Yamaha FJ1200

I've just bought another FJ this will be my sixth it's a 1991 ABS model picked it up locally private sale it's in great condition for its year I paid £850 for it with upgraded nexus exhausts comfort seat & a bit of history. I had given the bikes up for a while after a meeting with a deer

Well what can I say about these bikes something always brings me back to them I've had BMW K & R series also had a mint Honda St 1100 and the smaller 650 Loads of others over the years too ,The Yamaha out performs them all by far cheap tourer super bike classic insurance I just paid £80 fully comp not bad for a bike that's still capable of 150MPH +

Having had so many of these in the past I know most of the week points ie clutch cylinders & fork seals so really nothing major engine will last forever that's why so many are triked up

Totally reliable bike if you can find a nice one don't think twice buy it !!

I picked up an early 86 model FJ1200 whilst looking for a permanant replacement for a sold GSX 1400. This was back in 2003.

I paid euro 2400 for it, more than I should have on reflection, but she was in good order. I picked her up from a local dealers second hand stock, the red and white colour of the original 1100. The motor was in very good working order, but a previous owner had replaced the original headers and end cans with a stainless steel 4 into 1 NEXUS item;it looked and sounded excellent and gave the bike a more sportier appearance. Other than that she was completely standard.

I had intended to run it for only a short time whilst searching for a new bike, but I actually ended up hanging on to her for 18 months, racking up a good 5000 miles in the process and one set of tyres was my only outlay outside of a full service and oil change.

The FJ is a big, stable bike and a fantastic tourer with 125 BHP on tap. It will sit comfortably two up with luggage at a decent speed, returning up to 50 MPG. The dash is clear and well laid out, but at 19 years of age the red plastics were a little faded. Red T Cut and a regular polish cured that though. What I really liked about this bike was the engine. I just love the old big cube air/oil cooled engines and this was a beauty. Power was strong throughout the rev range with a stonking charge toward the red line - whats not to like.

I found the FJ to be a very reliable and competent machine, it never let me down once. I have wound her up to 150 mph on occasions (God bless the German autobahn) but mainly we sat at 90 ish in full tour mode. This is where the FJ performed best.

After 18 months I part ex'd her for a VMAX (I could not resist this bike)and only lost euro 400 on what I originally paid - you can't knock that.

Well thats me just bought yet another FJ 1200 this is my 4th one now I really cant see past them I had given the bikes up for a short time then went back to bikes Bought myself a 2004 NTV 650 deauville nice little bike but its no sports tourer,Having to think twice about anything you do on it as its just not got the same top end as the FJ,If your looking for a sports tourer with cheap insurance God you cant beat these I would recomend the FJ to anyone.I have owned BMWs K & Rs Pan euro st 1100 ,zx9R ZZR 600 in the past & by far the FJ beats them all hands down having owned 4 must say something its a superb motorcycle & still draws a lot of attention when parked next to modern stuff.& all for under £1k

This Yamaha FJ1200 bike has been my touring rocket for 20 years now. Parts are easy to find as the motor is the one the legend cars use. That say's a lot right there!

Having owned over 30 motorcycles the Yamaha FJ1200 is one of the best, if you want a good all-rounder, with great touring potential then buy one, be warned though, if you come from a modern 600, you will find this machine heavy. Having said that the weight is fine whilst underway, and your just gonna love that twist of the wrist, even in top at just 35mph, this thing will fly. Try and find a machine with a service history. In the main FJ owners tend to look after their machines, and age range seems to be 40 plus, I may buy another one in the future, but at 55, maybe too weighty now..not me...the bike.Good luck and happy touring.

Well I am back on a Yamaha FJ having owned two in the past I sold my last one to buy a pan euro what a mistake that was with hellish wind noise So I have recently sold the pan after one year of ownership & bought myself a mint 1991 non abs model FJ for under £1k with full touring kit what a steal! Looking forward to many tears of reliable motorcycling on the FJ.

The Yamaha FJ1200 should be high on the list of the top 20 best bikes of all time. Yamaha got it just about perfect right from the FJ1100, adding minor improvements through the years. They may be heavy and look primative compared to modern machines, but a good old one will still do huge distances effortlessly, and in supreme comfort. You can still shock the Gixers and Blades with some cocky roll ons....3rd gear is blindingly addictive. Don't take up the challenge when you hit the bends though, let's not be silly. Even so, the handling is good for what it's meant for...sports/touring; Hagon support front and back make it even better.

It's great when a mate swaps his VFR for a quick blast of FJ and comes back smiling. "Wow! Serious grunt...never expected that".

The Yamaha FJ1200 Tourer is long in the tooth but in the real world it will stay with most things except in the bends where it's age shows, but if you are the type of rider that enjoys relaxed "spirited" cruising without the need to change gears constantly, this is for you.

Type "the biggest Yamaha Returns" into your browser and look at the review and stats, one amazing bike.

Written out in the summaries of good and bad points. In an effort to restore the aluminum parts, I tried everything to get the plastic coating off-it's corroded badly-to no avail. In general, the Yamaha FJ1200 is a good looking tourer bike that seems to get noticed on the highway (maybe they think I'm a policeman due to white and blue fairing). It's a good thing because the horn is pitiful.

It's my trip bike while the Triumph is my around town ride.