Slimming Down the RT

[TimTyler]

The first time I removed the fairing from my RT, soon after I bought it last summer, I thought "Now that's the way this motorcycle should look." All nekked with easy to access components. It's been 19k miles since then and I have grown to appreciate the plastic with its compartments and protection from the elements, especially at speed. However the tupperware has seen it's fair share of tip-overs and it's at the point now where I feel it should either be refinished or removed. Maybe I'll do both and have the fairing cleaned up when I'm done.

I'm also eager to experience the ride without all the extra weight.

I don't plan to strip down the bike to a cafe racer, chopping off the tail and installing low profile handlebars. I just want to get rid of all the plastic up front. This obviously means I'll need new front lighting. Maybe I'll keep the same handlebars. Thanks to another thread in this forum it was easy to find an order the headlight bits that could work: Reflector ::  Brackets ::  Bucket  ::  Turn Signals

I am not planning any irreversible mods, but I don't expect to put the plastic back on either.

The RT's coolant tube does not pass through the hole in the right side of the engine. Can I get a non-RT tube that will? Should I worry about the unprotected radiator fins?

Any other suggestions or concerns I should have before I get started?

[frankenduck]

I have some thoughts on this but there's WAY too much typing involved.  Give me a call at home on Thursday afternoon when I'm back in Seattle.

[TimTyler]

OK. But only if you're not planning to talk me out of it.

[blakey]

Frankenduck, as I'm always interested in peoples views/comments, could you share your thoughts in an abbreviated post (dot points perhaps) please?

I have an RS and am thinking of doing the same as TimTyler.

[frankenduck]

OK, here's the simplified version:

- The K75RT fairing is a retrofit of the K100RT/LT fairing to a bike that has the front cylinder chopped off.

- Because of that the K75RT uses a K100 radiator and gas tank.

- Therefore the hose goes in front of the crank cover, not through it.

- If you used the smaller K75 radiator then you could probably run a K75 hose through the front of the crank cover.

- But it's purely cosmetic anyhow since I've never heard of a K75 rad hose being busted open by a rock or whatever.  And installing that hose through the crank cover is a PITA.

- As for leaving the radiator fins being exposed, you might get a few more dings in them but an actual puncture seems unlikely.

[billday]

I bet you wind up with RS bars. The RT position is way too upright for life without fairing and windscreen.

Later on, if you find yourself wanting some protection from the wind (and a tidier-looking front end with the instrument pod concealed), look up the Meier fairing. I can show you how I mounted it on my nekkid K100.

[argent brick]

I bet you wind up with RS bars. The RT position is way too upright for life without fairing and windscreen.

Later on, if you find yourself wanting some protection from the wind (and a tidier-looking front end with the instrument pod concealed), look up the Meier fairing. I can show you how I mounted it on my nekkid K100.

How about a picture of your Meier fairing for the rest of us.

I would love to figure out a way to mount a R90S fairing on my K75.

[billday]

How about a picture of your Meier fairing for the rest of us.

I would love to figure out a way to mount a R90S fairing on my K75.

Here you go:

https://picasaweb.google.com/williamhday/RideToVermontAugust2012?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCIyo74iNiN6m7QE&feat=directlink

[argent brick]

How about a picture of your Meier fairing for the rest of us.

I would love to figure out a way to mount a R90S fairing on my K75.

Here you go:

https://picasaweb.google.com/williamhday/RideToVermontAugust2012?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCIyo74iNiN6m7QE&feat=directlink

Thanks for the pictures. I love the little micro fairings like that. They don't offer much protection but they really dress up a bike.

[billday]

Thanks for the pictures. I love the little micro fairings like that. They don't offer much protection but they really dress up a bike.

It's more than you might think, when I ride with it off I really feel the difference on the Interstate.

One of these years I'll invest in a paint job.

[argent brick]

"It's more than you might think, when I ride with it off I really feel the difference on the Interstate."


True, I put a R90s fairing on my r60 years ago and it did make a difference on the freeway.  I have the OEM windshield on my brick. Considering taking it off if I can find the right replacement.

[TimTyler]

Step 1: Remove the plastic.

Two of the four fairing bracket screws had pointed tips. Anybody know why and which holes they are supposed to be in?

[frankenduck]

[TimTyler]

Thanks. So both of the pointed ones go on top? Any idea what purpose they serve?

[frankenduck]

Yes, the Allen head ones go on top.

Got me. :dunno2:

[Inge K.]

Any idea what purpose they serve?

To keep the fluidbloc damper in position.

Inge K.

[TimTyler]

Inge,

Do I need to do anything special when screwing them in, like aiming the steering column, etc?

[TimTyler]

I bet you wind up with RS bars. The RT position is way too upright for life without fairing and windscreen.

Later on, if you find yourself wanting some protection from the wind (and a tidier-looking front end with the instrument pod concealed), look up the Meier fairing. I can show you how I mounted it on my nekkid K100.

I'm actually going with "C" bars that I got from Duck / kbikeparts.com  Grabbed some backlight LED's for the dash there too. The LED's were easier to install than I expected. No-brainer upgrade.

Bill - I like that fairing. Adding it to my list.

Heading out to get a shorter throttle cable now...

[Inge K.]

Inge,

Do I need to do anything special when screwing them in, like aiming the steering column, etc?

The pointed bolts just penetrate the soft surface of the damper, and locks it.
The top of the damper should be mounted 7 mm above the center of the locking bolts.

It was first used on the K75S models, later on other 75`s.......but don`t know for how many years.
...it don`t exists on the part diagrams anymore.

Anyway put a question mark the function now.....since the silicone grease in your damper probably
is history.............should be repacked now and then.......and the special grease isn`t available
anymore.......as I have understood it.

[frankenduck]

I don't even get why they installed that damper.  It doesn't seem to do a whole hell of a lot.  My K75 (86 S frame) with K1100 forks doesn't use it because the steering stem is narrower than that of a K75 and the only difference I notice is a little twitchiness as super slower stop-n-go speeds.

And I can attest from personal experience that it doesn't eliminate tank-slappers because I had one on my K75RT one day that scared the bejeesus out of me.

I have the 2000 ETK and it shows it only for the K75s, not the K100s.

I also don't get the steering damper on the K100RS4V.  It doesn't seem to do a whole hell of a lot and the K1100RS (which has the exact same front end) didn't come with one.

[billday]

Bill - I like that fairing. Adding it to my list.

Heading out to get a shorter throttle cable now...

Just found a clearer picture of the Meier fairing on my bike. Chaos had one too, before he went all Messerschmitt BF-109 on us. The primary support of the Meier fairing is two threaded rods that clamp on to the handlebar. It was a job to find space on the RS bar to clamp them. If you're interested I can take and post some pics of how I did it.

+1 on Duck's LED instrument lights, they are a very nice upgrade.

Consider a shorter clutch cable too.

[TimTyler]

I'll have to wait until Tuesday for a clutch cable now.  I won't receive my new headlight assembly until Wednesday anyway, so I'm not going too far anytime soon. :)

Here's some more detail I found on the Fluidbloc Steering Damper.

[TimTyler]

Oh, yeah. Guess I need new mirrors too. Any suggestions?

Looks like the OEM mirrors are ~ $50 each.

[argent brick]

Oh, yeah. Guess I need new mirrors too. Any suggestions?

Looks like the OEM mirrors are ~ $50 each.

Does BBY have any? It is my understanding that almost any /6 or /7 airhead mirror will work too.

[TimTyler]

Well, the conversion is mostly complete. I still need to find some mirrors though.

I moved the ignition to behind the air filter using an L-bracket, zip-ties and a pipe strap I had laying around. (It looks better with the side cover on.)

The headlight assembly came without instructions and at first it was a challenge to figure out. But once I realized it was made to only go together one way, it was easy.

I had to drop the forks to slide the headlight mounting clamps on, but that's no big deal once you know how. I drilled holes in the clamps so that I could add the turn signals. The 41mm mounting clamps fit the fork tubes perfectly and required gentle open-prying with a screwdriver to slide around.

It took me about two hours to figure out a good place to mount the horns. I thought about just using one horn, but they each have a unique tone (High and Low) and together they're freakin'  LOUD. I started trying to put them on the lower triple-tree bracket but they never looked good there. I like where they ended up, mounted using the original horn brackets (but bent) and screwed into the dashpad mount.

I used the original fairing brackets to mount the two high-beam Rigid Industry lights. If the bike ever falls they'll dent the hell out of the tank though.