cheers Rick

good find

LFB has had a Motobatt AGM for the last six years. It's been completely ignored and has never failed to start the bike yet. OTOH, almost daily use has probably had a big part to play in its longevity.

Charlie, have you managed to keep that yellow Motobatt AGM alive since October of '16? If so, wouldn't that be a good replacement? I reckon it only had two years on it then.

hi dazza
yes the yellow battery is in , it has kept good charge with monthly - bi monthly top ups since then

it is a dream really and makes the start process really easy ...quick blip to prime the fuel ...then bang shes running always first time on the next button press

ive had to use gerty for transport last couple of weeks , as the little silver car chucked a wobbly and blew a gearbox (known issue ...I find out later )

so a couple of thousand on the clock travelling round abouts for work

till I can get a couple of days off to source another gear box and fit it

cheers mate

its done the job marvelously

Glad to hear the battery has been used and has continued to do its job. I reckon another Motobatt (pity about the colour, easily changed) will be sourced from that battery bloke in Beenleigh upon my return in Spring this year.

If it comes to it....I have a silver gearbox in good nick from a relatively low-mileage '86 US-spec K100RS that could be posted over in a light wood crate surrounded by a cardboard box. You can have it for the postage, old mate.

I got the 'box from South Sound BMW in Fife, Washington several years ago. It has a story: the owner brought his bike in for a service back in about 2008 whilst I was back home in OZ. He never came back for the bike and after repeated attempts by the workshop to contact him, they found out he'd been busted for dealing drugs and an assault charge and was 'up the river'. His rellies were eventually contacted and said he wouldn't be eligible for parole for ten years and they didn't want to take possession of the bike. The workshop dismantled the bike for spare parts (since they're allowed to claim 'mechanic's lien' for services rendered) after about two years in storage and quite a few of those bits made it home with me from 2012 when I returned to work there. I've had it in dry storage, mostly empty of oil. I spin it every coupla months and she seems to shift as normal. The splines look good.

ill be looking for similar battery daz
recon the motobat will still be in good order for later this year
it will be coming out in the next couple of weeks  , soon as i can find a replacement ...and stop travelling long enough to look around

who was the guy at Beenleigh ?

thanks for the offer of the gearbox mate

the one I need to replace is in the car

charlie99 wrote:who was the guy at Beenleigh ?

thanks for the offer of the gearbox mate

the one I need to replace is in the car

Doh! If only I could read.

He's called Beenleigh Batteries, rides a KTM and BMWs, and has the most reasonable prices I've seen (at retail) on bike batteries. My brother Shane gets his MB and other car batteries from him and he backs them no worries if there's a (rare) warranty issue.

Here's what the place looks like on Google Earth. It's near the showgrounds and by a KFC or Red Rooster, @ 14 Reservoir Street.
Beenleigh Batteries

worth a call then
cheers mate

some time ago after a little whoopsy event at smithys I changed the main fairing
but after a bit of time old wounds became apparent to the replacement

firstly the top left fairing tree mount cracked away from the main part
on closer inspection it had been bogged up by someone previously  it just broke away .



nothing to do but rebuild it properly with glass fibre   

now dug out and the pieces jigsawed back into place



and applying some matting around the area for support





the other side looked a bit dodgy as well , so did similar and dug out all the bog



a crack had appeared on the outer in front of the failed mount ... hmm yes a repair there as well , so layed on some more fibreglass matt



so now a bit of a clean up  and repaint

the mounts now hold well  and I was able to clean of a bandage of glass matt that I hurriedly applied back then

not a bad result for an old tragic like me

What is it that you used that actually stuck to that composite material of the original fairing. I have never found anything that will adhere to it, all have failed within a year or so.

just clean off with acetone and let dry before applying the resin , with a brush . the surface needs to be pitted to a degree , I use a dremel type abrasive wheel to cut crosshatch marks into the base composite stuff Rick

on that front fairing fix no cuts were applied . the area is big enough to bond as its not under a whole lot of stress like the mounts


very important to remove any paint  before hand , else, as you say doesn't stick for long

Hi

composite material of the original fairing

when i bought the ex cop 1987 K100RT with holes....  where cop blue/red flashing lights where fitted and then  removed... leaving  only the holes where the lights had been fitted previously...... the guy i took it to in Edwardstown Adelaide to get it all repainted ....said the best thing to fill the holes and smooth out  every thing else on the fairing  was Superglue..... tape one end of any hole and  fill any scar with superglue ..let it set and then work on it  and put more on if it needs it .... works fine on a composite material..and if you want to make it stronger maybe then brace it Charlies way with fiberglass matting etc

Cyanoacrylate glue.  That's what the fellow in this video shows.  Seems to be a fairly decent fix.  For larger repairs I'm not sure how cost effective/expensive it might be.  I was thinking that it might start as the first layer adhering to the base material and then build it up with epoxy resin in the normal way.

Depending on the size of the hole super glue is a good fix.  I didn't watch the video, but the trick I use is to fill the hole with baking soda, put the super glue on to saturate the glue, and then hit it with catalyst.  I get my glue and catalyst at a hobby shop that caters to the guys who build R/C airplanes. 

For repairing the fairing mounts that break off,  I have had pretty good luck with quick-set epoxy.  

For glass work I have pretty much stopped using epoxy resin after many years.  I have found that polyester resin is way faster to work with since, when properly mixed, it sets and can be worked on in minutes, rather than having to wait until the next day.  Also, most fillers won't cure properly in the presence of fresh epoxy unless they are also epoxy based.  This makes the repair process way too long for my sense of almost instant gratification.  Whereas epoxy based repairs can take 3-5 days to complete, I can get it done and primed in a single day with polyester.

Speaking of filler, for filling the surface of a repair the best I have found is DuraGlas.  It has fiberglass fibers in it which makes it a lot more resistant to cracking than the traditional Bondo fillers.  Always wear a dust mask when sanding filler, especially the stuff with the glass in it.

There is a product called 'Mitrebond' that I know from the world of carpentry.  I have never used it but it is a product that has been around for several years.  I don't know what made me look at it a couple of weeks ago, perhaps the spray can that comes with it, but something fired deep in my brain and I figured out that it is super glue with accelerator.  It has been modified to be thicker and have a long shelf life.  Most building centers will have it here in North America.  I'll be using it to do some of the repairs on my fairings.  Polyester resin will always be the best bang for your buck though.  

Any idea what BMW was using back in the day?  Possibly vinylester resin?  I know nothing about vinylester other than that it was typically only used on a large commercial scale for production work.

thanks guys, all good food for thought

i know there are now many more alternatives to fixings - adhesion etc  even jb weld would likely do the job with amazing hold power results

my idea by using fiberglass and resin was designed to spread the load bearing area across the inner fairing rather than relying on single point or multiple contact adhesion on the mounting stud

especially after seeing the outer cracks apparent from a previous drop event

cheers to all

a good while since I could clean up the exhaust  , so pulled it off , still covered in grunge from weeks of riding in the rain

no4 has taken a bit of beating




pull apart is really easy




bit of grinding with a 3m paint remover wheel  and lots of elbow grease  has number 4 looking better



likewise the heat stains on the muffler , and just a bit of polish to apply



a quick buff and ready to go back together

If ever you get an itch to sell off that nasty old, who'd want it anyway Staintune, Charlie....

mounted up

note to self , remember , refit afm before trying to start the bike ...doh !!!    ...but wot without aircleaner box  etc does sound awesome ....giggles

thought to redo the airbox and remove some overflow fluid damage to the paintwork , whilst doing stuff

repainted



almost ready to go back in

the top of engine still relatively clean after 4 years or so , but as usual a little grubby around that crank breather area and the infamous z tube to the plenum



blast, thumb print planted during reassembly of the maf into the housing , but looking better



thought to add a k1100 snorkel (a gift care of Floyd ) as an attempt to try out , whilst heading out for a test ride



after a run to the dams area , behind the Brisbane valley , lots of things noticed for the better

the recent works have proved valuable , with vibrations reduced all over the place , the fairing sits better , with less movement  the reset of the exhaust system to all the mounts , sidestand tighten up etc  and this snorkel appears to work well with good torque noticed above 3 k

the snorkel suffered the Charlie treatment over night , now refitted this morning ready for a longer run , south over the border ranges , for a family visit , long overdue



back home tonight , is the plan

Have a Nice trip

cheers Inge
this weekend was supposed to be rained out , but lovely sunshine all around , last couple of days , bliss

Somewhere I saw a picture of the breather tube replaced with a length of silicon pipe encase in a spring to stop it collapsing. It had a good curve on it to avoid the block, but I sat up and took good note for when mine next falls apart.

hmm good to hear Dai ...sounds like a good idea

meanwhile after a trip south for the easter break and a family visit long overdue , rain of coarse  along the way

about time for a bath for the old girl , its been a while

time to change that rear tyre .....just about time for the front as well actually

worn in the middle  as mainly highway riding , but I'm reminded by the passionate tyre guy that the Plus one sizes  don't let the wear on the sides show as well as the 130 x 90 size ,,, for the rim size ...he suggests that 3.00 inch rim would show a more equal wear pattern
be that as it is   the same will be fitted up by Saturday  and the carcase transferred to another rim  I have as an emergency spare



whilst in there  I thought to clean up the rear shock  as it was showing some corrosion , the spring wears on the shock body somewhat , so will be looking for some very thin but tough isolator material that will slip in that small space between shock body and spring

after the clean up ,, sparkling clean , with some clear coat added



some detailing required to clean up the spring paint surface , but another day perhaps

attacked the mis adjusted throttle bodies on Anzac Day holiday , almost got it sorted right then but some linkage issues, now resolved




whilst in there new orings for the injectors



I can see that the coatings of the injectors needs a bit of a cleanup as well  ...hmm will have to go back in there soon I guess , but another day

and a paintwork cleanup of the plenum



all cleaned up and back together and synced with the carb tune , runs well


that rear tyre updated and on the back , with a scrub in run planned for tomorrow, ready for the run up to Stanthorpe next weekend





was reading that the highland gathering is happening next weekend also up at Glenn Innes , + the motor car show ,,,with electric vehicles as well ...hmmm .
I guess Al will be there with Marie ?
and a few mates travelling to the car expo

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Hi, I like the idea of painting mine, probably stick to a flat black....(maybe) but I was wondering is there a special type of paint you have to use on this type of plastic?
If the box has been maintained with "Armor all" would this cause the paint not to stick

thanks for the comment

um yes the armour all would make the painting problematic if left in raw state

but I think if you look up how to remove the armour all type residue , perhaps thinners might work ?  but I cant offer a good suggestion

BUT

after that could be accomplished
you would need to use a plastic primer , before anything else
the application of the primer needs to be done lightly as too much could cause fracturing away from the plastic , over time

I have been coating that primer  with an etch primer after wards  and cutting back as necessary , a light final coat of primer then fine paper works well

lastly, the type of paint for the colour is important, I have tried a few type of rattle can paints , the best I have found is an epoxy enamel , but none of the paints other than the real shop finishing paints are totally petrol safe ,  just be aware before you start

here are some other parts that I have done this same way...

all for a future project build






followed by a good brand clear coat

good luck and let me know how it goes ..

cheers

When I paint flexible plastic parts I start by washing thoroughly with Dawn dish detergent followed by a wash with prep solvent or enamel reducer.  Then a good scrub with 320 grit wet or dry.  Another good clean with prep solvent and a coat of paint adhesion promoter(this is the most important part) to help the paint stick to the plastic.

The paint schedule consists of a high build primer(I like to use the lightest grey I can find.  It helps the colors "pop".  For black or dark grey finishes go for a darker shade of primer.) followed by a wet sand with 600 grit.  Then repair of any small dings and scratches with glazing putty wet sanded with 600.  A final coat of high build primer, to cover the glaze, wet sanded with 320 grit and then the finish coats. 

While it sounds like a lot of work, a bunch of parts can be done in two days working a couple hours each day.  Most of the time is waiting for the glazing compound to dry enough to sand.  That is where I usually break for the day to allow for an overnight dry.  Pretty much everything else can be recoated or sanded  in about 15-20 minutes.

did a throttle body change today

the tbs were progressively becoming harder to operate first thing in the morning , very hard to open ...a few finger actions at opening them with the cable adaptor cam assisted  , but unsure what this action was doing to the accelerator cable , and gear set in the handlebars , long term .

perhaps during the last install I had bent the frame of the bodies out of kilter and now binding along their axis  ? with the slight difference in temperature ?? 

so I prepared another set that I had on hand , first off adjusted the linkages that never should be touched , so that all butterflies  were a gnats cock close to each other in opening ..and closing , achieved this with 4 brass roads (1/8 inch ) thick through the tb butterflies

then a cleanup of the vacuum paths including the jets , set them at 1.5 turns out on the bypass screws

then to the job at hand

a bit of oil weepage had been happening around the crank breather tube , I had not been able to successfully tighten the hose clamp around the base , letting some vapour bypass the tube ….(turned it 90 degrees  and achieved full seal now)

coming out


 

oil weepage




soon cleaned up




going back on ,easiest way ive found is to attach the tbs to the plenum and then fit down into the head support rubbers ...its still a pain to achieve though  but persistence pays



later assembled  and ready to tighten up



all done ...even got the hose clamps not binding ...first try



totally surprised that with minimal suggested setting that the bike started and ran ...fairly smoothly first up


tomorrow tb balance and adjust , but the throttle control seems far smoother and responsive already from the feel..

a win I guess ...more to come

run up to glorious and back after tb syncing

all good

Hope it's just a fuel pipe....

I think it is dai
feed pipe replaced last week
found the fuel rail end almost collapsed completely so maybe spraying out at the feed spigot


have a replacement at hand

no drips when not running at all

sorted ..!

bit hard tying to fit hoses  at 2 deg c ....giggle
although ill bet ricks place was - 6c again

-5°C this morning but -7°C yesterday (Monday) which will be the coldest for a few years. I think this will be the last of the really frosty starts for this year. Although I do often think of the people in places in northern Europe and Canada where -7°C would be a pleasant maximum for the day Brrrrrrr

new battery installed





whilst in there ,
relocated the rear brake master reservoir ...to up where it will hide from the sun








oh well , all worked out fine , with easy access for filling




the old reservoir the old one had cracked at the output spigot ...again !!!!,

and replaced bellows on the master cylinder , thanks to Martin ….and Matthew for dropping it off last weekend

cheers guys












the motobatt is on its way to TWB's place for his expected arrival next week end - and reinstallation to the red rs ...and many miles of trouble free riding …
it has done a great job , after sitting in my little shack for quite some time , a recharge every couple of months and just lately service on old Gerty

it still has lots of grunt ...thanks mate for the loan

That Motobatt was bought by me in October of 2014, with one and a half of those years with no recharging done, as it sat from November of '14 until Feb of '16. You've had it for just on 2 years now, since late Oct of '16. I never expected to see it live this long, nor to get it back from you. Thanks for taking good care of it! I'll be the one borrowing it this time.

LFB has had a Motobatt in it for nearly six years now. Admittedly, it rarely stands for more than a couple of days without being used.

some more wasted elbow grease

felt sorry for the old girl...as I need to pay attention inside the engine covers with a noise reducing rework of output shaft and cam chain tensioner

which will happen ...just not yet

timing cover rework and some polishing on the tappet cover ...may need to repaint the retro speed lines into the head cover ...been a while ...giggle

thought I might give the foot plates a revisit




looks ok I guess ...now to find some ss bolts  to replace the old ones



rhs is started but incomplete, but at least they are cleaner ? huh ?

"Looks OK I guess" - seriously Charlie?! 

I have to put shades on just to look at your gleaming metal work pics. Having tried (and failed) to get various bike parts looking half as good, I know how much effort must go into your polishing.

I believe that you need to show us how to do all this work. In November we will line up a few examples of dirty bikes for to turn into Charlie's angels. You cannot stop till all are finished.

charlie99 wrote:

It looks like Sheffield plate. I'd expect to see a Lion Passant on the other side.

and some stainless fasteners  fitted up

was near dusk and didn't get the angle right , but you get the idea eh ? its slow progress with a limited budget




edit :

right hand side now done ...  looks ok ? 



thanks for the comments guys

stan old mate , all the tools are here , would need a trailer to cart it all up there  , which is not impossible ,but the November trip is for riding . wind in the hair and enjoying each others company

your welcome to call past and stay a few days at home  and lets see what we can do ???

next long weekend is coming up , um,, this weekend or something … is queens birthday holiday on Monday 1st october 

after the dgr

with the New England ride not far off , time for some maintenance
the usually bevel box and gear box lubrication change

but you guessed it, couldn't help myself , after some success with the foot peg plates ,
so ok what does the bevel box look like with a lot of the sand cast marks diminished

time to find out

hours and hours of work to reduce the rough surface , in prep for some polishing

 



whilst in there though to split the box and inspect the internals , looks clean , but will need to replace the outer bearing some time in the future ...have the part , just unsure of the removal technique , with the tools I have at hand .



going back together now  with new oils and spline lube , which didn't look to bad at all



will need to replace the spline input bearing seal , its leaking a little , maybe over filled last time attended .


close to finished , and gearbox oils replaced also , the typical water ingression made the oil pulled out look slightly creamy in colour



and done for a few kilometers , till the next tyre change at least


ready to be off in the next month for fun times with mates

Looks "sweet as" Charlie. Inspiring work.