What Did You Did To Your Motobrick Today ?

[Laitch]

. . . scratched my head on the sump looking for oil leaks around the filter...

It's a biomechanics issue rather than a mechanical one. That's good luck. :giggles

[K1300S]

Went out to the shop and started up one of the bricks.  Warmed it up on a 100mi ride along the MD shore.

[Rcgreaves]

Cracked 50 in the chee today, rode both bikes K and Wing- grinning... At sunset the wife needed groceries, so we did Wing grocery run. Then my son and I continued to tear down my K75 engine, if you need bits ping me. 

[parabrick]

Mounted and wired some additional low level lighting for sneaky critters on the sides of the road, and not so sneaky but just as dangerous (more?)critters in 4 wheel cages on the road.

[parabrick]

Mounted switch in windshield panel . Easy to use and very nice light pattern out front... sorry not quite sure why everything is sideways....

[natalena]

Hubs, Rotors and Pads all around for the Mini, while the Brick patiently waits on a perfect 55f winter day.

[champ7fc]

Finished the restoration of my 1985 K100RS. Purchased two years ago and totally disassembled the bike. Replaced all the rubber, cables, seals , etc and too many other parts to list. Patiently waiting in my cellar for warmer weather and her maiden voyage.
K100RS Completed.jpg (71.27 kB . 768x576 - viewed 667 times)

[johnny]

greetings champ7fc...

thats hawt...

j o

[K1300S]

very nice champ!!!

but...a restoration is NEVER finished....

[RobP]

Champ -

Great job, looks excellent!

BTW - what process do you use to clean up the aluminum bits with the natural aluminum finish?  Also the SS header pipes?

[The Mighty Gryphon]

Damn!  That's a nice looking brick!  Did you do the paint job?  Looks great.  Dakar Yellow?  Goes well with the black and natural aluminum bits.

It's bikes like this that make me wonder how a hack job can make them look better.

[The Mighty Gryphon]

Excellent!

[champ7fc]

Thanks for the compliments. The paint does look alot like Dakar yellow but it is a GM paint color I believe for a Corvette. I was trying to match the helmet. I did indeed do the paint myself as with everything on the bike. Took two years. The headers were cleaned with alot of polishing by hand after taking most of the discoloration off with a copper wire brush and a hand drill. The engine cases and the associated grey metal were all hand cleaned using a wire brush and a solvent I use in my job. Alot of elbo grease and rinsing. The parts were then sprayed with a high heat resistant engine paint in aluminum color. I agree restorations are never finished I have a 1971 Norton Commando that took four years , finished?? in 2010 and I am still updating it. Craig

[natalena]

champ7fc, well done!

[Martin]

I picked up a 22Lt top box last year they rarely come up for sale. It solved my handling problems in cross winds now a totally different bike. I was going to make up a rack to go on top but I decided I liked as is. Early in the week I saw another 22Lt with bracket on Gumtree for $50.00 Au and thought about it. Yesterday I decided to buy it and found it had been reduced to $30.00 Au. It's now on the way from NSW for $70.00 Au with the freight cost. It's missing the key but it's unlocked so not hard to remedy. I might fit this one with a rack. I now have two Shads for sale.
Regards Martin.

[The Mighty Gryphon]

Nice job!  Did you take the opportunity to flush and clean the fins on the radiator? 

Did you get the connectors swapped over from the old fan?

[szabgab]

Dear all,

I have put ordinary 20W50 mineral oil in the bike, as Haynes suggested. It was performing just fab till now, but as the bike is parked outside (not outside in the elements, but in an open hallway) the engine gets really cold and subsequently relatively hard to start. Even with a freshly charged battery the starter struggles somewhat on first try and that is straining the system. What is your experience, should I use a lighter oil in the winter (that certainly helped my old CB400, a 20W50 oil completely choked that poor bike in the winter) or do I have some other problem, that manifests itself only, when the engine is really cold (-1 to -15 C)?

Thanks!

[Chaos]

I run 10-40 mineral year round in my K and it does fine down to O Celsius.  My Ural starts MUCH easier in sub zero temps with 5-40 synthetic.  I found in general any synthetic will flow better and make starting easier than a comparable weight mineral base oil.   

[K1300S]

see page 74 in your owners manual for the chart with viscosity options at various temp ranges.  if you don't have one, you can download from this site.

[szabgab]

Guys, thank you for all the speedy replies. I do not want to open yet another can of worms, but was it not the general consensus, synthetic makes these youngtimers weep at the seals? Ordinary 10W40 could be the answer to my ailment, but I am not sure, why the workshop recommendation is for such a high viscosity oil, might it be higher initial pressure requirements?

Johnny - although I am sure the Advantec oil is a fine one, but isn't it a synthetic one? I would much rather change a good quality mineral oil on a more frequent basis, than buy something really spiffy and have leaks as a result...

Mlytle, Laitch - I did check, and 20W50 seemed to be the one, that has got the best characteristic all across the spectrum. It might not be after all, as winter commute is hard on the engine, and I am sure, 20W oil is thick as molasses in sub-zero temps

Chaos - You own a Ural? Blimey, I did not know, it was exported outside the iron curtain, let alone to the US :)

Other thing - would it be OK to drain the oil now, store it, and use it again once the weather warms up? I have driven probably 2-300 miles with this oil, and I would hate to get rid of it. Obviously if you say it goes acidic, or whatever whilst stored I'd chuck it away...

[Chaos]

Chaos - You own a Ural? Blimey, I did not know, it was exported outside the iron curtain, let alone to the US :)

Iron curtain was ineffective as a barrier and the damn things escaped all over the place.  Few, however, actually are seen prowling the neighborhood due to lack of proper socialist oil.

[The Mighty Gryphon]

Along with many other brick owners I am using synthetic oil, specifically Shell Rotella T6 heavy duty diesel oil.  I have never had one seal leak on any of my three bikes in the 5 years I've been riding them and using Rotella.  Since I have yet to hear of someone fixing a leaky seal by changing from synthetic to dino engine oil, I suspect this leak thing is an internet urban legend. 

As far as the Shell Rotella T6, there are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of positive reviews by motorcycle owners who swear by it on the internet. 

The viscosity rating is 5W40 and my bikes turn over easily in temperatures lower than -10C. 

While I'm sure there are purists who will disagree, I see no reason why lightly used oil couldn't be saved for a few months in a sealed container.  Moisture and oxygen are probably the worst enemies of oil, and a tightly sealed jug will keep them out.

[Chaos]

I use Rotella T6 in the winter, regular mineral in the summer and have not experienced leaks in any of my vehicles. Though I'm sure it can happen the "don't use synthetic it will leak past seals" seems to be more an internet dilemma than a reality.

[Chaos]

If there is any circumstance where being a purist is appropriate, it would be in the use fresh oil in an aging engine that someone wants to preserve in top running condition.

When my BMW was new and got the highest grade BMW branded oil I would drain it and add it to my 1970 Bronco's crankcase, where it promptly blew out of the tailpipe

[The Mighty Gryphon]

2500 ohms at 70F,  250 ohms at 190F.