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TECHNICAL MOTOBRICK WRENCHING In Remembrance of Inge K. => Project Custom Motobricks => Topic started by: Andrewck on September 25, 2014, 05:40:20 PM
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My name is Andrew and I am an idiot. I have been good at tinkering my entire life, it's not only a hobby, but a passion of mine. I need to understand how things work and always want to improve them. Other than being an idiot, I'm a minimalist, love functionality and most frustrated by the ubiquitous items we find in the world today...furniture, cars, clothing, ect. You could say that I love quality one-off items, something that show off people's personality and taste. Much to the angst of my gf, I've built our desk from scrap barn wood, chandelier from tobacco sticks, bar and bookshelf from plumbing pipe and always take the DIY approach.
My tinkering has been confined to my apartment, but could only be contained for so long. The next victim is a bike, something I've always wanted and only recently received my license for. I wanted something reliable, and couldn't settle for stock, so I've decided to build a stripped down bike. While not a true cafe racer, what I envision in my head best fits that term. I purchased a 1990 BMW K75S with 38,xxx mi on the odometer for this project. The bike will be ridden to work daily on the potholed streets of Chicago. It will be well maintained, ridden hard, but never babied. I expect it to be bumped, scratched, dropped and well loved for the tool that it is.
For all your K purists out there, turn away now, click the back button, save yourselves. I know the strong opinions that run with these bikes. I have a true appreciation for the bike, I really do! But I need to make it different, make it mine. This thread will chronicle my tinkering, my experiences and mostly my mistakes as I go into this with zero wrenching experience. Aside from having a great form of transportation and vehicle that brings pure joy, my goal is to leave this forum a slightly better place than I found it by sharing my experiences with you.
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Go for it! All the purists are over on BMWMOA. Hard to do a good looking cafe bike out of a K, when you strip off all the plastic it looks like, well, a brick.
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So, first order of business was to make a second key since the original is 24 years old and I fear the worst should I break it or lose it. After doing significant research, I purchased an Ilco SR61N from keys4urride.com and took it to my local locksmith (did not trust Ace or Home Depot) to cut it. For $1 in labor they were able to cut the key and take the extra shoulder off of it, allowing you to completely insert it into the ignition. Works perfectly!
The most important thing for me to do at this point is establish a maintenance baseline for my bike. That includes:
Engine oil
Transmission oil
Final drive oil
Fork oil
Coolant
Spark plugs
Brake fluid
Fuel filter
Air filter
I've chosen poorly, since I'm a dummy, and decided to go ahead and do the air filter first, requiring the removal of the tank. I discovered that there are nozzles with hoses under there that seemingly were unattached to anything. Now it is my understanding that those hoses are excess fuel drainoff that are hooked to tubing that drains behind the rear footpeg. Air filter box clips all popped off when detaching them, so work carefully to make sure they stay connected to their mounting point.
When replacing the oil, it appears I'm the first one to switch over from regular to synthetic. I purchased Mobil 1 15w-50 and it was a relatively easy, yet messy, procedure to change the oil and oil filter. I'm noticing that the bike guzzles oil and I'm topping off every few rides to make sure oil is not falling behind the low mark in the window. No leaks from reassembly, so thinking it might be to do with switching to synthetic. Bike is performing fine now and this was a good confidence booster for future jobs.
So at this point, it's like making a Christmas list of what I want to do to the bike and then looking for part suppliers and crossing things off the list. I think this is going to be a three phase project.
Phase 1:
maintenance baseline
remove fairings & luggage racks
remove passenger foot pegs
headlight & brackets
front turn signals
clip on handlebars
grips
relocate ignition
Spiegler front end brake kit
Phase 2:
Spiegler rear brake kit
full spline lube (this one scares me)
fork boots
speedometer and odometer
new rear sets
mesh plating side covers
remove all metal pegs/brackets
Phase 3:
shorten frame
new rear
new brat-style seat with integrated taillight
rear turn signals
clutch and cable
brake kit
hoses all-around
remove and reroute electronics
powder coat
paint job
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Go for it! All the purists are over on BMWMOA. Hard to do a good looking cafe bike out of a K, when you strip off all the plastic it looks like, well, a brick.
And here in the UK - "The OFFICIAL BMW Club UK" - anal freaks.
Decluttering the bike of it's plastic bits and other squitter you don't want will not only save about 80 lbs weight [ = additional speed ], but the sale of which will add to your stash to buy the bits you want !
Double check your fork stanchion size [ 41.4mm or 41.7mm ] as there are NO clip ons that size ! You go for 41mm or 42mm. I went for 42mm and eased the clamp gap out. Ditto check fit of handlebar controls - gnats cock interferance fit WILL break the alloy housing IF you try to force them on. I eased mine out [ controls ] with a round file - 10 minute job.
When doing your maintainance schedule - check the plug leads. Most overlooked part of maintainance.
In my experience - Synthetic oil is an expensive solution looking for a non existing problem - and bloody expensive.
While you're checking / re-routing the electrtics - give ALL connections a check over and a good cleaning with switch cleaner / similar.
Keep the pix coming.
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My k drinks oil in anything remotely synthetic. The lower tech the better (and cheaper)
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Andrew, You should reach out to Healthy (http://www.motobrick.com/index.php?action=profile;u=745).
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Thanks for the suggestion. Always nice to have a friend in the neighborhood.
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What sort of seat is it that came off the bike?
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spline lube scares you but shorten the frame no problem ???
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I feel like I want to copy and paste this whole post and just say "Ditto"!!
Please keep us updated with Pics!
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Sorry for the absence, winter in Chicago does a funny thing to people. Going into winter, you have these grand ideas about all the free time you will have, alone to work on your bike, drink some beers and recharge your batteries before the flurry of spring arrives. The reality is I spend 1/3 of my life on another continent for work and I'm too tired when I get home at night or from a trip to even think about my bike. Weekends are spent running awful errands and free time really does evaporate away, just like the hope of nice weather.
I apologize for the delay between posts, trust me that nobody is more disappointed than I am in my lack of progress. The idea of stripping down a bike seemed easy, but each project has become a daunting task. Every time I set out to relocate an ignition, change the coolant or remove a seat, I'm greeted with stripped screws, rust or some other unforeseen issue. But some progress has been made...
The first project was to remove the handlebars, mirrors, headlight, speedometer and remaining front upper fairing. A couple of the screws were stripped on the handlesbars, but I had some replacements laying around fortunately. I've decided to go with strap-ons handlebars and a 7 1/2" British style headlight. I found both parts at DCC and ordered the 41mm strap-ons. In order for the strap-ons to fit, I ended up using a little brute force and a pair of pliers to widen up the openings. Once the upper fork mount was off, the handlebars were slid on and pounded down with a rubber mallet. The mounting hardware that was included easily secured the handlebars. The controls also needed a little finessing when mounting onto the new strap-ons. It took some playing around with the alignment and height, but eventually I found a comfortable riding position that gave adequate tank clearance.
At that point, I finished off the handlebars with a new pair of grips, also from DCC. Putting grips onto bars is AWFUL. I read somewhere about using hairspray to slide them on. This worked well on the left handlebar, but trying to slide the grip over the throttle control proved to be a huge struggle. Even when I got it on, the throttle would stick when pulling it back. I had to back the grip off slightly to prevent any throttle problems. The same happened with the bar-end mirrors. They attach with a little washer inside the bar and then screw in from the outside. Left handlebar no problem...right handlebar was 2 hours of swearing and fishing parts out of the handlebar with a wire hanger. Wish I could give great advice on how to do it smoothly. I can't. Just keep some beers nearby and have faith it will get done.
I thought the headlight was going to be my biggest challenge. Called up my local shop and they told me it would take a couple hours and probably run $200-$400 to wire headlight and turn signals. I called BS and ordered a $10 mounting bracket off Fleabay. The bracket said it fit forks 38mm-42mm. It did require a little bending, but the bracket mounted on easily and the light fits well inside. I was looking for the correct screws for mounting when it dawned on me that I may be able to incorporate my turn signals into the unit. Sure enough, the screws on the signals are the same diameter as the opening for the brackets and headlight. The indicators are LED, but a couple of snipped wires, wire caps and electrical tape and the LED signals were hooked up to the OEM wiring harness. The headlight also hooked up perfectly to the OEM harness, no surprises. Whole installation took no more than 1 hour. I still think the light is a little high, so next step is to lower the brackets an inch or so. The all black front end ties in nicely to the overall look of the Brick. Since lights are LED, I get hyperblink when I turn on indicators. I know there is a fix for that, but I kinda like it the way it is.
Speedometer is still disconnected as I am selling it. No idea what unit I will replace the OEM with, but I've got the ugly wiring harness hanging out from behind the headlight. That's a worry for another day...
Since the dash pad and all electronics were ripped out during the handlebar project, I decided to relocate the ignition. The wiring is a mile long so I've decided to put it behind the airbox on the right side. No idea yet how to mount it, so it may be zipties for a while.
I figured that I should probably replace those 25 year old brake lines at this time, especially since the old brake line wasn't long enough to run through the upper fork mount after moving it's position on the strap-ons. The new handlebar position moved the lines out about 1" so I called up Spiegler and explained exactly what I needed. They were able to fabricate a new upper brake line for me with a special banjo bolt. After playing with the rotation of the bolt, I was able to install the new upper and easily install the lowers. Great system and I strongly suggest you buy a handvac bleeder if you do this job yourself. I got some brake fluid in the guage (don't ask me how) during my first attempt at bleeding the brakes, but eventually go the job completed and new fluid installed.
I didn't care for the long front fenders, so with the help of a friend with an eye for design we put masking tape on the fenders, sketched out a more refined design and I went to work with a Dremel to cut them down. They look like crap. Not because he sketched them out poorly, but because I botched the job with Mr. Dremel. I cut the front fender back way too far, exposing the black mount underneath. I apparently also never learned to color within the lines either. My cutting was all over the place. It is absolutely more refined, but needs some TLC from somebody with a much sharper saw and steadier hand than my own. For another day...
Battery is out for the winter. Seat and tail section came off and are being sold. Next step is to cut the frame and build a cafe seat, cut the rear fender and find some lighting for the rear. Also want to lower the front end by 2", but one of the bolts on the lower triple clamp is frozen and I'm not sure how I'm going to get it loose.
Progress is slow, but still fun and I am finally able to see my cafe project taking shape. I want to dive in and just keep tackling projects...I'll have plenty of time to circle back and fix my mistakes in the future.
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This thread is nothing without photos...
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Clips-ons, headlight, grips, indicators, upper brake line
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Clips-ons, headlight, grips, indicators, upper brake line
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thoughts on the ignition
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one last shot of the front
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thoughts on the ignition
That's exactly where mine has been for 25k miles. Love it.
I used two worm-gear clamps, linked to each other; one on the frame and one on the switch housing. Paint them black first.
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That's a great idea. I had seen some machine milled solutions for triumph thruxtons and was looking for a clean solution, but love the simplicity of the worm-gear clamps. Think I'll have to make my way to the hardware store for some soon.
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Nice job to date.
One point ..... as you went to all the trouble of having a new m/c top hose made, why not take it to a tee under the lower yoke to hide it a bit ?
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I'm liking it so far. Re the front fender. A bit of time with a piece of 80 grit on a block followed by finer stuff will have things shipshape.
Something about that big engine package that makes K cafe bikes look so hazardous... Like some kind of weapons system. I like it!
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One of the strongest cafe bikes around.
Mine was cafe ish not bars not lowered, I am too tall for that.
Bike would ride anywhere with that motor, I added windsheild.
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Awesome job! I was considering doing the same or similar, but the expense of a new motor made the mods cost prohibitive. So how much do you want for the plastic you removed? Because as you can see by my profile pic, I have the same color bike that could use a middle section and radiator cover with bottom, though I have no use for the fairing. :clap:
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Well here is the story, bought bike for $900
no mirrors, no signals low bars
but motor and trans were flawless and had service history to present miles
Bought high bars and traded low bars for longer controls and new perches.
bought 2 new mirrors and grips
Had front brake line made custom, $25
Rode bike for 2 + years, sold it last spring and miss it now
Ridding a k1200lt love it for long and short rides, just want a smaller lighter bike to have fun with
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The headlight had 50w and 100w bulb
was attached to a 4" X 4" stainless angl iron, 1/4 inch thick
Also used sheet stainless to mount speedo
windsheild was 1150 gs with gs bracket, adjustable
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thoughts on the ignition
Here's how I did it.
http://www.motobrick.com/index.php/topic,3605.msg21610.html#msg21610
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Bill, I've probably looked at your thread 30x over the past 4 months. Have you had any issues with the setup since your conversion? Noticed any issues with your intake drawing enough air? What scares me off from that setup is the inability to relocate the ignition if I'm not fully sold one it in a year, I have a few other keys on my keychain so they would hang off onto the engine block and the location does seems somewhat low. Can you reach the ignition while you're on the bike or do you have to insert/remove the key before getting on?
Also, below is a photo of Joker's Thruxton machined ignition relocation bracket.
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No effect on the engine; it's well documented that the K airbox and air filter is way bigger than needed. It's easy to reach the key from the saddle (like when I switch off the engine before parking). The wad of JB Weld has held up fine.
If I had a bunch of keys on a chain it would be a problem -- they would rattle on the engine.
I could re-relocate the ignition if I wanted to -- I'd just have to cover the 1" hole in the airbox, or buy one off a bike being parted out.
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Andrew, you're doing fine, man! Perfection doesn't exist and, if it did, would be over-rated! You are our biker philosopher. You DO like to write. It's good reading. The only thing worse than making a mistake on your K bike would to not have one at all. And, IMHO, these bikes are amazing to look at no matter what you do to them. They are beautiful stock, beautiful custom, beautiful in pieces. It's the damn engine...nothing else looks like it. And that's exactly why I bought Heinz. So you enjoy it...we are both climatically challenged and suffering from PMS....Parked Motorcycle Syndrome!! So wrench away, shop away on your screen and before you know it you'll be rolling! Keep the posts coming. We all enjoy them!
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Kris, thanks for the reminder and boost of confidence. I often forget what I've accomplished with the K75 and just focus on the remaining work. These bikes are supposed to be fun and there's no right or wrong as long as you're enjoying them. I mentioned that I haven't gotten the wrenching hours in that I hoped due to a busy travel schedule. Thought I'd share an email update I wrote to some friends as 1) it explains where my time goes 2) should make you feel better about your daily routine.
Good morning from beautiful Buenos Aires. I hope everybody is doing well in their respective parts of the world, especially those with snow and cold weather...
Let me start this email by saying if things continue to go in this direction for me, somebody in Chicago will have to negotiate my ransom while I lay in the trunk of a car. I'm not sure how much more can go wrong before the inevitable next step of drug lords finding me, but at least the weather is great.
Saturday
Flight delayed from O’hare 3 hours and missed my connecting flight to Medellin. Choices are spend a night/day in Miami and fly out the next night...hopefully, or fly to Bogota in 2 hours, layover for 6 hours and fly to Medellin early the next morning. I chose to fly out...wrong decision.
Sunday
Slept on the floor of the airport in Bogotá. Pros: Great new modern airport and I'm in Colombia on time. Cons: city is at 9000ft in the mountains and the airport is built entirely out of metal and glass. Outside is 35 degrees and inside the air conditioning is full arctic blast. Now I'm sick, freezing and wearing 3 dress shirts to stay warm on the floor of the airport. But hey, at least I beat the rush through security!
Finally get into Medellin the next morning only to discover that the airline lost my bag for 3 days with all my suits in it. And underwear. And toiletries. And t-shirts. Solution? LAN airlines gave me a wonderful travel kit with mini toiletries and a matching white cotton shirt/80s tennis shorts. Looks like a bad outfit the villains would wear in a James Bond movie during training to take over a space station.
So three days pass and my luggage doesn't make it to my hotel. Hedge fund conference the next day and I have to fly back to Bogota. Who calls me up? A guy with my bag. Hooray! But he asks me to give him his bag. Whaaaat? This is already getting sketchy. Well it turns out it wasn't the airline calling me, but in fact some American traveler who had a matching black garment bag that was lost. He was staying at the hotel and the airline delivered my bag to him. Didn't check the name or anything, just figured 'hey how many black bags can possibly be at the airport, let's just dole them out to people like chips at a casino.' So the guy gave me my bag and expected me to have his, but I had nothing. So he angrily went on his way, but at least I had clothes.
Friday
Colombian airport delayed my flight for 3 hours for no reason. Oh except that maybe the reason that they were building my plane out of old coke cans and tin foil. Left from gate 52 and you would expect the plane to be at the gate, but nope we get on buses. Hundreds of us. And where do the buses go? Oh a nice 20 minute ride through the country and airport outskirts to a plane hidden in a field. Of course, gate 52, between the army helicopter and cows.
So then as I board the Aerolinias Argentinas airplane, the plane is making noises as somebody had not secured a coke can somewhere in the turbine engine and something was rattling around and making 'non-airplane noises'.
On the flight, the electrical systems kept going out. My headrest tv turned on and off randomly. The lights in the cabin would turn on and off randomly on the whole plane. The damn flight attendant call button kept ringing randomly for 6 hours. Six hours!!!!!!
But I survived the flight. Got off the plane, cleared customs and and it took 30 minutes for a taxi to arrive at the airport. How is that possible? Oh I dunno, it's Argentina. Why would there be taxis at the airport for a large international flight?
Taxi ride from the airport to my apartment there was a burned out car missing all it's parts just off the freeway. Literally just a metal frame stripped of wheels, engine, weather stripping, windows, doors and the likes. If they could have taken the paint, I'm sure they would have.
Finally see my work colleague and it's the high points of a long day. She gives me my apartment key and I check out the new digs. What do I first notice? Oh just that my living room doesn't have a couch. Just a mattress in front of the tv. Oooooooook. Love the crack house feel. They must know I'm from Oakland.
Next I see the pillows are thin. So thin that I have to stack 2 just to be able to sleep. Again, that cozy crack house feel.
So my apartment's view is the hospital across the street, nothing special, but nothing to complain about. It's late and there's somebody standing in the window of a hospital room looking up at me in my lit window. I wave to him. He doesn't wave back. Jerk. Then I realize he doesn't have any arms....
Saturday
At dinner with my work friend and her sister. It started to rain. Pour. Torrential downpour. It rained so hard that it flooded the outside covered patio we were on and forced a few people to abandon their tables. Water was pouring in from trees planted through the ceiling. Some trees were sprayed with insulation foam to keep water out but not all of them thus allowing an insane amount of water into the eating space. We took a boat home.
I'm tired, I get home from dinner and closed my living room/bedroom door only to be locked out at 2:30am. Of an internal door. How do you get locked out of your own bedroom while inside your own apartment. My colleague had to come over with a locksmith and open my door up so I could get into my bedroom and bathroom. Turned out our new friend was an extra from Lord of the Rings and played the troll. The evil one who had wheezing problems, seriously heavy breathing and grunted a lot. Finally the troll uses a piece of wire to jimmy open the lock and give me my apartment back. Precious....
Now I learn my apartment has a fruitfly invasion. They are everywhere. Literally everywhere and I don't even have food here yet.
So I'm finally going to sleep and there are homeless people sleeping on the steps and entrance to the hospital that is my apartments view. They are throwing punches and yelling at 3:00am. Bum fights!!
Well the day is over in one of the nicest neighborhoods in Buenos Aires and I'm in bed for two minutes and I hear a loud 'pop' and see a huge flash from the living room. Door is open because I'm scared to death about now getting locked in my bedroom. All my lights/AC go out in the apartment and there is smoke coming from the living room. Nothing like a small electrical fire from the tv power outlet to spice things up. There is now a burned out electrical outlet in the other room. Power was just restored today.
Tuesday
Beautiful rainy 75 degree day here in BA. Other than power washing the hospital steps down this morning and the citizen types reclaiming the main entrance, it's been a few days without an incident so I'm pretty confident the worst is behind me.
Hot water not yet restored so my showers look like interpretive dance. Cleaning lady coming this afternoon to clean the colony of dead fruitflies out of my sliding door track and the black mold out of my freezer. Oh did I mention there is mold in my freezer? Ice cube trays look like I could strap a leash on and take them for a walk.
Abrazos (unless you don't have any arms)
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Great story, Andrew. Reminds me of some of my adventures doing industrial equipment installations in India in the 70's and 80's. The golden age of air travel ended in the early 70's when they put in the metal detectors and the airline people knew that all the passengers were disarmed and could do them no harm.
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So I am recently unemployed and will now have a fair amount of time on my hands. Trying to be productive, I figure I'll take a few days and tackle some bike projects before starting the job search. Today I decided to work on the ignition relocation project and took some previous advice and use two worm gear clamps to put the ignition right behind the air filter box. It took two hardware stores, but I eventually found a pair of $.90 clamps in the correct size. I made a dry run with the clamps to make sure they would fit right and was pretty damn happy with the result.
(http://)
I slapped a coat of black Rustoleum paint on them, waited not nearly long enough for them to dry and ended up with an incognito ignition that feels really really secure.
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The next project was to lower the front end by 1". It is a boring and relatively uneventful project, consisting of taking bolts off, applying copper anti-seize and screwing said bolts back in. Not sure how much this is going to affect performance, but the bike's stance does appear slightly more aggressive.
I've got a jungle of wires up front that needs to be managed. I'm looking to use self closing braided line. Does anybody have experience with it? I've seen something similar on other bikes, but not sure what's best to use.
http://www.electriduct.com/Self-Closing-Braided-Wrap.html
I've also got some very unsightly openings on the side of my bike I want to cover with perforated mesh. No idea where in Chicago to get this stuff or find somebody to custom cut it.
Any pointers on the next projects would be much appreciated.
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One more thing...I found what I consider the perfect cafe racer tail. I know I'll already be cutting the frame to shorten the tail of my bike, but would anybody have a suggestion as to where to find a tail like the one below? I don't have the resources to make my own, so I'm kinda at the mercy of online retail.
Which brings me to the fact that I need to sell everything that came off my bike to finance the fun new projects. If you're in Chicago or would like to pick it up, please feel free, otherwise I am happy to ship within CONUS. Available parts are below.
http://www.motobrick.com/index.php/topic,6595.0.html
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Nice trick with the hose clamps. One suggestion if I might. Check to see if they say "all stainless" and see if the screw is magnetic. A lot of those hose clamps are stainless with plain steel worm screws that will rust and make a mess. Better to check and change them now than after they make a bunch of rust stains.
Perforated stainless should be available at any industrial supply house that supplies businesses that do fabrication for the food and chemical industry. Being in Chicago, it shouldn't be too hard to find. I would check the fabricators first. They might have some usable scraps and would be able to form the covers for you as well. If not, they could send you to a good source.
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Just wondering, if you are using the grip heater that comes with the bike or not, if yes, where did you place the switch? thanks.
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Just wondering, if you are using the grip heater that comes with the bike or not, if yes, where did you place the switch? thanks.
I am not using the grip heaters. They didn't come with my bike
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So I wasn't happy with any of the cafe tails I saw online, the shapes are all too round and I just felt it wouldn't mesh well with the awesome 80s angles of the K75. I ended up running across a video from DCC that showed how to shape your own tail and lay it using fiberglass. With some time on my hands and my want to get messy...away I went. Step-by-steps for the next person who wants a custom tail, glass in their hands and a healthy coating of dust for their lungs.
1/ Went to a local craft store and purchased:
Styrofoam board
Florist foam
Home Depot provided:
Loctite adhesive (buy the spray and not actual glue, I found out the hard way)
Bondo fiberglass resin
Fiberglass cloth
Cheapo paintbrushes
Latex gloves
2/ Lay the styrofoam on your frame and start gluing the florist block on top of the board to start to build up your tail. Allow the block to dry for one day. Use a sharpie to trace out the frame in the board and use a file to carve out a channel for the tail section to rest in.
3/ Use a serrated bread knife to begin to shape your seat and tail section. (It is always better to make more cuts and slowly shave down as you can't add foam back.) Once you're happy with the general shape of your seat, STOP. Do the rest by hand.
4/ Yes, by hand. Instead of using sandpaper, I did the entire project with righty. The florist block is super fragile and I found by using my hand over sandpaper, I could get a better feel for what I was shaving away and more easily achieve the lines I was looking for. By this time your workspace is going to be covered in a fine green dust like you just vaporized Oscar the Grouch. Wear a mask! Eye protection isn't a bad idea either, but it's been a few days since doing this and I've still got green fibers settling down on my floor and table.
5/ Give the seat a good brushing and shake off to get all the shaving off. Take painters tape (or I've heard aluminum duct tape works well) and cover the entire seat pan with it, making sure to cover below as well.
6/ Congrats! Step back and admire your new Grover-esque seat pan. I probably should have stopped here as it still looked good, but foam has the structural integrity of...well foam, so the next steps are necessary.
7/ Cover the tape in some kind of wax to act as a release agent for the fiberglass.
8/ Wait until your girlfriend goes to work/shopping/ect.
9/ Prop up the seat pan on a box, to allow all the sides to be open below. Put down bags or a tarp. Cut strips of fiberglass cloth (smaller the better) and prepare yourself.
10/ Mix the fiberglass resin and pour it all over the seat, brushing it over all surfaces. Start laying down fiberglass cloth and dab on more and more resin over the cloth until you have a giant, gelatinous mess. You have about 10 minutes to finish this step so you need to move quickly. Don't think, just make sure you've got complete coverage.
11/ Step away, let the mold rest for 24 hours and tend to your wounds. Fiberglass is nasty nasty stuff. Not only was it all over my dining table, but all over the floors and for the next day I was finding glass splinters in my fingers.
12/ Light sanding of the fiberglass mold and repeat step 10. Another layer of fiberglass resin aided with fiberglass cloth strips. Dab down and wait another day.
13/ I put on one more layer of just fiberglass resin for good measure. No idea if this was a good/bad idea, but it just seemed smart.
14/ Took the mold to the parking garage and used a Dremel to cut the bottom edge of mold away. At this time, I pried the foam from the mold with all my might. Dig/pick/scrape/pry it out of there. It's not easy, but can't imagine what it would have been like without the wax.
15/ So the fiberglass itself isn't strong enough to bear my whole weight. Unfortunately this means finding a way to mount the tail section. We have a few cheapo chairs we picked up for a party when we didn't have enough seating. $5 at Salvation Army, seemed like they were good donors. Took the particleboard seatpan from one of the chairs and ripped off the fabric and and foam. Used a cardboard cutout as a stencil for the particleboard, which was cutdown and sanded to size.
16/ Hit up my friends at the local Home Depot for 4 rubber stoppers, some bolts, washers and nuts. Drilled a hole through each rubber stopper. Two stoppers in the rear went through the crossbar, attaching them to the frame. The two stoppers for the front are loose at this point.
17/ Drilled holes through the particleboard seat pan and the fiberglass mold. Kinda messed up with placement, but 2nd time was a charm. The front bumpers don't really mount to anything yet. They are going to sit to the left/right of the plastic box above the ECU unit.
18/ Next, just start screwing stuff in. The screws do come up through the fiberglass seat. The rear screws are flush after the nuts screw on, but the front are a different story. At this point, we might as well call the seat the "Lineage Eraser". I used a Dremel to cut down the front screws so that no excess is sticking up past the nuts.
19/ Used the extra chair fabric and foam to make a ghetto foam cushion. Cut down the white faux-leather and wrapped it around the foam, which was stapled to a chair pan mold. Super clunky and awkward, but at least it give my butt a little cushion and lets me ride again.
I fully plan on getting this redone in a year or so. My mold is uneven, lumpy, ill-proportioned, not-painted. But I love it. It's mine and it looks better than what I had before (in my eyes). I'll end up fixing some cracks with more resin and painting it black (for now) before taking next steps. I also need to securely mount the front of the seat. The entire process was messy, frustrating and really rewarding that this is a one-of-a-kind seat and was all my own doing. Pictures to follow.
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Photo madness pt 1
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Photo madness 2
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Photo madness 3
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Nice trick with the hose clamps. One suggestion if I might. Check to see if they say "all stainless" and see if the screw is magnetic. A lot of those hose clamps are stainless with plain steel worm screws that will rust and make a mess. Better to check and change them now than after they make a bunch of rust stains.
Perforated stainless should be available at any industrial supply house that supplies businesses that do fabrication for the food and chemical industry. Being in Chicago, it shouldn't be too hard to find. I would check the fabricators first. They might have some usable scraps and would be able to form the covers for you as well. If not, they could send you to a good source.
Thanks so much for the suggestion on the stainless...I checked and they are 100% stainless steel, screw included. Found a local shop that said the perforated steel would run about $30 and the labor may be an hour. Looking at ~$120 for the two fabricated covers. Think I'll get a few miles in this year and then take it over for the work to be done.
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As somebody who has spent a few years doing fibreglass work around boats let me say that for a first attempt your seat came out pretty nice. Looks like you built it up to be strong enough, which is something that most beginners don't do.
If you're happy with the basic shape, you can put a pretty good finish on it by fairing in the hi spots using a long board with 80 grit, and then filling in the low spots with bondo. A final skim coat of bondo that is shaped with 100 followed by 220 and 320 on the long board should give you something that can be primed and painted. And please, when you are sanding fibreglass, be sure to wear a dust mask and eye protection.
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Found a local shop that said the perforated steel would run about $30 and the labor may be an hour. Looking at ~$120 for the two fabricated covers. Think I'll get a few miles in this year and then take it over for the work to be done.
I think I bought a sheet of the same type material you want off Amazon. I gave $37 for 9 square feet. I made a radiator shield, a half-assed lil dash, and still had slews left over.
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-jze2BOdWCNw/VTUiyNNotmI/AAAAAAAALrU/FFOnegrtE9M/w1358-h766-no/screenmesh.jpg)
Here is what I still have with a motobrick for scale.
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_ecibF7rwPw/VTUi0JD4FKI/AAAAAAAALrk/qudqBlHW638/w1358-h766-no/abe.jpg)
Or a "medium" helmet and fat dog for scale.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007NG6EQI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It comes in several patterns and colors and thicknesses. I cut .020" with tin snips.
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-fAqP1Bd_G-w/VTUi60wjbwI/AAAAAAAALrs/319Dtba54eY/w1358-h766-no/dash.jpg)
It was easy to shape by bending it around pieces of wood or plastic. I just "stitched" them together with telephone wire for the time being.
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-pDAnnUfvvxk/VSx6-uShv3I/AAAAAAAALoE/VL8e3tu42G0/w1358-h766-no/redscreen.jpg)
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Found a local shop that said the perforated steel would run about $30 and the labor may be an hour. Looking at ~$120 for the two fabricated covers. Think I'll get a few miles in this year and then take it over for the work to be done.
I think I bought a sheet of the same type material you want off Amazon. I gave $37 for 9 square feet. I made a radiator shield, a half-assed lil dash, and still had slews left over.
Or a "medium" helmet and fat dog for scale.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007NG6EQI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It comes in several patterns and colors and thicknesses. I cut .020" with tin snips.
[img width=1025 height=578]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-fAqP1Bd_G-w/VTUi60wjbwI/AAAAAAAALrs/319Dtba54eY/w1358-h766-
The perforated steel has been ordered from Amazon! Thank you, thank you!
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The perforated steel has been ordered from Amazon! Thank you, thank you!
Bet. Just to make sure-
what I ordered was billed as "aluminium". Its definitely non-ferrous. Just wanted to make sure if you used the link I posted, you were aware that its not "steel".
Good luck. You've got a great looking project.
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Noted about the aluminum...that's exactly what I'm looking for. Black as well!
Got the seat adjusted and placed the cover on today. Looks like a true hack job, but it's functional. Took the bike out for the first time in 5 months today. Air in the tires, a little bit of premium fuel, dash of fuel cleaner and we were off. Everything feels amazing! Shifting smoothly and bike felt like it was accelerating harder than it did before, which must have to do with the 50lbs of plastic and foam I've removed. Didn't get the tired heated up enough to really dig into any turns, so saving that for an upcoming weekend. Brakes squeak like a mouse, but feel that's par for the course.
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Aluminum side panels have been fabricated and the job suuuuucks. The stuff is insanely sharp once you cut it and while the metal is flexible, it takes so many tries to create the perfect shape. I do think it looks awesome and does a great job of hiding all that junk inside my bike. I'll take better photos later this week when I have the bike outside.
In the second photo, you will notice a little mesh added to the seat support. When I finally cut the frame, this is what I will secure all the electronics on inside the tail. Just the wiring for brake light, turn signals, ect. Trashy, but functional.
Added a lot of layers of Bondo to the seat shell and have been a sanding fool the last couple of days. I've still got pitting in the seat, but honestly it's good enough for me at this point. This isn't going to be the bike's final seat, so a few defects add to the look of the bike I think. Not ready to stomach the cost of priming and painting yet, so I'll be riding this ugly Bondo seat around for the time being. At least I'm riding again.
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I do have leftover black aluminum mesh that I'm struggling to find additional uses for. If anybody would like me to fabricate side panels for them, PM me and we can discuss.
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A few more Kodak moments of the mesh side panels
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Hey there - just wanted to say hello and that I'll be following your thread closely. I've just recently purchased a similar '91 k75s and, looking at your "ideal seat" picture, we've got similar tastes and goals for our bikes. You're doing great - keep going!
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Loving this build so far. Keep going!
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Hope you're still updating on this build!
Couple of quick questions:
- what headlight did you use? it looks great.
- are you planning on going without instruments/gauges or do you have a plan for adding those? I'm trying to find suitable analog-style gauges for my K75 and not really finding good info.
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Hope you're still updating on this build!
Couple of quick questions:
- what headlight did you use? it looks great.
- are you planning on going without instruments/gauges or do you have a plan for adding those? I'm trying to find suitable analog-style gauges for my K75 and not really finding good info.
DCC sells a 7.0" headlight that I purchased and wired up myself.
Absolutely plan on installing new instruments. Would like to sell my old ones before plunking down the cash on a new set. If you've got the moolah, Motogadget makes and incredibly gorgeous set of analog instruments. Most BMW cafe conversions I've seen use Acewell units and it sounds like they are relatively easy to wire up. With the aggressive lines of the K bikes, it's hard to incorporate a round speedometer (or anything round really) into the shape of the bike. Good luck and let me know what you go with.
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I managed to integrate a round instrument in a square K
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UdmYI_RebZ8/UiUlAWL4osI/AAAAAAAACpY/OMVC5z7IEPc/s400/DSC_0271.jpg)
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And you've done a great job. Not saying it's impossible, but it takes a lot of thought and planning to do it right and make it flow with the rest of the bike.
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RBM, I like that headlight bucket with the speedo, found it in benji cafe racer: http://www.benjiescaferacer.com/headlight-bucket.php. trying to find in internet how to do it using fiberglass but nothing.
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Thanks.
The headlight nacelle I used is a real vintage BMW R52/2 headlight bucket from 1955. I also bought real vintage BMW headlight mounting ears. I refurbished the bucket and modified the ears to fit the K1100 forks I used. Then I got the whole shebang painted.
The bucket from Benji cafe racers will work but check with them first to make sure the instrument hole is the right size. The Motogadget Classic gauge is exactly 80.0mm in diameter.
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Got another k75, this one had minor issues and was older naked version.
18" wheels front and back, 1986
I forgot how nimble the bike is, after riding the k1200lt so much so
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Any more progress? It was just getting good :popcorm
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After a healthy amount of summer travel, I was able to find some time to work on the bike and knock off a few projects.
Frame
After receiving a shop estimate of ~$400 to cut the frame and weld it, I decided I could do it myself. I eyeballed where I wanted the frame cut, put down a few pieces of electrical tape as a mark and had at it. Since I don't have a proper reciprocating saw, I ended up using my drill with a cut off wheel...or 3 of them. Totally turned out to be a crude hack job that needs a little TLC to spruce things up, but it got the job done and the daunting task of shortening the frame is behind me. Yet to put black plugs on the frame to keep water out, but that's easy. Not sure if I need to reinforce the frame further, but I'll ride the bike for a while and see if I notice any flexing or stability issues while cornering.
One of the best parts of cutting the frame off was hammering the hell out of the seat locking mechanism. I started to cut it with a cut off wheel, but it proved to be a tough angle and I was worried about nicking the frame. Out came the hammer and I spent the next 5 minutes getting out my aggression! Finally the entire thing popped off and was sent flying across my garage floor with a satisfying clang. I've still got to de-tab the frame further, but that's for another day and another beer.
Seat
Gone is the Bondo-covered seat and here is the primer-covered seat. I picked up some Rustoleum primer filler and made about 5 passes on the seat, using 400 grit sandpaper between coats. I finally got the seat to where I feel comfortable painting it. Like I've said...this is not the permanent seat so I'll end up painting it myself with some Duplicolor. My friend uses CAD on a daily basis and has access to an industrial-sized 3D printer. Our plan is to take my seat, enter it into CAD, refine the shape (so it's not uneven) and print off the seat using industrial polymer. It will still be very lightweight and should provide more than enough structural support. Since the 3D printer will print the seat pan as a solid piece, I'll be able to remove the wooden chair bottom after v2.
I will post updates and photos of the v2 seat, but for those who interested, I will be able to print out copies of the seat since it's in CAD. If you're interested in purchasing the K75 cafe racer seat, please PM me and we can discuss.
Electronics
Screw holes to secure the taillight into the seat were drilled. Electronics have been hidden below the shell for now. After riding in the rain today, I realize I'll need a little more protection from the elements underneath.
I am fooling around with the idea of rerouting the horn wiring to the storage case below the seat and hooking it up to a garage door remote. Haven't researched this at all, but I would like to be able to trigger the horn and have the garage open. Pipe dreams...
Sadly the rear turn signals just aren't that bright and since they're integrated into the taillight, they are fairly close together. I'd like a little more spacing on them and for them to match the front of the bike. Ordering an additional set of turn signals for the rear to match the front set. Will have to fabricate some kind of holder for them in the back.
Speedometer
Still waiting to sell my old, fully functional speedometer to finance a new one. I'm pretty much decided on the black Acewell speedometer/tachometer. Yes, every BMW cafe racer has one, but I like the look and I can't find anything better. If you've got a suggestion, I'd love to hear it.
Exhaust
No idea what I'm going to do here yet. Thinking of wrapping the headers in black heat wrap and getting a black megaphone exhaust. It needs to be shorter than the stock muffler since the bike is about 15" shorter. Again, suggestions here are welcome.
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Getting an exhaust is difficult for these bikes. BSK makes a 4 to 1 collector with a 2'' OD I believe. Finding something that'll fit with that has been difficult as well.
http://www.bskspeedworks.co.uk/k-collector.html
(http://www.bskspeedworks.co.uk/img/products/bmw_k_collector_1.jpg)
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Wish that worked...I've got a K75 and need a 3-to-1 collector. Possible to just remove my muffler and go with straight pipes? Would my bike be able to run without the backpressure?
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The K75 header is designed such that it merges the three exhaust pipes into one 41mm diameter outlet pipe. It's not possible to run three straight pipes (if that's what you're thinking) unless you're going to weld them up from scratch. If you're after an all-black look from the block to the muffler, then ditch the wrap and get the headers ceramic coated. As for the muffler, what's your objective with changing from stock? Looks? Sound? Performance?
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Let me clarify...as I do not wish to run straight pipes from each of the 3 headers. I wanted to cut the stock muffler off and run an outlet (or straight pipe) from the collector. The idea of removing the muffler is 3 fold:
Looks (I don't enjoy the bulky look of the stock piece) I also don't want a giant aftermarket can on there and just not sure if a megaphone muffler would work with the look of my bike.
Weight (Any weight savings is good weight savings). The bike is already more responsive without the plastic on there and if I can squeak out a few more pounds, I certainly wouldn't mind.
Sound (while I don't feel the need to scream for attention, I would like the bike's exhaust to be a little louder). Am I correct in that removing the muffler and not replacing it with anything would make the bike slightly louder?
My worry comes from doing damage to the engine because of no backpressure and ruining air/fuel mix
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My name is Andrew and I am an idiot.
I agree, and if no one else is going to say it, I will.
You've taken what appeared to have been a lovely standard motorcycle, and ruined it, to the point where it now looks like something lashed back together from the parts bin after a major crash.
Such a shame.
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bikesnbones: to be fair to Andrew, he did warn those of us who think the BMW designers really got it right with the K75S that he was going to do something we wouldn't like and to look away now. Parents still love their babies, whatever they look like. I don't understand the cafe racer thing myself and as I have said in another post, it takes a design genius to make one look good. We mourn the loss of another good-looking bike and move on....
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While most of us appreciate the design of the S model, IMO it's styling is grossly out of place in the urban/ghetto environment. Cafe bikes are not used for smoothly and comfortably traveling long distances through open country. They are intended more for day to day travel in the world of potholed pavement, stop-and-go traffic, and graffiti. For where most of these cafe conversions spend their lives, they are the perfect adaptations to blend seamlessly with their environment.
One should think of them more as a cross between an urban assault vehicle and street art.
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bikesnbones: to be fair to Andrew, he did warn those of us who think the BMW designers really got it right with the K75S that he was going to do something we wouldn't like and to look away now. Parents still love their babies, whatever they look like. I don't understand the cafe racer thing myself and as I have said in another post, it takes a design genius to make one look good.
My apologies for my strong words, but this sort of thing really does boil my piss.
It's just that there are no end of old shitters out there that were made to satisfy this new hipster café craze, which is why it hurts so much to see great modern classic succumb to this nasty end.
:cowpoop:
We mourn the loss of another good-looking bike and move on....
Indeed we do.
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I really don't see anything to mourn. If you want to preserve K75s, now is the time to do it. Maybe some of y'all ain't noticed, but you can't give em away these days.
Run with it Andrew. Haters gonna hate.
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I really don't see anything to mourn. If you want to preserve K75s, now is the time to do it. Maybe some of y'all ain't noticed, but you can't give em away these days.
Run with it Andrew. Haters gonna hate.
It's a very ignorant person who judges the true value of a classic in monetary terms.
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It's a very ignorant person who judges the true value of a classic in monetary terms.
Its a very emotional person who thinks what he believes is a "classic" has any bearing on value. If Flying Bricks are so undervalued, then there is a great investment opportunity for you. Buy em up and store them until everyone else realizes what a mistake they've made. I would love to add one or two more to my stable, and will probably sell my Oilhead soon to make room for another FB.
The CB/KZ/GN/GS guys all cry about the same thing, and it does them just as much good.
A bike that goes tons project builder, who will learn its peculiarities and share what he learns on the web with the rest of us is much more valuable than a bike that goes to a breaker or a scrapyard, and if they aren't worth any money, that IS where they will go. If we don't come through with a higher bid, that's on us, too, brother.
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Its a very emotional person who thinks what he believes is a "classic" has any bearing on value.
You're just not getting this are you.
I couldn't care less about value.
Neither does any other REAL enthusiast.
Bike investors are the scourge of our passion.
They care not one jot about the bike, other than what return it will give them on their investment.
That's not what a real enthusiast cares about,
There's so much more to it.
Please don't tell me I have to explain that to you.
:yow
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You're just not getting this, are you? No one cares that it makes you butthurt that your fond feelings for Flying Bricks preservation is not reflected by everyone else. It is of absolutely no relevance, and no importance. Your tone is one to be expected from a whiny, jealous child. Get over it. Or don't. It doesn't make a difference either way, to anyone but you, and you are not superior to anyone else on this forum. Grow up.
Maybe you didn't notice that this subforum is called "Project K Bikes.......chronicle your k project and cafe builds.....". If it hurts your delicate sensibilities so much, turn your eyes away. But know that if you continue to make a public spectacle of yourself while you cry and rend your garments, I will continue to point and laugh.
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I forgot how nimble the bike is, after riding the k1200lt so much so
Put some s bars on it and you'll know what nimble is.
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Am I correct in that removing the muffler and not replacing it with anything would make the bike slightly louder?
You're right. Here's a video from another user.
Pulled exhaust of, did a short pull. :falldown:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDY6yeJ2ilU
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Also this thread.
http://www.motobrick.com/index.php/topic,6950.0/topicseen.html
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It is ungodly loud and only sounds good post 5k rpm.
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You're just not getting this, are you? No one cares that it makes you butthurt that your fond feelings for Flying Bricks preservation is not reflected by everyone else. It is of absolutely no relevance, and no importance. Your tone is one to be expected from a whiny, jealous child. Get over it. Or don't. It doesn't make a difference either way, to anyone but you, and you are not superior to anyone else on this forum. Grow up.
Noticed you avoided the point I made.
Are you a politician by any chance.
I have no problem with project bikes,
Nowhere have I said that I have but in this case, a good bike, rather than being enhanced and improved, has been brutalised and ruined.
It would have been more sympathetic to have just left it as standard, rather than to do this with it.
That's my opinion, and if you don't like it, frankly I couldn't care less.
Maybe in your home you're used to having your way with no one disagreeing with you, but try that with me and I'll just metaphorically shove it back up your ass.
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Time for a couple of people to just let it go. There's language and tone happening in this thread that has no place on Motobrick. So, thanks in advance for stopping.
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bet
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Also this thread.
http://www.motobrick.com/index.php/topic,6950.0/topicseen.html
Great thread. That cut down stock can looks sharp.
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I liked the shortened stock can too. Looks like he welded the end on at a slight angle to aim it out in addition to back.
He said it was much louder than the original.
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Loud pipes save lives. LOL!
A friend who works for the fire department says an awful lot of the bike wrecks he attends are Hardleys with drag/straight pipes.
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A friend who works for the fire department says an awful lot of the bike wrecks he attends are Hardleys with drag/straight pipes.
There are a few confounding variables there. I think that there are a lot of people who buy a nice harley as their first bike and have never ridden. Lots of the people at sturgis this year surely didn't know exactly how to ride. Wobbly, feet off pegs until 20mph, can't uturn....
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My name is Andrew and I am an idiot.
I agree, and if no one else is going to say it, I will.
You've taken what appeared to have been a lovely standard motorcycle, and ruined it, to the point where it now looks like something lashed back together from the parts bin after a major crash.
Such a shame.
bikesnbones, thanks so much for taking the time to read my story and share your thoughts with the forum. I love that I don't fit your definition of what a "real enthusiast" is as the world would be such a dull place if we all agreed on everything. Along with many of the other members here, I hope to share a ride and maybe a beer at some point in the future.
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My name is Andrew and I am an idiot.
I agree, and if no one else is going to say it, I will.
You've taken what appeared to have been a lovely standard motorcycle, and ruined it, to the point where it now looks like something lashed back together from the parts bin after a major crash.
Such a shame.
bikesnbones, thanks so much for taking the time to read my story and share your thoughts with the forum. I love that I don't fit your definition of what a "real enthusiast" is as the world would be such a dull place if we all agreed on everything. Along with many of the other members here, I hope to share a ride and maybe a beer at some point in the future.
Well, I got some hate mail from one particular idiot on this forum over this.
I like café racer conversions, but it has to be done right, and preferably with an old shitter, rather than a beautiful standard unmolested bike.
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Well, I got some hate mail from one particular idiot on this forum over this.
I like café racer conversions, but it has to be done right, and preferably with an old shitter, rather than a beautiful standard unmolested bike.
Just one?
It has to, or else it makes some people really really sad and grumpy.
Keep it up Andrew. I do like to see a REAL enthusiast at work. I certainty wouldn't worry about anyone else's sense of "style".
(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/65195000/jpg/_65195396_queen_flag.jpg)
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I am very interested in the wiring of the speedo and gauge cluster. I just started on a k bike and I am pretty nervous around wiring anyway.. I'll be following along
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I am very interested in the wiring of the speedo and gauge cluster. I just started on a k bike and I am pretty nervous around wiring anyway.. I'll be following along
Same^
Done anything else in the past few months? Thanks
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I am very interested in the wiring of the speedo and gauge cluster. I just started on a k bike and I am pretty nervous around wiring anyway.. I'll be following along
Same^
Done anything else in the past few months? Thanks
I'll grab a slice of any details/findings on the wiring of a new speedometer/electrical as well. Though for future reference I'm still way off that stage on my bike.
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This thread needs new pics.
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I agree, OP needs to update this thread!!
Sorry for the long delay, it was never my intention to abandon this thread, but life gets busy in a hurry and sadly some things get pushed to the side. I am working again and the startup life means that I'm pulling 80-90 hour work weeks. It's not uncommon for me to spend the night on the couch in my office and when I do make it home, I'm asleep or spending time with the gf. Sadly this means my other love interest is sitting alone most days in the garage.
I hit a pothole while riding home from work one warm day about a month ago. Immediately the bike was making a funny noise and there was a strange rattling and vibration coming from the seat. I was only 2 blocks from home so after pulling into my garage, I assessed the damage. Since my fiberglass seat isn't secured in the front, when I hit the pothole, I elevated off the seat and the entire seat raised up and tilted back just enough for the license plate to catch the rear wheel. The wheel grabbed the license plate and ripped it off, pulling with it my makeshift plate holder, turn signals and brake light. This was all left dangling from the fiberglass shell and essentially makes the bike impossible to ride until fixed.
I'm not sure the course of action, but it's not good and pretty much ends my riding season. I get to sit in the corner and think about what I've done this winter. Fortunately it gives me time to plan a better seat assembly and also finally wire up a damn speedometer. So there you have it...the most underwhelming update ever. Just when I thought I was going to get a chance to ride more and to create more, I'm benched with technical difficulties.
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I did pick up a new hobby I'll share with the group. While in Montana in early Sep, I found two vintage axes at an
junk antiques shop. They were a bargain so I picked them up with the intent of restoring them...because you can never have enough toys.
I cut the heads off the old helves and since they were very rusty and dirty, so I let them soak in a vinegar bath for 36 hours. After 24 hours, I scrubbed them with sandpaper before letting them soak for another 12 hours. After the second rinse, I scrubbed them again with sandpaper, which removed all the rust and grime.
Next I filed the heads down where they had mushroomed out (somebody used them as a sledge). I then started with 80 grit sandpaper and began to remove the pitting on the axe heads. After 80, I did another pass with 100, 120, 150, 220, 320, 400. Each pass smoothed out the head more and more until non-pitted again.
Using a file and then wetstone, I reset and shaped the edge, gradually sharpening it. Bought a couple of new hickory helves at Ace and hung the heads on each. Then, in the spirit of my California roots, painted the handles blue & gold. About 5 coats of linseed oil later, they began to take on a nice luster and are ready for splitting wood.
It was my first time restoring an axe and found it very therapeutic. I highly suggest you give it a try and for under $30 you can have an incredibly well built tool with a story and history to it that should last a lifetime.
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That's a damn shame about the bike. I'm always hurt to hear about someone's baby getting damaged. Did you ever wire up the speedo or have you been riding with the traffic? Pretty neat stuff about the axes man. Keep up the good work!
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That's a damn shame about the bike. I'm always hurt to hear about someone's baby getting damaged. Did you ever wire up the speedo or have you been riding with the traffic? Pretty neat stuff about the axes man. Keep up the good work!
A couple mph faster than traffic and it's worked out just fine so far. Shift by sound and feel of the engine. I rarely looked at my tachometer when it was on the bike, so it's not really an adjustment.
I'm sad about the seat only because it was a lot of hard work and thought that went into it. Sadly not enough thought to prevent a fatal design flaw. At the end of the day, I knew it was a temporary seat and one of my best friends is a really advanced engineer and designer. We scanned the seat (pre-accident) and he uploaded it into CAD. Our plan over the winter is to render the upload, fix the shape and size of the seat, and print it out using a 3D printer. Design will be much sturdier than my homemade fiberglass mold and should be a better fit as well. Will absolutely find a better way to attach it next time!
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well, somebody stole the mesh side panels off of my bike while it was parked in my garage. :musicboohoo:
not sure if I'm going to replace them with another set or head back to the drawing board to create something else.
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Nice build m8! Im doing a K100 1991 right now at the moment, been posting a lot in another bike forum but found this when i was searching for an exhaust collector. Maybe i'll post my work one day when im in the mood to show my work!
Best regards from Sweden!
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Props for taking on the DIY approach with this. I admire a project more when it's crafted by hand by the owner. I think the progress so far is great and look forward to seeing the things to come.
P.S: 3D printing a seat is brilliant. I could put one in CAD but I don't have access to any printer beds larger than 6"x6" and I don't like the idea of gluing a seat together. At least, not yet. I was thinking about giving the fiberglass route a try, but it would be a new excursion so I am on the fence about it. You made it sound pretty simple though; thanks.
-Janssen
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Fiberglass was not hard to do, just remember to add many layers. I stopped with 3. If I weren't doing CAD, I would have no issue doing fiberglass again with 6-7 layers on all parts of the seat, not just lower pan.
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Wish you luck on your build :) :riding:
Keep pressing on no matter what anyone says (yeah I know you already know this) :musicboohoo:
:mm
Enjoying your progress
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Bike is heading into a custom fabrication shop tomorrow morning. Thought I was going the CAD route, but I just don't have the time to render the image and fabricate the seat. Fortunately it's going to be done with metal so it'll be a little more bulletproof and they're going to upholster the seat as well.
They asked what I want to cover my seat with...is leather an option if I plan on riding my bike in the rain? Is there another option I should be asking about? Oilskin?
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Leather can and should be treated, if you do this there is no reason you can't ride in the rain. The same goes for Oilskin although not quite as durable. Marine grade Vinyl is a standard type of cover, and is durable and will last if treated. Any of these options require maintenance if you wish them to last, regular cleaning and appropriate treatment. A lot of problems with seats is caused by inferior thread which can't take the weather and subsequently rots. Hope this helps.
Regards Martin.
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Thanks so much Martin. Is there a specific thread I should ask them to use? I have a feeling they'll know, but want to be sure as we discuss the project.
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Flying brick is in the shop! I'll have updates in a week and should be complete in a month.
While stopped next to Ohare airport another BMW pulled up next to me and asked if I was headed to the breakfast. Guess Chicago BMW group is having a breakfast this am in Elmhurst. Sorry if I missed any of you guys that attended. Didn't know about it.
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There upholstery guy should know, just tell him to use the best thread available.
Regards Martin.
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Almost all the upholsterers use UV resistant synthetic thread these days. It's cheap insurance against warranty repairs.
Get a cheap nylon cover that you can throw over the bike when you park in the sun. I prevents a lot of UV damage to the paint, tires and upholstery as well as discouraging idiots who like to touch things that don't belong to them..
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A few update photos. More work to be done this weekend.
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all welded together...
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And with seat mounted
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And a side view. Still no idea what I'm going to do about lighting and license plate
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That looks awesome! I'm excited to see the finished product.
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I am excited too! :)
Sent from my HUAWEI MT7-L09 using Tapatalk
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looks nice.
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Picked the bike up today. Very happy with the result!
Now I need to paint the tail section and mount taillight, plate.
Then time to start thinking about speedo and next project
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I got one of these Acewell. I haven't installed it yet but it does everything. 300ish$ from a website in Japan ( our dollar is way stronger than theirs that's why it's so cheap).
I will try to post pics but that function isn't working right now.
Sent from my HUAWEI MT7-L09 using Tapatalk
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So as far as a speedo goes I have an acewell and also got a bep 2.0 which plugs into the existing harness and then the speedo is plug and play for the most part.(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160428/1f1a334896e3d7862e904c2826de19af.jpg)(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160428/f023f6b47214c8b035783fd96afe0539.jpg)
As I had previously mentioned, I bought this speedometer for approximately $300. I think they retail for a lot more than that, but I bought it from a foreign website where are dollar is much stronger there.
Sent from my HUAWEI MT7-L09 using Tapatalk
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Stoked to find this thread, Andrew! Fellow Chicagoan here. I'm in Pilsen near 18th and Halsted. I'm going to be picking up a '95 K75 RT in a couple of weeks from Motoworks down the road. It's in great shape and only has about 28k on the odometer. I'm planning to road trip the hell out of it as is this season and learn to maintain it, with an eye toward doing a build like yours, or at least just a naked conversion. We should get together soon to grab a pint and talk shop!
-Adam
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160512/c2eab79063943771a882f4df208ed10a.jpg)
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160512/2e2ae6fb431a5b56a48a007c2937ef46.jpg)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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I'm digging the metal tail piece more than the fiberglass version. Looks a lot cleaner! Awesome build :2thumbup:
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sell belly pan?
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Hey Andrew, how's it going? Winter over there so should be lots of time in the garage!
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That tail piece came out great! Nice job
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Wow, where did the time go? I just looked at my last post and it's April 2016, a few days before I picked up my project Porsche. I think you can guess where my time has gone since then...
Haven't been on the bike much this year but decided to do something about painting the tail section last weekend. Used Rustoleum truck bed liner on the bottom to protect against water and debris getting thrown up into it. Decided to plastidip the rest of the bike to ensure I like the matte dark blue before painting it. Here's how it turned out
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Looking good, Andrew! Sorry we never connected this winter. I wasn't in the garage much after all. Very intrigued by the Porsche project. I almost picked up a 944 for $1,700 last fall, but decided I wanted one with fewer unknowns. We should definitely take the bikes out for a spin very shoot. Shoot me an email and we'll definitely make it happen this time!
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OK, this thread will be closing soon...or perhaps continued by somebody else here. I have decided to sell the bike.
I am moving to Colorado and i) don't have the space in my new apartment garage ii) don't have the time to ride it because of other hobbies
Thank you for following the thread and posting words of encouragement. This has been a great journey and I hope to return to the MotoBrick community at a later date. If you are interested in the bike, please let me know. I will be posting it in the classified section shortly and on Craigslist.
[EDIT: Bike is located in Chicago, IL]
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greetings...
where is this motobrick located...
j o
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Chicago, IL
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Best wishes for a successful sale. I have followed your project with interest since the start and enjoyed your progress with this bike.
Hope you enjoy Colorado. I have found it to be a great place for riding. Where are you moving to?
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Please see posting in the classified section.
http://www.motobrick.com/index.php?topic=10070.msg85931#msg85931
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Just had the bike out early this morning. Rode down Lakeshore drive as the sun was coming up over Lake Michigan, looped through the railyards and south side of Chicago before heading home. Wish I had gotten some more shots, but my friends at BNSF chased me out.
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And price lowered to $3,000 due to competition of other bikes on the market.
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And price lowered to $3,000 due to competition of other bikes on the market.
Does Illinois have moto inspection?
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Does Illinois have moto inspection?
No they do not.
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The bike is sold. Going to a first time rider looking for something to cruise around Chicago in, so he's not putting miles on his 335i.
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Good luck on the move, bikes are in the blood there will be another one.😉
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I feel like I want to copy and paste this whole post and just say "Ditto"!!
Please keep us updated with Pics!
Sell me all your fairings I'm in SW WI broke nearly all mine last Wednesday. Personally I find the s fairings and shape lovely...but this is America
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Sorry PO. Dumped and got rid of them😝
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Yes, fairings were already sold
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Hi friends, it's been awhile. Life without a bike is...well not very exciting to be honest. Now that I've relocated to Denver, I'm back on the hunt for a new project. Not sure if I will go the flying brick route again, but I am really missing my old bike so it's a definite possibility. If any of you are ever in the Mile High City, please send me a message and let's meet up for a beer.
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Super old, dead thread. Make sure you if you get a bike in CO you get up into the mountains. Stay off the interstate. Nothing better than twisting your way up a canyon and stopping for a beer and live music at Little Bear before coming back down. Good way to get out of the summer heat in Denver.