Valve guide issue percentages

[HPTuner]

I'm looking at an '04 with 12,000 miles on the clock. But after doing research on Gen1s, I'm kinda gunshy because of the ticker issue. Does anybody know what kind of percentages of bikes this problem affected? Wondering what my chances are...

 

[Ignacio]

Covered here, here, and other places many, Many, MANY times. No percentage is known for sure....other than its low. Search on terms like +ticker +percentage.

P.S. It's a valve seal issue...not a guide issue.

 

[WRichStrom]

https://www.fjrforum.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=108980

I have a Gen II but I bet it is very low. Read a bit more with many of the Gen I guys with 100,000 miles + with no issues.

 

[Bungie]

If the Prince of Darkness, Lucas, rode a modern bike, it'd be a Gen II.

I'd buy a ticking Gen 1 any day (hey wait a minute! I did!) over a bike with a wiring harness designed for a toaster oven.

 

[GPRIDER]

Speaking of toaster ovens, my 04 was mighty toasty. Not so much on the 08.

GP

 

[SkooterG]

I'm looking at an '04 with 12,000 miles on the clock. But after doing research on Gen1s, I'm kinda gunshy because of the ticker issue. Does anybody know what kind of percentages of bikes this problem affected? Wondering what my chances are...

I keep on buying low mileage 04 FJRs so obviously it's not a deterrent to me.

 

[HawkWing]

TICK, TICK, TICK . . . KABOOM!

Find yerself a low mileage Gen II & never look back.

 

[SkooterG]

TICK, TICK, TICK . . . KABOOM!

Find yerself a low mileage Gen II & never look back.

Yeah, when you are walking on the side of the road to get to the next town because that POS Gen II you were riding fried it's electrics and left you stranded.....DON'T LOOK BACK!!!!

 

[Ignacio]

TICK, TICK, TICK . . . KABOOM!

Find yerself a low mileage Gen II & never look back.

Yeah, when you are walking on the side of the road to get to the next town because that POS Gen II you were riding fried it's electrics and left you stranded.....DON'T LOOK BACK!!!!

Exactly. And for the few that do tick....it's actually Tick, Tick, Tick..........for 20,000 miles and a little bit of oil........Fluh!

No kaboom.

 

[HotRodZilla]

TICK, TICK, TICK . . . KABOOM!

Find yerself a low mileage Gen II & never look back.

Yeah, when you are walking on the side of the road to get to the next town because that POS Gen II you were riding fried it's electrics and left you stranded.....DON'T LOOK BACK!!!!

Exactly. And for the few that do tick....it's actually Tick, Tick, Tick..........for 20,000 miles and a little bit of oil........Fluh!

No kaboom.

Yeabutt kaboom is much more dramatic. AND...FWIW, You guys are just jealous that my toaster oven is prettier than your toaster oven.

 

[garyahouse]

For all the months that the weather is cool, I enjoy the toaster. Seems to me that would be a plus if someone lived in a cooler climate.

Gary

darksider #44

 

[Bungie]

For all the months that the weather is cool, I enjoy the toaster. Seems to me that would be a plus if someone lived in a cooler climate.

True that.

The only time I've thought my bike was 'hot' was crossing the desert near Page Az. Then again, a Rolls with the Climate Control on a full blast probably would've felt hot.

 

[Bungie]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but has any Gen1 ever gone kaboom from valve guide failure? I know we've lost a few to CCT's (both generations), but how about directly caused by oil starvation of the exhaust valve guides?

I know personally of at least 2 Gen 1 that have been ticking furiously for 50,000 plus miles and don't spew excessive amounts of oil. The owners don't seemed concerned in the least.

The flip side is the number of posts you can find on this forum where somebody got their *** stranded by ignition switches or spiders. Some multiple times. Not a week went by this past summer where we didn't see a post about it.

Enjoy your Gen ii (lower case intentional).

Me, when it's time to replace my Gen 1. It'll be another Gen 1, or something else.. C14? XC800? New 1200 Trophy? But I know what it won't be.

The really sad bit is when somebody inquires about the bike and I have to tell them not to, knowing they'll end up with a Gen ii. I can't, in good conscious recommend a bike I wouldn't buy.

 

[Bounce]

feh! i'd recommend either readily. highly reliable compared to the competition. there are little things but mama yama seems to address them much more aggressively than the competition.

the 3 major items are handled with awareness and PM.

the subjective issues are all rider-perceived. ALL bikes are hot in the SW Summer.

 

[HotRodZilla]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but has any Gen1 ever gone kaboom from valve guide failure? I know we've lost a few to CCT's (both generations), but how about directly caused by oil starvation of the exhaust valve guides?

I know personally of at least 2 Gen 1 that have been ticking furiously for 50,000 plus miles and don't spew excessive amounts of oil. The owners don't seemed concerned in the least.

The flip side is the number of posts you can find on this forum where somebody got their *** stranded by ignition switches or spiders. Some multiple times. Not a week went by this past summer where we didn't see a post about it.

Enjoy your Gen ii (lower case intentional).

Me, when it's time to replace my Gen 1. It'll be another Gen 1, or something else.. C14? XC800? New 1200 Trophy? But I know what it won't be.

The really sad bit is when somebody inquires about the bike and I have to tell them not to, knowing they'll end up with a Gen ii. I can't, in good conscious recommend a bike I wouldn't buy.

Give me a break Steve. The low percentage of bikes having BS issues is VERY low. With electrics, I stills have to wonder how many of those spider failures weren't caused by improper wiring. You and I know the owners will never fess up, so its just kind of hanging out there

My GenII has NEVER failed me. It was taken in for the recalls, but never showed any signs of having a problem.

You wouldn't recommend an FJR to someone based on peoples pussified bitching on this forum? Really??? Go buy another bike. It wont be long before you're bitching about something being wrong with that one too.

 

[Bungie]

Give me a break Steve. The low percentage of bikes having BS issues is VERY low. With electrics, I stills have to wonder how many of those spider failures weren't caused by improper wiring. You and I know the owners will never fess up, so its just kind of hanging out there

Not to worry AJ, I give you many breaks

In fact, I'm giving you one now. The fact that you contradicted yourself in that paragraph is enough proof.

 

[HotRodZilla]

Give me a break Steve. The low percentage of bikes having BS issues is VERY low. With electrics, I stills have to wonder how many of those spider failures weren't caused by improper wiring. You and I know the owners will never fess up, so its just kind of hanging out there

Not to worry AJ, I give you many breaks

In fact, I'm giving you one now. The fact that you contradicted yourself in that paragraph is enough proof.

Haha...**** you Steve (Hey, that rolls off as nice as **** you Bob)! I saw that but had typed from my phone and got busy.

What I was TRYING to say is that I think a lot of the GenII issues are caused by owners who have limited knowledge ******* up the wiring in their bike and then freaking out when a spider melts.

MC wiring is notoriously chickenshit, and adding all the draw some people add has consequences. I was truing to say that the people that have miswired farkles and caused issues are not going to jump up and admit it. Either out of pride or blatant ignorance.

I've yet to see an FJR without tons of **** added to the electrical system have a failure. Maybe I'm wrong, and I don't know why GenIs aren't seeing the same failure rate, but I would bet aftermarket capacity was unintentionally lowered with the grounding changes, which are not as forgiving.

Either way, my FJR has been stone reliable and I don't foresee any issues coming up.

Love ya man... :****:

 

[Bungie]

Love ya man... :****:

Well ya!

Consider this though, if Yamaha, or, any manufacturer for that matter, determined that the cause of any failure was caused by owner modification, do you think they'd issue wholesale recalls on it?

Glad your bike is stone nuts reliable though.

Your right about the bitching though. I bought the little CBR for bombing around town. Brand new bike - first year, and theirs a metric **** pile of owners complaining that the engines rattle loudly between 5K-6K. Mine's quiet as can be (well, 'cept for the 2Bros.. that **** IS LOUD!). So far, no word from Honda on the cause or even acknowledgement that it exists. So, spends your money and take your chances. Just do the research first, which is what the original guy was doing.

 

[Bounce]

Gen1 didn't fail because the early PdP buyers were "well seasoned" in riding and farkling (a lot for LD riding)? They did all their mods with independant harnesses and relays; not slicing into the OEM harness by either tapping to relays inside a connector or by using Posi-Taps?

But that's just a guess.