Old FJ's ... the don't just fade away ... they keep coming back from the dead!
Seems the FJ600 I found on the 'list is none other than Kickeroo's long lost FJ600 project!
Time to revive an old thread?
I didn't even know the 600's existed until I found this one. I came across it while looking for a nice FJ1100 or 1200 to use as a daily driver. I had an 1100 many years ago and it was a comfortable highway bike.
Didn't take me long looking about the internet to figure out what it was, and to see the potential it had for a clean cafe project.
It was up for barter, so I offered a trade, and a day later it was in my truck!
The starter solenoid was removed (and missing) but I was assured it would run (I had heard that before, but the tags were still current and it had been inspected the year before, so couldn't be but so bad) and I took a chance.
Charged the battery for an hour, touched starter wires together and ... BAM! She fired right up!
http://vid51.photobucket.com/albums/f377/fastcoasty/Bikes/WP_20150811_010_zpsjqmk6lza.mp4
Sound on the video doesn't do it justice ... it has such a sweet sound coming from the Vance and Hines!
I have replaced the starter solenoid, so it starts every time now (and she starts very easy, even cold) and run it up and down the street a few times.
All the lights work, the brakes work (but one rotor is a bit wacked) and it shifts good. Runs well, even though it has pods, so it must be jetted correctly for them.
Right now I have the front apart, waiting for another rotor to show up, and rebuilding the forks. Forks were really "mushy" and rather soft, but I am 6'5" and 270 lbs. so I am used to working on forks and shocks on any motorcycle I want to ride for any length of time. We shall see how they turn out.
I am in a quandary right now about what direction to take with the bike.
When I first looked it up, I was dead set on doing a cafe looking bike, and they do make nice looking ones.
But looking through images on google I came across this bike,
and I really like yellow, and always liked the "competition yellow" Yamaha's.
Eventually I came across pictures of the RZ350's that inspired that bike ...
and if you look really close, that looks a LOT like the profile of an FJ600!
So now I am thinking ... make an FJ that looks like an RZ? Besides paint, it's a fairing and a few details from a very close copy.
No matter what, its a nice old bike that deserves to live on just a little bit longer!