Seconds out, Round Two (K1 fettling):

[MikeP]

Last evening I attended to the poor finish on the left-hand handlebar assembly (the paint is still wet and glossy in this photo):

This morning I removed the stands:

Into the vice for stripping down:

The pivot screws are always Loctited so some heat is the order of the day to soften it:

Yup. Blue Loctite:

Then it took me ages to clean off the vast amounts of Copper-ease slathered around. I cannot get my head around the notion that slapping grease all over is going to help. Especially where it's just going to attract grit and dirt. Honestly, the stuff that came off (eventually) was more like a grinding paste it had so much sand and grit impregnated into it. It was so thick in places that I had to chip it off.

Anyway, with the parts thoroughly de-greased, next job was to prepare them for paint. The sub-frame and side stand just required rubbing down and washing but the main stand was too badly pitted and left to rot so it was off with the coating down to bare metal:

The sub-frame fixings and the exhaust expansion box mounting removed:

and cleaned (the rubber bush has unstuck itself, I'll re-stick it before reassembly):

I've just pumped 10 litres of four star out of the tank and I'm going to try and cut the scratches out before I commit to re-spraying it.

 

[Fanum]

Bill, I hadn't but then that's because it looks quite pink or orange on my camera displays (both cameras) too.

Well it looks fine my end

It's impossible to show you, 'cos obviously any screen shots will look different on your monitor so unless we did something like taking a photo of a known red colour that we both have access to and comparing the differences shown on screen, that's a no-go.

Try THIS or any of the other calibration website tips......from what I can see on my screens, you have the right colour spectrogram coming from the camera, but you aren't seeing it correctly, or it's being displayed incorrectly

(Not being funny, and it's way OT now, but have you had a test for colour blindness recently? )

 

[luke scott]

Mike, I really need you to tell me that most of those parts were on the K1 when I sold it to you guys . Are you sure its not just a parts bin you are going through ? I cant believe the difference in the odometer module after you cleaned it. So now I suppose you will get fed up of it and decide to sell it on. And so on that basis I apply first dibs to it.

 

[Rushy]

Deeply impressed Mike ....wish I had the time and patience ( and heated garage) to do such a thorough job ..........

 

[MikeP]

Well it looks fine my end

(Not being funny, and it's way OT now, but have you had a test for colour blindness recently? )

I suppose you've missed the fact that I keep saying that the colour is very different in reality? If my colour perception was off, surely it would be off when I look at the paint in real life?

Mike, I really need you to tell me that most of those parts were on the K1 when I sold it to you guys . Are you sure its not just a parts bin you are going through ? I cant believe the difference in the odometer module after you cleaned it. So now I suppose you will get fed up of it and decide to sell it on. And so on that basis I apply first dibs to it.

Luke, I've added some stainless but otherwise it's what you waved away. I doubt that I'll get fed up with it. If the pleasure of just looking at it ever diminshes I can always just take it all apart and start over.

Deeply impressed Mike ....wish I had the time and patience ( and heated garage) to do such a thorough job ..........

Cheers. I know a lot of people think that I'm mad but I'm harmless enough.


I spent a few hours on the tank this evening. After claying the paint, cutting it back and then polishing it, I have removed all but a few of the deepest scratches and I can live with them (for now at least).

The muck that the clay picks up becomes embedded in the clay:

It has to be turned frequently and then binned when it gets loaded with dirt.

I've also scraped the build up of crap from the filler cap seal:

I gave the seal a dollop of rubber "food" before refitting the filler cap (that's the pile of crap I scraped off):

I've fitted new plugs today (the ones in the bike were single electrode type, I've fitted the recommended dual electrode version) and while sorting out the tank I popped a new fuel filter in.

 

[MikeP]

The right-hand inner fairing panel needs sorting out. At first I thought that the paint had crazed and split but investigating it further I found that it has been given a clear coat and it's the clear coat that has split. It's a bit odd that a clear coat has been applied to this one panel.

I reckon that I could have set about it with very fine wet & dry to get past the clear coat to the paint and then brought the finish back with cutting paste but as there are some other bits that would benefit from a respray, this panel can join them.

Now the panel itself is still available but the rubber pad isn't. Rather than have to paint around the rubber I carefully peeled it off:

It's only held in place with a thin double-sided tape so gentle warming softened the glue enough to separate the two. Then some meths to remove the remains of the tape.

The underside of the gearbox wasn't cleaned when I did the upper side and once the exhaust was removed it revealed this:

With the exhaust off and the stands removed I set about cleaning it and giving it a coat of polish:

The stands have their first coat of paint applied:

While the paint goes off, I turned my attention to the stand's fittings and fixtures:

Cleaned and ready for reassembly:

Oddly, the pivot bushes that came out are the type that are for the earlier type of stand as fitted to 8-Valve models, not the ones with two groves and O-Rings to retain grease. The below photo from the stand conversion I did on the K75S shows the two types:

The BMW parts fiche shows different part numbers depending on which type of stand. My assumption is that they ran out of the correct parts and used-up old stock.

It obviously isn't a good idea. The wear on the bushes is very marked. The pair on the right come from this 20,000 mile K1, those on the left from the 60,000 K75S:

Closer:

That raised circle corresponds with the grease nipple in the stand. That means that the bushes have been seized by the stand and have been pivoting on the retaining screws instead of pivoting around the bushes.

New, correct, O-Ring equipped bushes are on the way from Motobins (about six quid each isn't bad considering the potential damage following a stand failure).

More coats of satin enamel on the stands. They can harden for the next 48 hours or so as I'm going to the NEC tomorrow.

The red parts for painting have been delivered to Ocean Body, a price negotiated (a good discount was obtained) and they are going to supply me with the unused paint for my own use.

 

[chad]

fantastic

 

[MikeP]

Two nice new centre stand pivot bushes arrived yesterday but I was up at the NEC so they had to wait until today to be fitted:

Before re-assembling the stands, I wrapped the cross-bar with helicopter tape to protect it from stones:

Then all assembled:

Then re-fitted (after cleaning the sub-frame fixings, I painted the screw heads to stop them corroding):

This afternoon I properly set about this:

I began buffing up the header pipes a couple of days ago but had only got as far as this:

A couple of hours later:

Then after cleaning the soot away from the ports, made use of these:

It's back on:

Next job, whip the alternator out again to investigate the brushes and commutator, I suspect that the latter is dirty.

 

[de crowe]

brilliant

really enjoying this. stripped down the fairings on my k1100rs last weekend. it will be january before i get it back together
ahem any one recommend a good "glue" to stick my l.h.s mirror/indicator back on. holder for one of the retaining clips broken.

 

[stuart kerr]

Really enjoyed watching this thread thanks for sharing it :cool

 

[MikeP]

I started on the front end yesterday. The tape is required to stop the callipers scratching the wheel, it's a tight squeeze. The trick is to undo the calliper mountings then undo the axle and push the wheel backwards a little. Then the callipers can be eased past the wheel rims, finally the wheel can be removed fully:

Then the with the wheel out I drained the fork oil before setting about the fork seals:

This is one of the few jobs I really hate. I've never yet changed fork seals and got it right first time without one of them leaking again within a short time. It surely can't only be me?

Anyway, this is the first time I've done the seals on a 16-Valve. The snap rings are a bugger to get out but the seals themselves are easier to remove and fit than the older forks.

The wheel was treated to a scrub and polish:

The fork sliders likewise and then reassembled:

The callipers cleaned, more tape on the wheel and back she goes:

I don't quite have enough fork oil on the shelf (400ml per leg) so that can wait until tomorrow along with doing-up the axle bolts. From there onwards I should be putting her clothes back on.

 

[jonnie comet]

Met up with an old mate of mine the other night....not seen him for ages.

Tells me he has bought a blue K1....24,000 genuine miles....£3,000.

Best bit.....He also bought a NOS K1 engine....All boxed up by BMW and never opened.... spanking brand new etc.....for 100 feckin quid !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.....

Dave always was a jammy twat......

 

[MikeP]

Good man. Hopefully that's another K1 saved.

Given the longevity of the K-Series engines, it might be a while before he needs the spare engine. Personally, it's a pair of yellow wheels that I'd like to find in a box at the back of BMW's storeroom (cheap).

In the meantime, I'm looking out for a straight second hand rear wheel to see if a local powder coat company can match the original finish and as the wheel was used by the K100RS 16-Valve, the K1100RS, R1100RS, R1100R and R850R, I might be lucky.

 

[luke scott]

Met up with an old mate of mine the other night....not seen him for ages.

Tells me he has bought a blue K1....24,000 genuine miles....£3,000.

Best bit.....He also bought a NOS K1 engine....All boxed up by BMW and never opened.... spanking brand new etc.....for 100 feckin quid !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.....

Dave always was a jammy twat......

Tell him to give it to Mike. Otherwise it will never reach the high standards it deserves.

 

[The smudger]

Mike, HTF do you get those pipes up like that?

Is there any hope for mine?

I don't mind a bit of hard work, I am good with a rag and solvol autosol, is that the way?

 

[MikeP]

Mike, HTF do you get those pipes up like that?

Is there any hope for mine?

I don't mind a bit of hard work, I am good with a rag and solvol autosol, is that the way?

It's easier with them off:

1979 R80/7 before and after:

My (now sold)1150GSA:

They can be done in place but it's a lot more fiddly.

Start with an abrasive but not too aggressive. 1200 grit wet&dry paper with lots of soapy water should remove the worst tarnishing but it will leave lots of tiny scratches that then need polishing out. Use medium steel wool (B&Q sell packs for about 3 quid) and Solvol. You may be able to move straight onto Solvol and a cloth but strips of strong cardboard with a squirt of Solvol is another good buffing method.

 

[Mr K]

Mike, your attention to detail and patience is incredible.

 

[KB]

Absolutely loving this thread-it should become a Sticky. The quality of your work is superb, many thanks for sharing it with us.
Until I saw this I thought I was doing well revamping a Yamaha PW50 for a Xmas gift for my boys.

 

[Davy F]

Maybe you need help this guy.

http://www.syb-magazine.com/stewartswheeloffortune.htm

 

[MikeP]

The forks have been re-filled (400ml as they were stripped):

Then it was off the stand, bounce the suspension to check for leaks (none so far but with my record of fork seal replacement, I'm expecting at least one to start leaking once it's back out on the road) and to centre the front axle/fork brace before pinching-up the fixings.

I've yanked the battery, ECU and ABS control back out:

To fit new carbon brushes in the alternator and clean the contacts:

So I remounted the main fairing section having refitted the headlamp, followed by the centre panel and then the side panels:

Now it's an oddity of the K1 (among other things of course) that the single horn is mounted in the nearside forward section of the fairing. It protrudes through the centre panel and has to be loosened or removed to get the centre panel out.

I was just about to refit the belly-pan when I remembered that I hadn't done-up the horn mounting. Nothing for it but off with the side panel and do up the horn mounting properly.

Lining-up the side panels is definitely made more fiddly by the inclusion of the two heat deflectors in between the lower fairing and the engine:

The nearside one runs from the top under the side of the tank down to the lower side panel mounting bracket. It's one piece of thick rubber and held in place by nothing more than being wedged there:

The offside one similarly runs top to bottom but doesn't have to fit around the injector intake tubes so is a bit easier to position:

The belly-pan back on:

There were a couple of places on both side panels where the K1 decal was lifting on the air intake scoop. I spent some time gently teasing them away before carefully injecting some glue behind and sticking them back down. In the end, a cocktail stick was the best way to get the glue behind the decal without getting it all over the place.

I decided to investigate why the hazard warning switch was stuck. With it apart, I found that the tiny-weeny bulb that lights the switch had come adrift and was stuck inside the contact slide:

I'm not convinced that I've managed to get it all out. I suppose I'll only find out when I've put the battery back in.