Fecking jap bikes!!
- Thread starter Rob Farmer
- Start date
Burger
I bought a one owner Suzi 400 burger with 38k on it, i thought that would be ok,just the job for flitting around on,doh.
I Took its clothes off and it looked like it had been under the sea for several years
,so thats been completely stripped,blasted, powdercoated and at the mo is half rebuilt,no wonder it so fecking heavy, ive never seen so many clips ties and fasteners,over engineered isnt in it.
Still i got it for £500 less than it was advertised for,but by the time ive finished i would have spent £300-400 on it, including a brand new fuel tank.
Still its keeping me occupied and busy, so i wont complain, its all a learning curve, and i'm a dab hand at drilling out snapped studs and bolts.
I bought a one owner Suzi 400 burger with 38k on it, i thought that would be ok,just the job for flitting around on,doh.
I Took its clothes off and it looked like it had been under the sea for several years
,so thats been completely stripped,blasted, powdercoated and at the mo is half rebuilt,no wonder it so fecking heavy, ive never seen so many clips ties and fasteners,over engineered isnt in it.Still i got it for £500 less than it was advertised for,but by the time ive finished i would have spent £300-400 on it, including a brand new fuel tank.
Still its keeping me occupied and busy, so i wont complain, its all a learning curve, and i'm a dab hand at drilling out snapped studs and bolts.
Scooter boy?, no perhaps old scooter fart!
What about having whip round to buy him an anorak and a load of useless
lights to go on the front? oh, anyone got a video of "Quadraphinia?, get him in the mood!!.
What about having whip round to buy him an anorak and a load of useless
lights to go on the front? oh, anyone got a video of "Quadraphinia?, get him in the mood!!.
Oh Dave...
You are just so...."yesterday"....
Come and join us in the 21st century..pls
You are just so...."yesterday"....
Come and join us in the 21st century..pls
How's about a trip to Margate? bring back all your youthfull memories!!
WTF? 
I've stumbled into the Mods forum!
I've stumbled into the Mods forum!
I've had a couple of requests for an update.
Buying parts for jap bikes isn't the same as buying airhead parts. After a frustrating delay waiting for parts to arrive the FJ is back up and running again. I've got to say it's a great bike now it has 4 cylinders
turns out the previous owner bought it on ebay from a chap in Newcastle, who bought it on Ebay from a chap who sold it because it wasn't running right. The Newcastle chap put new carb diaphragms and new inlet and carb rubbers in (ouch! £££) assuming the problem was an air leak. That diidn't fix the issue so he flogged it on ebay.
I''m glad it has new rubbers because it made the job easy for me. New Rubbers and diaphragms would have been well over £200
I ultrasonically cleaned the carbs. Couldn't believe the crap that came out of them.
and fitted a new head gasket while the head was off.
A new exhaust valve was needed along with a complete reshim. Barrels and pistons are reassuringly wear free.
The Thundercat front End is superb compared to the original FJ items and looks like it should have been part of the bike from day 1. The R1 brakes are in a different league. to be honest I can't tell any difference between the 17" front wheel and the original 16.
The only downside is for somebody used to Airheads is the speed is a bit scary
Apart from that I'm impressed by the Yam, the engines a gem and so simple and easy to work on.
Total spend was £600 for the bike. £180 for the Thundercat front end and R1 brake calipers. £83 for shims and tool. £87 for head gasket, exhaust gaskets and a replacement valve. £25 for a Thundercat front mudguard. Total of £975. I still have the original forks, wheel, brakes and the givi panniers to sell to recoup some of the money.
Buying parts for jap bikes isn't the same as buying airhead parts. After a frustrating delay waiting for parts to arrive the FJ is back up and running again. I've got to say it's a great bike now it has 4 cylinders
turns out the previous owner bought it on ebay from a chap in Newcastle, who bought it on Ebay from a chap who sold it because it wasn't running right. The Newcastle chap put new carb diaphragms and new inlet and carb rubbers in (ouch! £££) assuming the problem was an air leak. That diidn't fix the issue so he flogged it on ebay.
I''m glad it has new rubbers because it made the job easy for me. New Rubbers and diaphragms would have been well over £200
I ultrasonically cleaned the carbs. Couldn't believe the crap that came out of them.
and fitted a new head gasket while the head was off.
A new exhaust valve was needed along with a complete reshim. Barrels and pistons are reassuringly wear free.
The Thundercat front End is superb compared to the original FJ items and looks like it should have been part of the bike from day 1. The R1 brakes are in a different league. to be honest I can't tell any difference between the 17" front wheel and the original 16.
The only downside is for somebody used to Airheads is the speed is a bit scary
Apart from that I'm impressed by the Yam, the engines a gem and so simple and easy to work on. Total spend was £600 for the bike. £180 for the Thundercat front end and R1 brake calipers. £83 for shims and tool. £87 for head gasket, exhaust gaskets and a replacement valve. £25 for a Thundercat front mudguard. Total of £975. I still have the original forks, wheel, brakes and the givi panniers to sell to recoup some of the money.
Just think what the spend would have been if a Dealer had done the work...
Sounds like you've got a brilliant tourer now
It's fine but I've got no real use for it. Been out on it all morning and put a fair few miles in. The low seat and high pegs are killing my hips
Reckon I'll tidy it up refit the belly pan and flog it. Should get £850 for it?
Reckon I'll tidy it up refit the belly pan and flog it. Should get £850 for it?
It's fine but I've got no real use for it. Been out on it all morning and put a fair few miles in. The low seat and high pegs are killing my hips
Reckon I'll tidy it up refit the belly pan and flog it. Should get £850 for it?
It's a pity you haven't bonded with the bike after spending time and money sorting it out Rob.
Ogmios should bite your hand off at £850 if you do decide to let it go.
It'll sound a bit soft to the Jap bike boys but it's too bloody fast for me. I'm a crap rider at the best of times without sitting me on a 150Mph rice rocket.
Dave Ett
Registered user
Stick a Corbin seat and luggage on, and tour on it then. That's what I've done, and find it's far better at the 55-80 mph stuff than a lot more modern bikes which are geared for 180mph...
It's a 27 litre whopper. Just type z power oand look at their ultrasonic info. It's the same unit as theirs.
Does the Corbin sit you up a fraction higher?
Stick a Corbin seat and luggage on, and tour on it then. That's what I've done, and find it's far better at the 55-80 mph stuff than a lot more modern bikes which are geared for 180mph...
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