find myself filtering through and negotiating the usual types of M25 and M4 traffic. Crawling & stationary, rush hour idiocy and the general "It's a 50 limit, so I'll drive at 20" slow-moving kind. You certainly feel it in your wrists, but it's not as bad as expected and you build a certain tolerance quite rapidly.

Blasting down an A-Road, it's easy to get up to speed and cruise along, but also easy to forget you're riding a powerful bike and the usual twist to build up from pootling 60mph to overtake speeds will actually take you past 110mph, with the only clue being a sudden increase in helmet noise!
Motorways are even easier to achieve this, so keep a close eye on your speed and your surroundings. Once you get the feel for the throttle, it's a pretty effortless ride.

Distance riding takes some getting used to, especially if you've never really had weight permanently on your wrists. Again, this is where the Grip Puppies come in, along with the possibility of risers. However, it's pretty easy to alter your seating position to stretch your back out, even at 100mph, with the added advantage of scanning the traffic ahead. Legs too are good if you stretch them out and forward. Backside doesn't really go numb at all.

Coming back down to Earth, the brakes are very noticable. You can give the front a reasonable handful without being too worried. The back really bites hard, so take it easy on that. Even as slow speeds, you will lock the back if you're too heavy on them and coming from a bike with brakes made of cheese, these feel really sharp!

Finally, some two-up riding.
The Mrs is heavier than me and a bit of a fidget-bum. You certainly notice the extra weight and at slow, traffic-crawling speeds it is heavy on the wrists. If she reaches up to fiddle with her visor or something, you feel it. Pull-offs are slow and the bike seems to struggle a bit, but still has the power to perform. Handling is fine once you get going and so long as the pillion leans with you, it's barely noticable.
The handgrips are large and well-placed, so as long as you don't ride like a cock, the pillion will be fine using them. I personally prefer them to hold around me, for my own sense of what they're doing, but long trips will benefit from a back-padded topbox. The Mrs said something about footboards to replace the back pegs as well, but I wasn't listening!!

Myself, about the only complaint I've found so far is that the mirror stems aren't long enough. I'm used to having a blind spot only a pedestrian could hide in, yet the FJ won't let me see directly behind at all and only a rear view of things at least 25 yards distant. Maybe my shoulders really are that broad, but I'll have to find something to remedy this.

So yeah, fantastic bike, should have gotten one years ago, would recommend to any relatively experienced rider. When I first came to the FJOwners forum, I had a little snigger at the members referring to themselves as "FJ Pilots"... I'm now wondering if I can still find myself some of those 1980s mirrored teardrop Aviator sunglasses!!

[DutchFJ1200]

Hi,

Great write up. I have recently sold my XJ-650 that I bought from new in 1984. Then kept pottering around (daily commute) on my remaining 1983 XT-250 until I recieved an offer I couldn't refuse. This has allowed me to buy, what has been for a long while, my dream bike. I have been looking with great intrest and envy at the FJ1200 but now time and finances have allowed me to aquire one.

I'll take your tips to heart.

And I have had Ray-Ban aviators all my life.

[Ttaskmaster]

I'm far more used to the bike these days and it's an effort to keep below 90 (or 120) on open motorways, just because I can do such speeds!

It's not one I'm happy chucking around so much, but I find I don't need to anyway, so that's good. I've done a few hundred miles in one day and it's handled those with aplomb, even if my body didn't. Definitely looking into bar risers, I think!