I knew that: don't put the bike on its side stand in a slope with no gear engaged...
But I needed a reminder.




My K1100LT had just left the workshop after a long renovation (changing the frame, the clutch...) that it had to return to change the upper fairing.
So I decided to take advantage of it to do some upgrades I was thinking about for a long time.

First, the new fairing is a K75RT one, coming from an ex-police bike. I choosed it because it was in good structural condition, with no cracks but also because it had the air vents flaps included. I had considered before to insert these flaps into a standard fairing, but eventually, don't expect to do it. It's a real tight fit, and cutting it to the good dimension is a real challenge.



I'm expecting these vents to help to reduce the temperature under the tank.



My friend painter made as usual a beautiful job. He pays attention to do a perfect job outside as well as inside the parts...
I asked him to fill the holes used to install the blue traffic lights: he declined, afraid that cracks would appear once the paintjob done.
So OK, I'll keep it...I have an idea.
But first: cooling.

One of the problems of the excessive temperature on these K1100 is the fuel lines warming between the tank, the radiator and the engine. So the fuel takes heat and then returns to the tank, which stocks and concentrates the heat...
So I inserted a radiator on the return fuel line.


The side fairing and the radiator fairing were cut to make room to a small oil radiator. It sits ahead the water radiator using an aluminium plate bolted on the threaded inserts on the side core.



Then the return fuel line is connected to this radiator on its road to the tank.

The removed part of the radiator fairing is riveted in front of the new oil radiator to protect it and to hide it. It's not protruding in excess, about 2cm only. I wanted it to be protected in case of falling again...

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Then, I integrated in front of the upper fairing holes two tiny DEL lamps (3cm diameter), using the upper bolts on the fairing holder.




From outside, you only can see the lens, but air can pass around to cool the lamp.






These lights are only dedicated to lighten the next curve when the bike is tilting. In a straight line, they just illuminate the ISS.

I tested it last night: it works great, even if the right light need a slight adjustment.
The luminosity of these tiny DEL lights is stunning! It's the same than my front light, where a 100w bulb is  installed! They offer two beams, a low and a high one, but I just use one. For 8,30€ delivered, with a handlebar switch included..it's a very good deal. 




About switch, for now a single standard switch is fitted at the top of the inner fairing. I'll then use two push switches, coming from police motorcycles , that sit besides the turn signal switches, dedicated previously to use sirens. They're very handy. So I'll just have to give a push with the thumb when cornering to see the entire curve on the side.
I use no relay as they're only demanding 10w each, I used the dashboard lamp harness. Thinking about it, I'm riding K1100LT since 30 years and never used this lamp to read a map...

At least, the fuel and temperature gauges are relocated from the knee pad to the loud speakers place. THe whole radio is removed, I never use it. It saves a lot of weight, preserving the fairing threaded inserts and the fairing holder from cracks.
So now I can read these informations without my eyes leaving the road.
Another benefit of this relocation is that now, there's another air vent place to allow hot air to exit from under the tank. It's effective:  I can feel it when riding. The left air vent was dedicated to vent behives. It has the exact same diameter than the gauges, and can be open or closed, made of two superposed helixes.
At the right, I could use also another vent, but a voltmeter is fitted. Because I had it on a shelf...


Road test yesterday on a warm day: it's better. Not perfect, it's still warm, but the mean temperature is reduced and I'm not burnt anymore. Even if I tried to warm as much as I could the engine, riding in low gear, high RPM in mountain roads, the temperature never exceeded the third graduation, and the fan never switched on.
I think that I could improve again the cooling by using thermal wraps around the fuel lines.

Nice job on hiding the oil cooler for the fuel line. What oil cooler did you use?

Turn LEDs are cool too.

It's a cheap cooler bought on aliexpress.
https://fr.aliexpress.com/item/1005005765748707.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.10.5f0f5e5bMCYH7b&gatewayAdapt=glo2fra

It seems as though you could make the fuel hose from the cooler to the tank shorter so that the return hose has less heat exposure but I assume you left it like that so that you can pull the tank back without having to disconnect a fuel line.

Yes, I wanted to get the tank off easily.
But the picture does not represent the actual pattern of the hoses.
The return hose from the FPR was too short, and I wanted to use fast connectors to lenthen it and to simplify the removal of the tank.
So i ordered plastic fast connectors rated for 10 bar of fuel pressure from a french website.
The three leaked immediatly...
I had the seller on phone to get explanations: maybe he inverted connectors with gravity models?
"Oh, they leak at 2,5 bar? OK, so I know it now, thanks. I don't bother to test these connectors, they're too cheap to spend time on it. "
I appreciate the deep profesionalism of this seller...after all, what could possibly go wrong about a gas geyser in a garage?
At least he refund me.
So..no fast connectors. But the hoses route is different now. And secured on metal slow connectors.

You can also put a blanket of insulation under the tank to mitigate tank heat.

I use two layers of reflective bubble insulation from the home improvement store.

I had the same connector problem on LFB. A pair of fast connectors that cost £22 and were made from plastic leaked as soon as you put the slightest side pressure on them. I replaced them with a pair made from stainless steel that cost £96. No leaks since.

Awesome. Have the cooler now in my shopping card. It does get nice and warm here in Perth and know the issue from hot fuel very well. So any bit that helps is good.