MOTOBRICK.COM
TECHNICAL MOTOBRICK WRENCHING In Remembrance of Inge K. => The Motobrick Workshop => Topic started by: Froader4life on June 11, 2013, 12:01:00 PM
-
What should my order of operations be for getting this baby running. I'm super excited to build this thing up. Anything will help. I'm a full time mechanic/race car fabricator so I know what I'm doing I just know that every different vehicle has its own little special thing. Also is my bike the 2 valve or 4 valve? When did that switch happen?
The first pic is my bike and the second pic is my inspiration.
-
Welcome.
Start here: http://www.motobrick.com/index.php?topic=370.0 (http://www.motobrick.com/index.php?topic=370.0)
Then start reading through the rest of the stuff in the "Lieberry" section here. (they aren't really lies, it's suppose to be funny).
-
It's a 2 valve, the 4v didn't happen till about 1990. Biggest issue getting it running will be the fuel system, hope they drained it before storage. Otherwise, pump, damper around pump, & injectors are all suspect. Lots of changes from 85 to 86, but the pre-86 had an extra 10 hp and is ofter referred to as the "finest year K"
Driveshaft splines are one of the few weak points, need to be lubed every 20k or so. Instrument pod is another problem area with old K's. Otherwise, pretty straightforward and easy to work on. Enjoy!
-
As previously mentioned yours is a first series RS.. as Chaos has pointed out it has quite a few differences from the later 86 onwards model, from the fuel tank to the centre stand, from the instruments to the rear tail cowell. top to bottom, end to end, and many bits in between.
The later model , lets call it a Mk2... incorporated many design improvements in one swoop...having said that early versions like yours seem to survive perfectly well for 100,000 plus miles. The only concerning problem is that the centre stand is a bit weak and may collapse.
These bikes were styled by Hans Muth, The Suzuki Katana was also his work.
Most of your potential problems will be inside the fuel tank.. the aluminium tank can corrode if your unlucky. not a huge problem as pin hole leaks can be taken care off with a couple of blobs of epoxy. The fuel pump really suffers when the bike is not used. The old fuel degrades the rubber sleeve the pump sits in, it turns to slime and the pump ingests the mess and siezes. Man this can happen very quickly with fuel with alcohol in it.
It may look OK, try touching it to make sure its OK and not just semi dissolved paste. If all that is Ok and it cranks but doesn't start the injectors are probably frozen shut by dried out fuel resin. The in tank filter is Ok if you can "easily" blow through it. fuel lines in the tank must be suitable for constant fuel immersion ..if you need to replace make sure you get the right type. Remove fuel cap base (4 screws) to access tank insides.
The injectors will come out if you expose the fuel rail and lever it from each end with a small jemmy or large screwdriver. If it doesn't pop out with injectors attached, the injector O rings have gone hard.. squirt brake fluid or detergent at the base of each injector and try again. free the gummed up injectors with carb cleaner or acetone while running volts through them. Wash out tank with acetone if its contaminated..throw some objects in there like nuts and bolts and shake around.
The only other thing that I'm certain that will need attention is the headstem bearings. BMW choice of grease for these bearings was not a success. When left, the grease dries out and sets rock hard. Put the bike on the centre stand and if the bars feel stiff and notchy when turning the wheel lock to lock, drop the forks and get the triple clamps out and clean the bearings up and stick your favourite grease back in there. You'll need a 31mm or 32 mm socket and a lot of patience.
tell us what you find..
-
Great! Thank you guys! This is exactly what I was looking for. I did notice that the steering seemed very hard so that makes sense about the grease in the headset. I can't wait to dig into my bike but I have a super busy life right now. I will post results after I wrench on it a little more.
Anything else I should know?
-
Great! Thank you guys! This is exactly what I was looking for. I did notice that the steering seemed very hard so that makes sense about the grease in the headset. I can't wait to dig into my bike but I have a super busy life right now. I will post results after I wrench on it a little more.
Anything else I should know?
The steering drag you feel can also be the fluidbloc steering damper, not always bad bearings, but I would inspect them and the FB.
-
Also, suss out every rubber seal/o-ring/gasket/hose on the thing, order one of each, and replace them all now, as you're going through the rebuild. Many frustrating threads on here turn out to be dried, cracked rubber bits. The bike is engineered with the expectation that all the rubber is making a good seal. Once you start taking things apart, the patina that's keeping things sealed will be broken and you'll have nothing but grief.
Really, all of them. It'll run a couple hundred $$. If I bought another of these bikes, I'd do it. By now I've just about replaced them all on my '87; better to have done it all at once, especially if I were already going through every system as you will be.
-
Good call James. That brings up another question. Where is the best place to get replacement parts like that? Do bmw motorcycle dealers have anything for these bikes still?
-
The closest shop to me doesn't have much in the way of k-specific parts on hand, though things like crush washers are shared across many models, so they have those things.
I suspect most of us buy online. There are several dealers with good online parts departments (and invaluable online parts fiches). I've personally had good experiences ordering from MaxBMW, Bob's BMW, and BMW of Chattanooga. And virtually any part you need will be available. Some will be expensive; others not so much.
(I was just about flabbergasted to find I could order a new trip odometer reset knob for the long-discontinued Motometer, for $10. And the one that came was substantially better constructed than the one that had been on the bike before I hosed the cluster.)
-
Good call James. That brings up another question. Where is the best place to get replacement parts like that? Do bmw motorcycle dealers have anything for these bikes still?
Max will send you M&Ms with your order, if that makes a difference to you.
-
Beemer Boneyard is your new best friend. You'll especially appreciate their oil change and other kits that include everything you need, all the right sizes.... Z-hoses..... brake pads...... and on and on.....
-
So I finish stripping it down. I'm very happy with how unmolested it is. Still had factory BMW tool kit and first aid kit. Awesome! Once I had all the body panels off I hooked up a battery just to see what kind of life it had in it. Gauge cluster fired right up, so then I tried to turn it over. Turned over pretty well and got oil pressure after cranking for 10 seconds or so. At that point I got excited so I when to hook up the tank that I had taken off earlier. When I plugged the fuel pump in with the bike "on", I didn't here the pump making any noise. For some reason I still tried to put fuel in the tank just to see if that would do anything. The only thing it did was show me that there is a hole in my gas tank.
So I know there is a lot I need to do before I should actually start it IE change fluids, check spark, change hoses... But now I know that my fuel pump is probably dead and I need to patch my tank. Anyone know the best solution for sealing up the tank? Epoxy from the outside? Sloshing the tank with a tank liner?
Also if you noticed, that is my Buell 1125cr in the background. She's my daily driver. Kind of a brand new modern cafe racer.
-
Also if anyone is in need of stock parts let me know. I'm getting ride of most the body work, lights mirrors... Let me know.
-
Pull the fuel pump and bench test it. (You'll need to take everything apart in there anyway to assess and likely replace the fuel pump vibration damper & intake screen.)
The problem could be with the persnickety fuel level sender, which is a unit with the fuel tank connector. The ground wire especially has a tendency to lose connection where it's soldered to the bottom of the plate (outside the tank).
Before you take apart the stuff in the tank, note and perhaps photograph the hose arrangement and fuel flow arrow on the filter so you get it all back together easily.
-
I'd be very interested in the upper fairing. I have same bike in same color and it recently was knocked over and cracked the fairing.
-
Pm sent
-
I personally wouldn't use a liner of any kind in the tank. Use the epoxy fix someone alluded to - do a search.
-
Do you still have the bodywork? I might be interested in all of the bodywork. I have a 1985 K100, is all of the bodywork interchangeable?
-
Where the hell is the battery in your "inspiration" pic???
-
I do have some body work left. Here is a link to my other thread for selling my stuff:
http://www.motobrick.com/index.php?topic=4607.0 (http://www.motobrick.com/index.php?topic=4607.0)
As for the battery, it is hidden under the rear cowl behind the seat. I already have gotten a smaller than stock battery and am in the process of mounting it now. I love the look of being able to see through triangle in the frame where the battery usually is.
-
i owned a 81 katana. the steering became very stiff. i was told that the bearings needed to be regreased and was quoted lots of money for the job. i found out where the bearings were situated, drilled a tiny hole just above the bearing and squirted a lubricant into the hole. problem solved.
-
i owned a 81 katana. the steering became very stiff. i was told that the bearings needed to be regreased and was quoted lots of money for the job. i found out where the bearings were situated, drilled a tiny hole just above the bearing and squirted a lubricant into the hole. problem solved.
Thanks I checked it out. I don't need any of that stuff. I was mainly interested in the front fairing. Thanks though!
I saw you're located in Vista? My shop (www.racetechelectric.com (http://www.racetechelectric.com)) is in Carlsbad, right by Palomar Airport. We make motorcycle electrical parts. I've got my 85 K100 torn down there right now for a major service. You should stop by sometime for a beer and to bullshit bikes!
-
That's so funny. I work right by the airport too on Rutherford road. I would love to stop by and check out another k bike! I will try to stop by next week. What's the best time to stop by?
-
..... These bikes were styled by Hans Muth, The Suzuki Katana was also his work....
The Suzuki xn85 was also some of his work. To me it looks more like a K bike than any other Jap bike I have seen. I have tried one of these turbo monsters and they are super quick. Rare bike too.