I have to agree I was pumped when I found out he had his own yt channel loved his personality on b&b. Hands down one of the best motorcycle channels on yt.
Not enough Kawasaki to be the best , but definitely up there. I didn't copy and paste, i respectfully ripped off someone else's comment by typing it out.
_If not for the rusty tank, I would have thought that the guy took a running bike apart just so Craig could come in and put it back together! 😂_ 😄😄😄😄 Yeah, so it's being sold to Craig? I don't think I caught what's going on concerning that, other than he says he is riding it "home".
My Suzuki Bandit had been sitting for 7 years when I got it, me and my dad took it to bits, rebuilt it and it’s like riding a brand new bike even though it’s 27 years old, plus made some great memories working on it so I’ll never get rid of it, it’ll probably never be worth much money but that bike means more to me than money.
This reminds me of the fairly new lawnmower my buddy gave me. He said that if I could get it started, I could have it. Took it home, checked the air filter and spark plug, checked the oil. Everything looked fine. Put gas in it, pulled 2 times, and it started. I called him to tell him and I asked him "did you ever make sure it had gas when you couldn't get it started". He swears that he did, but he was fine with me keeping it. That was 6 years ago and it's still going strong.
Hey Craig, I know it was a sponsored message for Better Help, but the sincerity and words of your message was amazing. It has prompted me to reach out to a couple of my friends who are doing it a bit tough at the moment. Thanks, bud, and all the best for you and yours during the holiday season.
Good im glad for u bit whatever u do don't reach out to better help they have been know for leaking people's information im assuming he has a contract with them and that's y he's still doing ads for them
Awesome deal Craig!! I love the FJ's!! I've personally had four FJ-Series motorcycles - a 1984 FJ600, a 1984 FJ1100, an '87 FJ1200, and a 2005 FJR1300. They are fantastic bikes!! Super comfortable (even with the stock seat!!), very reliable, great handling, and ridiculously fast for their time. The biggest downfall of the early models is the 16" front tire and tiny, 2-piston front brake calipers on tiny rotors. There are only a couple of tire manufacturers that make rubber for those things. The brakes were acceptable for the era but compared to modern brakes, I think Groms have better stopping power...🙄🙄 In 1988 they switched to 17" wheels from the factory which really helped - a LOT! They also upgraded the brakes to the 4-piston calipers with 320mm rotors from the FZR1000. I believe his Blue one is 1992 ABS model. Very rare these days!! The biggest mistake you made with this attempt was trying to wash that tank with water. If you had just flushed the tank with some fresh fuel and synched the carbs, you probably could have rode it home. The only ergonomic downside to the FJs was the handlebar buzz. They put huge bar-end weights to temper the buzz, and it helped tremendously, but after a couple hours of continuous highway, your hands start having off-body experiences... Mechanically, they are rock solid powertrains except for 2nd gear. It was a little weak and many people who drag-raced them would blow out 2nd gear. A little machining (undercutting) would do the trick but it required the engine to be pulled and cases split. The demise of these bikes turned out to be the automotive racing world...The Legends cars racing series was born in 1992. They are 5/8th scale '34 Ford styled, tubular framed cars using the FJ1200, XJ1250, and FZ09 engines. Many FJ1200's were removed from the roads to power these race cars, hence there is a distinct shortage of these bikes on the roadways. Great video!! Great bike!! Love the channel!!!
Craig, the kind of man you can have a in depth technical conversation about cool things. And yet care about mental health, I am a disabled veteran who just started riding again literally months ago and it is because of you and the bikes and beards channel. I left my PTSD on the back burner for a long time and I paid the price for that, now I am in a far better spot and honestly riding and working on motorcycles is a form of therapy for me regardless of how frustrated I might get, and I am always excited to learn something new.
Last night I just got a free 1986 rebel 450 that has been sitting outside since 1998 . I am quite confident it will not be this easy ! Love this channel !
I upjetted a friend’s FJ1200 for pod filters. An M3 washer under each needle clip and a 10% main jet increase. It flew! I wasn’t expecting to get it right, first time. Strangely, I did! Which was good.
I have cleaned loose pieces from (empty and dry) tanks by removing the petcock and blowing compressed air in the petcock hole of the tank while at the same time as blowing the air putting a shop vac on the fill hole. You will hear the rust and dirt pieces bouncing around and getting sucked out then eventually you wont hear any more loose rust pieces in the tank. Make sure the tank doesn’t have any gas in it and is dry. I sit them open in the sun outside of my shop for a couple days to make sure they dry out fully.
I'm sure you probably already know this trick but apple cider vinegar works great to clean out tanks. Just be sure to dilute the tank with distilled water to neutralize the acid from the vinegar. I've used this method combined with KBS tank sealer kit on tanks far worse than that FJ and had them looking like new. Any who love the channel man keep up the great work! Us Craig's have to stick together
I don't get why this channel doesn't already have 1M+ subscribers, It's on my top 3 favourite motorcycle channels with F9 and RevZilla. Let's go Craig and team keep up this good quality content
Was there in 2008, marriage broke down, brother had taken his life and was close to ending it all myself. Got help and found God and life changed completely around. Never be afraid to get help. Love your channel as much as Sean’s .
thank you for being there for men with mental heath...My eldest son didnt get help and we lost him...Im a 20 stone biker and I cry every day...if you are looking for help get some and dont ruin your family's life as well as your own.....
Craig/Dan, I am loving this channel more and more every episode. I am learning a lot with every repair and patch job. And, as someone form your area once upon a time I have all the nostalgia feels. The comradery and the joy you take in every bike is inspiring and wonderful to watch. And on a final note, having Better Help as your sponsor this episode is great. As someone who battles with bipolar/manic depressive condition, it is amazing to see such good people letting others know that there is help out there. Keep up the great work, the great show, and keep on riding!
I just wanna say, Craig's betterhelp ad was the most touching and genuine mental health PSA I've ever seen. Every other creator very obviously reads a script but this one felt like he was speaking from the heart. My respects, Craig, hope you are alright.
The fact you have chosen betterhelp and your message in this video speaks immensely about you and your character big respect and I'm so greattful for your videos and content! Keep up the great work!
This channel has grown so much and I truly hope it just continues to do so. Craig is so deserving of this, and his videos never disappoint! Congratulations on the 200K subscribers! Can’t wait to see you hit 1M!
Other side of the pond here and a former motorcycle magazine journo. Certainly the best bike channel out there. This is what serious petrol heads care about. Not banal road 'tests' and knee-down hero shots. It's all about the garage and the spanners! ('wrenches"😂)
Craig - I've never gotten choked up by a UA-cam sponsor promo before. I've struggled with depression, anxiety and worse my entire adult life. There is no cure for depression, but there is successful treatment. I'm living proof. Treatment for mental health issues begins with therapy, no matter how simple it may be. Particularly for men, we must normalize talking about mental health issues. In fact, we must normalize just talking about talking about men's mental health. Your sponsor BetterHelp will aid in that, to be sure. I've enjoyed your content since you started this channel, and you are my favorite part of the other one. Thank you for your honesty, insight, humor and knowledge.
Thank you for the message with your sponsor. I am tired of people seriously trying to say motorcycling is a replacement for proper therapy. Bikes dont fix mental health issues, if they did I wouldnt have a therapist.
One of the best, if not the best motorcycle channel on YT. Massive Kudos on the Better Help ad. To many men today need help and are afraid to reach out. Thanks for the transparency!
A man after my own heart. After 40 years of riding motorcycles, I’ve totally seen the light with Yamaha especially these days. Currently on a 2023MT 10 and I could not be happier. Yamaha in my opinion is just killing it these days but my God, you found a diamond in the rough, beautiful, old-school Yamaha!
Thank you again so much for another Yamaha revival video Caig ! As a huge Yamaha fanboy myself its good to see another one back on the road ! Keep em comming Craig and God bless you and America ! Greetings from Holland. 🙏🏻❤️🏍🫡🇺🇲
I was in that situation once (water in the tank....). The water always settles at the lowest point, which is the float bowls on the carbs, and they have drain screws on them. After repeated draining, petrol eventually started coming through, and internal combustions were resumed.
Hi Craig, kudos for shining a light on mental health, having had poor mental health on and off since being in Gulf War 1 (Desert Storm) (Royal Navy) I find and feel that unfortunately there are still a lot of (mostly) men that feel it’s not the done thing to talk about feelings and finding themselves in that dark place. Keep bringing good mental health to the fore.
So happy that your channel is doing so well Craig! I started watching B & B and I'm not knocking anyone from that camp in saying that you were the life of that channel for me personally. I still follow Sean and support his channel but, in my opinion, your content far surpasses what he's been doing. Thanks for keeping us entertained and I look forward to seeing what's next! 💙🏍️💙
Finally, a famous UA-cam motor head has featured my favorite sport touring motor cycle of all time! Thanks Craig! I have a 86 fj1200! If you aren’t familiar with these bikes, I like to let you know they are capable of 100k trouble free miles and the torque is there for days!
They could really use a 6th gear. I went down two teeth on my rear sprocket, really helps with fuel consumption and gives you a little more top end speed, as if anyone ever needed that lol. One of these days I'm going to find a really tidy XJR and make it my forever bike.
If you want a 17" rear wheel, the FZR400 wheel with spacers is a match. For the 16' rear I recommend the Avon Cobra tyre. I tried a Michelin Commander because of the high mileage you can get from them, but found they don't hook up nicely in the wet like an Avon will. There's a cheap brand called Full Bore, they stick well but you'll be lucky to get 6000km from one.
Craig, I really hope you can continue to produce content. The combination of your sense of humor and mechanical know how make your videos number one in my book.
Talking about mental health to the audience of this channel is so important, as I'm someone who struggles with it, and even more to basically admit that I need help. Thanks for the kind words, and for the quick compilation of burning things up hehehe
I do like those old FJs. Did you know Steve Parrish entered one (almost as a joke) in the 1984 750cc + production TT? Despite spending much of the time beeping his horn for the spectators, he actually finished fourth with a lap speed of over 103mph 😲
Pro tip for water in your tank works with lawnmowers too, if you have water in the fuel you can at cheap gas with lots of ethanol or sea foam, really just look for anything with ethanol or isopropanol water mixes with alcohol and alcohol mixes with gas it's especially useful if you have a mostly full tank of fuel it also works with diesel, seafoam is made for it it works really well and it can help lube the top end if you use it right it also won't effect how it runs or it'll run better
I used to add 20ml Methylated Spirits and 60 ml deisel to each full tank of petrol on the two FJ's I owned, travelled 50, 000 km on each bike from 100,000 km on the clock when I bought them, no trouble at all
Now that you mentioned it, I can't unsee the similarities between your content and Vice Grip Garage's. You also adjust the fuel make it happener, put some fresh ice cube juice in the atmosphere heater, and send some power down those sparkulators.
It was cool seeing it finally take off after a bit of hassle. Heavily Smokey though… I look forward to the next episode when you finish fixing it right, since it died again.
I dont ever sit through ads, but when you started better help, I got teary eyed. I lost my mother this year and Christmas is hard for me and my family. I don’t need to talk to a therapist but it was nice to hear you relate. You and Sean are such great people. Merry Christmas.
Can I just say that I have learned so much from you. I never got exposure to engines when I was young. They always seemed too complicated. But for every video I watch that you put out, not only do I have fun watching you guys, but I genuinely learn something new every time. You’re slowly demystifying gas engines.
I renovated a 1990 fj1200 a few years ago same colour as this one! , had been sitting dismantled in my uncles basement for 10 years as it blew the cam chain. so I swaped the engine and got it on the road again. it is an awesome machine! now i have sold it and gotten a gpz900r to start working on. anyways.. thanks for the fun videos! I enjoy really enjoy watching you put life to these old bikes :)
Another GREAT video! Man Craig I want to thank you for what you do!! Your not only fixing a lot of old bikes and putting them back on the road but you’re really a FANTASTIC teacher! I learn so much from every video!! Carbs have always thrown me off, on a single carb I’m golden but add 1,2 or 3 more and I’m clueless on syncing them, or should say I WAS! Now i got a little better understanding of how to do it thanks to you and your channel!! God Bless my brother!!
Craig has the carb syncing theory a little wrong - there is no 'master' carb. Instead you balance carbs 1&2 with each other, then 3&4 together then use the central screw to balance 1&2 with 3&4.
Craig i just got 16" metzler cruise techs front and back for my 2004 road king. Wasnt an issue except for the price, but their good tires. 500$ installed front and back.
I worked at a bike shop in Bristol (the original one ) and in the 4years on the parts counter in the 1990s I only sold a few service items for this model .the hydraulic clutch slave cylinder was a week spot and for some reason the rear wheel bearings (don't know why) I had customers who used these for work dispatch riders who deliver important documents usually legal papers and some of them ran up over 100k with no problems.brilliant bike 👍 👍
Thank you my friend. For you info and comments. My kidneys have shut down 6 years ago.many I feel a burden on my family. Not many understand. It's nice to have someone to listen and not judge us or be negitive.
A pretty dirty trick i used on a tank once was to put pebbles in there like grade one stone (rinse any dirt off it first) and fill the tank up and slosh it around, with any luck the pebbles lightly scrub the bigger chunks of rust off.
Fj1200 start working all the time, stopped 20 or 30 years, I still have my beautiful old Fj never let me down, easy to fix and bullit prove. Good video. Great bike.
Craig - A 50/50 mix of water and vinegar with a dash of salt and one literal drop of dish soap will often clean a tank in 15 minutes to an hour while if really badly scaled with rust might need a day or two. What you drain out can be used around fences as weed killer. If you had filled the tank with the vinegar solution when you first got there it may have been all ready to flush with the garden hose after you got the carbs back on. Some might use muriatic acid however you have to be much more careful with it and flush out the tank extremely well afterwards. A can of Dry Gas might have gotten you past not borrowing a hair dryer to warm up the tank and dry it out before putting the gas in it. Sometimes even an old radiator hose on your trucks tail pipe can be used to dry things if you don't have easy access to a hair dryer or a heat gun with a low temp setting. Best!
Dude right before you said that everyone says you remind them of vice grip, 1000% i thought that your just like derek cause you say, ill be dipped, just as he does, which is cool.....i live what you do way more cause im a bike guy a million% over vehicles....lol. Keep up the outstanding work with the channel man, always a thumbs up...
Since I started watching this channel I’ve thought that Craig and Derek would be hilarious together. Y’all should put something together. Keep up the amazing work guys!! Oh yeah, Hi Dan!
The best way I have found to remove rust from a fuel tank is to drop about a foot long piece of chain in the tank and shake it around. Rinse with some WD-40 and repeat. Carry a couple of gallon sized cans of the WD with you. It works great and burns off better than water.
Craig,I’ve watched a few of your videos on getting these older bikes running. I’m impressed with your explanation of the issues on these bikes and how you go about trying to fix them. Great videos mate 👍🏾🇦🇺
Thanks for filling a void on UA-cam. It’s hard to find good channels of people rescuing old motorcycles and trying to ride them home. You guys do have an early Vice Grip Garage feel.
In the future. Water is more dence than fuel. Put some gas in the tank, wait 10-15 minutes, and drain the line from the petcock. This will pull out the majority of the water. You can also add alcohol to the fuel, as it bonds with the water, and helps separate it faster.
I have a very hard time seeing a FJ 1200 as a complicated motorcycle. I have owned 3 of them amongst numerous other motorcycles in the last 50 years and find them to be a very simple, near bulletproof ride. Of course, everyone's mileage may vary....
There's no better motorcycle to bring back to life after being parked up for 20 years than a FJ 1100 or 1200. Extremely bulletproof engine, a rigid chassis that is ready for suspension, wheel and brake upgrades and a torque monster of an engine that pulls like a freight train. I've owned a 1990 FJ 1200 and currently own a 1993 FJ 1200 that has been treated to the full suspension upgrade and later model 17" Yamaha wheels. It shocks people when I tell them that my old Yamaha is 30 years old. Riders that ride it are even more shocked that it is 30 years old.
@20:00 you should start bringing BBs with you for these adventures to clean tanks with. I usually use copper BBs (like for BB guns) I've done that for quite a few tanks, just throw a little fluid like degreaser or white vinegar in with them then slosh and turn it while sloshing them around and it'll clean up tanks with just surface rust really good. If its a little deeper rust you can strap the tank to an atv/car wheel while jacked up and throw it in gear and it'll come out like new but it's definitely a lil sketchy lol.
I have an 87 fj. I modified it for drag racing. lowered, r1 rims, lowered and tucked in the front fairing, dropped the handle bars 8 inches, wheelie bars, 2 step, air shifter, shortened the tail 14 inches and modified the seat. I bought it with 110 000 kms!!! I could tell it had been through a lot already. most fairing attachment points were broke, cracks everywhere. exhaust rotted at the collector so i modified the exhaust. raced 3.5 years with it. placed 3rd overall my second year, 4th place last year and it still wants more but i want to go faster so im going with the gsxr 1000 with extended swingarm... new ballgame
Self inflicted problems. Never put water in a tank unless you have the time or equipment to dry it out completely before using it. If you are trying to get it going quickly, dump fresh gas in it, swish it around and then dump it out. Then you only have the left over rust to worry about.
Even though the cops won't admit it we are not required to have a license or license plates to travel on a personal vehicles only if you're driving in commerce
I own a 84' FJ 1100 that I restored a few years ago out from scratch into absolute original condition after sitting for 16 years. And I really love this bike. Greetings from Germany
Love it. Been doing this for years. Just helped a buddy get an '81 Suzuki GS1100 going after a long nap. Fun bike. My brother had one. Nothing like this era of sport/touring yamahas. The fun we had and stories I could share. Surprised we're still alive. Lol.
I used to have an FJ. A red 1TX which I had for a few years. Always reliable and with lots of grunt and decent handling for a big heavy bike. I replaced a rattling starter chain which meant splitting the motor, but a nice engine to work on. There's a great owners club in the UK with tool rental etc. Great video, thanks.
This was a great video and I would love to have an FJ1200 - but the best part was your BetterHelp advert. That took courage and class and you should be proud Craig.
I rebuilt an old Yamaha Radian with a really rusty tank. I bought a container of BB's, and along with a little gas, was able to clean the tank really well just by sloshing it around. Only took about 20 minutes of rolling it all around. You should keep a container of those in your trailer.
Rusty tank might now always be death sentence to it. I have repaired rusty and leaking gas tank on Ducati Monster with POR 15 type of kit. It was tedious job... The main problem was not the rust but leak from the hinge area where it was bent outwards and caused pinhole leak.
I know everyone hates ethanol in fuel but here's a place it could have helped. An old trick for if you had water in the fuel was to throw half a litre of ethanol/methylated spirits in the tank and give it a good shake. The water will attach itself to the ethanol and kind of mix with the fuel (not well, but well enough to get carried through with it if you don't leave it to settle). Ethanol usually comes as 70% and actively absorbs water but it's still flammable at 40% water (vodka burns). So a litre of 70% ethanol will absorb 750ml of water and still be flammable. Even better would be to rinse the tank with ethanol then empty it out before adding fuel, that's how I get tanks totally dry after rinsing them when adding a sealant.
For rusty tanks I've had great success using The Works toilet bowl cleaner, cleans the rust right up. Leave it set for an hour or three. Rinse with water and baking soda to neutralize the acid. Coat inside with WD40 . Works great.
When I was working in the “Bush”, we always put a couple of cup fulls of “Methylated Spirits” in a tank of gas - it mixes with the water and burns with the gas.
I have personally experienced what water does to your bike. My 99' Suzuki SV650 had a broken tank drain pipe which would let water into the tank and you could see the seperation of water and petrol when I drained it. Water sinks to the bottom and then thats what gets sucked into the carbs. I've heard methylated spirit absorbs water and makes it easier to burn, so try carrying that around and adding that into the fuel.
The guy clearly wanted to just give the bike to you but didn`t wanna be thanked, so you got , either the bike either the content for your channel .. pretty neat!
After watching your videos I got off my coach and worked on my 1973 GT250 twin that has sat for 20 years. It now starts with one kick. Now I have to clean the tank and fix the front brake and I can put it on the road.
This channel gets better and better. I think it's the best motorcycle content on UA-cam now.
Haha noted
I agree 1000%
I have to agree I was pumped when I found out he had his own yt channel loved his personality on b&b. Hands down one of the best motorcycle channels on yt.
Not enough Kawasaki to be the best , but definitely up there. I didn't copy and paste, i respectfully ripped off someone else's comment by typing it out.
Yes agree. Best channel
If not for the rusty tank, I would have thought that the guy took a running bike apart just so Craig could come in and put it back together! 😂
_If not for the rusty tank, I would have thought that the guy took a running bike apart just so Craig could come in and put it back together! 😂_
😄😄😄😄 Yeah, so it's being sold to Craig? I don't think I caught what's going on concerning that, other than he says he is riding it "home".
I think the guy had it detailed before Craig showed up!
Quick clean the house before the cleaning person comes @@dmkinsey
My Suzuki Bandit had been sitting for 7 years when I got it, me and my dad took it to bits, rebuilt it and it’s like riding a brand new bike even though it’s 27 years old, plus made some great memories working on it so I’ll never get rid of it, it’ll probably never be worth much money but that bike means more to me than money.
This reminds me of the fairly new lawnmower my buddy gave me. He said that if I could get it started, I could have it. Took it home, checked the air filter and spark plug, checked the oil. Everything looked fine. Put gas in it, pulled 2 times, and it started. I called him to tell him and I asked him "did you ever make sure it had gas when you couldn't get it started". He swears that he did, but he was fine with me keeping it. That was 6 years ago and it's still going strong.
Is it a Honda?😁
it aint got no gas in it
That lawnmower's going better than my same age marriage! /jk
@@hondaryder3779Briggs and Straton
@@dxb338 Well stated, Karl
Hey Craig, I know it was a sponsored message for Better Help, but the sincerity and words of your message was amazing. It has prompted me to reach out to a couple of my friends who are doing it a bit tough at the moment. Thanks, bud, and all the best for you and yours during the holiday season.
Good on you friend
Sometimes all we need to know is that someone cares and notices. You’re a good friend.
Good im glad for u bit whatever u do don't reach out to better help they have been know for leaking people's information im assuming he has a contract with them and that's y he's still doing ads for them
keep strong
❤
It's always fun seeing the obvious enjoyment you get out of doing these. Love the old bikes seeing new life.
Awesome deal Craig!! I love the FJ's!!
I've personally had four FJ-Series motorcycles - a 1984 FJ600, a 1984 FJ1100, an '87 FJ1200, and a 2005 FJR1300. They are fantastic bikes!! Super comfortable (even with the stock seat!!), very reliable, great handling, and ridiculously fast for their time.
The biggest downfall of the early models is the 16" front tire and tiny, 2-piston front brake calipers on tiny rotors. There are only a couple of tire manufacturers that make rubber for those things. The brakes were acceptable for the era but compared to modern brakes, I think Groms have better stopping power...🙄🙄 In 1988 they switched to 17" wheels from the factory which really helped - a LOT! They also upgraded the brakes to the 4-piston calipers with 320mm rotors from the FZR1000.
I believe his Blue one is 1992 ABS model. Very rare these days!!
The biggest mistake you made with this attempt was trying to wash that tank with water. If you had just flushed the tank with some fresh fuel and synched the carbs, you probably could have rode it home.
The only ergonomic downside to the FJs was the handlebar buzz. They put huge bar-end weights to temper the buzz, and it helped tremendously, but after a couple hours of continuous highway, your hands start having off-body experiences...
Mechanically, they are rock solid powertrains except for 2nd gear. It was a little weak and many people who drag-raced them would blow out 2nd gear. A little machining (undercutting) would do the trick but it required the engine to be pulled and cases split.
The demise of these bikes turned out to be the automotive racing world...The Legends cars racing series was born in 1992. They are 5/8th scale '34 Ford styled, tubular framed cars using the FJ1200, XJ1250, and FZ09 engines. Many FJ1200's were removed from the roads to power these race cars, hence there is a distinct shortage of these bikes on the roadways.
Great video!! Great bike!! Love the channel!!!
Thanks for making mental health and wellness part of the conversation this morning. What a great channel you are building!! big fan
Craig, the kind of man you can have a in depth technical conversation about cool things. And yet care about mental health, I am a disabled veteran who just started riding again literally months ago and it is because of you and the bikes and beards channel. I left my PTSD on the back burner for a long time and I paid the price for that, now I am in a far better spot and honestly riding and working on motorcycles is a form of therapy for me regardless of how frustrated I might get, and I am always excited to learn something new.
good stuff man
Last night I just got a free 1986 rebel 450 that has been sitting outside since 1998 . I am quite confident it will not be this easy ! Love this channel !
I upjetted a friend’s FJ1200 for pod filters. An M3 washer under each needle clip and a 10% main jet increase. It flew! I wasn’t expecting to get it right, first time. Strangely, I did! Which was good.
That's basically all that it takes on the FJ 1200. I love the intake howl from the pods on the FJ.
I have cleaned loose pieces from (empty and dry) tanks by removing the petcock and blowing compressed air in the petcock hole of the tank while at the same time as blowing the air putting a shop vac on the fill hole. You will hear the rust and dirt pieces bouncing around and getting sucked out then eventually you wont hear any more loose rust pieces in the tank. Make sure the tank doesn’t have any gas in it and is dry. I sit them open in the sun outside of my shop for a couple days to make sure they dry out fully.
I'm sure you probably already know this trick but apple cider vinegar works great to clean out tanks. Just be sure to dilute the tank with distilled water to neutralize the acid from the vinegar. I've used this method combined with KBS tank sealer kit on tanks far worse than that FJ and had them looking like new.
Any who love the channel man keep up the great work! Us Craig's have to stick together
I don't get why this channel doesn't already have 1M+ subscribers, It's on my top 3 favourite motorcycle channels with F9 and RevZilla. Let's go Craig and team keep up this good quality content
Was there in 2008, marriage broke down, brother had taken his life and was close to ending it all myself. Got help and found God and life changed completely around. Never be afraid to get help. Love your channel as much as Sean’s .
thank you for being there for men with mental heath...My eldest son didnt get help and we lost him...Im a 20 stone biker and I cry every day...if you are looking for help get some and dont ruin your family's life as well as your own.....
Craig/Dan, I am loving this channel more and more every episode. I am learning a lot with every repair and patch job. And, as someone form your area once upon a time I have all the nostalgia feels. The comradery and the joy you take in every bike is inspiring and wonderful to watch. And on a final note, having Better Help as your sponsor this episode is great. As someone who battles with bipolar/manic depressive condition, it is amazing to see such good people letting others know that there is help out there. Keep up the great work, the great show, and keep on riding!
I just wanna say, Craig's betterhelp ad was the most touching and genuine mental health PSA I've ever seen. Every other creator very obviously reads a script but this one felt like he was speaking from the heart. My respects, Craig, hope you are alright.
The fact you have chosen betterhelp and your message in this video speaks immensely about you and your character big respect and I'm so greattful for your videos and content! Keep up the great work!
This channel has grown so much and I truly hope it just continues to do so. Craig is so deserving of this, and his videos never disappoint! Congratulations on the 200K subscribers! Can’t wait to see you hit 1M!
Other side of the pond here and a former motorcycle magazine journo. Certainly the best bike channel out there. This is what serious petrol heads care about. Not banal road 'tests' and knee-down hero shots. It's all about the garage and the spanners! ('wrenches"😂)
Craig - I've never gotten choked up by a UA-cam sponsor promo before. I've struggled with depression, anxiety and worse my entire adult life. There is no cure for depression, but there is successful treatment. I'm living proof. Treatment for mental health issues begins with therapy, no matter how simple it may be. Particularly for men, we must normalize talking about mental health issues. In fact, we must normalize just talking about talking about men's mental health. Your sponsor BetterHelp will aid in that, to be sure.
I've enjoyed your content since you started this channel, and you are my favorite part of the other one. Thank you for your honesty, insight, humor and knowledge.
Thank you for the message with your sponsor. I am tired of people seriously trying to say motorcycling is a replacement for proper therapy. Bikes dont fix mental health issues, if they did I wouldnt have a therapist.
A good point
when you’re riding a motorcycle, your concentration is on everything else around you , and you become one with the motorcycle
@@JohnH20111 what's that have to do with what I said? And you say that as if I don't also ride which I do.
Your channel is by far my favourite of all to watch Craig.
One of the best, if not the best motorcycle channel on YT. Massive Kudos on the Better Help ad. To many men today need help and are afraid to reach out. Thanks for the transparency!
Craig you need to get yourself a 5 gallon bucket of evapo rust. It works amazing on rusty tanks and it’s reusable
A man after my own heart. After 40 years of riding motorcycles, I’ve totally seen the light with Yamaha especially these days. Currently on a 2023MT 10 and I could not be happier.
Yamaha in my opinion is just killing it these days but my God, you found a diamond in the rough, beautiful, old-school Yamaha!
Cant be the only one that got distracted by the inside out hoodie
Thanks for being real with your own struggles, brother! I love this channel and look forward to each new video.
I have a 1985 FJ1100 sitting in my shop, traded it for a KLR650. Always loved the FJ, this video has inspired me to get it running! Thanks Craig
Thank you again so much for another Yamaha revival video Caig !
As a huge Yamaha fanboy myself its good to see another one back on the road !
Keep em comming Craig and God bless you and America !
Greetings from Holland.
🙏🏻❤️🏍🫡🇺🇲
I was in that situation once (water in the tank....). The water always settles at the lowest point, which is the float bowls on the carbs, and they have drain screws on them. After repeated draining, petrol eventually started coming through, and internal combustions were resumed.
Good tip!
By the way i was the one who nominated you for the offroad games in Utah. Good luck Craig.
Hi Craig, kudos for shining a light on mental health, having had poor mental health on and off since being in Gulf War 1 (Desert Storm) (Royal Navy) I find and feel that unfortunately there are still a lot of (mostly) men that feel it’s not the done thing to talk about feelings and finding themselves in that dark place.
Keep bringing good mental health to the fore.
So happy that your channel is doing so well Craig! I started watching B & B and I'm not knocking anyone from that camp in saying that you were the life of that channel for me personally. I still follow Sean and support his channel but, in my opinion, your content far surpasses what he's been doing. Thanks for keeping us entertained and I look forward to seeing what's next! 💙🏍️💙
Finally, a famous UA-cam motor head has featured my favorite sport touring motor cycle of all time! Thanks Craig!
I have a 86 fj1200! If you aren’t familiar with these bikes, I like to let you know they are capable of 100k trouble free miles and the torque is there for days!
They could really use a 6th gear. I went down two teeth on my rear sprocket, really helps with fuel consumption and gives you a little more top end speed, as if anyone ever needed that lol. One of these days I'm going to find a really tidy XJR and make it my forever bike.
If you want a 17" rear wheel, the FZR400 wheel with spacers is a match. For the 16' rear I recommend the Avon Cobra tyre. I tried a Michelin Commander because of the high mileage you can get from them, but found they don't hook up nicely in the wet like an Avon will. There's a cheap brand called Full Bore, they stick well but you'll be lucky to get 6000km from one.
Craig, I really hope you can continue to produce content. The combination of your sense of humor and mechanical know how make your videos number one in my book.
Talking about mental health to the audience of this channel is so important, as I'm someone who struggles with it, and even more to basically admit that I need help. Thanks for the kind words, and for the quick compilation of burning things up hehehe
I do like those old FJs. Did you know Steve Parrish entered one (almost as a joke) in the 1984 750cc + production TT? Despite spending much of the time beeping his horn for the spectators, he actually finished fourth with a lap speed of over 103mph 😲
Pro tip for water in your tank works with lawnmowers too, if you have water in the fuel you can at cheap gas with lots of ethanol or sea foam, really just look for anything with ethanol or isopropanol water mixes with alcohol and alcohol mixes with gas it's especially useful if you have a mostly full tank of fuel it also works with diesel, seafoam is made for it it works really well and it can help lube the top end if you use it right it also won't effect how it runs or it'll run better
I used to add 20ml Methylated Spirits and 60 ml deisel to each full tank of petrol on the two FJ's I owned, travelled 50, 000 km on each bike from 100,000 km on the clock when I bought them, no trouble at all
This channel is som entertaining and yet informative. Thank you for existing.
Greetings from a Portuguese in the netherlands.
Right on Craig! Get people talking about things, the first step to a better day. Love from UK!
Good stuff- I just got two bikes that had been sitting for about 10 years going last night. You’re inspiring :)
Inspired me to have enough money to pay a guy like him!
Excellent
Now that you mentioned it, I can't unsee the similarities between your content and Vice Grip Garage's. You also adjust the fuel make it happener, put some fresh ice cube juice in the atmosphere heater, and send some power down those sparkulators.
It was cool seeing it finally take off after a bit of hassle. Heavily Smokey though… I look forward to the next episode when you finish fixing it right, since it died again.
Craig!! The best most honest genuine “better help” add I’ve seen so sincere!! Much love Craig
I dont ever sit through ads, but when you started better help, I got teary eyed. I lost my mother this year and Christmas is hard for me and my family. I don’t need to talk to a therapist but it was nice to hear you relate. You and Sean are such great people. Merry Christmas.
Can I just say that I have learned so much from you. I never got exposure to engines when I was young. They always seemed too complicated. But for every video I watch that you put out, not only do I have fun watching you guys, but I genuinely learn something new every time. You’re slowly demystifying gas engines.
Is it just me that noticed the inside out jumper🤣 Absolutely love your work I find much inspiration watching you❤️
I renovated a 1990 fj1200 a few years ago same colour as this one! , had been sitting dismantled in my uncles basement for 10 years as it blew the cam chain. so I swaped the engine and got it on the road again. it is an awesome machine! now i have sold it and gotten a gpz900r to start working on.
anyways.. thanks for the fun videos! I enjoy really enjoy watching you put life to these old bikes :)
Another GREAT video! Man Craig I want to thank you for what you do!! Your not only fixing a lot of old bikes and putting them back on the road but you’re really a FANTASTIC teacher! I learn so much from every video!! Carbs have always thrown me off, on a single carb I’m golden but add 1,2 or 3 more and I’m clueless on syncing them, or should say I WAS! Now i got a little better understanding of how to do it thanks to you and your channel!! God Bless my brother!!
Craig has the carb syncing theory a little wrong - there is no 'master' carb. Instead you balance carbs 1&2 with each other, then 3&4 together then use the central screw to balance 1&2 with 3&4.
Craig i just got 16" metzler cruise techs front and back for my 2004 road king. Wasnt an issue except for the price, but their good tires. 500$ installed front and back.
I worked at a bike shop in Bristol (the original one ) and in the 4years on the parts counter in the 1990s I only sold a few service items for this model .the hydraulic clutch slave cylinder was a week spot and for some reason the rear wheel bearings (don't know why) I had customers who used these for work dispatch riders who deliver important documents usually legal papers and some of them ran up over 100k with no problems.brilliant bike 👍
👍
Thank you my friend. For you info and comments. My kidneys have shut down 6 years ago.many I feel a burden on my family. Not many understand. It's nice to have someone to listen and not judge us or be negitive.
Needed this for some motivation, these videos are amazing keep it up I’m really loving the way your explanations are in detail. Much love ❤️
A pretty dirty trick i used on a tank once was to put pebbles in there like grade one stone (rinse any dirt off it first) and fill the tank up and slosh it around, with any luck the pebbles lightly scrub the bigger chunks of rust off.
You made me start buying old bike and fix them up. Nothing better than hearing a forgotten gem purr again
Nothing compares to that feeling :)
Fj1200 start working all the time, stopped 20 or 30 years, I still have my beautiful old Fj never let me down, easy to fix and bullit prove. Good video. Great bike.
Blue spots Hagon shock..
We need more videos! I watch anything man this is so friggin good! For cars I got junkyard digs and for bikes I got this legend. Really good ngl
Craig - A 50/50 mix of water and vinegar with a dash of salt and one literal drop of dish soap will often clean a tank in 15 minutes to an hour while if really badly scaled with rust might need a day or two. What you drain out can be used around fences as weed killer. If you had filled the tank with the vinegar solution when you first got there it may have been all ready to flush with the garden hose after you got the carbs back on. Some might use muriatic acid however you have to be much more careful with it and flush out the tank extremely well afterwards.
A can of Dry Gas might have gotten you past not borrowing a hair dryer to warm up the tank and dry it out before putting the gas in it. Sometimes even an old radiator hose on your trucks tail pipe can be used to dry things if you don't have easy access to a hair dryer or a heat gun with a low temp setting.
Best!
Ahhh man, right in the middle of the video you hit me with the feels man
My FJ1200 will do a standing ¼ in 10:00 sec...when new. All very solid at any age.
Blue spots on the 92.
I love all the videos you make since bikes and beards. Keep up the good work Craig and Dan.
Craig I love the therapy thing in this video and u are my idol on how u love working on older bikes and showing the average guy how to fix them
Dude right before you said that everyone says you remind them of vice grip, 1000% i thought that your just like derek cause you say, ill be dipped, just as he does, which is cool.....i live what you do way more cause im a bike guy a million% over vehicles....lol. Keep up the outstanding work with the channel man, always a thumbs up...
I’m convinced that there’s not a motorcycle out there you can’t get running!! You’re the motorcycle whisperer and a freakin genius!!
Since I started watching this channel I’ve thought that Craig and Derek would be hilarious together.
Y’all should put something together.
Keep up the amazing work guys!!
Oh yeah, Hi Dan!
When he said, “well I’ll be dipped” I was like yep, he watches VGG. Then I realized his entire video was the same type as Derek’s.
The best way I have found to remove rust from a fuel tank is to drop about a foot long piece of chain in the tank and shake it around. Rinse with some WD-40 and repeat. Carry a couple of gallon sized cans of the WD with you. It works great and burns off better than water.
Rusty, cruddy gas tanks are so predicible in your line of work that I think a tank tumbler would be a requirement in your endeavors 🙂
Craig,I’ve watched a few of your videos on getting these older bikes running. I’m impressed with your explanation of the issues on these bikes and how you go about trying to fix them. Great videos mate 👍🏾🇦🇺
Because of your videos I’m genuinely considering a old bike as a backup for commuting to work.
I bought a XR150L and it gets 100mpg, I use it for food delivery and my wife uses it for her hour long commute to work when the weather is nice.
Thanks for filling a void on UA-cam. It’s hard to find good channels of people rescuing old motorcycles and trying to ride them home. You guys do have an early Vice Grip Garage feel.
You are such a good person Craig.
In the future. Water is more dence than fuel. Put some gas in the tank, wait 10-15 minutes, and drain the line from the petcock. This will pull out the majority of the water. You can also add alcohol to the fuel, as it bonds with the water, and helps separate it faster.
Every time I see Craig working on one of these complicated modern bikes,I cherish the simplicity and accessibility of my ‘71 Guzzi.
I have a very hard time seeing a FJ 1200 as a complicated motorcycle. I have owned 3 of them amongst numerous other motorcycles in the last 50 years and find them to be a very simple, near bulletproof ride. Of course, everyone's mileage may vary....
There's no better motorcycle to bring back to life after being parked up for 20 years than a FJ 1100 or 1200. Extremely bulletproof engine, a rigid chassis that is ready for suspension, wheel and brake upgrades and a torque monster of an engine that pulls like a freight train. I've owned a 1990 FJ 1200 and currently own a 1993 FJ 1200 that has been treated to the full suspension upgrade and later model 17" Yamaha wheels. It shocks people when I tell them that my old Yamaha is 30 years old. Riders that ride it are even more shocked that it is 30 years old.
@20:00 you should start bringing BBs with you for these adventures to clean tanks with. I usually use copper BBs (like for BB guns) I've done that for quite a few tanks, just throw a little fluid like degreaser or white vinegar in with them then slosh and turn it while sloshing them around and it'll clean up tanks with just surface rust really good. If its a little deeper rust you can strap the tank to an atv/car wheel while jacked up and throw it in gear and it'll come out like new but it's definitely a lil sketchy lol.
We tend to put a bottle of methylated spirits in the tank if we have any water in it. It mixes with the water and helps it burn out of the system.
I have an 87 fj. I modified it for drag racing. lowered, r1 rims, lowered and tucked in the front fairing, dropped the handle bars 8 inches, wheelie bars, 2 step, air shifter, shortened the tail 14 inches and modified the seat. I bought it with 110 000 kms!!! I could tell it had been through a lot already. most fairing attachment points were broke, cracks everywhere. exhaust rotted at the collector so i modified the exhaust. raced 3.5 years with it. placed 3rd overall my second year, 4th place last year and it still wants more but i want to go faster so im going with the gsxr 1000 with extended swingarm... new ballgame
Thank you for talking about mental health. We can't do that enough.
Self inflicted problems. Never put water in a tank unless you have the time or equipment to dry it out completely before using it. If you are trying to get it going quickly, dump fresh gas in it, swish it around and then dump it out. Then you only have the left over rust to worry about.
Even though the cops won't admit it we are not required to have a license or license plates to travel on a personal vehicles only if you're driving in commerce
I own a 84' FJ 1100 that I restored a few years ago out from scratch into absolute original condition after sitting for 16 years. And I really love this bike.
Greetings from Germany
Love it. Been doing this for years. Just helped a buddy get an '81 Suzuki GS1100 going after a long nap. Fun bike. My brother had one.
Nothing like this era of sport/touring yamahas. The fun we had and stories I could share. Surprised we're still alive. Lol.
I used to have an FJ. A red 1TX which I had for a few years. Always reliable and with lots of grunt and decent handling for a big heavy bike. I replaced a rattling starter chain which meant splitting the motor, but a nice engine to work on. There's a great owners club in the UK with tool rental etc. Great video, thanks.
My buddy has 52 FJ's
Loved the fj1200. 1:51 in 86 I bought a VF1000R.
a year later I bought a FJ1200. Both terrific interstate cruise missles. Sport tourers.
Good timing about the therapy stuff. I hope that helps people. Another great episode you two, thank you
This was a great video and I would love to have an FJ1200 - but the best part was your BetterHelp advert. That took courage and class and you should be proud Craig.
I rebuilt an old Yamaha Radian with a really rusty tank. I bought a container of BB's, and along with a little gas, was able to clean the tank really well just by sloshing it around. Only took about 20 minutes of rolling it all around. You should keep a container of those in your trailer.
Rusty tank might now always be death sentence to it. I have repaired rusty and leaking gas tank on Ducati Monster with POR 15 type of kit. It was tedious job... The main problem was not the rust but leak from the hinge area where it was bent outwards and caused pinhole leak.
I know everyone hates ethanol in fuel but here's a place it could have helped. An old trick for if you had water in the fuel was to throw half a litre of ethanol/methylated spirits in the tank and give it a good shake. The water will attach itself to the ethanol and kind of mix with the fuel (not well, but well enough to get carried through with it if you don't leave it to settle). Ethanol usually comes as 70% and actively absorbs water but it's still flammable at 40% water (vodka burns). So a litre of 70% ethanol will absorb 750ml of water and still be flammable. Even better would be to rinse the tank with ethanol then empty it out before adding fuel, that's how I get tanks totally dry after rinsing them when adding a sealant.
For rusty tanks I've had great success using The Works toilet bowl cleaner, cleans the rust right up. Leave it set for an hour or three. Rinse with water and baking soda to neutralize the acid. Coat inside with WD40 . Works great.
My first and only motorcycle was an 86 FJ1100 so this hits me in the feels
When I was working in the “Bush”, we always put a couple of cup fulls of “Methylated Spirits” in a tank of gas - it mixes with the water and burns with the gas.
I have personally experienced what water does to your bike. My 99' Suzuki SV650 had a broken tank drain pipe which would let water into the tank and you could see the seperation of water and petrol when I drained it. Water sinks to the bottom and then thats what gets sucked into the carbs. I've heard methylated spirit absorbs water and makes it easier to burn, so try carrying that around and adding that into the fuel.
The guy clearly wanted to just give the bike to you but didn`t wanna be thanked, so you got , either the bike either the content for your channel .. pretty neat!
Back in the day I had a 1982 650 Seca. The engine and starter sounded exactly like the FJ you're working on.
Some screws or washers in the tank and water shake it around a bit works well to get rid of the rust
jack up one wheel of car strap tank to TIRE put car in drive
After watching your videos I got off my coach and worked on my 1973 GT250 twin that has sat for 20 years. It now starts with one kick. Now I have to clean the tank and fix the front brake and I can put it on the road.
Your happiness is infectious, the sheer joy of getting an engine to fire is amazing