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1Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Tyre pressure and pre-load Fri Jun 12, 2015 6:37 pm

sniffy

sniffy
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Hi, I haven't put lots of miles into my K100RS, mainly because I find the handling somewhat alarming on less than perfect surfaces. I'm running Bridgestone BT45's, new rear, nearly new front at the recommended 32/36psi and softest solo pre-load. I'm 14 stone so about average, and the bike runs naked. The tyres were professionally fitted and balanced.

At the first sign of a white line the back end gets seriously out of line. I took my wife on the back and bumped the rear pressure up to 39psi and the rear shock to the hardest setting and the bike became much more forgiving, without being totally confidence inspiring. I'm wondering whether running it at 39psi solo and pre-load on the middle setting would make it a nicer ride, but I don't want to square the tyres off prematurely if that's too hard.

Front shocks seem fine and swingarm is okay so far as I know, it just passed an MOT. Any advice welcome, thanks.

    

2Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Fri Jun 12, 2015 6:50 pm

Rick G

Rick G
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I have found that the steering head bearings will cause that sort of thing if lose or worn and notchy and the Ks are fussy about the tyres and pressures. Check the rear shockie for damping and bounce.


__________________________________________________
"Man sacrifices his health in order to make money.
Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.
And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived."   Dalai Lama


Bikes 1999 K1100 LT with a Big Block 1200
    

3Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Fri Jun 12, 2015 7:15 pm

92KK 84WW Olaf

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Welcome too.

I am using the BT45 for a few years and find them great.

On both Ks I had to do head bearings and it made a very significant difference.

I am probably opening a can of worms here but I weigh in under 12 stone and even running the bike naked I run the tyres quite a bit harder. I use about 39 rear and go about 42/43 if I have full panniers/topbox. I also use at least 36 on the front. Rear shock stays on full load all the time.
 
Its worth experimenting on the pressures to find what works best- as RickG says they are sensitive to tyres but once you find what works for you then they are very sure footed. The rear shocks are not the most durable either so keep an eye on it.


__________________________________________________
1992 K100LT 0193214 Bertha Blue 101,000 miles
1984 K100RT 0022575 Brutus Baja Red 578 bought 36,000 now 89,150 miles
1997 K1100LT 0188024 Wotan Mystic Red 689 58,645 now 106,950 miles Deceased.
1983 K100RS 0011157 Fricka 606 Alaska Blue 29,495 miles Damn K Pox Its a Bat outta Hell Now 58,200 miles. 
1996 K1100LT 0233004 Lohengrin Mystic Red 38,000 miles currently 51,800 miles.
1983 K100RS 0004449 Odette R100 colours 58,000 miles. Sprint fairing now 63,390 miles

Past:
1968 Yamaha 80 YG1
1971 Yamaha 125 YAS-1
1968 Honda 125 SS
1970 Honda CD 175
1973 Honda CB500-4
Honda CX 500
    

4Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Fri Jun 12, 2015 7:47 pm

sniffy

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Thanks for the advice. The previous owner was a mechanic and said he did the head bearings and forks every year, so it will something to keep an eye on. I'll experiment with tyre pressures and pre-load. It's a big bike running on fairly narrow rubber by modern standards, so I guess the air pocket has to be just so for the weight carried. Cheers.

    

5Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Fri Jun 12, 2015 8:53 pm

charlie99

charlie99
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VIP
strongly agree with rick ......check - sus out the rear shock ...they do tend to go wayward and get all sloppy

causing all sorts of weird handling situations

you really wont know how bad it is ...until you swap to a newer unit and feel the difference first hand

by pushing up the pressures you are just restricting the flex of the driveline ...and lessening the impact of a poor shock ...till you get to a good speed ...then it all falls in a great big heap of poo

borrow one if you can, to test the theory ...

also highly recommended changing the damping fluid in the front forks ...it is really amazing how bad it could be... till you change it ....it is often overlooked ...and unless you can find evidence of a forkoil change in the last 3 years ...just do it !
test for front fork sag of the springs also
there are recommendations for the amount of expected spring tension ...which aren't hard to test

hope it gets better soon

good luck !!


__________________________________________________
cheezy grin whilst riding, kinda bloke ....oh the joy !!!! ...... ( brick aviator )

'86 K100 RT..#0090401 ..."Gerty" ( Gertrude Von Clickandshift ) --------O%O
'86 k100 rs.. #######..  "Fred " (f(rame) red ) ( Fredrick leichtundschnell ) - -
bits and pieces from many kind friends across the k100 world ...with many thanks ..
1987 k100rs ########   "Red"  - (red sports rs TWB style )
1989 K100rt #009637   "Black Betty"  (naked rt ala Nigel , now sporting an rs main fairing )
    

6Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Update Fri Aug 28, 2015 8:17 pm

sniffy

sniffy
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Ok, I've had rear shock, tyres, swingarm and headstock checked by a BMW specialist, and all are fine. It seems my experience is down to the RS's narrow bars, a weighty bike and plenty of power through some narrowish rubber. Short of putting in some serious gym time, or swapping for the RT's handlebars, it seems the handling is what it is and I'll have to learn to live with it.

    

7Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:00 pm

Rick G

Rick G
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They should handle very well, if you are having problems then it can be sorted. Firstly slacken off the bolts holding the front axle, 2 on the bottom of each fork and 1 on the end of the left end of the axle.   Hold the front brake on and pump the front end. Tighten the bolt on the end first and pump again. This will make sure the forks and sliders aren't binding.. due to the legs not being parallel. Tighten the other 4 bolts.
Take it for a ride and report back.


__________________________________________________
"Man sacrifices his health in order to make money.
Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.
And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived."   Dalai Lama


Bikes 1999 K1100 LT with a Big Block 1200
    

8Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Sat Aug 29, 2015 12:11 am

sniffy

sniffy
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RicK G wrote:They should handle very well, if you are having problems then it can be sorted. Firstly slacken off the bolts holding the front axle, 2 on the bottom of each fork and 1 on the end of the left end of the axle.   Hold the front brake on and pump the front end. Tighten the bolt on the end first and pump again. This will make sure the forks and sliders aren't binding.. due to the legs not being parallel. Tighten the other 4 bolts.
Take it for a ride and report back.
Thanks for the advice. The bike has been comprehensively checked over. I think the problem is partly with me and partly with the design. Narrow handlebars have little leverage which leads to me over correcting, especially on imperfect road surfaces, which in turn makes me tense up aggravating the problem. I've had quite a few bikes and the K100RS is the only one that didn't corner instinctively but has to be "thought" through a bend. More experienced BMW riders who've ridden it seem to think "they all do that, sir". Next step is to try heavier fork oil but I don't think it'll feel right without wider bars, and it would be easier to swap for an RT.

    

9Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Sat Aug 29, 2015 12:20 am

Dai

Dai
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Rick is right about the handling - they do handle well but yes, it needs thinking out and positive input. Quite a few of use have boot soles with scrape marks on to prove it. It can be a bit of a shock coming from modern lightweight Japanese bikes. After riding LFB continuously for many months I was forced back onto my 600 Bandit. On that run I think I undershot every corner on my daily 50-mile commute because of the weight difference - !

Surprisingly, I find tyre pressures to be a bit critical. I run 34 front and 38-40 at the rear, but I also have progressive springs in the front and a RamShok at the rear. Those two mods transformed it from a slug (when I got it) to a bike that's capable of at least startling modern Japanese machinery.


Oh yes - check the rear shock is the right way up. The adjusting collar should be at the top, not at the bottom where you'd expect to find it.


__________________________________________________
1983 K100 naked upgraded to K100LT spec after spending time as an RS and an RT
1987 K100RT
Others...
1978 Moto Guzzi 850-T3, 1979 Moto Guzzi 850-T3 California,1993 Moto Guzzi 1100ie California
2020 Royal Enfield Bullet 500
    

10Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Sat Aug 29, 2015 2:48 am

Holister

Holister
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Life time member
sniffy   (post #1) wrote:Hi, I haven't put lots of miles into my K100RS, mainly because I find the handling somewhat alarming on less than perfect surfaces. I'm running Bridgestone BT45's, new rear, nearly new front at the recommended 32/36psi and softest solo pre-load. I'm 14 stone so about average, and the bike runs naked. The tyres were professionally fitted and balanced.

At the first sign of a white line the back end gets seriously out of line. I took my wife on the back and bumped the rear pressure up to 39psi and the rear shock to the hardest setting and the bike became much more forgiving, without being totally confidence inspiring. I'm wondering whether running it at 39psi solo and pre-load on the middle setting would make it a nicer ride, but I don't want to square the tyres off prematurely if that's too hard.

Front shocks seem fine and swingarm is okay so far as I know, it just passed an MOT. Any advice welcome, thanks.
JMO but you might get better performance out of your tyres if you keep the pressures up in the high 30's. Low 30's will prematurely wear the treads and promote scalloping. In my experience when the tyre is badly scalloped it doesn't track properly giving you dodgey performance over road markings and tar patches. At high speed a low oscillating wobble and under-steering. Not really a confidence building experience.
My front is always within 2 psi of the rear and that's at 40 ±1psi. I'm around 73kg (11½st)

Also, using an 'active' riding style can help if you are not already. Leaning forward and into the corner, especially at lower speeds will help get the weight over smoothly. Keep the arms bent. Some here have commented on the improvement in handling going from RS to RT bars due to the fact that they aren't leaning rigid on the bars with a more upright position with RT bars. Its all down to personal preference but as we get older some of us are finding our elbows are not up to it anyway.


__________________________________________________

1989 K100RT     VIN  0097367 (naked)  
1996 K1100RS   VIN  0451808
 Tyre pressure and pre-load Austra12    Fuel:  95 Octane
Engine Oil: Nulon Full Synthetic 15W50
Gear Box Oil:  Nulon Synthetic 75W90
    

11Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Sat Aug 29, 2015 3:23 am

Snod Blatter

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Mine is very wayward going over white lines and road imperfections, made worse with worn tyres. I am also running the standard 36 PSI in the front and 42 PSI at the back, the more in the rear tyre the better but I can't face the risk of it exploding with even more in there! I am an apparently lightweight 70kg/11 stone, to boot.

I have put a Michelin Pilot Activ on the front of mine which has seemed to help a lot, the previous Conti Gos and ME33 front/Roadrider rear combos were okay when new but quickly became challenging to live with in regards to white lines, and ridiculous wallowing/head shakes as they wore out.

My rear shock is low on miles but quite old, must be 20 by now. The forks have progressive springs but they're likely not right for the S forks mine has, and there is a slight notch in the head bearings which can only be felt with the front wheel removed so there is less weight to turn around - the MOT man didn't notice anything. I have a funny feeling they're all like this.. At least the RS's.


__________________________________________________
1989 K100RS SE ABS 8v  VIN: 0149214
Others: 1.5 x CBX250RS-E, '94 CB250, '95 TRX850, '16 Z250SL, '01 R1100GS
http://justbikethings.blogspot.co.uk/
    

12Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Sat Aug 29, 2015 5:03 am

nolo

nolo
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I'm a little surprised to read people saying that the Japanese bikes handle better than the K-bikes.  In my experience, my K11 feels much more natural in turns, even low speed maneuvering than the KZ1000 I was riding.  However, I have to admit, when the front tire is under inflated, it handles like a tank.  For me, the factory recommended 32/36 front/rear riding solo is not optimal.  I find 36-38 in the front and 38-40 in the back gives me the best handling experience.  Just my two cents, FWIW.

Cheers,
Nolo


__________________________________________________
Tyre pressure and pre-load Usa-lo10
1996 K1100RS
    

13Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Sat Aug 29, 2015 5:47 am

sniffy

sniffy
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Thanks again for the input. The variety of pressures riders are running, and how far they veer from manufacturer's recommendations and each other, is surprising. I'll experiment with front tyre inflation tomorrow.

    

14Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Sat Aug 29, 2015 10:19 am

Rick G

Rick G
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I see now your's is a 16v so is using radial tyres. Game change, I run RS wheels on my LT and run 40 front and 44/46 rear otherwise it is an absolute pig.  I run pilot road 2s and get 22/23k from the rear and more from the front but change both together for the sake of convenience.

TIP put the model and VIN of your bike in the signature line and that saves us having to find out and you typing it each time.


__________________________________________________
"Man sacrifices his health in order to make money.
Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.
And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived."   Dalai Lama


Bikes 1999 K1100 LT with a Big Block 1200
    

15Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Sat Aug 29, 2015 7:49 pm

sniffy

sniffy
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RicK G wrote:I see now your's is a 16v so is using radial tyres. Game change, I run RS wheels on my LT and run 40 front and 44/46 rear otherwise it is an absolute pig.  I run pilot road 2s and get 22/23k from the rear and more from the front but change both together for the sake of convenience.

TIP put the model and VIN of your bike in the signature line and that saves us having to find out and you typing it each time.
It's an 8-valve 1988 RS with Bridgestone BT45 cross ply tyres, not radials.

    

16Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Sun Aug 30, 2015 12:36 am

sniffy

sniffy
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Just took the bike for a spin on gravelly back roads. Tyres at 35/39 psi handling much improved. I suspect my pressure gauge has been optimistic and I've been running low. Will keep experimenting.


__________________________________________________
1988 K100RS 8 valve
    

17Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:11 am

Rick G

Rick G
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sniffy wrote:
RicK G wrote:I see now your's is a 16v so is using radial tyres. Game change, I run RS wheels on my LT and run 40 front and 44/46 rear otherwise it is an absolute pig.  I run pilot road 2s and get 22/23k from the rear and more from the front but change both together for the sake of convenience.

TIP put the model and VIN of your bike in the signature line and that saves us having to find out and you typing it each time.
It's an 8-valve 1988 RS with Bridgestone BT45 cross ply tyres, not radials.
My apologies but I was going on your initial post in your introduction.
"I got myself a 4 valve K100 RS last year and have been enjoying its charms and challenges! I'm your typical born again biker having used a bike for all transport, including a 50+ mile commute for many years and all seasons. Marriage and children meant a lay off and the K is my toe back in the game"


__________________________________________________
"Man sacrifices his health in order to make money.
Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.
And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived."   Dalai Lama


Bikes 1999 K1100 LT with a Big Block 1200
    

18Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Sun Aug 30, 2015 5:50 pm

sniffy

sniffy
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RicK G wrote:
sniffy wrote:
RicK G wrote:I see now your's is a 16v so is using radial tyres. Game change, I run RS wheels on my LT and run 40 front and 44/46 rear otherwise it is an absolute pig.  I run pilot road 2s and get 22/23k from the rear and more from the front but change both together for the sake of convenience.

TIP put the model and VIN of your bike in the signature line and that saves us having to find out and you typing it each time.
It's an 8-valve 1988 RS with Bridgestone BT45 cross ply tyres, not radials.
My apologies but I was going on your initial post in your introduction.
"I got myself a 4 valve K100 RS last year and have been enjoying its charms and challenges! I'm your typical born again biker having used a bike for all transport, including a 50+ mile commute for many years and all seasons. Marriage and children meant a lay off and the K is my toe back in the game"
No, it's my fault, I'm not up to speed on the jargon. The 16v is referred to as the 4-valve I believe. Mine is the old 2-valve per pot variety.


__________________________________________________
1988 K100RS 8 valve
    

19Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Sun Aug 30, 2015 6:12 pm

sniffy

sniffy
active member
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Dai wrote:
Oh yes - check the rear shock is the right way up. The adjusting collar should be at the top, not at the bottom where you'd expect to find it.
The adjusting collar on mine is at the bottom. Maybe this is the light bulb moment!


__________________________________________________
1988 K100RS 8 valve
    

20Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Sun Aug 30, 2015 6:18 pm

Rick G

Rick G
admin
admin
It's easy to put the adjusting collar at the bottom because it sort of looks right. When they are upsidedown all the oil just foams with very little damping in either direction.
Now you should find out how a K really feels.


__________________________________________________
"Man sacrifices his health in order to make money.
Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.
And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived."   Dalai Lama


Bikes 1999 K1100 LT with a Big Block 1200
    

21Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Sun Aug 30, 2015 6:23 pm

sniffy

sniffy
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RicK G wrote:It's easy to put the adjusting collar at the bottom because it sort of looks right. When they are upsidedown all the oil just foams with very little damping in either direction.
Now you should find out how a K really feels.
The previous owner had the bike a long time and a lot of miles. I can hardly believe he rode with the rear shock the wrong way up all that time.


__________________________________________________
1988 K100RS 8 valve
    

22Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Sun Aug 30, 2015 6:32 pm

Rick G

Rick G
admin
admin
I have met a few people who don't even ridw well enough to realize that the bike is an absolute pig. One in particular that comes to mind bought an MV Augusta with an insurance payout and he was so slow we christened him Bandit because he held everyone up. It was a real strawberries to pigs effort.


__________________________________________________
"Man sacrifices his health in order to make money.
Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.
And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived."   Dalai Lama


Bikes 1999 K1100 LT with a Big Block 1200
    

23Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Sun Aug 30, 2015 7:04 pm

Holister

Holister
Life time member
Life time member
sniffy wrote:The previous owner had the bike a long time and a lot of miles. I can hardly believe he rode with the rear shock the wrong way up all that time.
But for the power of this forum you may have done the same. Credit to you for noticing something was not right. Often is not so much the wisdom found here but the conversations we have that bring it out.
Here's hoping you'll have something positive to report back.


__________________________________________________

1989 K100RT     VIN  0097367 (naked)  
1996 K1100RS   VIN  0451808
 Tyre pressure and pre-load Austra12    Fuel:  95 Octane
Engine Oil: Nulon Full Synthetic 15W50
Gear Box Oil:  Nulon Synthetic 75W90
    

24Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Sun Aug 30, 2015 7:19 pm

sniffy

sniffy
active member
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Kaptain Holister wrote:
sniffy wrote:The previous owner had the bike a long time and a lot of miles. I can hardly believe he rode with the rear shock the wrong way up all that time.
But for the power of this forum you may have done the same. Credit to you for noticing something was not right. Often is not so much the wisdom found here but the conversations we have that bring it out.
Here's hoping you'll have something positive to report back.
Being unfamiliar with the Ks, the usual tyres, fork, swingarm, shock scenario seemed to exhaust the possibilities. Who'd guess the unit would be ar*e up? Looking at my Haynes and internet pics after Dai's suggestion the thing seemed too weird to be true. But there it is. Just when you think you've seen everything...


__________________________________________________
1988 K100RS 8 valve
    

25Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Sun Aug 30, 2015 8:28 pm

Dai

Dai
Life time member
Life time member
One last thing on this: SUPPORT THE BACK WHEEL BEFORE TAKING THE SHOCK OFF. Yeah, caps because it's important. If you allow the swingarm and wheel to drop you stand the possibility of putting a big dent in the back of the gearbox (both Charlie99 and I have one) and also ripping the clutch boot. There's an outside chance of ripping the swingarm boot too but that's pretty tough.


__________________________________________________
1983 K100 naked upgraded to K100LT spec after spending time as an RS and an RT
1987 K100RT
Others...
1978 Moto Guzzi 850-T3, 1979 Moto Guzzi 850-T3 California,1993 Moto Guzzi 1100ie California
2020 Royal Enfield Bullet 500
    

26Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Sun Aug 30, 2015 8:34 pm

sniffy

sniffy
active member
active member
Dai wrote:One last thing on this: SUPPORT THE BACK WHEEL BEFORE TAKING THE SHOCK OFF. Yeah, caps because it's important. If you allow the swingarm and wheel to drop you stand the possibility of putting a big dent in the back of the gearbox (both Charlie99 and I have one) and also ripping the clutch boot. There's an outside chance of ripping the swingarm boot too but that's pretty tough.
Dai, do you mean support the wheel, or support the gap occupied by the missing shock? I was going to do the job this afternoon and jamb something suitable in the space. Haven't had a hands on look at the problem yet so any advice gratefully received.


__________________________________________________
1988 K100RS 8 valve
    

27Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Mon Aug 31, 2015 12:16 am

sniffy

sniffy
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active member
Now I'm really confused. Before steaming in with the rear shock inversion, I thought I'd check Chris Harris's YouTube site. The K100 he's working on definitely shows the rear unit in the same orientation as mine, with the adjustment collar at the bottom.

Are there any exemptions to the collar at the top rule before I get my hands dirty? Mine currently has the chrome piston at the top and the black chamber and collar at the bottom, as does the bike in Chris Harris's video.


__________________________________________________
1988 K100RS 8 valve
    

28Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Mon Aug 31, 2015 2:51 am

Corkboy

Corkboy
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sniffy wrote:Now I'm really confused. Before steaming in with the rear shock inversion, I thought I'd check Chris Harris's YouTube site. The K100 he's working on definitely shows the rear unit in the same orientation as mine, with the adjustment collar at the bottom.

Are there any exemptions to the collar at the top rule before I get my hands dirty? Mine currently has the chrome piston at the top and the black chamber and collar at the bottom, as does the bike in Chris Harris's video.

There seem to be....
Mine is a K1100, and the shock has the adjusting collar at the bottom.  Checking  a few things, I noticed that this shock has more preload adjustments than a K100 one. and it also has a rebound adjuster at the top, which fits a flat screwdriver and adjusts hard or soft rebound.. It shows a circular arrow with an "S" and "H" at either end, for Soft and Hard. The letter S is definitely the right way up when the shock has the collar at the bottom, i.e. the font of the S makes it obvious - with the top curve of the letter being smaller than the bottom (if I am explaining myself correctly).

So it would appear that some BMW K shocks definitely have the adjustment collar at the bottom.


__________________________________________________
Regards,

Corkboy '87 K100RS SE (The black one - one of the two bikes I'm sorry I sold)
             '87 K100RS 0140995 (Gone)
             '97 K1100LT 0188024 (Gone)
             '08 K1200GT Wedge - but still a K
             '08 Transalp 700
    

29Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Mon Aug 31, 2015 3:25 am

sniffy

sniffy
active member
active member
Corkboy wrote:


There seem to be....
Mine is a K1100, and the shock has the adjusting collar at the bottom.  Checking  a few things, I noticed that this shock has more preload adjustments than a K100 one. and it also has a rebound adjuster at the top, which fits a flat screwdriver and adjusts hard or soft rebound.. It shows a circular arrow with an "S" and "H" at either end, for Soft and Hard. The letter S is definitely the right way up when the shock has the collar at the bottom, i.e. the font of the S makes it obvious - with the top curve of the letter being smaller than the bottom (if I am explaining myself correctly).

So it would appear that some BMW K shocks definitely have the adjustment collar at the bottom.
That's interesting. I can't see any rebound adjuster or S and H marks, just a chrome collar with the usual three preload positions. The top of the piston chamber has the words "Do Not Open" and the same in German. That suggests it's a BMW unit rather than an aftermarket shock, but I have nothing to compare it to. The words are facing upwards, so I'm inclined to believe it's fitted the right way but if anyone can look at theirs for comparison I'd appreciate it.


__________________________________________________
1988 K100RS 8 valve
    

30Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Mon Aug 31, 2015 5:33 am

Corkboy

Corkboy
Life time member
Life time member
Yours definitely sounds like a k100 OEM shock (that has 3 positions, the K1100 has 5, and the rebound adjuster).

Someone with a K100 shock will have to chime in with the right way up.
But on looking at images on t'interweb, it looks like the adjusting collar, on the K100 is on top in all of them.


__________________________________________________
Regards,

Corkboy '87 K100RS SE (The black one - one of the two bikes I'm sorry I sold)
             '87 K100RS 0140995 (Gone)
             '97 K1100LT 0188024 (Gone)
             '08 K1200GT Wedge - but still a K
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31Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Mon Aug 31, 2015 5:41 am

sniffy

sniffy
active member
active member
Corkboy wrote:Yours definitely sounds like a k100 OEM shock (that has 3 positions, the K1100 has 5, and the rebound adjuster).

Someone with a K100 shock will have to chime in with the right way up.
But on looking at images on t'interweb, it looks like the adjusting collar, on the K100 is on top in all of them.
Thanks Corkboy, it's as I thought. The previous owner kindly went through his old photos, including the ones I bought it from, and the collar is at the top. As it has only been to the garage once for work in the meantime, which would have meant removing the shock, I think we've narrowed down the problem!


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1988 K100RS 8 valve
    

32Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Mon Aug 31, 2015 6:00 am

92KK 84WW Olaf

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Life time member
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K100 shock has the adjuster on the top.....of course down under they may be the other way round......


__________________________________________________
1992 K100LT 0193214 Bertha Blue 101,000 miles
1984 K100RT 0022575 Brutus Baja Red 578 bought 36,000 now 89,150 miles
1997 K1100LT 0188024 Wotan Mystic Red 689 58,645 now 106,950 miles Deceased.
1983 K100RS 0011157 Fricka 606 Alaska Blue 29,495 miles Damn K Pox Its a Bat outta Hell Now 58,200 miles. 
1996 K1100LT 0233004 Lohengrin Mystic Red 38,000 miles currently 51,800 miles.
1983 K100RS 0004449 Odette R100 colours 58,000 miles. Sprint fairing now 63,390 miles

Past:
1968 Yamaha 80 YG1
1971 Yamaha 125 YAS-1
1968 Honda 125 SS
1970 Honda CD 175
1973 Honda CB500-4
Honda CX 500
    

33Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Mon Aug 31, 2015 6:38 am

Dai

Dai
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Life time member
sniffy wrote:
Dai wrote:One last thing on this: SUPPORT THE BACK WHEEL BEFORE TAKING THE SHOCK OFF. Yeah, caps because it's important. If you allow the swingarm and wheel to drop you stand the possibility of putting a big dent in the back of the gearbox (both Charlie99 and I have one) and also ripping the clutch boot. There's an outside chance of ripping the swingarm boot too but that's pretty tough.
Dai, do you mean support the wheel, or support the gap occupied by the missing shock? I was going to do the job this afternoon and jamb something suitable in the space. Haven't had a hands on look at the problem yet so any advice gratefully received.
If you haven't done it yet - support the wheel. Stick a big block underneath it.


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1983 K100 naked upgraded to K100LT spec after spending time as an RS and an RT
1987 K100RT
Others...
1978 Moto Guzzi 850-T3, 1979 Moto Guzzi 850-T3 California,1993 Moto Guzzi 1100ie California
2020 Royal Enfield Bullet 500
    

34Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Mon Aug 31, 2015 3:54 pm

Holister

Holister
Life time member
Life time member
92KK 84WW Olaf wrote:K100 shock has the adjuster on the top.....of course down under they may be the other way round......
Correct Olaf... we antipodeans need to stand on our heads to check that we have it the right way round tho! Thank heavens for gravity aye! What DID we do before we had that stuff?  Very Happy

This is the stock oem shockie with adjustment clearly at the top. My '89 RT is the same.
Tyre pressure and pre-load Diag_3c4


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1989 K100RT     VIN  0097367 (naked)  
1996 K1100RS   VIN  0451808
 Tyre pressure and pre-load Austra12    Fuel:  95 Octane
Engine Oil: Nulon Full Synthetic 15W50
Gear Box Oil:  Nulon Synthetic 75W90
    

35Back to top Go down   Tyre pressure and pre-load Empty Re: Tyre pressure and pre-load Tue Sep 01, 2015 8:55 pm

sniffy

sniffy
active member
active member
The garage haven't had the shock off, so it's all a complete mystery. Oh well, time to spin the spring and see if things improve. Thanks again to everyone for their contributions.


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1988 K100RS 8 valve
    

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