Beachcombers latest Kay project

[beachcomber]

Over the past 10 years I've built several Kay based projects - most got sold on to people who wanted to buy before I'd even put the finishing touches!  :dunno2:

This one's getting finished though ..... Based on a very low mileage K100 it's morphed through a Factory race rep [ until I found BMW had copied MY style idea with their S1000RR !! ], and then into a 60's style Cafe Racer complete with wire spoked wheels - and on now to a Streetfighter 'ish style.

Here's the mock up early last year [ health issues slowed progress down ], and since then I've developed a K1100 fork swap to take K1200S 5 spoke wheels. That's about where I'm at now - the final mock up and fettling of the GRP panels ready for a teardown, detailing and paint. The wheel / fork conversion has been completed and they'll be swappped in after the paint is completed.

[beachcomber]

This was the partially mocked up factory Race Rep version ...... however, this was built TWO YEARS before the S1000RR was released " Great minds and everything - here's the very same fairing [ R6 ] that BMW used on their pre-production mules !


And the pile of parts that got mocked up into the Sixties style Cafe Racer.

[billday]

Interesting, thanks for sharing.

Looks like a K&N filter on the end of the snorkel.... did you delete the filter inside the airbox? Any other performance mods?

[beachcomber]

Yes, K&N style pod filter and the internal filter removed.

No other mods other than a freeflow exhaust / silencer on this engine, although I do have an 1100 bottom end in the garage which will be getting an 8V head and at some stage - an Eaton Supercharger. That will coincide with the fitting of a sidecar as and when my knee eventually gives out for solo riding [ old football injury - damn' nose tackles ! ]

Here's another alternative to deleting the filter - and complete airbox !

[beachcomber]

Here's a few of the interim build pix to date .............. these are the finished wheels / tyre combo and the new spindle / spacer [ axle ].


OEM spindle bottom - new stainless steel spindle and spacer top. Additionally 2 x shim spacers required to centre discs.
 

[beachcomber]

Finally got my K100 yop yoke [ 41.4mm ] back from the machine shop  :clap:- now reads 41.7mm to take the K1100 stanchions - basically the last piece I'm waiting for before the teardown for painting and detailing begins.

[TimTyler]

Here's another alternative to deleting the filter - and complete airbox !

Really cool.  :2thumbup:

[beachcomber]

Here's another alternative to deleting the filter - and complete airbox !

Really cool.  :2thumbup:

Why thank you kindly Tim .... it's taken me long enough for what was going to be a "quick build"  :dunno

I'm debating with myself whether to fit clip ons and rearsets . I'm a child of the 50's/60's, brought up wth clip ons down by the front wheel spindle !!! However - the back is now that of a guy who just reached his 3 score and 10 - looks over practicality !!

That said, I'm also building a Sixties Cafe Racer styled Yam TR1 - so maybe I'll stick with the Renthals fo the Kay.

[beachcomber]

Is this Kharma ?????? I bought this Eaton Blower for my Hot Rod [ Phase 2 Vanguard Estate ] project to be fitted with a Volvo 3ltr V6 ......however it looks too small enough [ cosmetically ] - big enough for the Mk2 Kay Fighter engine though !!!  :yow

[beachcomber]

And here it is stripped - Merc related parts to be sold off ...............

Size 9 [UK ] garden clog [ !! ] for size ref.

[pdg]

Oddly, I have been idly toying with the same idea....

Where are you planning on taking the drive from?

[beachcomber]

Oddly, I have been idly toying with the same idea....

Where are you planning on taking the drive from?

Drive from the front of the crank pulley - it's the strongest point. However, using an Eaton blower [ clockwise drive ] there will have to be a jackshaft running parallel with the blower and the blower sits "backwards" to get the drive from anti-clockwise to clockwise.

I would then sit the blower on it's side with the outlet facing the right [ viewed from the front ] and then use the blower intake opening [ blank the bye-pass off ] with a 1 3/4" or 2" SU. There are other considerations of course - like blanking off the injector holes [ Nitrous Oxide foggers ] and using a suitable timing device [ MSD or similar ].

All doable .... my problem is lack of workshop / machining facilities - so I have to rely on / pay others ......... that always slows a project down !

[pdg]

I get your plan.

My thought was to stick with the fuel injection though (don't get me wrong, I like carbs and SUs in particular - I'm putting one in the land rover as soon as I find one...).

As it turns out, I think I'm shelving my plan for blowing, but I'll be interested in how yours turns out.

[beachcomber]

I get your plan.

My thought was to stick with the fuel injection though (don't get me wrong, I like carbs and SUs in particular - I'm putting one in the land rover as soon as I find one...).

As it turns out, I think I'm shelving my plan for blowing, but I'll be interested in how yours turns out.

Yes keep checking in - it's a longer term project due to the aforementioned having to wait for pals / pay for the parts for conversion.

Unfortunately fuel injection [ modern ] is not in my comfort zone - I'm a child of the 50's / 60's, so I'm far better off working with parts I can figure out what they are doing - and fix them !

[NickAndHisBrick]

wouldn't it be easier to make a spacer pulley at the alternator, notch the housing to pass the belt through, and then run a short drive belt between that and the pully on the supercharger? This would require less parts aand would spin the super the right way. Nudge the rad forward a touch and get a slimline fan and you could have your air intake there.

Yes I've been thinking of putting an m45 on my bike already (over a year).... And I've measured out up a dozen time too.

[beachcomber]

wouldn't it be easier to make a spacer pulley at the alternator, notch the housing to pass the belt through, and then run a short drive belt between that and the pully on the supercharger? This would require less parts aand would spin the super the right way. Nudge the rad forward a touch and get a slimline fan and you could have your air intake there.

Yes I've been thinking of putting an m45 on my bike already (over a year).... And I've measured out up a dozen time too.

Yes, this has been buzzing around in my head for 5 years now - ever since I got a real low mileage sweet K1100 less head. Ilooked at that option when I realised the Eatons run the wrong way for the Kay application. However, I'm not convinced the bearing / shaft would be strong enough - that blower takes a lot of driving !. The crank snout is the strongest place with the best bearing surface. Running a jackshaft has a side benefit of giving me two places to play with overdrive % and makes alignment a breeze. I'll be running Gilmer type belts and there's a lot of scope with OEM pulleys at sensible money.

Placing the blower on it's side also allows me to make a decent plenum for the intake to go off to the four intake runners - as you know the Eaton is merely an air pump - not a compressor. ANY compression of the charge takes place as the intake charge backs up in the manifold / plenum. With a properly designed plenum, I'm looking to introduce additional pressure for the charge. With this particular Eaton [ M217 ] the intake for the carb also conveniently sits over the cylinder head [ at right angles ] meaning I can leave the radiator where it is.

I'll add an oil cooler while I'm at it, and if I can find my old box of Nitrous parts ...........................

[beachcomber]

I managed to mock up the Blower on a spare bottom end at the weekend, and a jackshaft would be a very straightforward installation. There's even some decent conveniently placed mountings on the blower casing, and a 2" SU carb is mde for the job. Also plenty of substantial places on the Kay block to take brackets.

However, that is a long term project - I'll concentrate on getting the bike up and running as is first.

Back to fettling the GRP panels for a good fit, then it's final strip down, detail and paint.

[pdg]

For the comparative strength available at the front of the crank vs. the alternator drive, I'd agree that a countershaft is the way to go. Once the airbox is out of the way on top of the engine there's no shortage of space either.

[beachcomber]

Yes, when you look at the two options side by side - the crank snout wins out every time.

I'm a mechanical design engineer by training - and a life long tinkerer [ both as a hobby and as a business ]. And as such, I always had to err on the side of conservatism in safety / strength concerns when designing and manufacturing something others would place their trust in. And of course for my own peace of mind.

With that in mind - and maybe a little OTT, I'm considering mounting an outrigger bearing on the outside of the Hall trigger housing to further support the blower drive. The other benefit of this option is that the two drive belts will be relatively short and easy to tension / align.

[pdg]

There's no such thing as overengineering...

[beachcomber]

Some folk have enquired about replacing / losing the OEM instruements- hardly a thing of beauty.

As I don't get on with things electric, I took the simple way out and lowered the existing unit to lose as much of the bulk of the pod.

This is easilly achieved [ once you've done it ! ] by simply using the two mounts on the lower yoke [ K100 ]. I finished mine off with a small Bikini fairing - loads of options and you don't have to reinvent the wiring sysytem !

[k75newb]

Hey beachcomber,
Noticed those are Renthal, ProTaper or similar handlebars. Are you planning to use the OEM grips and controls? If so, are you anticipating any issues with the 22mm vs. 7/8" fitment?

[beachcomber]

You're talking about the proverbial gnat's cock clearance issue.

DON'T do what I did first time around and "force" it on [ l/h side ass'y ]  :nono - it just cracks the housing !!! One of those things you only do once. Strangely, the throttle side requires much less fettling ??

BTW - same probs with ALL the BMW range - see  the Airhead in the background.

Simply ease the bore out with a round file - 10 minute job - hey presto.

[pdg]

When i put 7/8" bars on mine the best option for me was to sand down the bars - throttle tube was binding and the switchgear wouldn't even start to go on... That 0.225mm really gets in the way.

Long strip of emery cloth, over the bars and rub away (around the bar, not along). Took a while, but that did include tea and smoke time too.

Personally, if fitting something non-standard between OEM parts, I would always choose to modify the non-standard part if required and if possible - that way, if I ever wish to return it to original spec it's a bolt in job rather than having to replace more parts.

[rbm]

+1 what PDG posted.  It plays an important role if you later want to sell the parts because the market value has risen.  For our K parts, they are currently cheap and plentiful but that would be the case forever.