So, the new year is with us and, whilst still in the midst of winter here in the northern latitudes, the daylight hours are getting longer again...bring on summer, but first it's time to breathe new life into Gretel.

After my little incident back in Nov 16, poor old Gretel has sat looking very sorry for herself at the back of my garage awaiting the insurance company's verdict. A few pictures of how she currently looks:











The verdict...Well no surprises at all, the damage assessor has declared her a Cat C write off - in layman terms that means that she is repairable, but the cost of the repairs (by an authorised repairer) is way more that the market value of the bike. I knew that this would be the outcome and it is precisely why I ensured that I got her recovered to my garage, not some wreckers yard - possession is, after all, 9/10ths of the law and gives a much stronger negotiating position. 

In short, I have been "offered" the full insured value of the bike less the salvage value. Having been insured Third Party, Fire and Theft only, this all assumes that my legal team will win my case and I will get the insured value back as part of the loss settlement (along with the injuries claim and other incidental losses and costs). Got to stay positive - whilst the third party insurer is disputing the claim, the simple fact remains I had priority on the roundabout and was travelling within the speed limit (phew) and he failed to give way and pulled out in front of me. Of course, I have video and photographic evidence to support my claim too, which will hopefully help. My insurers have already rejected the third parties claim against me based on that evidence. However, I suspect that, along with the injuries claim, it will take at least the next 6 months to resolve.

I can't wait 6 months or more before starting the restoration of Gretel though - we all know that these bikes don't like to stand, unused, for long periods of time and having suffered quite severe trauma, Gretel will like it even less. So, having been offered a settlement price, I reckon the time is right to start setting about bringing the old girl back to life. I guess, if the insurers settle in my favour, I will get a wedge of cash along with a bill for £60 (the estimated salvage value!). If they lose the case then (no win, no fee), then the wreck remains my property as an uninsured loss and I won't have to pay £60 but I won't get any payment for the bike either. I hope they win!

Whilst I haven't started the dismantling yet, to be able to fully assess the extent of the damage, given the spare parts I already have and the parts available on Ebay etc., I think that I can bring her back for a reasonably modest outlay (less than the cost of a similar age/mileage bike). The engine still runs and the back end (apart from the right hand pannier) is undamaged. Known damage:

• Upper fairing (not repairable)
  
• Upper fairing mount (suspect that this will be bent)
  
• Headlight (needs replacement)
  
• Both Mirrors (glass intact and plastic cases deemed repairable)
  
• Radiator fairing (repairable)
  
• Left & Right lower side fairings (not easily repairable)
  
• Front Forks (bent - see 5th photo above)
  
• Screen (needs replacement)
  
• Front wheel buckled
  
• Front fender (mudguard) (not repairable)
  
• There is an oil leak, but I have yet to determine where it is coming from
  
• Right Pannier distortion (repairable)
  

All in all, hopefully, this will be mostly a plastics repair/replacement exercise but as I said though, there could be more damage, that will only become evident once I start the strip down and restoration. While, I'm at it, I will probably also replace the fuel tank with the one from my donor bike - Gretel's fuel tank always had a squashed look about it (as noticed by Sidecar Paul) and this was enough to reduce fuel range by nearly 10 miles.

Yesterday, I drove to London to pick up some replacement plastics that I bought on Ebay, namely the upper fairing (which came complete with headlight, indicators, mounting bracket, horns and both mirrors); left & right lower fairings and; front fender. The seller had stripped a low mileage bike to build a cafe racer and offered the parts for a reasonable price. I also bought the front forks from him - I was going to use the ones off my donor bike, but these were in pretty good condition, so I grabbed them too. All the plastics were in good condition but are coloured Stratos Grey (same as Heidi) rather than silver (like Gretel).

So, to my first dilemma - what colour do I paint Gretel? 

If I go by the paint code under her seat, she should be "Toscana Green" (with gold pin stripe). I would quite like her in that colour and it would sit better with a proper restoration project, but that would require a full respray of every painted part (most expensive option). Since I have known her, she has been wearing "BMW Artic Silver" (as fully detailed in the maintenance and repair log kept by SGMayhew, the previous owner). BMW Artic Silver, to the purists is not a K100LT colour - it is only used on the BMW tin boxes, but I could easily spray the newly acquired parts and donor bike fuel tank in Arctic Silver to match (cheapest option). Then again, because the paint work on the newly acquired upper and side fairings is in such good condition, I could of course, change her to "Stratos Grey" and have both Gretel and Heidi in exactly the same colour scheme. This option would minimise the amount of painting required to just the tank, radiator fairing, duck tail, small side panels, panniers and top box. I guess the other factor worth considering is that the Toscana Green and Status Grey paints cost in the order of £38.75/litre (in 400ml rattle cans from RS paints - very good suppliers) whereas the Arctic Silver is widely available from a local car accessory dealer (Halfords) at just £23.30/litre (in 300ml rattle cans). Perhaps it is time to invest in a proper spray gun and compressor and get away from aerosol cans altogether? I know for a fact that a 400ml rattle can does not give as much paint coverage as the same volume of paint in a spray gun. I would interested to hear your views on that issue.

So, as I start this project, any suggestions on colour or the benefits of a spray gun over rattle cans?

Hello!

Thanks for the update.
Hope your body is working better now.

What about pink, the girls will live it ;-)



I would take Marrakech red.

Cheers

Thanks Chocolate!
My body work is improving slowly...albeit frustratingly slowly.

Pink - I think not. It would certainly make a statement and stand out from the crowd, but I'm not that brave!
Marrakesh red - that is a colour I am saving for my K1100RS, when I find it!

My choice for Gretel is strictly limited to Toscana Green, Stratus Grey or Arctic Silver!!

Paul

A thought outside the box....cost of repainting against a swap of the remaining parts to ones of the same colour as the new parts.

Good to see you in progress on this. I reckon the impact will have sent an impact onto the water pump cover and done for the pump. It did in my case.

92KK 84WW Olaf wrote:

A thought outside the box....cost of repainting against a swap of the remaining parts to ones of the same colour as the new parts.

My thoughts exactly: get a whole set of matching painted parts.

It must be possible, with the amount of K's being butchered!

PS - I do love Toscana Green, with the Gold pinstripe, pure class

Born Again Eccentric wrote:Thanks Chocolate!
My body work is improving slowly...albeit frustratingly slowly.

Pink - I think not. It would certainly make a statement and stand out from the crowd, but I'm not that brave!
Marrakesh red - that is a colour I am saving for my K1100RS, when I find it!

My choice for Gretel is strictly limited to Toscana Green, Stratus Grey or Arctic Silver!!

A red K1100RS?

Time to talk to Reg methinks...!

92KK 84WW Olaf wrote:A thought outside the box....cost of repainting against a swap of the remaining parts to ones of the same colour as the new parts.

Good to see you in progress on this. I reckon the impact will have sent an impact onto the water pump cover and done for the pump. It did in my case.

Thanks Olaf - that thought had crossed my mind, but finding all the right parts in the same colour...and in good condition is not so easy to achieve. Lots of bits available, but many are in a very questionable state (and would need a respray anyway) and some are in a downright despicable condition...yet the seller still wants money for them! 

Re your comment on the water pump, I suspect you may be right - Gretel certainly took a fair whack in that vicinity. I won't know until I look further.

David Nimrod wrote:My thoughts exactly: get a whole set of matching painted parts.
It must be possible, with the amount of K's being butchered!  
PS - I do love Toscana Green, with the Gold pinstripe, pure class 

David - I've been trying to find an example of Toscana Green on line to see what it looks like in the flesh - from your comments, I suspect the answer was right next to me all the time! Very classy indeed!!

My silvery blue K1100LT is called 'Morea Green'

The K100LT next to me is the 'Toscana Green'...

There was a K 1100RS in 'Palmetto Green' I believe

'Toscana Green' is in the 1989 & 1990 colour charts

http://www.bmbikes.co.uk/colourcharts.htm

Btw, the 'Toscana Green' code is 653 / 251

Maybe this helps:

BMW COLORS

David Nimrod wrote:My silvery blue K1100LT is called 'Morea Green'

The K100LT next to me is the 'Toscana Green'...

I thought that one was dark blue (Audibob's)? Just lucky that the BMW the paint namers don't design and make traffic lights or I'd really be screwed!

Born Again Eccentric wrote:

I thought that one was dark blue (Audibob's)? Just lucky that the BMW the paint namers don't design and make traffic lights or I'd really be screwed!

It's a very dark blue/green... hard to describe, harder to name!!

BAE, 
Sorry to hear about your incident with Gretel. 
Apparently my bikes colour is Toscana green with the Gold pin stripe. Always wondered what is was called. 
My previous k100 lt was a dark blue which I liked, but I do prefer this colour.
Hope you can get Gretel back on her feet soon.
Bob

I suspect this incident with Gretel was all in aid of you procuring a Nekkid K100, as we know how your admiration for theses styles became apparent following your time on Rosskko's silver streak . There is an option for you , a tub of paint stripper and a bit of steelo will leave you gleaming like a Knight in shining armour . Should you remain in favour of plastic leggings , methinks Mr Charlie is your man , he is the master of plastics .
wish you all the best with the new design of Gretel , Paul . good luck . Cheers Ed.

Paul - sprayguns are good - I've sprayed more than a few bikes in my time, nearly all customs and some with some seriously fancy paintwork on them.

BUT.

A cheap spraygun won't cut it. This was my tool of choice:

https://www.spraygunsdirect.co.uk/index.php/sprayguns-parts/suction-sprayguns/devilbiss-jga-pro-suction-spraygun-classic-fast-easy-smooth-suits-anyone.html#sthash.pVOXc8RM.dpbs

I paid half that thirty-four years ago, so relatively speaking they've come down in price. For detail work you'll need an airbrush. As most Ks are just pinstriped, a basic single-action airbrush like this would do:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BADGER-Airbrushes-Basic-Spray-Gun-BA2502-250-2-/400857854648

Next is the compressor. Even modern compressors are noisy b*st*rds. It has to shift at least a constant 3cfm more than the gun requires and have a tank big enough to iron out the motor pulses. Think in terms of a holding tank of 10cf at around 140psi. The air intake has to be in a clean airstream (dangle it out of the window!) but then you also have the problem of fume and overspray extraction. Also, cleaning a gun takes a LOT of thinners and even more patience. Around half a pint (250cc) of thinners per cleaning session, sometimes more depending on the paint viscosity.

Back when I lived in Poole I was lucky because my garage/workshop backed onto a brownfield site. I had six (!!!) Xpelair bathroom extractors running in parallel to deal with fumes and overspray (which they did very successfully). All that I have left now is the compressor and my Aerograph Sprite Major airbrush (similar to this and costing about the same when I bought it just after buying the JGA):

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Badger-Renagade-Sprite-Airbrush-/262792215339?hash=item3d2fa2fb2b:g:aBYAAOSwnHZYbNlC

I think the bottom line is (ignoring your neighbours); if you had at least four bikes to spray I'd say that that you could justify the outlay, but not just for one. It might go against the grain - and be costly - but it's possibly worth getting quotes from a paintshop.

Hang the expense Paul just get the best quality mop you can afford.

I can add my endorsement for the Badger model 250 airbrush. 

Believe it or not, I have painted almost two bikes with it.  While a full size gun will do all your fairing parts in 10 minutes, the little Badger will do as good a job on the base coat, it will just take you an afternoon or two.  Not only is it easy to use, but it is infinitely easier to clean.  A quick swish with reducer in the cup, a spray of some of that thinner into a cloth and a quick wipe of the outside and you're done.

Note I said BASE COAT. I don't bother with trying to shoot clear at home anymore.  The fumes are awful, you need an expensive gun, a big compressor, breathing equipment, fume removal, and the cleanup is a pain in the arse. 

Yes, the airbrush is time consuming on base coats.  The plus side is that it is almost totally impossible to screw up the base coat with even the cheapest airbrush. 

Then, when the base is done I take the parts to a local auto repair shop to have the clear applied.  They do the clear on my parts for less than 1/4 of what the whole job would cost.  I have had an entire RT fairing with mirrors clear coated over my base for $75 US.  I couldn't buy the clear coat for that price.

Thanks guys for the comments - especially for your detailed reply Dai and Point-Seven-Five for your endorsement. Very helpful indeed and worthy of some serious further research. Explains a lot - I have always subscribed to the school of "you get what you pay for" when it comes to tools and quality. I have used aerosol cans on previous jobs, but they never quite give the result I want. There is little worse than spending a fortune on decent paint and ending up with a second rate job.

Rick - my painting skills would generally be more than met using a mop, but that's probably where I have gone wrong in the past - buying a cheap mop!

Well, had a good day today and made a start of stripping down Gretel and assessing damage. As I am living in a rental property with just a small garage (how I envy you guys with those proper size workshops) I am quite limited with space. Moving Gretel around, with a wonky front wheel is a challenge and I knew that once I dropped the front forks, she would be pretty immobile. I could park Heidi outside for the duration of the resto, but that just wouldn't be fair! So I bought myself one of these to help:
 


I hoisted the back of the bike up using my chain block and kevlar strop so that the centre stand was located over the middle of the roller base (the base is about 4cm wider than the centre stand feet)and then carefully lowered until the load was spread between the centre stand and the bike front wheel (which was still on the garage floor). Using my trolley jack, with a block of wood under the water pump, I then jacked up the front of the bike (exactly as you would to remove the front wheel). Next, I inserted a suitable size block (OK - it was a paint can with a layer of timber on top!) on the roller base and under the engine sump and then lowered the jack until the weight of the bike was wholly supported by the roller base - both front and rear wheels off the ground. Finally, for added security/stability I put a ratchet strap around the base, around the engine block and over the frame (I had removed the fuel tank first - but if I hadn't need to remove it, the strop would have simply gone over the top of the tank). Bit of a faff to get the bike on the roller base - but I reckon it is well worth the effort for a resto project as I can now move the bike around the garage easily - even when the front forks are removed.

In the first picture, it can be seen that I had the strap behind engine block, but I found that once the front forks and wheel were removed that the bike's balance point shifted backwards and there wasn't so much weight on the engine's support block. Hence I moved the ratchet strap further forward so that it held the engine firmly on the block and the bike was much more secure.



With the bike suitably supported on it's roller base, I set about removing the side lower fairings and the upper fairing. This was fairly easy to achieve as more than 50% of the fastening points had been torn away in the crash. My assessment is that the upper fairing and right hand lower fairing are beyond recovery - the left hand lower might be repairable, so I'll probably keep that as a come-in-handy for future use. Surprisingly, both glove boxes were undamaged. I removed the fuel tank at this time in order to make inspection and work on the front of the bike easier.

With the fairing removed, I had easy access to the top and bottom yokes. These can be accessed with the fairing in place, but as I was removing the fairing anyway, there was no point trying to remove the forks first. The extent of the damage to the front forks was immediately evident, as was damage to the upper fairing mounting bracket.


I had removed both forks from the bike to replace the oil seals last year and they had been free to move before the accident but even with the yoke/triple clamp pinch bolts completely slackened, it still took a fair amount of hammering to get the bent forks removed from the bike. The extent of the damage can be seen in the following photo, compared side by side with the replacement forks I picked up off Ebay earlier this week. That's what ⅓ tonne of bike/rider does when it stops suddenly from 30mph!


The extent of the damage to the upper fairing mounting bracket was less severe, as seen side by side with the replacement that came with the fairings on Ebay, but I will be using the replacement bracket during the rebuild.



The radiator fairing has taken a fair old clonk to the lower section and the GRP has split from it's physical contact with the front fender - but this is not structural and should be easily repairable (unless I can find a better one on Ebay first!)


With the front of the bike pretty much removed, one of the jobs to do "while I'm in there" is to replace the steering head bearings. I had noticed that my steering had been a little notchy (just before the annual inspection - MoT, last September) and had considered replacing the bearings then. Instead, due to a lack of time, I cleaned and repacked the bearings with grease which overcame the notchy-ness satisfactorily. However, it was clear that I would have to replace the bearings sooner or later. That time is now and it would be foolish not to exploit the easy access opportunity, especially as I wanted to remove the lower yoke anyway to ensure that it had not been damaged along with the forks. Fortunately, I had had the foresight to buy myself a blind bearing puller and slide hammer set and today was my first opportunity to use it! I'm pleased to say, it worked an absolute treat too and it only took a few cycles with the slide hammer to get the outer race moving and then a few whacks more to get it out of the frame altogether. The lower bearing race was equally easy to pop out. No heat, no penetrants, no fuss - while it is not a tool I would need every day, I wish I had bought one years ago as it made the job so easy! (£45.99 from Amazon)



Inspection of the lower yoke did not indicate any damage but it is a fairly chunky casting. I have still got to remove the rest of the lower bearing from the yoke but best I now go and order a steering head bearing set ready for the rebuild.

All in all a successful start to the resto project. When finished for the day, it was a simple matter to roll Gretel out of the way and to the side of the garage and let Heidi back into the dry! 

I've still yet to decide on a colour for Gretel, if I do invest in a decent spray gun and compressor I think it would encourage me to go for the restore to original (Toscana Green) option. However, it is a big outlay - so maybe the considerably cheaper Halfords Arctic Silver rattle can option may yet win the day!

Easy way to remove the lower bearing:-

1. Break off the bearings and leave the inner race
2. Cut a diagonal slice across the inner race using a Dremel or similar. I have - in the past - used a 1mm stainless cutting disc in an angle grinder but 'carefully' is a vast understatement
3. Drive a cold chisel into the slice and duck as the inner race flies off.

Easy way to put the new one on:-

1. Find a piece of thick-wall steam pipe that just fits over the stem and use it as a driver

Really easy way to put the new one on:-

1. Find the video that tells you how to cook one in a microwave.

Hi BAE,

Firstly to get the lower bearing out, break out the inner as Dai said and then heat the remaining race with a blow torch or better still if you can get a welder just stick a rod to it for a couple of seconds. then quickly whack it out with a hammer and chisel or similar down thought the head stock. (the welder idea works a treat). put the new one in the freezer overnight before fitting and it'll pop straight in. Examine the whole head alignment carefully, it took some force to bend those forks!

Re colour, I loved the Arctic Silver on that bike and it's a better (brighter) colour than the green for visability...my tuppence worth!

Born Again Eccentric wrote:Thanks guys for the comments - especially for your detailed reply Dai and Point-Seven-Five for your endorsement. Very helpful indeed and worthy of some serious further research. Explains a lot - I have always subscribed to the school of "you get what you pay for" when it comes to tools and quality. I have used aerosol cans on previous jobs, but they never quite give the result I want. There is little worse than spending a fortune on decent paint and ending up with a second rate job.

Rick - my painting skills would generally be more than met using a mop, but that's probably where I have gone wrong in the past - buying a cheap mop!

Well, had a good day today and made a start of stripping down Gretel and assessing damage. As I am living in a rental property with just a small garage (how I envy you guys with those proper size workshops) I am quite limited with space. Moving Gretel around, with a wonky front wheel is a challenge and I knew that once I dropped the front forks, she would be pretty immobile. I could park Heidi outside for the duration of the resto, but that just wouldn't be fair! So I bought myself one of these to help:
 


I hoisted the back of the bike up using my chain block and kevlar strop so that the centre stand was located over the middle of the roller base (the base is about 4cm wider than the centre stand feet)and then carefully lowered until the load was spread between the centre stand and the bike front wheel (which was still on the garage floor). Using my trolley jack, with a block of wood under the water pump, I then jacked up the front of the bike (exactly as you would to remove the front wheel). Next, I inserted a suitable size block (OK - it was a paint can with a layer of timber on top!) on the roller base and under the engine sump and then lowered the jack until the weight of the bike was wholly supported by the roller base - both front and rear wheels off the ground. Finally, for added security/stability I put a ratchet strap around the base, around the engine block and over the frame (I had removed the fuel tank first - but if I hadn't need to remove it, the strop would have simply gone over the top of the tank). Bit of a faff to get the bike on the roller base - but I reckon it is well worth the effort for a resto project as I can now move the bike around the garage easily - even when the front forks are removed.

In the first picture, it can be seen that I had the strap behind engine block, but I found that once the front forks and wheel were removed that the bike's balance point shifted backwards and there wasn't so much weight on the engine's support block. Hence I moved the ratchet strap further forward so that it held the engine firmly on the block and the bike was much more secure.



With the bike suitably supported on it's roller base,

You are moving ahead a a rapid pace there BAE . Great to see it all happening .

The skateboard is a top idea , been in the same situation myself at times . I'm just slightly concerned with the balancing of all that weight , does your budget allow for an additional skateboard and a sheet of ply screwed to both trolley tops . It will give you a much more stable support. The base area is reduced greatly when castors swivel/ rotate .  

And its good to see you applying the appropriate blocking to support the engine . Guinness should be applied in correct quantities.
The castor point of contact is narrowed greatly in this position , a bit like balancing a pin on its tip .




Safety is paramount .

Paul

Good to see it going along nicely. Not wanting to upset but don't put too much pressure on the tin, they can collapse.

Those forks look very evenly bent, Paul. 

Now should anyone want to reduce the trail for an outfit just put them into the yokes (triple trees) backwards and hey ho the front wheel is moved a couple of inches forward. Cheaper than sidecar forks.

Paul.

Paul, you wanted some ideas for colours...what about orange?


That way no one can claim they did not see you.

But you should always keep one bike in the original colour.
Keep up the great work.

Born Again Eccentric wrote:I've still yet to decide on a colour for Gretel, if I do invest in a decent spray gun and compressor I think it would encourage me to go for the restore to original (Toscana Green) option. However, it is a big outlay - so maybe the considerably cheaper Halfords Arctic Silver rattle can option may yet win the day!

Given the types of things you do in working on Ks, it might be well to consider my own experiences. When I bought my oxy-acetylene set I was working on some rust in the sill of a Cooper S. I agonised for weeks whether I should spend the money/make the investment. In the end, I decided to buy it. Over 35 years later, I still use it enough to justify its existence, and it has paid for itself many times over. I didn't hesitate when I needed an air compressor, a hydraulic press and several other major items, and never regretted the purchases. They were all bought with one task in mind, but finished up being used on many tasks I had no inkling of coming up. I also found I could take on tasks that I otherwise would not have attempted because I had the equipment.

As you said yourself, "while it is not a tool I would need every day, I wish I had bought one years ago as it made the job so easy!"

Only you can make the decision, but my experience suggests it should be looked at with some favour.

Bill

ainsjac wrote:Paul, you wanted some ideas for colours...what about orange?


That way no one can claim they did not see you.

Never mind the Orange Ainsjac......those legs glow in the Dark !!!! Are you sure you're not Irish ???

GroverK wrote:You are moving ahead a a rapid pace there BAE . Great to see it all happening .

The skateboard is a top idea , been in the same situation myself at times . I'm just slightly concerned with the balancing of all that weight , does your budget allow for an additional skateboard and a sheet of ply screwed to both trolley tops . It will give you a much more stable support. The base area is reduced greatly when castors swivel/ rotate .  

And its good to see you applying the appropriate blocking to support the engine . Guinness should be applied in correct quantities.
The castor point of contact is narrowed greatly in this position , a bit like balancing a pin on its tip .




Safety is paramount .

Thanks Ed - I like the additions. I couldn't use the Guinness cans as the block - I just couldn't find a way to open the tins with the engine on top of them!


Yes - safety is paramount and I like your check list! Funny old thing, they say every cloud has a silver lining - by removing the entire fairing, I was shocked and stunned to finding at least 3 white zip ties on the cabling behind the upper fairing. They were swiftly removed and I washed my hands after touching them...uugghh!! The horror!



I have actually got a second one of these skateboards (I'm going to put my donor bike (which is totally wheel-less) on the other one. Not sure about twining them up - might be a bit like trying to stand with foot in a two different canoes?

I agree with you Bill. The compressor will come in handy for other tasks such as checking your tyres before a trip with a consistent  gauge. It also comes in handy to clear out any dust in your "spray booth", blow up rubber gloves, see if fuel lines are clogged and of course restore any future bikes. You can attach a sanding disc as well.
Rattle cans can do a wonderful job, however, if  you need more than one, there may be a slight difference in the colour that comes out.

sidecar paul wrote:Those forks look very evenly bent, Paul. 
Now should anyone want to reduce the trail for an outfit just put them into the yokes (triple trees) backwards and hey ho the front wheel is moved a couple of inches forward. Cheaper than sidecar forks.

Well, I am a tad OCD when it comes to having things evenly balanced - I tried my hardest to hit the tin box square on.

I like your thinking - old forks free to a good home but not guaranteed to compress quite as evenly and smoothly as before!! Perhaps i should put them on EBay (I've seen worse junk for sale out there!).

88....those legs get covered up most of the year. I have already had a bit of the big C cut out of me because of sun exposure when younger.

ainsjac wrote:Paul, you wanted some ideas for colours...what about orange?


That way no one can claim they did not see you.

But you should always keep one bike in the original colour.
Keep up the great work.

Zikes! Thanks Stan - you should have put up a warning first before posting those pics - it's alright for you, you're wearing sun glasses. I've now got arc-eye (or, as they say in Scotland, arc-eye the noo). Great bold colour though and food for thought.

Hate to admit it Paul, but the colour is actually a Vespa scooter job....but it is a secret...don't tell anyone.
I do have a whole packet of white cable ties...do you want me to send you a few?

indian036 wrote:Given the types of things you do in working on Ks, it might be well to consider my own experiences. When I bought my oxy-acetylene set I was working on some rust in the sill of a Cooper S. I agonised for weeks whether I should spend the money/make the investment. In the end, I decided to buy it. Over 35 years later, I still use it enough to justify its existence, and it has paid for itself many times over. I didn't hesitate when I needed an air compressor, a hydraulic press and several other major items, and never regretted the purchases. They were all bought with one task in mind, but finished up being used on many tasks I had no inkling of coming up. I also found I could take on tasks that I otherwise would not have attempted because I had the equipment.

As you said yourself, "while it is not a tool I would need every day, I wish I had bought one years ago as it made the job so easy!"

Only you can make the decision, but my experience suggests it should be looked at with some favour.

Bill

Thanks Bill, this is exactly why I threw the question out there! Wise words.

Over the years of car, bike, house and garden maintenance and improvement I have always kept an eye on the market place to see what tools I could buy that would make the job easier and justified the expense against the considerable saving I am getting by doing the job myself rather than paying someone else to do it. I also learnt early on that there is little personal pride in doing a job without the proper tools if it looks tatty and unprofessional when I'm done. This will be the second bike I have restored - I used rattle cans last time and wasn't entirely happy with the finished result.

It also took one heck of a lot more cans than I expected, which ramped the cost up considerably.

I am seriously considering getting a compressor and spray gun, but as Dai suggested, the numerous cheap ones out there  are cheap for a reason and the last thing I want to do is buy something that doesn't meet expectations. I'd rather pay more for quality...then it is down to my skill (or otherwise)!!

ainsjac wrote:Hate to admit it Paul, but the colour is actually a Vespa scooter job....but it is a secret...don't tell anyone.
I do have a whole packet of white cable ties...do you want me to send you a few?

It's OK Stan, your secret is safe with me, I won't breathe a word to anyone...
Very kind offer, but erm...no thanks, I wouldn't dare use them unless you can paint them all black before sending them?

Dai wrote:Easy way to remove the lower bearing:-
1. Break off the bearings and leave the inner race
2. Cut a diagonal slice across the inner race using a Dremel or similar. I have - in the past - used a 1mm stainless cutting disc in an angle grinder but 'carefully' is a vast understatement
3. Drive a cold chisel into the slice and duck as the inner race flies off.
Easy way to put the new one on:-
1. Find a piece of thick-wall steam pipe that just fits over the stem and use it as a driver
Really easy way to put the new one on:-
1. Find the video that tells you how to cook one in a microwave.

Thanks Dai, my reply to this (about an hour ago) got lost in the flurry of new posts!
I remember watching the Chris Harris video on YouTube on how to remove/replace these bearings. I guess the trick is cutting enough to allow it to crack but not to go blundering into the metal of the head stock.

Not sure about using the microwave though - might resort to more conventional sources of heat.

88 wrote:Hi BAE,
Firstly to get the lower bearing out, break out the inner as Dai said and then heat the remaining race with a blow torch or better still if you can get a welder just stick a rod to it for a couple of seconds. then quickly whack it out with a hammer and chisel or similar down thought the head stock. (the welder idea works a treat). put the new one in the freezer overnight before fitting and it'll pop straight in. Examine the whole head alignment carefully, it took some force to bend those forks!
Re colour, I loved the Arctic Silver on that bike and it's a better (brighter) colour than the green for visability...my tuppence worth!

I like the welder idea for applying a lot of instant heat. I have a small welding machine, but seldom get to use it enough to deem myself a competent welder - I am quite good at getting the welding rod stuck, so this should be a cinch!? Knowing my luck though, I will end up perfectly welding the bearing to the head stock!! 

I suspect you mean put the headstock in the freezer - not the new bearing. 

Yeah, it certainly did take some force to bend those forks - my Garmin Virbe Elite recorded a maximum (de)acceleration of 7.59G at time of impact. Thank goodness that the forks compressed then bent (and the car crumpled a little) otherwise I would have experienced a much higher G level and probably wouldn't have come off quite as well as I did. Still enough force to break bones though - and my bones don't usually break easily.

Thanks for your comment on the Arctic Silver -  I liked the colour too, but as for making me more visible, I'm not sure that it made any difference. Certainly a much cheaper option than investing in bespoke paint and paint spraying equipment.

92KK 84WW Olaf wrote:Paul

Good to see it going along nicely. Not wanting to upset but don't put too much pressure on the tin, they can collapse.

Thanks Olaf - just the start, but it feels good to cut away the bad bits and make Gretel look like a project rather than a wreck.

It is an almost full can, so shouldn't collapse - but it will be messy if it does! Another reason why I couldn't use Ed's suggestion of Guinness cans - they would soon be empty and then they would crush very easily!

You can usually get the blade of a knife to wedge under the bottom bearing then a wider blade and then a screwdriver and it's off without any damage to the pressed metal dust shield. I have used that technique on many a lower triple clamp and with about 95% success.

RicK G wrote:You can usually get the blade of a knife to wedge under the bottom bearing then a wider blade and then a screwdriver and it's off without any damage to the pressed metal dust shield. I have used that technique on many a lower triple clamp and with about 95% success.

Thanks Rick - tried your method and it worked successfully. 

Bearing race wasn't as tight on the spindle as I thought it would be, so no need to adopt more destructive techniques (this time). New bearings on order (along with a few other needed parts).

Paul - Put the outer races of the new bearings in the freezer this will contract the metal and "shrink" them a tiny bit making them an easy fit with a few taps of a suitable drift to see them fully seated all round. 

For the inner races you can put them in the oven to expand them and then they drop nicely over the centre spindle (Dust caps prepped so everything goes in the correct order.

For every different-sized taper-roller bearing I've knocked out of various bikes, I've always kept one outer race. I use this as a drift to ensure that something like a headstock bearing (or, another example, a swingarm bearing on a Guzzi) is correctly seated. For a headstock bearing, flush with the headstock isn't necessarily seated, but IIRC on a K it just happens to be so.

Slightly off topic, but I have been a little curious. In Australia it is very unusual to have foreign registered vehicles on the roads.
When BAE's accident occurred, the car and driver involved were Polish. Do all vehicles have to have some sort of insurance before they enter the UK? If/when an accident occurs how do you deal with a foreign company in a foreign language?
Twenty six years ago I leased a car out of Paris and wandered through most of the continent and had a "green" card on the windscreen to show I had insurance, is this still the case?
I can imagine how long Paul's claim can take when all involved in resolving the issue will want a slice of the proceeds.

In the EU when you take out car insurance on your car it covers you for the minimum requirements in ALL EU countries but only up to the minimum legally required by local law in the country you are driving in but this is only for a limited period. This minimum cover varies from one country to another with regard to indemnity limits. You do have to tell your insurer if you are going if for example you have fire and theft or comprehensive cover and want this part of the cover to continue abroad as this part of the cover does not automatically extend. Mine, when I read the small print, has a maximum length of stay of 30 days any one trip that this foreign cover applies to.

For what its worth I had 2 similar incidents in the car last year on roundabouts, both involving recently arrived foreign nationals [less than a week in both cases] in Irish registered cars and used to driving on the other side and who went straight into roundabouts just like in BAEs incident. Neither produced anything significant but it did result in me writing a stinker to the company that insured them as they were both named drivers on Irish insurance policies and with the same company. Due to our ferries direct to France we get quite a lot of foreign registered vehicles on our roads.

In most of the EU that green card mentioned is no longer necessary.

BAE, 
having just see the post from ainsjac (Stan) and his paint scheme, reminded me when I met a South African guy on  a  K100 when I used to live in Berkshire. 

His choice of colour was  bright green.  

 He said it was the most visible daylight colour he could find.

He rode the bike around South  Africa and then had her shipped to the UK.  

A paint scheme you would not forget, or fail to see ..

Bob

Dai wrote:For every different-sized taper-roller bearing I've knocked out of various bikes, I've always kept one outer race. I use this as a drift to ensure that something like a headstock bearing (or, another example, a swingarm bearing on a Guzzi) is correctly seated. For a headstock bearing, flush with the headstock isn't necessarily seated, but IIRC on a K it just happens to be so.

Top tip Dai ! yes keep one of the old races for seating the new. I'm sure I've one thrown in a box of bits identifiable only by myself. 

Dai wrote:For every different-sized taper-roller bearing I've knocked out of various bikes, I've always kept one outer race. I use this as a drift to ensure that something like a headstock bearing (or, another example, a swingarm bearing on a Guzzi) is correctly seated. For a headstock bearing, flush with the headstock isn't necessarily seated, but IIRC on a K it just happens to be so.

Good thinking Dai - I'll extract one from the workshop bin!

88 wrote:Paul - Put the outer races of the new bearings in the freezer this will contract the metal and "shrink" them a tiny bit making them an easy fit with a few taps of a suitable drift to see them fully seated all round. 

For the inner races you can put them in the oven to expand them and then they drop nicely over the centre spindle (Dust caps prepped so everything goes in the correct order.

Cheers Will.

New bearings on order and should be here tomorrow or Wednesday. Unfortunately, I've got to get daughter (elder) back to Uni, but if I stick the relevant bits in the freezer before I go, they should be nicely chilled and ready to fit when I get back. Then just pop the other bits in the oven, have a cup of coffee while they heat up and then I'll be in business! Best I go and find some decent gloves...

audibob wrote:BAE, 
having just see the post from ainsjac (Stan) and his paint scheme, reminded me when I met a South African guy on  a  K100 when I used to live in Berkshire. 

His choice of colour was  bright green.  

 He said it was the most visible daylight colour he could find.

He rode the bike around South  Africa and then had her shipped to the UK.  

A paint scheme you would not forget, or fail to see ..

Bob

Well...I have two LTs, so maybe I should have a fluorescent orange one and a fluorescent green one? Certainly would make me stand out from the crowd!

92KK 84WW Olaf wrote:In the EU when you take out car insurance on your car it covers you for the minimum requirements in ALL EU countries but only up to the minimum legally required by local law in the country you are driving in but this is only for a limited period. This minimum cover varies from one country to another with regard to indemnity limits. You do have to tell your insurer if you are going if for example you have fire and theft or comprehensive cover and want this part of the cover to continue abroad as this part of the cover does not automatically extend. Mine, when I read the small print, has a maximum length of stay of 30 days any one trip that this foreign cover applies to.

ainsjac wrote:Slightly off topic, but I have been a little curious. In Australia it is very unusual to have foreign registered vehicles on the roads.
When BAE's accident occurred, the car and driver involved were Polish. Do all vehicles have to have some sort of insurance before they enter the UK? If/when an accident occurs how do you deal with a foreign company in a foreign language?
Twenty six years ago I leased a car out of Paris and wandered through most of the continent and had a "green" card on the windscreen to show I had insurance, is this still the case?
I can imagine how long Paul's claim can take when all involved in resolving the issue will want a slice of the proceeds.

All drivers/riders in the UK need a minimum of third party insurance, but sadly many UK nationals and resident foreigners do drive/ride without insurance (or licence or MoT) - the increasing use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) on police vehicles and in fixed roadside locations is steadily nabbing the illegal UK nationals and taking their uninsured cars of the road, but this doesn't work for foreign registered vehicles as they aren't in the DVLA database.

As soon as I realised that the driver was not a UK national and in a foreign registered car, I was concerned whether he would be properly licensed and insured to drive in the UK. Apart from the fact that I was injured (which gives a legal requirement to inform the police) I was very keen that the police were called as well as the ambulance. Establishing the drivers legal status then fell to them and not me. 

The law is very different from being a visitor and for someone living and working in the country. As Olaf says, there are time limits that come into play, otherwise we would all find the cheapest place to register and insure our vehicles and then drive/ride around on foreign plates and avoid all sorts of in-country taxes and duties (e.g. road tax). That was why I couldn't ride Gretel back from Ireland on Irish plates when I bought her from Sgmayhew. When I took my car to Gibraltar for work, I had to re-register on Gib plates, arrange Gib motor insurance and comply with Gib MoT rules and standards - all required within a relatively short period of time after my arrival.

As for dealing with foreign insurance companies in a foreign language - that is the job of your insurance company. Within Europe, most insurers have an office in the foreign country who deal with the initial claim (e.g. Aviva (my insurer) contacted the Avivia office in Poland who then dealt with the Polish guys' insurers), but it does make the process more drawn out and can give rise to delays while they all communicate with each other. When I have driven in France & Spain, I have carried an European accident form - basically a standard form that allows all parties to fill in their section in their own language. The whole thing then goes off to the insurers for them to decipher (not that I had the need to use one!).

Thank you gentlemen, it pays to have insurance just in case you don't have a broad knowledge of languages. I find that claim forms can be frustrating in the sense that some questions that they require answering are ridiculous .......name of other party involved..... don't know... it was a kangaroo.... not good enough, we need a name.... ok Skippy senior...... thank you.
Some years ago a friend had a job of collecting census forms and was required to see if they were correctly filled in but could not change them himself. A lady of 87 years had filled in in the "sex" box.... not since my husband died. He asked her to place m or f, and her reply was the government wanted to know all details of what happened on census night.

Born Again Eccentric wrote:That was why I couldn't ride Gretel back from Ireland on Irish plates when I bought her from Sgmayhew.

Someone gave you duff information there. I imported LFB from down south. As far as insurance is concerned, you can get 30 days insurance on just the VIN. If you have just bought the vehicle and have the relevant paperwork with your name on it, there is nothing legally to stop you driving/riding it home as long as it is insured. Once you get home it becomes a different matter; the vehicle shouldn't be used again except for a pre-booked MOT (required on import) until the UK documents and numberplate have been issued by the DVLC and it's been taxed.

Okay, so that didn't stop me from riding LFB around for three days on West Meath number plates while I waited for a UK numberplate to be made...

Dai wrote:

Born Again Eccentric wrote:That was why I couldn't ride Gretel back from Ireland on Irish plates when I bought her from Sgmayhew.

Someone gave you duff information there. I imported LFB from down south. As far as insurance is concerned, you can get 30 days insurance on just the VIN. If you have just bought the vehicle and have the relevant paperwork with your name on it, there is nothing legally to stop you driving/riding it home as long as it is insured. Once you get home it becomes a different matter; the vehicle shouldn't be used again except for a pre-booked MOT (required on import) until the UK documents and numberplate have been issued by the DVLC and it's been taxed.

Okay, so that didn't stop me from riding LFB around for three days on West Meath number plates while I waited for a UK numberplate to be made...

The info was off the gov.uk website. The advice on the website was not to ride the bike until the import process was complete.

I did insure her using the VIN (while on Irish plates) - I needed insurance to be able to ride her to/from the MoT test station, which had to be done before I could complete the import process. As part of that process, I also had to show proof of insurance in order to get given a UK registration be able to order a number plate. The cost of the temporary insurance on the VIN was extortionate (a month cost nearly as much as it costs for a full year).  I'm quite sure I could have ridden the bike home from Ireland...but things could have proved tricky had I been involved in an accident or pulled over by the police. It was easier to take the car over with the bike trailer and make a holiday of it!