K75S budget project

[pdg]

This is the story of my K75 budget project. I'll try to keep it some sort of order by starting a new post when I change subject so there will be a few straight off to catch up with what's been done so far. At this point I've owned it for about 5 weeks, found some little problems, sorted out some little problems and then found some more little problems!

Around Christmas time I was talking to some friends and I mentioned that I wanted to get a BMW some time in the new year. One of the guys said he had a K75S for sale cheap if I wanted it. It had been sat outside since early December but was in daily use until then - still had 6 months MOT so was basically ready to roll. First week of January saw me going to get this 1988 model showing 80k:



First order of business was to give it a wash and see what I was dealing with - just that made it look a bit better...



So, going over it had a 'to-do' list coming together, in no particular order of importance:

1. Replace perished coolant expansion/overflow pipe.
2. Remove non-functioning aftermarket alarm system and split charge controller (latter to be replaced sometime)
3. Investigate and rectify mild smell of fuel present after running.
4. Re-cover the seat.
5. Do 'something' about the screen which had been broken.
6. Figure out why there was always water pooling under/around the fuel filler.

That list is just things I want to do first - there is more to sort out (little dent in tank, paint etc.) but nothing urgent.

Seeing as I said it's a budget project, I'll keep a tally going of how much it's cost at the end of each job... So far it's been:
Fuel to collect = £90 (yes, I'm counting this as a cost!)
Purchase = £250

Total = £340

[Qdude]

For the price, around $500.oo? Looks great!
Especially after the wash.

Too bad about that hole in the seat. I wonder if there is something you can do temporarily, just to camouflage it a bit. The eye gets drawn to it and it does not do the bike justice. Dark fabric tucked under to cover the foam?

I gotta get pictures of mine, I have had it for a week now. Little problems, lots of 'em. It will be worth it.

Cheers.

[pdg]

Thanks, I'm pleased with it.

As for the seat, it had definitely seen better days...





Unfortunately, that's what happens when it lives outside - rain, snow, cold, heat and especially UV all contribute to hardening of the vinyl covering and then it splits on the creases when you sit on it.

Still, after a quick trip to town to visit the fabric/dressmaking/sewing shop to buy some new leather effect vinyl, followed by a bit of stretching and gluing I'm left with this:



I think it's a passable effort. Where the holes were in the old cover there is some wear to the foam which shows through the new cover slightly, but it's not bad at all. I may replace the strap at some point but I haven't decided on that yet.

This new material is a bit thinner than the original, and it's not 'rated' for external use so it's really not going to last as long as a 'proper' one, but it was £3.74 for a piece 140cm*75cm which is enough to do the seat twice. For that money I'll replace it every 6 months if I have to.

If I can find another seat base and maybe foam (keeping an eye on ebay etc. for a damaged seat) I'm going to have a go at carving a nicer shaped one. I'm happy to keep this one for the time being though.

A bit more catch up left, so when I have a few minutes I'll update again.


Costs so far:
Fuel to collect = £90
Purchase = £250
Seat cover material = £3.74 (I had glue and it didn't take much...)

Total = £343.74

[pdg]

Next bit while I have a couple of minutes spare...

Expansion/radiator overflow pipe.

This had been 'repaired' previously using silicon sealant - this apparently worked for a while, but it's not ideal and anyway the pipe had come adrift from the expansion tank by about an inch or so.

I had a browse in the local car parts shop and the only pipe they had in the correct bore was fuel hose (it's labelled 5/16" and fits perfectly - just a bit of stretch). It's fine for this use, massively overspecced though being twinwall braid reinforced... Still, it's not going to pop!

Anyway, to get to the radiator cap I'm sure you're aware you need to move the fuel tank - rather than balance it precariously while leaving the fuel lines attached I decided to remove it completely. While taking off the fuel lines I noticed the reason behind the smell of fuel after running the engine:



Those splits and cracks go pretty much all the way through - the only reason the fuel was staying in at all was because the splits were being held closed by the bend in the hose when fitted. Both the supply and return lines were in that state right under the tank. A bit more of the same hose required then. This hose exceeds the BMW specs and is (I assume) much cheaper then buying the OEM lines - the only disadvantage is that it's not shaped/bent to fit and the BMW hose clips are too small as it's slightly larger externally (same internally, just thicker walls).

Seeing as I was working without a manual one bit was confusing - tugging on one end of the return hose didn't move the other end... A few more spanners to investigate.



Oh well...

The large pipe between the airbox and plenum didn't want to shift easily, so with a bit of wiggling I got the lower part of the airbox out so I could get to (what I discovered was) the fuel pressure regulator to swap out the hoses.



It's a bit awkward and a tight fit for hands and tools doing it this way, but to my mind it's easier than stripping out the plenum side - especially considering the hose clamps on the inlets are the crimped originals.

So, got new fuel lines run in - changed the routing slightly so it didn't kink on any of the bends. The bit going from the fuel rail to the pressure reg. 'looked' fine, but as I was there and had enough hose I replaced it anyway.

Then I got on with the original job of replacing the expansion tank hose! Again it needed a bit of creative routing - this time to account for the lack of clearance between the tank and frame rails.

I didn't take any pics of the new hoses - it really wasn't very interesting to look at. But, if anyone wants to see how I routed the water line to avoid being pinched by the tank it's only a couple of minutes to lift the tank and snap a pic.

I was going to replace the coolant, but as it only took about 1/2pint to top off the radiator (plus same again for the expansion tank) I thought I'd leave it for a little while and check for any leaks - I bought the new coolant so it'll go in soon. A 5 litre bottle of concentrated stuff worked out cheapest, so that'll do a couple of fills.

Costs so far:
Fuel to collect = £90
Purchase = £250
Seat cover material = £3.74
Fuel hose (also used for water) = £6.71
Hose clips = £2.69
Antifreeze/coolant concentrate = £18.56

Total = £371.70

[frankenduck]

Nice job on the seat.

Yes, removing the bottom half of the air box is the "easiest" way to access the FPR.  Don't know what fuel line you used but the 5/16" FI-rated fuel line (7.9mm vs the OEM 8mm) I use works with the BMW 13mm fuel line clamps.

FYI: The name for the crimped clamps is Oetiker clamps.

[pdg]

Just splitting things up a bit so it's easier to keep track - someone let me know if I shouldn't be posting this way :dunno

The hose I used was 5/16 High Pressure FI rated, twinwall reinforced - but externally it's about 14.5mm (a little more once fitted to the barbs) and I couldn't physically get the BMW clamps on. I've kept them for later though because I like the logo stamped in them.

Anyway, while the bike was apart for the new hoses, I got out the alarm and split charge. I didn't deem it worthy of taking photos - after all, all I did was remove a couple of ring terminals and 3 cable ties... I also had a look around the fuel filler and discovered a drain hole! the whole thing was choked up with moss and dirt so a bit of a scrape out and blow through means it's all working as it should now - no more water pooling around the filler and threatening to go in the tank when I open the cap.

So, revised 'to-do' list, updated to include new 'things to fix'. I might as well add the mods I'd like to carry out to this list too while I'm there.

1. Replace perished coolant expansion/overflow pipe. -- done
2. Remove non-functioning aftermarket alarm system and split charge controller (latter to be replaced sometime) -- done
3. Investigate and rectify mild smell of fuel present after running. -- done, problem found by mistake!
4. Re-cover the seat. -- done
5. Do 'something' about the screen which had been broken.
6. Figure out why there was always water pooling under/around the fuel filler. -- done
7. Heated grips aren't working.
8. Fit fog/spot/running lights to the front.
9. Refit split charge and second battery to run accessories.
10. Fit CB/ham radio - I'd like to run CB and 2m on this if I can.
11. Cupholder! I like to carry water with me and would like it in reach but don't like it in a pocket.

There's sure to be more to add to that list...

[frankenduck]

Fine to post here.  What this sub-forum is for. :2thumbup:

Unless someone added another one, the fuel filter is in the tank.

[pdg]

Cheers.

There's no additional fuel filter fitted, it's just got the in-tank one. Since buying it, I've spoken to the previous owner and he's got a new OEM fuel filter that he 'found' at home, and the bellypan which is located in another city at a friends house :laugh  He had an internal leak between the water and oil pumps so he replaced all the pump seals and left the bellypan off so he could keep an eye on it for leaks etc. and to make oil/filter changes easier, then left it behind... I'll be arranging something to collect these or have them sent to me in the near future.

Right then, the windscreen/windshield/whatever you want to call it... A while ago someone tried to steal the bike but didn't notice it was locked up and dropped it. This took a chunk out of the screen on the left but fortunately didn't damage anything else (well, it mashed the end of the grip a little but I don't know if it happened then or not...).



While it doesn't really affect it, it looks bad (it doesn't look quite that yellow in daylight, it's a combination of artificial lighting and the background) - my thought was to trim down the screen to even it out. The line drawn on was me playing with the shape. Once I'd decided on the shape I wanted/could make I drilled a couple of holes to make cutting the plastic easier - if you've tried cutting one before you'll know just how easy it is to crack it using a saw...



Once drilled and trimmed, it was just a simple matter of filing and sanding the edges smooth and then fitting to the bike.





I think that looks better than when it was broken. I'd like to replace it at some point but finances currently dictate otherwise...

So, another free repair completed.


1. Replace perished coolant expansion/overflow pipe. -- done
2. Remove non-functioning aftermarket alarm system and split charge controller (latter to be replaced sometime) -- done
3. Investigate and rectify mild smell of fuel present after running. -- done, problem found by mistake!
4. Re-cover the seat. -- done
5. Do 'something' about the screen which had been broken. -- done
6. Figure out why there was always water pooling under/around the fuel filler. -- done
7. Heated grips aren't working.
8. Fit fog/spot/running lights to the front.
9. Refit split charge and second battery to run accessories.
10. Fit CB/ham radio - I'd like to run CB and 2m on this if I can.
11. Cupholder! I like to carry water with me and would like it in reach but don't like it in a pocket.

I won't update the cost list - it hasn't changed!

[frankenduck]

FYI: That's an aftermarket windscreen of some sort.  Factory one was narrower.

Usual suspect for HGs not working is the wires coming loose on the back of the switch: Frankenduck's Switch Rehabilitation Clinic

[Qdude]

I am starting to feel like working on my bike more. You are doing a great job. The seat looks excellent.

[pdg]

I figured the screen wasn't original - I've seen another the same on here that sparked a bit of discussion... I think I've ended up with something closer to stock now (maybe a little taller?) so it shouldn't be too bad. I'll be out on it tomorrow so I'll see how shieldy/screeny it turns out to be. Can't be any worse than it was not having anything there.

Thanks for the switch info as well Duck - I've done similar 'switchectomies' in the past but hadn't considered it on this yet to be honest. That's the beauty of places like this - finding out 'common' problems and 'handy' solutions :2thumbup:

Also thanks Qdude - I find it a fantastic compliment to think I've inspired someone - even in a small way.

[billday]

Hi PDG --

Great thread, thanks for sharing all this. I need the inspiration!

Bill

[pdg]

Well, screen works nicely - indicated 80mph and no chest full of wind, which was good.

Couple of terrible pics from today - had some chores and shopping to do so stopped off....

Salisbury Cathedral:


Stonehenge:


Just a shame the camera doesn't show the falling snow...

[argent brick]

Snow? You ride in snow? You are braver than I am.

I noticed that your cases are the first generation series with flat locks. I know that the locks are just pop-riveted in place. Maybe you can upgrade the locks at some point. Frankenduck should know if that can be done.

[frankenduck]

No problem on upgrading the case latches.  However you need to do both the lock and the catch.

[pdg]

Snow isn't a problem, it's only fluffy rain after all  :laugh If it had settled I would've slowed down a lot more though... As it was it was snow/sleet/rain today. I have to go quite gentle anyway as it's my first bike on the road for a number of years and I've yet to cover 150 miles on it.

Anyway - tragkorbs/cases. They need work. The latches that hold them closed are pretty worn so the front wobbles around a bit, also the latch that holds the case to the frame is worn too so you can actually remove the box without undoing the latch - hence the bungees - holds them on and closed. Oh, and one of the hinges is a bit broken.

I have been considering options for them - but neglected to add them to the to-do list... Whatever I do will be the budget option though - but I'll try to make it look alright.

The other thing I noticed today - until I saw the stonehenge picture I wasn't aware of just how poor the rear light is (yes, it's on in the picture) so that needs investigation/modification.

Rear brake lever/pedal has a lot of travel before the brake works - I assume it's just adjustment but haven't looked very closely yet.

So

1. Replace perished coolant expansion/overflow pipe. -- done
2. Remove non-functioning aftermarket alarm system and split charge controller (latter to be replaced sometime) -- done
3. Investigate and rectify mild smell of fuel present after running. -- done, problem found by mistake!
4. Re-cover the seat. -- done
5. Do 'something' about the screen which had been broken. -- done
6. Figure out why there was always water pooling under/around the fuel filler. -- done
7. Heated grips aren't working.
8. Fit fog/spot/running lights to the front.
9. Refit split charge and second battery to run accessories.
10. Fit CB/ham radio - I'd like to run CB and 2m on this if I can.
11. Cupholder! I like to carry water with me and would like it in reach but don't like it in a pocket.
12. Adjust rear brake lever travel.
13. Crankcase breather hose.
14. Squeaky brakes. (Might be fixed now, unsure so won't strike)
15. Mirrors. I want mirrors.
16. Make rear light less dim.
17. tragkorb latches and fittings.

I think that'll do for now...

[frankenduck]

The other thing I noticed today - until I saw the stonehenge picture I wasn't aware of just how poor the rear light is (yes, it's on in the picture) so that needs investigation/modification.

Easy, Inexpensive Tail Light Upgrade

[pdg]

Thanks again Duck, that's the sort of thing I was thinking of - except I have about 1500 or so LEDs of a mixture of colours sat about so I was considering mounting them inside the light unit with some extras to augment the brake light - and some SMD ones in the fork reflectors etc.

I thought the poor lighting was just mine  :laugh

[noppo]

"terrible pics" you say?  Mate, you live in a remarkable part of the world.  it's not every day that anyone can just slip on over to Stonehenge, and ride by architecture like that cathedral. Plus you got your bike in the shots.  I say "Nice Pics!!" to you, brick brother!  Brilliant work on your bike.  That windshield rocks.

Over here in Japan, without the side cases on, your bike would glide right through rush hour traffic. 
Nice and thin!!

Seeing pics like that makes me think i need to start posting up shots that show the joys of riding here.
 

[pdg]

By terrible pics I was more referring to the quality of workmanship...

But anyway, I arranged to spend some actual money and ordered a new crankcase breather hose from the local BMW car dealership. Looking at it there's no sensible and easy way to get anything other than the OEM part in, plus it comes with a 2 year warranty.

As it's something most of you will have done, I'll take a picture of me doing it :tongue

[CrashBar]

Be careful not to take too much play out of the rear pedal.   It can stick, the brake overheats, and the rubber boot on the final drive catches fire.  Then you stop on the side of the road and try to blow it out, only to breathe in the burning rubber fumes....don't ask me how I know.

[frankenduck]

A K75 has a monolever final drive without a rubber boot.

[pdg]

I visited BMW yesterday and collected my new crankcase breather hose and managed to find 10 minutes to fit it today.

It was certainly time to replace it.





However, the cracks weren't actually the worst part of it...........



Hmmm, it was a bit clogged. I imagine this was caused by a combination of condensation and the water pump leak that was fixed by the previous owner. I cleaned out the plenum stub the best I could and I'll just have to keep a bit of an eye on it.

I didn't have time today, but I want to see if I can have a look inside the plenum at some point to see how bad that is too - the stub from the crankcase looks clean enough.

The first start-up with the new hose was a tiny bit more difficult than it has been up to now (I possibly pushed a bit of the sludge into the plenum...) but once it caught it was fine and has started just fine a couple of times on an errand ride since, seems to run a little better and doesn't hesitate like it did when cracking the throttle from idle.

So, a worthwhile job, even though doing it found more work for later :laugh still, that's what happens buying used...

To-do

1. Replace perished coolant expansion/overflow pipe. -- done
2. Remove non-functioning aftermarket alarm system and split charge controller (latter to be replaced sometime) -- done
3. Investigate and rectify mild smell of fuel present after running. -- done, problem found by mistake!
4. Re-cover the seat. -- done
5. Do 'something' about the screen which had been broken. -- done
6. Figure out why there was always water pooling under/around the fuel filler. -- done
7. Heated grips aren't working.
8. Fit fog/spot/running lights to the front.
9. Refit split charge and second battery to run accessories.
10. Fit CB/ham radio - I'd like to run CB and 2m on this if I can.
11. Cupholder! I like to carry water with me and would like it in reach but don't like it in a pocket.
12. Adjust rear brake lever travel.
13. Crankcase breather hose. -- done
14. Squeaky brakes.
15. Mirrors. I want mirrors.
16. Make rear light less dim.
17. tragkorb latches and fittings.
18. Inspect induction system internals.

Costs so far:

Fuel to collect = £90
Purchase = £250
Seat cover material = £3.74
Fuel hose (also used for water) = £6.71
Hose clips = £2.69
Antifreeze/coolant concentrate = £18.56
Crankcase breather hose = £9.65

Total = £381.35

[Duc750]

Why put the split charge back on? Hunt around for a later k1100 50 amp alternator and sling that in - I paid 15 gbp including postage for my spare!

[pdg]

It's just a 'thing'... I'd rather run some accessories (possibly camping lights, stereo etc.) off a secondary battery. That way, when I fall asleep with something turned on and make the battery very, very flat, I can still start the bike.

To be honest, a 50A alternator would be good to have as well, but I don't want to rely on that alone. Just got to find one as cheap as you did.