Hello,

I've just joined the forum although have owned my 1985 K100RS for nearly ten years now.

It's been a great workhorse, sadly very neglected by me! I've written it off once (cosmetic damage making it uneconomical to repair) after riding it into a cow! The cow walked off unharmed but not me, nor the bike. The damage was mostly cosmetic and, after some excellent repair work by my wonderful wife, has been back on the road for the last four years. The fairing looks a bit wonky and the mirrors are even less securely attached to the fairing than before, but it still goes well.

The next thing to try and improve is the slow running. It is very lumpy and doesn't pick up very well, especially once it is warm. Being used to poor running British bikes, this isn't too much of a problem but can be a bit embarrassing at traffic lights when it bogs down and I have to rev it like mad and slip the clutch to pull away!

I've recently fitted a pair of Avon Roadriders and have to say that they seem to be excellent. The problems with white lines and other longitudinal surface irregularities have gone completely. So far, marvellous tyres and quite cheap too.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting to know some of you and to share 'K' stories.

Mark

Well aren't you lucky to have a wife that can repair your bike. Give her the workshop manual to read before bedtime. Maybe she can get it running properly for you.
Enjoy the forum Mark and welcome aboard.

Hi Mark - welcome in. You're right about the RoadRiders; it's easy to scrape boots on them and I'm reasonably certain the footpegs will scrape too with a little more effort. I'm an ex-resident of Poole so I know your part of the world pretty well.

Kaptain Holister wrote:Well aren't you lucky to have a wife that can repair your bike. Give her the workshop manual to read before bedtime. Maybe she can get it running properly for you.
Enjoy the forum Mark and welcome aboard.

Wondering now was that a case of wife repairing bike or repairing rider??

Welcome too as you will find there is lots of banter as well as really excellent technical stuff. Now you can find some more K riders and maybe venture out a bit. On a K you are welcome everywhere so if you feel like some travels do hop over this way..

My oh my, it's amazing how you can go through life not hearing any scary stories and then the minute you start riding bikes again, you get them all at once, I've heard of folk 'hitting the road' - but hitting a cow? Only the other day, I was out on one of my many country trips on the bike when, after turning a bend in a very narrow and twisty road, I met a bullock munching on grass at the side of the road. The thing turned and looked at me as if to say, "you're dead meat, small fry". I got a scare because the road was too narrow for me to turn my heavy K100 round quickly, and so I just sped past as fast as I could and didn't look back till I eventually found a sign for a farm where I could notify the farmer of the danger. I was telling this story to a friend and he told me that he knew somebody who was killed on his motorbike after ploughing into a cow on a dark road - they just love to tell you stories like that.

Anyway, another thing that sparked interest in me is your mention of Roadster tyres (I'm guessing they're tyres). Especially when you say it elliminated the wobbly effect of uneven roads and painted lines (which I've been concerned about myself recently). Do they have some special gripping capabilities or shape which stops the slithering effect? Glad to hear any more comments on these.

Glad bike and ride are ok after your brush with a McDonalds burger - now that's a novel way to wear leathers lol

Welcome Mark

You did well to hit a cow in Hampshire - I remember lots of horses there, but not many cows!!
Anyway, good luck with sorting out your lumpy running and maybe see you out on the roads some when.

Welcome Mark.
Remember a friend who was hit by a cow while in his car. Jumped a fence and landed on his windscreen and bonnet (hood). Car was a write off PLUS he had to pay for the cow because it broke out!
Lumpy running? Start checking your rubber ware around the injectors and the main crankcase breather hose just under them.
If you do a forum search on the subject, it's all been done before.

Comberjohn wrote:Welcome Mark.
Remember a friend who was hit by a cow while in his car. Jumped a fence and landed on his windscreen and bonnet (hood). Car was a write off PLUS he had to pay for the cow because it broke out!
Lumpy running? Start checking your rubber ware around the injectors and the main crankcase breather hose just under them.
If you do a forum search on the subject, it's all been done before.

I will second that one about the crankcase breather hose.

Monday after our Norn Iron trip I had to deal with a petrol smell which had been traced to the fuel line connection at the rear of the injector rail, beside the coils. Doubt existed as to whether it was the fuel line [easy] or the spigot to rail joint [messy, injector rail off etc]. Anyway it was the fuel line, but I couldn't get the bottom part of the air box off the engine to access the regulator to replace the hose so for short term I cut the bad end off the fuel line as there was enough slack. But while I was at it the rubber crankcase breather vent pipe was noted to have a crack in it when I moved it out of the way. Temporary repair for now but I have to go back in and get the airbox off. Seems it has to come off to replace the crankcase breather too so my advice when you are in there replace the fuel lines and the breather, all cheap stuff. When you put the fuel line back on if you use a worm drive clip with the screw NOT at right angles but along the line of the pipe [or a clip you can squeeze up with a needle nose pliers] you will be able to undo it from the coil side without taking off the air box [and all the associated fairing bits]. Unfortunately it seems to me the front fuel line needs to be done from the right hand side, so do it too while you are there, but put some extra length in it.

Or, has anyone replaced the breather pipe from the left side without removing he air box?

As for cows on the road the legislation was changed here some years back and now the animal owner is responsible for any injuries or damage. Amazingly there were hundreds of these incidents every year and a significant number of fatalities. It now rarely happens with cows and you will rarely see cows wandering now. Dog owners are also responsible if their dog causes an accident. But horses are a different matter, if you meet someone on a horse you really should pull over and kill the engine. A recent case put the liability on the motorist due to the fact that they might have spooked the horse because the engine was running! I live on a road with constant equestrian traffic and it really is the safest thing to do. However in mountain areas where there is common grazing sheep are a regular hazard as are deer. The big problem with bigger animals is a vehicle has no protection, all the protection is down low and the animal mass is up at chest level where it does you the most damage.

Welcome Mark, I was glad to find out it's not only me having weird accidents - skidding into hedges at 30mph, also running into concrete barriers (years ago) while trying to avoid horses trotting on the motorway (only in Ireland....). Main thing is to be back in the saddle and ride happily! And take good care of your wife - very few pf them would go near the bike, not to mention mending it

Yes Olaf,
I've replaced the breather hose without removing the air box, not difficult at all.

Paul.

Ditto   As for the worm drives on the fuel lines: a 12-inch-long screwdriver does the job quite nicely if the fairing is still on.

Björn wrote:Welcome Mark, I was glad to find out it's not only me having weird accidents - skidding into hedges at 30mph, also running into concrete barriers (years ago) while trying to avoid horses trotting on the motorway (only in Ireland....). Main thing is to be back in the saddle and ride happily! And take good care of your wife - very few pf them would go near the bike, not to mention mending it

Yes, that was a puzzle. Comberjohn's second question, after enquiring about your well being, was how on earth did you find that road with the hedge....

I have never joked about horses because many years back a friend was going home on his about 6am and he hit a horse that was running wild. He was killed instantly. I heard about it very quickly and a few hours later was talking to his girl friend only to discover she didn't know. It has never left me. Sorry if I sound morbid but back in time there was a lot of this going on.

Now, a wife who mends :afro: airhead bikes..... :queen: !

Dai wrote:Ditto   As for the worm drives on the fuel lines: a 12-inch-long screwdriver does the job quite nicely if the fairing is still on.

Paul, thanks for that one. Will do it.:
Dai: mine has some weird clamp type clips on it, not BMW ones but I cant get them off. I have a very neat bendy screwdriver that does most things and would work if I get the old clamps off.

92KK K100LT 193214 wrote:Yes, that was a puzzle. Comberjohn's second question, after enquiring about your well being, was how on earth did you find that road with the hedge....

Just followed the old school method: no bloody GPS, only a good detailed map. My one even shows foils in the woods

Björn wrote:

92KK K100LT 193214 wrote:Yes, that was a puzzle. Comberjohn's second question, after enquiring about your well being, was how on earth did you find that road with the hedge....

Just followed the old school method: no bloody GPS, only a good detailed map. My one even shows foils in the woods

You mean 'falls' in the woods.......? I owe you a coffee in town.

alibear57 wrote:Anyway, another thing that sparked interest in me is your mention of Roadster tyres (I'm guessing they're tyres). Especially when you say it elliminated the wobbly effect of uneven roads and painted lines (which I've been concerned about myself recently). Do they have some special gripping capabilities or shape which stops the slithering effect? Glad to hear any more comments on these.

Probably due more to worn tyres (especially if scolloping occurs) or older tyres that have gone hard (4-5 years old)

Thanks for all the kind greetings and advice. I'm sure I'll get to know you all as I'm bound to be asking loads of silly questions!

I won't try and answer all questions in one post but will say that I do know I am very lucky to have a capable wife! She won't ride on my bikes but is a demon with fibre glass and a spray tin!

Dai wrote:Hi Mark - welcome in. You're right about the RoadRiders; it's easy to scrape boots on them and I'm reasonably certain the footpegs will scrape too with a little more effort. I'm an ex-resident of Poole so I know your part of the world pretty well.

Hi Dai,

Small world! I'm from Poole as well but haven't moved far living on the edge of the New Forest now. I haven't managed to touch my boots down yet but maybe I should try a bit harder as the RoadRiders do encourage it!

alibear57 wrote:My oh my, it's amazing how you can go through life not hearing any scary stories and then the minute you start riding bikes again, you get them all at once, I've heard of folk 'hitting the road' - but hitting a cow? Only the other day, I was out on one of my many country trips on the bike when, after turning a bend in a very narrow and twisty road, I met a bullock munching on grass at the side of the road. The thing turned and looked at me as if to say, "you're dead meat, small fry". I got a scare because the road was too narrow for me to turn my heavy K100 round quickly, and so I just sped past as fast as I could and didn't look back till I eventually found a sign for a farm where I could notify the farmer of the danger. I was telling this story to a friend and he told me that he knew somebody who was killed on his motorbike after ploughing into a cow on a dark road - they just love to tell you stories like that.

Anyway, another thing that sparked interest in me is your mention of Roadster tyres (I'm guessing they're tyres). Especially when you say it elliminated the wobbly effect of uneven roads and painted lines (which I've been concerned about myself recently). Do they have some special gripping capabilities or shape which stops the slithering effect? Glad to hear any more comments on these.

Glad bike and ride are ok after your brush with a McDonalds burger - now that's a novel way to wear leathers lol

Hi Ali,

Your bullock incident sounds scary!

Cows (and ponies, sheep, pigs and deer!) on the roads are a fact of life when riding through the New Forest. The New Forest Commoners have grazing rights and most of the roads are unfenced. The cow was the first animal I'd hit in over 30 years of daily commuting through the forest so I haven't done too badly but it was a shock. Luckily, as it was dark and, I thought, a bit slippery with the cold, I was travelling at under 30mph at the time of impact. I still should have seen it though...

The RoadRider tyres have an interrupted (non-continuous) groove around the centre of the tread and, I understand, gives them more stability on surface irregularities. At least, that's what I've read and they do seem to be better than the Metzelers and Pirellis I've had in the past.