Bought my first K100RS 2 weeks ago and loving it. It has RT bars on, however I scored a set of RS bars for $20 the other day so will put it back to the way it was sometime soon. It needs a little attention here and there but otherwise is in great condition. 

I took my first decent length ride (160km round trip to get the RS bars) the other night and I felt as though it needed a 6th gear... but I have read that they run for ever at relatively high revs?

Anyway, looking forward to learning lots here. Thanks for having us.

Welcome, uls_K100.

This site is a great place to be for multiple reasons.

For you, extra reason is the presence of some K100 gurus not too far away from you.

Bill

Welcome Uls,

You sure have found the right place, and pretty quick too - just 2 weeks after getting your K. Hope that doesn't mean you already have a problem, but if you do....you have found the right place.

Great pic....I thought it was just Olaf that couldn't reach the ground without putting the bike on the side stand!! (sorry Olaf, couldn't resist!, you'll get me back sooner or later!).

You have some very knowledgeable people in your neighbourhood. Enjoy.

Might need to keep an eye on your sleeping bag when you are over in August. . . .

Hi Ulls welcome to the Knuthaus. I was a Brizvegasite before I took refuge in the hills to get away from the heat.

ulls_k100 wrote:....
I took my first decent length ride (160km round trip to get the RS bars) the other night and I felt as though it needed a 6th gear... but I have read that they run for ever at relatively high revs?

WeKome to K-world Uls.
Nothing really different about how a K revs... its pretty normal imo. It may seem as tho it's reving high because its 4 cylinders. At 100 kph your RS is probably doing about 4k rpm... not a lot. Get the rpm up over 5½ to 6 and she becomes a beast... but take it easy till you're used to how she handles and enjoy the ride mate.

There are a few of us around Northern NSW / SE Qld so hopefully we'll catch up sometime.

Cheers

A K100 is great ride at 5500 to 6000 rpm! Now all you need to do is meet up some fellow K nuts!!

Another Cane Toad, just what we needed  

Welcome to the Knuthouse.
I'm in God's Country, NSW. Go the Mighty Blues.

Welcome to the forum from the south.

Welcome ulls, enjoy the K mate.

ulls_k100 wrote:
I took my first decent length ride (160km round trip to get the RS bars) the other night and I felt as though it needed a 6th gear... but I have read that they run for ever at relatively high revs?

hi ulls

mate ...40 to over 240 in top gear ...don't worry about it, you WILL get used to it ...seems that all the high performance 4 cylinders of the vintage ran high on revs ..and no real disaster to any of them except the real revheads doing stupid stuff .

you will notice a big change in handling getting back down closer to the tank with the rs bars ;...I guess its a bias thing ....many find the higher angle of rt bars more comfortable for long periods of travel  with the hip - knee angle being better for ..erm more advanced aged folks

good luck and  enjoy the k

welcome Ulls , doesn't matter which part of this earth you live in , so long as there is a good winding road in front of you., and I hear you have a few up your way , some of us still need to get up that way to enjoy it.
out of curiosity whilst you still have the RT bars on the bike , could you show us a pic of the view in the mirrors , do the bars interfere with vision .
there are a few who have contemplated the swap on an RS to higher bars , a bit of extra cost involved for them to do so due to cable lengths etc.
hope you enjoy your new bike , and the benefits this forum can provide. Cheers Ed.

Thanks for the welcome.

Larrikin, I am actually a member of the CaneToads Drinking (Scooter) Club here in Brisbane so yes well and truly a toad. My last bike was , yes, a Vespa. I rode it 21,000km around Australia 9 years ago http://www.rightaroundaustralia.com  so am fairly seasoned, but not with more than 1 cylinder ...  and especially not an engine 5 times the capacity. I am adapting quickly although carefully.

BAE don't worry I only found the forum quickly because I have been in love with the K100 since I borrowed my brothers for a month about six years ago. It was a beautiful Japan import with only 30,000km. With the 2 rug rats you see on the bike and running a business I just haven't found the time (or the permission) to get one... but I decided I 'needed' it for work  to run around SEQ doing quotes on.

groverK I will take a photo for you. I can say however that vision is perfect in the mirrors. I heard that some people find the mirrors useless on a standard RS (not sure myself as it's been such a long time since I rode my brothers)... I don't like the riding position on this bike as the fairing is obviously designed for the lower position. At 110kph on the highway its very very buffeting and can feel the stomach muscles working overtime.

Thanks again and hopefully I won't need to search/ask too many technical questions, but if I do glad to know there is help at hand.

Thanks again

Ulls

Here is the view from my riding position. I think they are RT bars... As you know I am absolutely no expert, just regurgitating what I was told. As you can see through they don't seem to block the view of the mirrors. If it was something you were contemplating I'd try and find someone that has done it first so you can feel what it is like as I have heard and as groverK stated the cables and possibly the brake line needs changing. It was only an issue on the highway as you tend to sit upright for long periods. On the twistys it is still a very enjoyable ride.

Welcome Ulls,

Nigel (Kaptain H), is considering putting RS bars on his RT, but i have offered him my RS to have a ride because the bars are either something you love or hate. All the leverage you have with the higher bars is gone and the handling dynamics change markedly. I think it's the case that when you are going around big sweepers at max speed you have to get the bike cranked over nice and early.
There's a lot less pressure on your wrists than on the R100RS but I wouldn't describe the RS posture you have to adopt as being relaxing. You do feel as if you're having a more exhilarating experience though.

If you go ahead with the bars swap, can you tell me what's involved because i want to put some RS bars on a K75C

Did they throw the kids in with the bike as a sale incentive? Those things need to be removed before riding  .

Welcome Ulls. I have no idea what a cane toad or a bannana bender or a blue is, It's all Oz to me and I know there's a super group of K owners on the continent. Enjoy.

A cane toad or a bannana bender is someone from Queensland. Ablue is a fight. However the Blues are the NSW Rubgy League, who love trashing Queensland.

Lol... cane toads were introduced to Qld a while back to control the cane beatle. Its now invaded the whole of NE Australia and killing native animals. Very hard to kill.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cane_toads_in_Australia

Individually, cane toads are easy to kill. A cousin in northern NSW favours a spray bottle of Dettol disinfectant, while I have heard of people practising their golf swing on them . . .

As a population, however, Kapt. H is quite correct.

Bill.

Worth watching this Cane Toads: An Unnatural History 5/5
The best part starts at 2:30
I've been on a couple of toad hunts up north. After bagging 100s of them they go into the freezer... where they can take a nice little nap.

Bill, the Detol works a treat. We get a few around here and they make a racket at night. Armed with a flashlight and spraybottle I go hunt it down.

ulls_k100 wrote:Thanks for the welcome.

Larrikin, I am actually a member of the CaneToads Drinking (Scooter) Club here in Brisbane so yes well and truly a toad. My last bike was , yes, a Vespa. I rode it 21,000km around Australia 9 years ago http://www.rightaroundaustralia.com  so am fairly seasoned, but not with more than 1 cylinder ...  and especially not an engine 5 times the capacity. I am adapting quickly although carefully.

Thanks again

Ulls

Ulls, I just took a look at your website. Bloody fantastic. What an adventure, and for a good cause to.
Congrats mate.

Have bookmarked your diary for some late night reading.

Hi Kapt. H

Yes they're nasty little buggers and unfortunately are making they're way quite happily across the NT into WA.

That trip was incredible. Was thinking about finishing the Savannah Way with heavily modified scooters next year for the 10th anniversary but it could just be too hard with the business, wife and kids... this called 'responsibilities' that I didn't have much of 9 years ago.

It was on that trip that I first discovered the K100. At about 18,000km we bought a couple of bikes mags and started dreaming. I flicked through Just Bikes the second hand sales mag and found a few K100 that caught my eye. Was very keen then but circumstances meant I just stuck with my Vespa for the next few years. My brother bought his about a year and a half after we got back.

He sold his to buy a DR650 as he was set to do a solo trip through Asia, but never went. He is now cleaning that up to sell so he can get a K100 again... silly boy shouldn't have sold his. It was immaculate.