I hope I didn't sound pedantic, but that the way you have to be with the K or you get tripped up somewhere.

Your work in sorting this is more time than money but once you have it sorted you will have a very reliable bike.

no absolutely not, this is all new to me all help is appreciated thank you

You've discovered the beauty of brick ownership, andyo.
You get a lot of motorcycle for not much money. My last one cost me £380 and it was a good runner.
Spent another 100 on it and had a couple of years motoring before I sold it for £750.
You'll pay more for a clapped out Honda Superdream 250 because it's a 'classic'.
Two hundred quid for shaft drive, single sided swing arm, fuel injection and 90bhp? Plus you have the kudos of the blue and white roundal.
I'm looking for another myself and your buy would have been just right.

Definitely sounding like a broken injector wire than anything else.

I had a similar problem and knocked myself out over plugs and leads and coils. Ended up getting the shop to sort it out in the end. Mind you mine was a Full rebuild so the shop had to re-tune the throttle body's etc anyways. The Shop mechanics report came back. Broken injector wire was it alright

Hope you can get it sorted easily

Comberjohn wrote:You've discovered the beauty of brick ownership, andyo.
You get a lot of motorcycle for not much money. My last one cost me £380 and it was a good runner.
Spent another 100 on it and had a couple of years motoring before I sold it for £750.
You'll pay more for a clapped out Honda Superdream 250 because it's a 'classic'.
Two hundred quid for shaft drive, single sided swing arm, fuel injection and 90bhp? Plus you have the kudos of the blue and white roundal.
I'm looking for another myself and your buy would have been just right.

well, as I say virtually all of my bikes are pre war,... sometimes a modern bike is useful, I did have a nice 1150gsa but I didn't use it very often and it was £3500 just sitting there so I sold it, this is fine to use occasionally, I have very little money tied up in it and it can't possibly be worth any less, and yes I have a feeling about the injector wire but just in case .... my bike is 1986 will this fit ? its at a local bike shop
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-K100RS-K-100-RS-1000CC-1989-INJECTOR-/281442569061?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts_13&hash=item418748cb65

Yes, it'll fit. Seems a bit pricy but if you need it and there's nothing else available.
Doesn't seem too long ago that eBay was full of K parts at Mickey Mouse prices. That's the cost of turning into a classic.

andyo wrote: my bike is 1986 will this fit ? its at a local bike shop
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-K100RS-K-100-RS-1000CC-1989-INJECTOR-/281442569061?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts_13&hash=item418748cb65

Yes. The 86 and 89 are both 8 valve and unchanged in design from one year to another in the injector department

If you are doing injector refits I suggest strongly you renew all the O'rings top and bottom on the injectors. At around 20 - 25 years old they are probably either brittle or starting to perish.

You don't need BMW  ones. Just go to any good Seal shop and get over the counter ones. Cheap as chips, easy to fit, and well worth the effort and peace of mind

If it is just #3 then it cant be ignition but can be injection or a cylinder problem, have you checked compression?

I only have a 14 and 18mm adaptor for my compression tester so I've not done a definitive test as yet, but as you say this can't be ruled out, although the plug comes out bone dry, but there is compression as I've stuck my finger in the plug hole and turned the back wheel with it in gear I did consider pressing the starter button but thought better of it...

well, finally I have a 4 cylinder K100, the cause you ask ??? corroded terminals on the injector, thank you to all who have contributed, its game on

andyo wrote:well, finally I have a 4 cylinder K100, the cause you ask ??? corroded terminals on the injector, thank you to all who have contributed, its game on

So...next step...... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzmt_X_yPdM

good to hear andy

congrats

92KK 84WW Olaf wrote:

andyo wrote:well, finally I have a 4 cylinder K100, the cause you ask ??? corroded terminals on the injector, thank you to all who have contributed, its game on

So...next step...... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzmt_X_yPdM

yes I think this is appropriate,

awww to easy.

find something else broken so that the collective brains trust can try and fix from our arm chairs!

well done mate!

and by the way........ no fecking nibblets on ngk plugs, you were right,  what is the world coming to, I also had difficulty getting individual ht leads, they all seem to be sets now

Yay! It goes on 4! Awesome.

Now you can begin sorting bike out propper

So now you will be coming over for a pint of Guinness.....They don't make them the same anywhere else....!

well today it passed an mot, I have taxed it and it is actually "on the road" handling.... now then, it seems a little odd,  difficult to explain but it doesn't want to tip into corners, now bear in mind my daily bike is 85 years old so there is something of a difference but it hasn't been that long since ive ridden a modern bike, (so to speak) and it doesn't  really inspire confidence, the front tyre is a metzeler and the rear is a battleaxe they are both in pretty good nick, maybe I just need to get used to it but it doesn't feel right and it  also gets very upset over uneven roads, are there any known issues do's and don't with regard to tyres and pressures etc, it has a newish looking hagon rear shock on the back, it does feel a little solid, maybe I should back it off a bit ? All the bearings are in good order, the tyres have plenty of tread, the bike has been checked for straightness any recommendations re setup would be great, or I could just hang in there and get used to it

https://i.servimg.com/u/f59/19/04/89/15/20141110.jpg

here it is after a bit of spit and polish

oh and it has now stopped leaking oil , and yes there is some in it

have a good look for the date mark on the tyres

if over 4 years   throw them out, they probably have gone hard
many have replaced tyres for outstanding results

With all the talk of not start there wasn't mention of tyres.

Check the manufacture date on them. Also check on the pressures. There should be a 4 digit code on the side of each tyre, as in something like 3210 which would be a manufacture date of week 32 in 2010. Given the time of year I would be wanting new tyres starting into winter so if that date is any earlier than 2012 I would be replacing them. As they age they harden, even if there is plenty of treat they will be no good if they are old.

My K had a mix like yours when I got it and to be honest it was not nice. Since then I have the Battlax front and rear and find it great and good confidence. My front went on last month and the rear in April [but is being replaced shortly].

Ks are quite sensitive to tyres.

yes, thanks its not been on the road for 8 years so I think tyres are the next job, the cost of the bike was £200, fuel pump was £50, battery £80, plugs and leads £20 MOT test £20 insurance £70 and road tax for a year £80, so I think I'm doing ok a pair of tyres won't break the bank, are standard width and profile the way to go here

yep indeed they are

lots of good recommendations throughout the forum ....but take suggestions from locals about what is best for your environment - road surfaces and wear

quite like the Pirelli sport demons myself

Andyo

Definitely tyres if its been off road 8 years.

Various options and in he end you make a call. I use the Bridgestone Battlax 45, 100/90/18 Front and 130/90/17 rear and am happy but use H instead of V rating. V rating is not needed on the Ks and the H would be better for the conditions we ride in. You would probably get a matched pair quite reasonable. I got a new front on a few weeks ago, rode to my local Honda dealership and left the bike with them while I went for a coffee. €120 fitted, about £95 and that included having wheel balanced. A friend of mine was also in at the same time and fitted the same, he also rides all year due to no car and is extremely happy with the outcome. You would need to order in as they may not be in stock at this time of year.

I am just across the Irish Sea and ride in the winter and in foul weather and never felt them letting go in  any way. My rear will be going soon and if a 140/80/17 is available I will go with it. You wont fit anything bigger on the 8 valve.

There are some radials available too but I am curious about cold wet weather behaviour where they don't get to warm up too easily. Given that most of the time a K will not be ridden over 80mph [ie when its parked] one doesn't need tyres rated for 135mph plus.

When you look at reports make sure to see they are based on all year round and not warm dry summer use.

There are some threads about tyres and in particular the age effect. However anything will be better than what you have at the moment.

yes bt 45's it is, as for radials, I know its a different bike but I once had a Honda VF1000R, put radials on and it was terrible, dangerous even, twitchy, unstable, unpredictable just horrible, swore I'd never fit radials to a bike they weren't intended for again, but I read they have been fitted with some success

andyo wrote:yes bt 45's it is, as for radials, I know its a different bike but I once had a Honda VF1000R, put radials on and it was terrible, dangerous even, twitchy, unstable, unpredictable just horrible, swore I'd never fit radials to a bike they weren't intended for again, but I read they have been fitted with some success

There are a few threads on here about tyres and Bridgestone battlax are a good choice but others have delved in to different choices with a lot of better benefits. One of those choices is thiS:

Front: Bridgestone BT-023 110/80-18

Rear:   Avon Azaro   AV46 140/80-17

interesting, thank you, i'll read some more, I have to do something with it, I think the best way to describe the handling is "awkward"

Check and do also if it has been sitting for a while:

• Repack steering head bearing (at top yoke - will assist handling greatly once properly adjusted)
  
• Repack front wheel bearings and front axle
  
• Refresh Brake fluids, Anti freeze,
  
• front fork fluids
  

Brake fluid deterioates over time and antifreeze turns in to non rustproof fluid if not refreshed annually min or bi-annually max

Chances are your bike will need a GOOD once over and Major service

pdf haynes service manual available: Just google "k100 Haynes pdf and click the top link (I think it is)

in the end ....you will have to replace everything "rubber" on the machine to maintain good service life ...it just falls apart or looses its fabulous rubbery effect I guess

just a note ...many have found the "right tyre" for their machine ...for some it takes a while ...as does learning to find what to expect in performance and handling ,,,and there are as many different opinions as riding styles

I was just about to say that for that Honda you experimented with   there was probably a good forum with reports of performance of the available alternatives and the "leave alone" alternatives

fortunately for us old fogies on old machines the tyre technology has changed vastly over the last 10 years even ...not to mention the last 25 or so

so for almost all brands you will find something that suits well ......but have a look around the forum a little more .....try the "search feature " maybe ?

radials wont suit the rims that are standard ... so why go there ...until you have a good ground of understanding in what suits your style and comfort - performance levels

have fun !!!!

to be honest, I'm not normally one to be fussy about the handling of a bike, I was a clubman racer for quite a few years on classics and modern bikes, being skint you just had to get on with it but this feels decidedly unusual, the guy my mate got it from had a low speed off and to be honest its easy to see why, I'm not worried personally about dropping it, I know to take care,  but it is tiresome to ride like this, I've ordered a new front bt45 so it matches the rear and see how that goes, i'll keep you all posted, thanks everyone

You are in for a very pleasant surprise!!

hope so, it hasn't arrived yet, what pressures do they work  best at

My front is about 38 and my rear 43psi. Seems to like a hard front tyre. In bike gear, helmet on and textile gear I am at 14 stone, without I am about 12 stone. I did try different pressures, if I have panniers filled I go to about 45 for rear. If its a motorway trip I go closer to 40 on front and it feels like its on rails.

Don't underestimate an old tyre, it can take you off and its very possible that's what happened the previous owner. The compound becomes more like hard plastic and therefore useless, particularly in the wet when it becomes very easy to get the front to break free. I would say 'scary' rather than unusual.....at least over here if its cold and wet.

Word of warning...scrub them in carefully. For the first few miles I would describe it like being on slime before the  surface is abraded so no right hand heroics pulling away.......


Do you remember the awful Dunlop Gold Seal K70 rear tyres that used to come on Japanese bikes in the 70s, the ones you took off before taking it out of the showroom? ... If you do remember those, imagine one on the front of your K......

oh god yes, and the early jap tyres, I had some yokahama world tours on a Suzuki x7 they were so hard you could probably actually tour the world on them before the wore the bobbles off

but on the other hand if you were lucky enough to be able to afford Pirelli phantoms you had really arrived

Our choice was really down to TT100 for sporty riding or Avon Roadrunner which were more biased towards touring.

BMWs came with Metzeler I think. But they didn't always talk to Hondas [or other Japanese bikes] , some interface issue.

The Yokohamas were worse again.....

well then, first of all its fair to point out I bought this bike purely on price, it was 200 quid, it was worth that as scrap, I spent another couple of hundred on it, so £400, it's cheap transport, however..... the new BT45 arrived yesterday and I got it fitted in the afternoon, today I went out on it, normally I wouldn't, its not warm the roads are wet and greasy and it was raining, the tyre has transformed it, what a lovely bike it is, I can't think of better value, the rear tyre is the one that came with it, its old but has plenty of tread and it feels fine so I'm leaving it on, what a great bike, I've really enjoyed myself today, I'm very pleased, thank you all for your help, I'm a convert

andyo wrote:well then, first of all its fair to point out I bought this bike purely on price, it was 200 quid, it was worth that as scrap, I spent another couple of hundred on it, so £400, it's cheap transport, however..... the new BT45 arrived yesterday and I got it fitted in the afternoon, today I went out on it, normally I wouldn't, its not warm the roads are wet and greasy and it was raining, the tyre has transformed it, what a lovely bike it is, I can't think of better value, the rear tyre is the one that came with it, its old but has plenty of tread and it feels fine so I'm leaving it on, what a great bike, I've really enjoyed myself today, I'm very pleased, thank you all for your help, I'm a convert

You'll have another one soon.

Ks come in pairs. Wonder how long before you have a second one. . . When you do put a new rear tyre on that one you will see an even further diference.

Its great you got sorted for such a small sum. With good tyres you can ride with some confidence. I hope you get to come over this way. !!

 Cheers Andyo !
Congrats on your succes and indeed: I'm sure that you'll get another K in your shed soon...
We all have...

Jos