What Did You Did To Your Motobrick Today ?

[Scott_]

I did a brake fluid flush on all 3 bikes.... and a new front tire on the R.

[Past-my-Prime]

I removed and reinstalled my transmission --- twice!

The first time I put the clutch diaphragm spring in backwards.  Who does that? (This guy)

This is how you'll know it's in backwards, should you ever do it:

It all goes in very easy. Too easy!

There's no messing around getting the clutch bolts in.

The clutch plate doesn't feel very "firmly" in place. Well that SHOULD HAVE been a clue.

The transmission slides in super easy.

Of course, you're on a roll so you keep putting more pieces together until you start to think "is this right"?  Then it all comes back apart once your realize your mistake.

When you do it correctly, everything is a bit harder. But now the clutch works (disengages the driveline). So time to reassemble everything from there, back.

(Also, the clutch centering tool is very handy, I found. Once i found it, of course)

[Chaos]

Yeah, anytime things are going too smoothly something obvious is probably f**ked up.  I once did a perfect oil change (no drips, spills, nothing on my hands) then backed the bike over the full drain pan. 

[frankenduck]

I once changed the oil on my K1100RS from the right side because it was tight quarters in my old garage. Got everything buttoned up with the new oil filled and topped off. All ready to go. Then I noticed the new oil filter still sitting in its box on the left side of the front wheel. DOH! Drained the new oil into a clean pan and then actually installed the new oil filter.

[Laitch]

After having a persistent slight motor oil leak for the last 10,000 miles at the engine/transmission weep hole that would only leave a few drops per week on the shop floor but would cause the clutch to slip when goosing the engine at high speed, I undertook a Stick Season tour of the clutch and output shaft environs. In advance, I obtained a clutch disc, screws, washers, clutch nut o-ring, compression ring and clutch nut for installation. The engine already had the latest release bearing assembly; the clutch rod and rod bushing were ok. The clutch disc was oil soaked so was replaced. The transmission input splines where ok and lubed with the remainder of my Staburag NBU30 PTM. The cover for the gear indicator assembly was in good condition despite being subject to the gravel and mud road riding provided to me by town roads here.


Note the sawtooth profile of the driveshaft socket splines, the rear drive input splines didn't look any better. I decide to replace both the driveshaft and the rear drive with a low mileage 32/11 unit I bought as a set a couple of years ago in anticipation of this. I bought it from a member here who replaced it with a paralever drive. I moved the brake disc from the old unit to the replacement by heating the final drive disc retention screws on the old drive with a Mapp torch then attacking them with a hammer-operated hand-handheld impact tool. Success was not elusive; transfer was completed.


No body parts were injured nor were there any failures of small part search-and-recovery efforts during this dance. 

[The Mighty Gryphon]

Nice job Laitch!   

I've been busy, too.  Did an end of season oil change and replaced the steering head bearings on Moby Brick Too the other day.  The bearing job was less of an ordeal than I thought it would be.  Since they were the third set I've done, I may be getting good at doing the job.  Once the bodywork was out of the way the bearings were out and replaced in only an hour.

Took the bike out for a short ride yesterday and tightened up the steering head when I got back.  Then I went out again.  It's amazing how less scary the bike's handling is at slow speed with good bearings.  The front wheel doesn't flop to the inside of the turn anymore.

[The Mighty Gryphon]

Took Moby Brick Too out of storage last weekend and found that the front master cylinder had dumped all the brake fluid.  Fortunately, the resulting paint damage is minimal and easily overlooked. It's been slowly leaking since I got the bike.  Time to bite the bullet and get an anodized master cylinder from Euro Moto Electrics.  $413 shipped 

It arrived yesterday and this afternoon I pulled the old one off and got the new installed.  The job was pretty straightforward, I only had two glitches that slowed me down.  First and worst was removing the pin that holds the lever.  I was able to unscrew it, but nothing I did made it possible to pull it out.  I finally had to drill a hole in the reservoir so I could drive it out with a drift.  I pissed away about an hour screwing around with that pin. 

The other glitch was with the brake light switch.  When I installed it, the brake light was on continuously.  Luckily, it only took a couple minutes to figure out that I needed to bend the lever on the switch to get the light to cancel.  While I had the grip off the bars I took the opportunity to clean the crap off the bars under the throttle and rubbed some candle wax on it.  Throttle snaps back really nice now.

Filled the reservoir and it only took 5 minutes to get all the air out of the piston and get a firm lever.  Total time was a bit over two hours including that damn lever pin.  Not bad.

Next job is to replace one of the LED driving lights that has a rapid flicker that is annoying when riding at night.

[Laitch]

I removed the brake pads, the pad mounting pins and springs from all three calipers. I scrubbed the pins, springs and backs of the brake pads with scotchbrite pads, wiped them off, applied silicone grease to the backs of the pads, the pins and the springs. After reassembly, all three calipers were flushed and bled with new fluid. I use speed bleeders on all three calipers; they make flushing the brake lines an appealing job and allow more time for contemplation and bird call identification.
After cleanup, I rode down the mountain to town so I could cover everything with moist gravel-road grit. 

[Scott_]

Finally realized how bad the fork seals were leaking on the '95, so I pulled the forks off of my '97 parts bike and swapped them to the '95.
I suppose some day I'll strip them down and rebuild them, with bushings and seals, but not today... now to mow the yard.

[K75user1979]

Messed around with the mechanism that automatically retracts the side-stand when clutch lever pulled.  It wasn't quite making it all the way so had to kick it the rest of the way and it now works again.  A minor and unneccesary job but good to know that it works.

[natalena]

Been piece by piece repairing and priming parts, according to astrological charts, TikTok influencer advice, and some furry rodent seeing his shadow forcasting another year of "no painting."   Getting close to choosing a color though.

[Past-my-Prime]

Well, not today, but yesterday.

Went for a loooooong ride (for me) just shy of 1,200 km from a cabin near Parry Sound to my home.

That’s 700 some miles. The weather was perfect. Traffic, except around Sudbury, was minimal. Beautiful landscape, gorgeous view, but WTF was I thinking?

Yes, the K75 RT is a tourer’s dream, I would have died had I attempted that ride on my F but it should be obvious by now to me if it wasn’t already that I won’t be doing this again.

Also, I seem to have developed a leak at one of the exhaust ports, initially suggested by a slight ticking especially when cold but now there’s a distinctly louder sound coming from someplace “down there”. That’s something I’ll be looking at next.

After I fix the damage that happened when my riding companion for the first part of the trip ran into me at a red light that he misjudged.  Anyone know where the rear left turn signal lens can be found?

I’ve never ridden so far in one day in my life. 700 miles in 12 hours. Ludicrous.

[Laitch]

Anyone know where the rear left turn signal lens can be found?

The clock is ticking on this one.

[The Mighty Gryphon]

Another 12 hours and a mere 300 miles and you can get your Iron Butt. 

[frankenduck]

700 miles? Bah!

My longest ride on a K75RT was 2,446 miles in 36 hours. From the beach in San Diego to the beach in Jacksonville, FL. Ocean to ocean.

[Laitch]

700 miles? BahMy longest ride on a K75RT was 2,446 miles in 36 hours.

Well, that's precious! 

[Past-my-Prime]

700 miles? Bah!

My longest ride on a K75RT was 2,446 miles in 36 hours. From the beach in San Diego to the beach in Jacksonville, FL. Ocean to ocean.

I am impressed; I seriously doubt I could have done that even in my prime, maybe age 30. 1,000 miles, then: possibly.

If I tried anything like that now, nearly 59 years old, I would not survive. The constant focus and attention and balance and anticipation is draining. Now, two days later, I still can feel the ride!!

I felt OK on my most recent ride but like many things the pleasure diminishes and I’d have enjoyed the trip much more had I taken two days or even three for that distance. I don’t ride my motorcycle in order to get somewhere: I’m only going for a ride. Always aware (although not, I hope, in a paranoid way) that this ride could be my last.

I’m happiest doing 300 miles or so a day. And of the various bikes I’ve ridden, there is none I’d rather be on than my trusty 1989 K75. 

[Chaos]

BMW riders have always been overly impressed with mileage, either length of trips or how much is on your odometer.  Crotch rocket types check out your chicken stripes.  Then there's ape hangers, hardtails, straight pipes and chrome for the you know what crowd.  To each their own, eh?

[rocketbrick]

I rebuilt my front calipers and replaced all the front brake lines with stainless steel ones today

[caveman]

I put some miles on but I hate paperwork!

[frankenduck]

I put some miles on but I hate paperwork!

Ang Ironbutt rides are mostly slab. Yawn.

[K75user1979]

Lubed and greased anything that can be lubed and greased.  Adjusted the clutch correctly and now the sidestand auto-retracts properly.   Cleaned her up and made her shiny to almost showroom condition. 

A product that I use on cars (WYNNS DASH from autozone, a plastic rejuvenator used on dashboards etc works wonders on these old bikes.   It will restore any hardened radiator hose to like new condition and generally beautify the whole bike mainly plastics/rubber.  I use it liberally and it makes a night and day difference.

Took her for a pre-storm ride and she is running in what I think is 'like new' condition.   

So so happy with this bike but time to put her in her box (a box on wheels which I roll over the bike to protect it in the workshop at work) and exercise the other bikes in the stable.  My 2013 DR650 almost didn't start the other day because I've been neglecting it in favor of the brick.

[milq]

Front master cylinder has dripped onto the fairing of my K75S but only during use. I pulled the m/c and cleaned things  up, hoping  to find nasty seals but found some minor pitting instead.  It's right where the outer seal uncovers it during braking, will  see if I can find a tiny hone and clean it up rather than put in the new kit and cross my fingers. I think I can sleeve the bore if I have no other choice...if I can get the m/c fixtured up to bore it out,  but that's a potential problem for future me.

[Jethroww]

Hi. Monday night coming home on the 401
20240709_185519.jpg (60.72 kB . 432x576 - viewed 248 times)going 140 Kilometers per hour.
Blinker broke and blew onto mirror then hit my helmet.  Bulb and main housing still in fairing.

20240709_184629.jpg (58.89 kB . 432x576 - viewed 274 times)

[Chaos]

going 140 Kilometers per hour.
Blinker broke and blew onto mirror then hit my helmet.

Blinker probably took advantage of the situation and sacrificed itself to rid the bike of that mirror stalk.  When that failed it attacked you.  Can't blame it for trying