Hi, I'm Mick.  I'm in the process of acquiring a 1996 (I think) K1100RS.  This forum was recommended to me by another K rider I know as a great source of information.  Hoping to learn a great deal!
I'm sure I tried to post here already, per the new user instructions, but the thread seems to be missing.

Who's the guilty party that recommended the monkey cage?

G'day Mick

Dai wrote: Who's the guilty party that recommended the monkey cage?

That would be a friend who is also a member of the BMW Touring Club in my state.
Previously I owned a R1150RT which I had for a number of years and the brand left an impression on me.

Hi Mick welcome to the forum. I gather you bought the blue K1100RS from Al and Marie, it's a well looked after bike that one and has been around the forum for many years.

Rick G wrote:Hi Mick welcome to the forum. I gather you bought the blue K1100RS from Al and Marie, it's a well looked after bike that one and has been around the forum for many years.

Actually I got this one from Scarfie.  I don't know where it was before that though so it might still be the same one.

Not the one I was thinking of Mick

No matter, I'll be doing my best to maintain her in the style to which she would like to become accustomed

Once you get it to the standard you like it doesn't take much to keep them there.

My R1150 ... I was still finding things years after I got it. Things that had been neglected or done wring. Even things like wrongs fuses put in rather than finding and fixing the problem that one melted parts of the wiring loom. Many "mystic power words" were used the day I unravelled that knot.

Yeah the good thing about electrical problems is when you find them.

Honestly I find the best part is when I get everything back together once they're fixed and it works how I want it to.
I'm an electrician by trade, ended up specialising in automation, instrumentation, and control systems.  Making things like that work reliably I find very satisfying.

Oh good. That makes at least three electrical experts on the forum; yourself, Robmack and me. I have specialised in designing new looms and rewiring any brand of motorcycle for the last forty or so years. Cars? Not a chance!

I don't consider myself an expert, I just have some skills that have come in handy.  Electrical work is, as I expect you're well aware, a very broad field.  That's not including those folk who THINK they know.

My other bike is a V-Strom.  When I got it the previous owner had installed a set of extra indicators up inside the screen so he could see when they had been left on.  He wired them with 1.5mmsq domestic cable and drilled holes to suit.  I spent quite some time stripping out most of the nonsense he'd put in and replacing parts he'd damaged but figured a 2009 bike with under 10,000km on it was worth the effort.

Rick G wrote:Hi Mick welcome to the forum. I gather you bought the blue K1100RS from Al and Marie, it's a well looked after bike that one and has been around the forum for many years.

No, a different Blue K11RS Rick.  Marie still has Rosskos bike.  I haven't seen the bike that Mick has bought yet but he's bought it from a good source, I'd expect it to be pretty well sorted.  So you might see two Blue 11RSs at the next gathering on the Mount.

Al

AL-58 wrote:

Rick G wrote:Hi Mick welcome to the forum. I gather you bought the blue K1100RS from Al and Marie, it's a well looked after bike that one and has been around the forum for many years.

No, a different Blue K11RS Rick.  Marie still has Rosskos bike.  I haven't seen the bike that Mick has bought yet but he's bought it from a good source, I'd expect it to be pretty well sorted.  So you might see two Blue 11RSs at the next gathering on the Mount.

Al

You won't be seeing me on that bike.  He sold it to me with a blown engine.  For the price I could swallow having to repair the hacked up wiring and bodgy half fixes, but an engine that's sucking coolant in volume and replacing it with oil, and puking more smoke than my R series ever managed doesn't pass muster at any price.  I bought it in good faith based on his hyping up what he'd fixed.  Now he's pissing and moaning wanting compensation for travel.  He deliberately withheld a tonne of information about it until after I'd wired him the money as well.
Yeah, caveat emptor.  I trusted him.  Big mistake.

Blown head gasket. Given the screwing you seem to have been given, a replacement engine is possibly the best choice if you want to continue with it. I've no idea what the availability or pricing would be in Oz, but in the UK a good replacement short block (just the engine) fetches about £150 - £200. A long block engine (with gearbox) and complete with electrics/electronics (which perhaps you don't need), up to about £500.

Tell him to gofck his transport costs. I utterly hate ripoff merchants.

Not good to hear that Mick. If you need parts give me a yell as I have a complete K1100 engine that is supposed to be good and many other K1100 engine parts. I am downsizing so it is all at very reasonable prices and some of it would be free.  I would recommend investigating the problems before you junk it or get any replacement bits. Often that sort of thing is just a head gasket.

I told him when I made the initial offer that it was everything I had.  Nothing left for expensive repairs.  Right up to when he dropped it off he maintained it was mechanically solid.  A full refund has been negotiated and he will pick the bike up when he travels through.  If anything I should charge him for the repair work I did the fuel tank lock.  It was full of corrosion and old grease so I stripped it and cleaned it up properly before moving on to other things (indicators did not work on delivery either) which is when I found the coolant reservoir had oily scum in it.  Filler cap is the best working part of the bike now.

I'd wanted a Brick since I first saw them as a new rider in the 1980s but never had the money.  This has really soured me on them

Don't let one bad experience turn you away, basically the bricks are a good bike and I am sure there is a good one out there with your name on it.
The number of them still on the road is testament enough to that.

We'll see.  I don't expect to find anything anytime soon.  Certainly not in my price range.

Dark Angel wrote:I told him when I made the initial offer that it was everything I had.  Nothing left for expensive repairs.  Right up to when he dropped it off he maintained it was mechanically solid.  A full refund has been negotiated and he will pick the bike up when he travels through.  If anything I should charge him for the repair work I did the fuel tank lock.  It was full of corrosion and old grease so I stripped it and cleaned it up properly before moving on to other things (indicators did not work on delivery either) which is when I found the coolant reservoir had oily scum in it.  Filler cap is the best working part of the bike now.

I'd wanted a Brick since I first saw them as a new rider in the 1980s but never had the money.  This has really soured me on them

 Its sad to hear that Mick. Not what I would have expected either.

Al

He is now backing out of his agreement to refund the money.


This is how you can tell if someone is ACTUALLY a decent person, they take responsibility for their actions even when it costs them.

I wasn't going to actually name him because he had agreed to refund the money and take the bike back.
Now that he's going back on that agreement, his name is George Scarfe.  He's a lying little weasel.  He deliberately withheld critical information about this bike and misrepresented the mechanical condition to ensure a sale.  He is now making out that he has done me a massive favour in selling it to me for a low price and that it was my own fault for buying sight unseen ie trusting him.
He has shown his true colours and he's disgusting.

Hi Mick,

Welcome to the forum.

The first thing I need to confess is that I often suffer from wishful thinking.

Let's pick up the pieces, separate logic and emotions (naturally easier for me) and look at what we have left.

I've often had buyer's remorse, but sometimes misplaced. I'm thinking about the possibility that the problem might be simple, for example a leaking oil pump seal.

How much did you pay (I'm assuming delivery was included) and how much do you think it's worth?

daveyson wrote:Hi Mick,

Welcome to the forum.

The first thing I need to confess is that I often suffer from wishful thinking.

Let's pick up the pieces, separate logic and emotions (naturally easier for me) and look at what we have left.

I've often had buyer's remorse, but sometimes misplaced. I'm thinking about the possibility that the problem might be simple, for example a leaking oil pump seal.

How much did you pay (I'm assuming delivery was included) and how much do you think it's worth?

I paid $2k, free delivery.  He was originally trying to sell it for $4.5
I have nothing left to throw at it to fix things.  This was made clear to the seller in the first place.
The seller also agreed, via traceable txt message, to a full refund and that he would pick the bike up.
He has since reneged on that agreement, also via traceable txt message.

Yep, I think I've used up just about all of my chips in the wishful thinking department.

I guess this is wishful thinking too: is there anyone near enough to Mick to be able to go and assess the possibility of fixing the bike?

NSW central west is probably around the same size as all of Ireland.

Yeah. I'd pull the plug on more than 150 miles one-way which is about half the length of Ireland. Did it once to help a guy out with a specialist electrical problem and just took fuel as payment. It also depends on how much available time you have.

Rick G wrote:NSW central west is probably around the same size as all of Ireland.

This is something of an issue.
For context, it's an eight and a half hour drive, on mostly 100 to 110pkh highways, from my place to my sister’s place on the Central Coat region of the same state I'm in.  I'm an hour and a quarter (about 100pm) from the nearest member that I know of.

Oh, and my Mum's family is from Wicklow, my Dad's is originally from Tipperary.

Ok Mick, if I haven't convinced you yet that I suffer from wishful thinking, then listen to this. I think you've got a good chance of getting half your money back, and that might just turn it into a good deal, and guess what, sometimes wishful thinking pays.

If you get a full refund, he's out of pocket and you have total victory, not too surprising he welched. This is what I would try, it's only my suggestion, many people would say no way, and that's ok.

I would phone him up and using calm tones only, say, look, on second thoughts I think I was unreasonable in looking for a full refund. I accept that the bike is worth something, how about refunding me half the money, then no one is out of pocket and we both have a win.

If you start a thread you will get lots of help from locals to even further than Tipperary.

daveyson wrote:Ok Mick, if I haven't convinced you yet that I suffer from wishful thinking, then listen to this. I think you've got a good chance of getting half your money back, and that might just turn it into a good deal, and guess what, sometimes wishful thinking pays.

If you get a full refund, he's out of pocket and you have total victory, not too surprising he welched. This is what I would try, it's only my suggestion, many people would say no way, and that's ok.

I would phone him up and using calm tones only, say, look, on second thoughts I think I was unreasonable in looking for a full refund. I accept that the bike is worth something, how about refunding me half the money, then no one is out of pocket and we both have a win.

Well with the full refund, which he agreed to, he was getting the bike back as well.  End result would have been it cost him some fuel and time for his dishonesty but he still has the bike in slightly better condition that when he left it here.  His only 'win' situation would have been to apologise profusely, give the full refund, and take the bike back.  While I would have still been disappointed about the bike I'd have been happy about how honourable he had been to deal with and never mentioned his name.  Reputation mostly intact.

Instead he has reneged on his agreement to refund and blamed me for buying the bike in the first place.  Since he said he had already refunded the money via bank transfer (I have the txts on record) and has since refused the refund I have proof he's a liar, proof he agreed to the refund, and proof he's reneged on it.  Any damage to his reputation from here is a direct result of his dishonesty and dishonourable conduct, which I can prove.

Any time I have sold anything in the past I go for FULL disclosure.  If there has been a problem and the buyer wanted a refund I do it without argument and take the item back.  In one case I let them keep the item AND gave their money back since I really didn't want the thing anyway.  I consider anything less than this to be dishonest and George's lying and snivelling about the refund to be despicable.  I hope Karma bites him on the ar$e HARD.

I fully respect that you're upset, we have all been there. But think about this, his honour is irrelevant. With half your money back, it might be a good buy, I'm not sure yet, but it might be. You can get a good buy from an honorable person, but you can also get a good buy from a dishonorable person. He might come good with some money.

daveyson wrote:I fully respect that you're upset, we have all been there. But think about this, his honour is irrelevant. With half your money back, it might be a good buy, I'm not sure yet, but it might be. You can get a good buy from an honorable person, but you can also get a good buy from a dishonorable person. He might come good with some money.

He's pretty clearly demonstrated that without significant external pressure, he won't.
I also have limited capacity to deal with such people.  You might be able to talk back some of your hard earned if it was you, but I no longer have the capacity to engage with him.  I'm autistic.  I'm not using "emotional language" and the exaggeration that goes with it, I'm speaking very plainly.  He has deceived me, defrauded me, and lied to me about this bike.  I only work intermittently, so saving money is a challenge at the best of times.  The mental effort to haggle with someone like this is currently outside my capacity.

Ok I'm running low on wishful thinking chips, once again.

daveyson wrote:Ok I'm running low on wishful thinking chips, once again.

Sorry.
Save them in case you need them for a project of your own.

Ok Mick,

Probably my last attempt to convince you how badly I do suffer from wishful thinking. Instead of speaking to him, send one last text, for either an apology or partial refund (then maybe block it?) This might motivate him to come good, and asking for an apology helps you to let go of it, I think. It would be more meaningful than an apology under duress, for example like this one, I think:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DlwfuUyTMpVY&ved=2ahUKEwi6y5rwsuyKAxXARmwGHXKTL9cQwqsBegQIEhAG&usg=AOvVaw3bdLH_v5XzAPopu0hz79Kf

daveyson wrote:Ok Mick,

Probably my last attempt to convince you how badly I do suffer from wishful thinking. Instead of speaking to him, send one last text, for either an apology or partial refund (then maybe block it?) This might motivate him to come good, and asking for an apology helps you to let go of it, I think. It would be more meaningful than an apology under duress, for example like this one, I think:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DlwfuUyTMpVY&ved=2ahUKEwi6y5rwsuyKAxXARmwGHXKTL9cQwqsBegQIEhAG&usg=AOvVaw3bdLH_v5XzAPopu0hz79Kf

I respect your commitment, but I'm just going to swallow it and try to make the best of it.

As of this morning, I have a glimmer of hope.
I stripped most of the bodywork off, taking photos along the way and noting all the various things that needed doing.
The ABS is completely bypassed and the steel lines, those that remain, have been bent in odd ways and places.  The ABS block itself though is sealed at all ports so there's hope it may be restorable.
There was no oil in the sight glass.  It took at least a half litre to bring it up.  No sign of mayonnaise under the filler cap.
I dumped the mayo out of the overflow bottle and cleaned it out.  Thoroughly degreased it inside.  It came up pretty good.
Checking the radiator cap in good light there is coolant, just not up where it should be.
Started it up, sounded like vintage tractors having hate sex same as before and it puked a TONNE of smoke.  The wife even came out and complained about it being sucked into the house.  It eventually stopped after five minutes or so.  Put the balancer on it (Twinmax, so I do two at a time, referenced to the one directly connected to the throttle cable) and balanced the throttle bodies (big brass screws).  They were badly out.  It now sounds like an actual 4cyl engine with a steady idle at a bit over 1000rpm.  I checked the vacuum balance at 3000rpm and the two TBs I checked were slightly out but the throttle plate screws appear to have been Locktite'd and I don't want to risk breaking the screw heads so that will have to wait.
Let it run right up to temperature and the fan activated properly, so that's something.  Nothing pushed out to the overflow tank though, it stayed cold throughout.  I opened the cap under the tank and the coolant has come up.  Cleaned the bottom of the cap, confirmed it does allow the system to suck water back in, topped up the radiator and sealed it back up.  If that doesn't pull coolant back up the hose the I have a leak somewhere.  No visible coolant leaks around the radiator or pump *that I could find*.
Did not notice any "fizzing" in the coolant with the engine running and radiator cap off, so the head gasket may be ok after all.

Admin, if you want to move everything past where I started finding problems to a new thread in something like a blog section that wouldn't be inappropriate at this stage.  Then I could post pictures as well.

Bonus, good progress.

Yep good idea Mick, start a new thread in an appropriate section and let this one mellow.

Whereabouts in the central west are you?

Saxon7 wrote:Whereabouts in the central west are you?

Cowra, an hour and a bit from Bathurst

Ok, 
I'm about 150km from you. NNW of Forbes on the Condo road.

Saxon7 wrote:Ok, 
I'm about 150km from you. NNW of Forbes on the Condo road.

I worked on the construction of the VAST prototype solar thermal power plant at Jemalong