10,000K Voyage, mechanical advice needed

[YoungEngineer]

I have a 1994 K1100LT with 92,000 Miles. The bike is reasonably well serviced has had a recent clutch, spline lube, rear main seal, FD Pivot bearings, TB sync, oil, filters, pads, plugs etc replaced recently.

I will soon be embarking on a 10,000 mile trip around Europe using the K11 to which I have been labelled as a madman due to the age and mileage of the bike. I have been advised to take a newer lower mileage bike instead which would be "Sensible" but this advice has been given to me mostly by friends who never keep a bike for more then three years before  trading them in for newer models and seem to have an opinion that every vehicle older then 2008 is old and likely to explode into a ball of flames.

Anyway I am convinced that the K11 is still good and wont cause anymore grief then its more modern brothers, with the correct maintenance of course. I am looking for advice on the things that could possibly go wrong which I may have overlooked.

Since I don't have any service history its hard to know exactly what has been replaced and at what point. Based on the mileage of the bike It would be great if someone would be able to give me a list or breakdown of what components I might expect on failing soon.

Some of the components I am concerned about are the following.

Cam chain (No rattle but still unsure)
Fuel pump (Filter states 1998 so I can only assume the pump is still original)
Starter and alternator brushes?
Wheel bearings? (They seem ok with no play how long they would last Im unsure)
Oil/Water pump?

[K1300S]

clutch and throttle cables
brake hoses
coolant hoses
TB boots


it ain't too old!  just reaching its prime!

[jaxon]

I would change the fuel filter and pay attention to the fuel pump housing for brittleness (They can dissolve too). That creates a mess floating in the bottom of the tank that can clog the filter. I wouldn't trust anything to work that normally should be replaced at specific intervals. Even a low mileage bike can fail if those items are neglected.

[Martin]

Make sure you have Moto Bins and Motorworks phone numbers. Replace coolant and replace brake, fluid check brake pads and tyres. I carry spare clutch cable, throttle cable, clutch lever, front brake lever, spark plugs, fuses, fuel hose and clips,cable ties, insulation tape, 2 jumper wires, tie wire, silicone hose repair tape, tyre repair kit and CO2 bottles & small bottle liquid hand cleaner used for leak detection, old T shirt used to pack the stuff in the tail . First aid kit, insect repellant, sun screen, WD 40,OEM tool kit plus 1/4 drive socket set with two extensions and u/joint and knurled finger drive, test light, sharp pocket knife, extra tools you think you could use, photo copy of wiring diagram, spare key or keys, I also carry one ignition key in wallet. Credit card, hidden money or both. This all fits in the tail and under seat tray with the exception of the sunscreen a insect repellant. And I would ride my bike anywhere it is the most reliable vehicle I have owned, it always gets me home.
Regards Martin.

[The Dude]

Depending on your own experience with your bike including maintenance,I would go at the drop of my hat.yours will be the one that will be the most reliable.Be reasonable with any excessive demands and monitor things like wheel bearing heat if your concerned.
Maybe,take "Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance"by Robert Persig along for the ride.Have fun!

[Laitch]

Maybe,take "Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance"by Robert Persig along for the ride.

Take it if a temporary mechanical breakdown doesn't make you feel miserable enough. :giggles  Anyway, Persig and his son were riding a CB77. That's why there's so little in the book about maintenance.  :hehehe

[Chaos]

Any part you bring will guarantee you won't need it.  Just have zip ties, super glue, duct tape, and vice grips handy.

[Laitch]

Make sure you have . . .

A few essentials I'll add to Martin's list:
Satellite phone
Flare gun
Choice of storm whistle, cowbell, or telescopic vuvuzela
Lightweight copies of The Old Testament, The New Testament, The Quran, The Book of Mormon, The Vedas
Bag of Milk Bones
Bag of Hershey's Kisses
Portable water purifier—First Need is excellent; Katadyn filtration systems are ok.

Lastly, if you haven't learned how already, learn to juggle.

[YoungEngineer]

Thanks for the advice guys. I'm actually really quite surprised that everyone recommended such obvious items. I thought I would be pushed to complete a full rebuild just to be on the safe side.

So what I will do this weekend is replace the throttle cable (Already busted at the right angle leaving the switch gear) and the clutch cable and keep the old ones as spares.

All the other items are good ideas and worth packing. Certainly will be taking the motobins number too.

[Martin]

The only things that I have used is the puncture repair kit on my own bike. However a couple of mates have used my tools, spark plugs, clutch cable, tyre repair kit, small torch which I always carry, cigarette lighter ( I don't smoke), electrical tape, cable ties, electrical tester and jumper wires, tie down straps, I sometimes think maybe they only ride with me because of mechanical support. :hehehe :dunno
Regards Martin.

[billday]

Any part you bring will guarantee you won't need it.  Just have zip ties, super glue, duct tape, and vice grips handy.

+1. Have a great trip, and don't forget to post up pictures.

[The Mighty Gryphon]

Two questions: How many miles do you get before you've used up a quart/liter of engine oil?  What condition are the drive shaft splines and universal joints in?

If the splines are good and you get more than a thousand miles per quart, I would say there is little chance of a major problem that would leave you stranded.  Tim Tyler is just finishing a 3000+ mile cross country trip on a K75 with over 175,000 miles on it.   Last July I did 7,000 miles in two weeks including a 24 hour 1500mile cross country blast averaging nearly 70 mph on a K75 with nearly 80,000 miles.   92,000 really isn't a lot for a K bike.  You are riding a bike with a car engine capable of 250,000+ miles.

You might want to carry a fuel pump, monkey nuts, spare bulbs and fuses.  A clutch cable, and spare brake and clutch levers.  Things like plugs and fuel filters should be available almost anywhere you go.  Throw some Techron in before you start the trip and make sure the coolant is topped up.  Goes without saying you will be doing a complete fluid change, spline lube and mounting new tires before you leave.  Check the brake pads bleed the system.  I don't carry a throttle cable, just check it carefully for fraying at both ends before the trip.

Now get out there and get some yeehah.

[gazman]

I would run the new clutch cable alongside old one, cover the end's so they don't get covered in crap and run the original to failure, then it's only a 10 min job to disconnect/ reconnect. Take a spare fuel pump and all the goodies others have mentioned. Ride. . . Enjoy

[The Dude]

Turns out in practice most of these spares,suggested, are redundant because most breakdowns arnt catastrophic if you are aware enough.You can limp towards help,one way or another,for instance,you don't need a clutch cable to change gear,throttle cables can be substituted for the idle speed(choke) adjusted to give you better than walking speed.The kill switch can be used to ultimately control engine breaking!(iced up throttle cables)
Where you plan to go you will have plenty of help and "kindness from strangers".This has been a very rewarding experience,for me at least....Triumph 650..Many a time riding on just one cylinder.Guzzi.
My K 75 has never ever broken down over a very high milage besides one or two punctures and a load shedding relay that the full moon helped with.(no lights)

Take it if a temporary mechanical breakdown doesn't make you feel miserable enough. :giggles  Anyway, Persig and his son were riding a CB77. That's why there's so little in the book about maintenance.  :hehehe

I had to read it twice to figure out his was a Honda.He went with a BMW rider and pillion wife,if I remember correctly?The book is bloody miserable,though.

[The Mighty Gryphon]

If you hang around here for any length of time you may come to notice that most of the threads here that deal with motobrick problems have two sources.

First, is the brick that is being put back into service after it has been abandoned/neglected for several years and suffers from corrosion in the wiring, fuel deposits from stale gasoline, and perished rubber bits.  Once these issues are addressed they become reliable transportation.

The second is the brick that has had it's electrical system hacked up as part of a cafe project.  I don't follow these threads that much, but assume that eventually they are made to work for what the owner wants to do with them.

There are other problems reported here, but most of them seem to be related to fuel pumps, the occasional Hall Effect Sensor, dirty starter, or ignition switch.  A loose connector here and there will show up, especially for the tank. 

Assuming that almost anyone with an old brick and an internet connection will find this place when they have a problem it's fairly easy to see that these machines do not have a lot of problems, even at their "advanced" age if they are maintained and used regularly.

[blackie1]

wish i was coming with you

i have a 92 k1100LT 85,000km and ride it hard with oil and filter changes every 5000km

i don't think you will have a problem with reliability
look forward to your updates of tour trip
good luck

[YoungEngineer]

Two questions: How many miles do you get before you've used up a quart/liter of engine oil?  What condition are the drive shaft splines and universal joints in?

Oil usage since I reverted back to 15W50 is very low, I would say 1L per 5000 miles but I have not had a trip long enough to confirm since the change the level is unchanged for the past 1000miles. Infact this could be due to the use of Amtech Engine restore but when I used 10W40 on long trips over 1000Miles at speeds greater then 90Mph I would notice around a liter per 1-2000 miles

You might want to carry a fuel pump, monkey nuts, spare bulbs and fuses.  A clutch cable, and spare brake and clutch levers.  Things like plugs and fuel filters should be available almost anywhere you go.  Throw some Techron in before you start the trip and make sure the coolant is topped up.  Goes without saying you will be doing a complete fluid change, spline lube and mounting new tires before you leave.  Check the brake pads bleed the system.  I don't carry a throttle cable, just check it carefully for fraying at both ends before the trip.

Now get out there and get some yeehah.

I was actually fearing the worst but shocked to see the clutch output splines as well as shaft and FD look brand new.  All the bulbs front, rear and even instruments have been upgraded to LED so should last some time.

Coolant system I drained and refilled myself with quality coolant.

Tyres are brand new K60 scouts.

Yes they do despite overwhelming skepticism and comments from everyone I meet handle just fine but the bike does turn into corners slower so thus benefits from lifting of the back and dropping of the front forks and inch.

As for the breaks, I fully bled the system when I first bought the bike over a year ago as well and stripping the calipers and cleaning the pistons which now all move freely. As for the lines, since the ABS modulator is dead I am considering ripping the ABS out completely and replacing with direct braided lines all round as I don't really trust the 20 year old rubber.

I would run the new clutch cable alongside old one, cover the end's so they don't get covered in crap and run the original to failure, then it's only a 10 min job to disconnect/ reconnect. Take a spare fuel pump and all the goodies others have mentioned. Ride. . . Enjoy

Good idea, I might just do the fuel pump now to be on the safe side.

If you hang around here for any length of time you may come to notice that most of the threads here that deal with motobrick problems have two sources.

First, is the brick that is being put back into service after it has been abandoned/neglected for several years and suffers from corrosion in the wiring, fuel deposits from stale gasoline, and perished rubber bits.  Once these issues are addressed they become reliable transportation.

The second is the brick that has had it's electrical system hacked up as part of a cafe project.  I don't follow these threads that much, but assume that eventually they are made to work for what the owner wants to do with them.

There are other problems reported here, but most of them seem to be related to fuel pumps, the occasional Hall Effect Sensor, dirty starter, or ignition switch.  A loose connector here and there will show up, especially for the tank. 

Assuming that almost anyone with an old brick and an internet connection will find this place when they have a problem it's fairly easy to see that these machines do not have a lot of problems, even at their "advanced" age if they are maintained and used regularly.

Yes I did get that feeling. I've learn my mistakes from previous "Cafe" projects. This one will stay as original as possible. The wiring loom seems intact and unhacked to my great pleasure. I've taken the time to go through the entire electrical system cleaning all grounds and corrosion between connectors (Which there was not much of anyway)

Turns out in practice most of these spares,suggested, are redundant because most breakdowns arnt catastrophic if you are aware enough.You can limp towards help,one way or another,for instance,you don't need a clutch cable to change gear,throttle cables can be substituted for the idle speed(choke) adjusted to give you better than walking speed.The kill switch can be used to ultimately control engine breaking!(iced up throttle cables)
Where you plan to go you will have plenty of help and "kindness from strangers".This has been a very rewarding experience,for me at least....Triumph 650..Many a time riding on just one cylinder.Guzzi.
My K 75 has never ever broken down over a very high milage besides one or two punctures and a load shedding relay that the full moon helped with.(no lights)I had to read it twice to figure out his was a Honda.He went with a BMW rider and pillion wife,if I remember correctly?The book is bloody miserable,though.

Great advice.

[Laitch]

Your photos are too large, YE. Please resize them to 250mm or less, delete the current ones and upload the resized ones.

What size are the Scouts? Do you have them mounted on stock rims with tubes? How fast do you intend to ride them?

[YoungEngineer]

Your photos are too large, YE. Please resize them to 250mm or less, delete the current ones and upload the resized ones.

What size are the Scouts? Do you have them mounted on stock rims with tubes? How fast do you intend to ride them?

They are 110/80/18 and 150/80/17 and yes on stock rims.

High speed performance seems good, I never really go over 90 so they are well within their limits.

BTW this forum should have a picture resizer, its a very simple and widely available extension to SMF.

[Laitch]

They are 110/80/18 and 150/80/17 and yes on stock rims.

You needed to use a tube type tire on the front but not the rear. Did the front take a long stem tube or regular length? Standard tube or puncture-resistant?

[YoungEngineer]

I could not answer those questions as I left it to the tyre fitters. But the front does indeed have a tube, the type or details of I could not describe. Puncture resistant you say? I did not know there was such a thing.

[YoungEngineer]

Attached photo's. (Resized)

[Laitch]

I could not answer those questions as I left it to the tyre fitters.

Depending upon how far off the beaten path you are traveling, you should consider learning how to repair your own tires, if you haven't learned already. Tubeless are easy; find the leak with the tire on the rim, plug it then move on and eventually find a replacement tire. Tube-type tires will require removing the tire and replacing the tube, so a spare tube or two is essential. Having CO2 cartridges at the minimum for re-inflation is also essential. but having a small compressor is better.

If you're traveling where there is likely to be plenty of service then there is no problem except waiting for it to arrive, or getting to it.

[Laitch]

Thanks for the photos! You did a good job restoring that bike.

[YoungEngineer]

Its not something I am familiar with. In previous trips I always carried a can of emergency tyre sealant. Its the stuff in a can that contains compressed air as well as a sealant to clog any punctures as well as re-inflate. Infact it has worked so well for me that I have used it as a permanent fix to most punctures with the so called (Temporary) repair typically outlasting the tyre itself.

There exists a product which is poured into the tyre prior to any puncture which creates an instant seal in the event that a puncture occurs. I have not heard much about it I think its called Green junk or something.