Hello there, I'm just in the process of buying a LT, I've had various GS's over the last 10 years but decided it was time for something smaller and  lighter so bought a Kawasaki 650 Versys. Then out of the blue came the LT, it's been laid up for the last 10 years and only done 28K, resistance was futile!
I already had a trip planned for August so I'll be taking the LT but thought it best to check this site out to glean some info.

Right then, I'm off for a look around.

G'day Mort,  welcome mate.  This is where its at for your info fill.

Welcome to the forum and enjoy the L T.

You will find everyone very helpful and we also enjoy good friendly chat. Some of us, quite a few actually, get to meet up sometimes. So its good to see you already have a trip planned!

On the home page there is a section on what to do if you have just bought a K. Have a look at that as it is a good pointer.

The K is a good reliable bike but there are a few things to check out. Low miles is not always good as seals and grease are affected by prolonged storage. Tyres also suffer badly and you need to check yours for age. Tyres over 5 years old should be replaced, even if they look unused. Lots of posts and threads on tyres but any good new tyre will be streets ahead of an aged tyre.

There are a few other key things to do, like brake fluid change, coolant change, change your fuel lines as they perish, fuel filter change and a check on how petrol tank was stored. Don't be tempted to fire it up until fuel filter and fresh petrol are in and the old petrol out of the fuel lines. Polish up the fork stanchions as corrosion will soon zap the fork seals. Change the fork oil too.

If possible get your hands on the Clymer manual. Although you can download a lot here nothing beats having hard copy. Amazon or eBay. Parts are plentiful at Motorworks or Motobins and also forum members sell off parts too.

If you want a trip with a difference come and join us Irish Eccentrics for our Northern Ireland trip in September. Some great roads up in Antrim. All you need is a ferry across to Dublin on a Friday and a return on the Sunday afternoon or evening. Looks like we already have one or two forum members from the UK lining up for this. Some of us use it as a camping weekend (Tollymore Forest Park) and some stay B&B. Comberjohn lives near there and has shown excellent skills at planning good routes, historian and company. He also seems to always arrange good weather for them. I am at the other end of the country and quite a few of us pass Dublin on the way so can catch up with anyone coming from the ferry.

Now go enjoy the K!

I won't be the first to say this.

For some of us the forum has been a good way to meet some great friends with shared interests. Even those we may never meet, like some great guys as far away as Australia and West Coast America and Canada who we all enjoy good chat with. Of course the K is a good subject of conversation but lots of other interests too.

Thanks for the warm welcome and all the info already, funny enough I have another trip planned for September where a mate and myself are sailing into Belfast and heading for Galway, I decide which bike to take after the Scottish trip 

I did one of the weekends up north from Cork on the L T. Left Friday lunchtime, back 11pm Sunday night. 890 miles for the weekend and felt great after it. Took camping gear, tent etc etc and picked up a friends son on the way. K was faultless. The L T had a 'Comfort' seat and if you don't have this one its worth getting.

How much do you weight Mate? and how much for the friends son? Estimate weight of all the kit? Maximum preload on the rear shock? Rear tyre pressure? Average cruising speed when on the move?
Just interested!

rawdonball wrote:How much do you weight Mate? and how much for the friends son? Estimate weight of all the kit? Maximum preload on the rear shock? Rear tyre pressure? Average cruising speed when on the move?
Just interested!

Out of curiosity I did do this calculation some time back, more because I got curious about weight and the handling and also because I got involved in a debate on another forum about the weight of ones camp kit.
My entire kit excluding bike helmet and gear adds up to 50 pounds/21 kilos.

In 2012 on the K100LT, over 100,000 miles:
With full bike kit on, gloves, helmet, textile gear, boots and pockets with usual stuff I am 14 stone/196 pounds/85kg. Naked I am under 12 stone..
Friends son was about same.
I have 42 litre Krauser K2 panniers and a 40 litre Hepco and Becker top box. Panniers full added up to about 11 kilo each, 49 pounds/11kg.
Top box which would have some food shopping in tops at 22 pounds/10kg.
Allow another few kilo for spares/tool kit etc
That gave me a total of about 210 kg.

According to the book the max payload is 200kg. The last 10kg is allowed for shopping near camp site.

Rear shock was a Koni on full preload.

Front and Rear tyre Bridgestone BT45. Rear was put to 45psi/3 bar, front just short of 40.

From Dublin north and also on way back was motorway, 120kmh and rock steady. Up north on some twisties on the country roads it felt like it was in a groove, way better than when travelling solo with empty panniers.

More recently I repeated this exercise taking the RT to France but travelled solo. Panniers loaded were 11kg each.
Top box very little but tent poles and seat strapped to back seat.
Replaced rear shock evening before leaving with a stock shock off a spares RS I have. Full preload.

On way down handling went a bit off, traced to deflation of rear tyre and once back up to 45 psi/3 bar all was fine.

Even more recently travelling 2 up with 88KE on I hadn't beefed up the rear pressure so it didn't feel perfect. However I have come to the conclusion the standard rear shock is not really up to it so going to take the Koni off the LT. I have no idea what model it is and figure getting it rebuilt first.

In all cases I have comfortable gone 120kmh without any stability issues but will say they are very sensitive to getting tyre pressure right and keeping them high. Once that's done they feel like they are on rails. The important thing with a pillion is clear instructions on getting on and off. I am 5' 8"/173com so I have to brace well as I can't get my feet flat on the ground.

I may be killed for this but camp gear is interesting.

2.3 kg Tent
600 g ground sheet
1.0 kg Airbed and pump.
1.0 kg Sleeping bag.
1.0 kg chair.
.75kg Micro slatted table.
1.2 kg Vango stainless steel cookware.
100 g Vango microstoves [I take 2]
100 g stove wind break
700 g gas
700 g Stainless steel vacuum flask, 1 litre, empty weight.
150 g mug [I bring 2]
600 g Cutlery, knife, chopping board, plates, bowls, plastic wine glass.
400 g tea sugar spices etc
150 g LED torch.
150 g Citronella candles
11.00 kg total for above and I have all my creature comforts.

Very interesting read - THANK YOU.

I have just done the calculation to get your naked kg weight as a touch over 76.
I am more than 23kg over that so you will understand why I need medium preload even when I've planned to sleep in motels. At 6' 4" at least I don't have the bracing problem!

That is some super light gear you have there. Bet I could pay for 3 of my beat up K bikes with what that would cost me in Oz.

Cheers

Your calculation of naked weight is spot on. Its about 75-76kg so you can work from that.

The camping gear is pretty ordinary though, off eBay or Amazon. None of it is hi-tech specialist stuff. I don't need the hit tech stuff, my brother uses it and it costs a small fortune.

A few links:
Stoves: http://www.outdoorworlddirect.co.uk/coleman-f1-power-pz-gas-stove.html
Tables: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sunncamp-775402-SunnCamp-Micro-Table/dp/B001NPCWCU
Cook ware: http://www.bridgendcamping.co.uk/default.aspx?CategoryID=92&ItemID=VANCS4
Flask: http://www.ebay.ie/itm/1-Litre-Liter-1000ml-Stainless-Steel-Vacuum-Thermos-Bullet-Flask-1L-HOT-COLD-/271422416486?pt=UK_SportingGoods_Camping_Accessories&hash=item3f32096666
Stove wind shield: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PORTABLE-FOLDING-CAMPING-STOVE-WINDSHIELD-windbreak-/270613605670?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3f01d3ed26 
Stainless steel double skin mug: http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Life-Venture-Camping-Travel-Outdoors-Cookware-Stainless-Steel-Coffee-Tea-Mug-Cup-/371044408056?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item5663f85af8
Tent is a 2 man tunnel tent, cost me €75.
Sleeping bag €20
Sleeping bag inner I have a few years, made from an ordinary linen bed sheet.
Pillow: Sleeping bag outer bag stuffed with my fleece.

I try to make as many things as possible do more than one task. I don't bring thermal inners. National Geographic fleece [free with a subscription] doubles up as a pillow, thermal lining or something to wear off the bike.

The other side then is obviously whatever clothes and things I bring. I use a small washbag but simply take a part used toothpaste, a small plastic bottle filled with a shampoo/wash up liquid that I got in a discount shop.

When I came back from France I had a 2 litre bottle of whiskey, 1 kg of Carambars for my daughter and 2 1.35kg tins of duck in my panniers.

There is good storage space on the k in the rear ducktail [tool roll, puncture repair kit, elastics etc], under the seat [torch, bulbs, batteries, ratchet tie downs, side stand plate for parking on grass], inside the relay box [spare cable, connectors] and the fairing boxes [water, over gloves, money for toll, lock and chain].

I always find it truly amazing just how much gear can fit in the ducktail on a K100. I even have a set of jumper leads, not the real big 200 amp but 50 amp with small clips plus most of what you carry.

This photo was taken in France in May.

The orange you see is the rain cover on the tank bag. I use it to distribute weight and keep some forward. What you see on the seat is the tube containing the banner and my chair which I refuse to do without. Cost me €10. My initial intention had been to paint the panniers but I decided the visibility is better as they are so I will just paint the red parts to match the K.
What I didn't see was that 88KE's efforts to get the photo in focus were in fact trying to make the hat fit. But the sign said it all.




This one is leaving Bikerboy and Jude after our last lunch at Bruno's in Rouffignac when we were in France. Everything on the bike. A stop at a supermarket at the ferry port added the 2 litre [plastic] bottle of whiskey, 1 kg of Carambar and 2 x 1.35kg tins of duck. Went inside the panniers.



The link below is to Jude's photos that she posted.

http://judesphotography.wordpress.com/2014/07/21/etc/


Our camp in www.norevalleypark.com at Bennettsbridge in Kilkenny. Our two tents and bikes. 88KE had his 14 year old son along as well. I must add one thing. The K2 panniers double up as seats.

Well the mot was passed and the insurance and tax followed so I've had my first ride on a K100.

I can't say it was love at first sight but I can see how a bike like this can grow on you and why many of you have numerous K's or are serial owners. Next it's off to the Isle of Skye for a proper run out and let's see how I feel when/if I get back  

Mort - all good news about MoT etc. 
It does take a while to get used to the feel of the K100LT, but the more you ride, the more you'll appreciate her - especially if you've got a comfort seat. The standard seat can be hard on the backside for longer rides!

Enjoy your run to the Isle of Skye - if the weather is good, you'll love the bike. If the weather is wet, you'll appreciate the protection afforded by the LT fairing.

..and when you do enjoy it, give some serious thought to getting over to Northern Ireland for the weekend of 19/22 Sep (see European rides section) - the Irish Eccentrics just add a whole new dimension to being in the Klub. Not too far from Durham.

Thanks Paul, I really want to like this bike and hope it's a keeper.

I'm actually having a trip to Galway during the first weekend in September to a UKGSer event (I'm an ex serial GS owner) so I'll sadly miss this one but no doubt there will be others.

Don't know if you've already found a place to stay overnight on Skye. We stayed two nights in the 'bikers bed and breakfast' ( Cnoc Gorm, 1/2 2 Upper Breakish | Upper Breakish, IV42 8PY, Scotland) and had a great time (Ducati in the living room!!). Great people!

ReneZ wrote:Don't know if you've already found a place to stay overnight on Skye. We stayed two nights in the 'bikers bed and breakfast' ( Cnoc Gorm, 1/2 2 Upper Breakish | Upper Breakish, IV42 8PY, Scotland) and had a great time (Ducati in the living room!!). Great people!

Thanks Rene, I have a friend with a B&B at the North of the island, he's a biker and I can heartily recommend the place, http://www.lochbaybnb.com/

Had a better (longer and faster) ride out today and yes, I get it  I'm really happy with the bike and I'll probably refresh the suspension in due course and update the tyres.

Excellent result!

  

Tyres maketh the bike....but please don't ask the forum "which tyres to fit?". 

There are many long winded threads on the subject, but suffice to say, good quality new tyres (once scrubbed in) make the bike handling unbelievably better.

I should have added my thanks to this site,the ABS is re-set and no longer flashing at me, I'm not much of a mechanic but seeing what is possible on here gave me the inspiration to go for it.

Good one! Proper tyres on the right pressure, some progressive springs up front and a good shock (RAM??) and you have many many hours of great enjoyment, partcularly the route you're going to take. Can I propose A68 up, sideways over Melrose, Peebles, past Glasgow to A82 to Fort William, A830 to Mallaig, ferry Mallaig - Armadale and you're on Skye. Done those routes a few times and even thinking about it I have a grin from ear to ear!! Have a great trip!!

Perhaps I should have used a boat, soaked every day so far  

It makes you appreciate the sunny days Mort.

Mort wrote:Perhaps I should have used a boat, soaked every day so far  

Perhaps you should have borrowed Hover K100's K.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_4T9Md2xQo&list=UUdSsRETBAowjOBxiKVMATag&index=16

We got a sunny afternoon today  

sounds like fun mort

welcome aboard !

I've done my first 1000 miles and really like this bike much more than I expected, here we have a photo of my "PUP" and my mate's GSA.


And today after realising my tyres were 16 and 17 years old... they could legally get married.