88KE wrote:Wish I could get that. Mines more like 6.3L/100km

 6.3????!!!! 
Geeez Will - try 2nd gear (or higher)

new seat cover arrived  from ...over there

vinal ....wish I could have bought a leather one ...but  itll do I guess    ...for a few years

Charlie its a lot more comfortable to sit on a vinyl seat that has been wet and dried off with a cloth than to sit for extended period on a nice leather seat that has become saturated - and you know it does rain in Oz if you are riding with Rosskko.

Cheers

good luck with the cover Charlie , not an easy task , but if you can do as much as you have so far on your reno , this will be no probs.
did you get it from dis-covers , been eyeing one off myself. Now that I'm doing lower mileage, I would use the Vinyl. My current one is commercial grade vinyl , and has survived 2 years full time ( 300 days a year) of useage. Lets hope yours goes well.

yes indeed ed ...that's the one

my cover that I commissioned ...was very cheap ...or so it thought  from around the area ....(about 130 from memory all fitted up and modified with a little more lighter sponge around the seat area )

the guys did a great job ...and now 4 years later is showing a tear in the vynal along the line  of the insert (would have liked to find a good vynal treatment ..to keep it supple ...but I guess the pure uv got to it along that line )


the rough surface of the seat insert did a great job at holding one in place for many k's and is pretty comfy for a motor bike seat

lets see how this new one goes

cheers guys

Great to see you using your shirt.

88KE wrote:Wish I could get that. Mines more like 6.3L/100km

Mine is the same......

But don't mention you have a K75 final drive on your LT!.

"would have liked to find a good vynal treatment ..to keep it supple ...but I guess the pure uv got to it along that line )"

303 Aerospace Protectant, UV rated. The duck's guts! Excellent stuff...and it doesn't turn your bike seat into a slippery slide!

Supercheap, Autobarn, Repco.

thanks blakey

will get some and impregnate ?(sp) the raw stuff before it even goes on this time ...eh ?

just have to get a heavy duty stapler to hold it in place whilst I do the rivett trick around the perimeter ..(maybe a little aluminium to act as a retainer , instead of the plastic as fitted to mine ) far better than what I have seen with a zillion staples to hold it on ...they are absolute buggers to remove completely ...and I have the scars to prove it ... grin

Think yourself lucky Charlie. The early, 83 to 85 have a STEEL seat base.

steel is good stan ...

just the rear end of that base and extra handles could be an issue ...no ? ...giggles

but in all honesty with the amount of rain I have ridden through over the last few years ...could see it corroded through by now ....ha !

With the plastic bases you can really secure the cover with staples. The steel one has predrilled holes for rivets, so you are stuck with limited spots. Apparently they changed to plastic because of rust issues.

just an update
I took a week off work , hoping to relieve a persistent issue with tendons and muscles issue with my right knee ...just needed a break from walking all the time job related

tip of the exhaust is running pretty good ...since last update of afm and pressure regulator .....so its getting close

this is after about 1000 ks ...



and another ...surprised event ...just hand delivered



took a bit of a ride yesterday  ,....intention was to have a fishing expedition  down the road and to visit my dear old mum

blooming accelerator cable nipple let go within the perch on the way home

this happened behind Byron bay ...in almost complete darkness ...thank heavens for mobile phones and a perspex screen allowing for "some " light in the darkness

a full master cylinder removal and fix up behind that cam hand grip throttle assembly (replace gland back into that silly chain retainer ) ....only to have it happen again another 80ks up the road ....but this time with "some light " around

I crimped the adaptor closed a little so as to not let the cable go free again ..hopefully  for the last time

it seems that the newer cable and threaded take up adaptor ...lets the cable move around inside the housing ...for me wearing a slight flat spot on one side of the gland and letting go at an inconvenient time  ...
maybe those fabled ..but unlisted felt devices ...help centre the cable pull to the chain - adaptor from the throttle cam assembly

if you have done this "upgrade " (and it took a fair while for this issue to arise ) try and find the "felt " or make one up   so it doesn't happen to you also

me on the "bright location" - behind Currumbin after having fixed the issue for a second time late at night



some of the places I visited along the way ....
nice swim at wategoes beach (Byron bay ) (although its our autumn ...and for kweenslanders easter being the last weekend ...traditionally  ...that its good to go for a swim)

the light house most easterly point in aussie ....
nothing from here till you get to south America


looking south to lennox head in the far distance (next most easterly point in aussie ) still debate about that from the locals


Lennox head  from the bream hole along the beach front

Ballina seaway wall (too yucky after recent rain events , and washed out by the weather ) from shelly beach lookout (near captain holisters  home I guess )

Thanks for the photos Charlie. 

What brand of front springs are they?

Dave.

"Progressive Suspension " brand  dave

found the last pair online and local for this price

thought it would work well at lifting the travelling height of gerty with the k75 and the single rate springs in there still .

Charlie,
Back in the dark ages, well in the 80's, I fitted some of those springs and remember having to dramatically shorten those spacers. At their full length the ride was far too harsh.

Paul.

I believe you paul

went looking at the data for spring rates and spacer length across the range of springs and applications from progressive ...and have downloaded their data sheets for all the models

found out some interesting things
especially the differences between the k75 and the k100 on the spacers  and a couple of different springing rates 

I have ended up with the 35-60  pound rates on a later series spring ( the original suggested rate for the k100 being 35-80..)  so im guessing will have to back off the spacers a little and go  down  play with viscosity of the oils in the forks to make the more unloaded travel more fluid ?

in one of their videos they show a klr test .....with reduced travel with their suggested loadings ...this is not for me ...  I want a firm but not savage ride at normal riding conditions ...with a bit more of a rising rate under more compression loading

I guess ill be experimenting ....erm  ..yet again

thanks for the heads up paul... appreciate it

charlie99 wrote:
Lennox head  from the bream hole along the beach front

Ballina seaway wall (too yucky after recent rain events , and washed out by the weather ) from shelly beach lookout (near captain holisters  home I guess )

Quite right charlie. You would've passed within a 100 metres of my place on your way down the Coast Rd from Lennox to Ballina.
The top pic is Lennox head which I can see (from the other side) out my kitchen window.

I've been away for a couple of weeks and only returned yesterday so you would not have found me at home but please any other time call in for a cuppa. The old girl has been longing to spin her wheels for some time so I took her down to Sydney and Newcastle and caught up with a couple of members while down there. Bought RS bars and cables off Jez and once again Tom made his workshop available to me for some minor repairs. Top blokes. Thanks fellas.

Quite by chance, Charlie, I've just put the forks with the Progressive springs back on my solo. 

I wonder if I'll notice any difference?

Paul.

Love the outlook from your kitchen, Captain.

looking a little better now ...time for these to go back on me thinks

I like subtle mods and personalisation Charlie and they look good. I seriously don't know how you survive with the city panniers on weekends away though, they are small but reel purdy! 

yeah bit small sometimes will ...but suit my weekly needs

still have some touring cases here ( thanks to blakey ) and they don't look too bad at all ...if you like black

more colour coding to come ...including attempting to take off top coat that has yellowed  to the front rim and fork lowers ..(blast )

that big fat spring on the  rear shocky is on my list to do
 
and I need to find another y spoke rear wheel (in good condition ) .....for the right sort of money ...mine has got a flat spot some where that I need to thump out , as the balancing weights keep on getting larger at each tyre change

I suppose I could go back to the big rear three spoke for a while ...(needs new tyre though )  ...in fact that sounds like a plan

I like the fully painted cases, Charlie. 

 I use a LHS city pannier on the outfit to carry a 5 litre can of fuel, but I've only painted the lid white. I'm a bit concerned that the paint would soon wear away on the frames, so you'll have to keep us (me) informed as to how they stand up 'cause mine would look nicer fully painted like yours.

Paul.

the inner side or base of the panniers has survived well paul

the reason for the repaint to them was that the clear coat had discoloured and formed some fractures (probably dissimilar paint chemicals )

that neoprene stuff im using seems to buffer vibration and jump off events, additionally seems to slow down the wear marks forming along the rail on the inner side .

im guessing the plastic adhesion layer bonds fairly well

but you are right ..paint does wear badly ...there is a little spot at the water reservoir  where the side cover touches whilst im seated ...which is striped of paint ...took a little while for that to happen though ...I haven't thought to put some of the neoprene there yet ...or adjust bottle - side cover so  as not to touch ...yet
the spot is about 1/4 of an inch across

ive repainted the base section with a hammer type paint this time so may show up less blemishes ?

The cases look great Charlie.

Mine got the treatment from the shop along with the rest of the bike a couple of years ago but a couple of accidental falls off the stands has seen the outer cases badly scratched. I did a fix using black silicone gasket cement rubbed into the scratches and will leave them like that for now.

The pristine condition of the bags is something I will have to get used to living without, until I can warrant the expense of a 2 pack shop repaint

well after watching the charge indicator on old Gerty flash every now and then ...thought I should change the regulator

our mate Floyd did a group buy from eme in the states ....and forwarded me on the new regulator

thanks Floyd ...much appreciated

replacing the alternator regulator ....


the old one ...after 29 years of good service

old and new

first attempt no go ...
but went back in and cleaned up all the connections again

...especially the finger that connects the charge exciter terminal



and the terminal for output and  field exciter



just  a note,    be aware of this connection point on the regulator (for that finger connection )






 ....this time success ...and good voltages out at 1500 revs

did the ignition switch as well ....keep the electrics going a bit longer

some cloth to catch the magic disappearing springs I have been warned about


bit of wear apparent   




lets see what we can do




all back together ....with some superlube across the mechanism wear points

the grub screw replaced and sealed with paper mate (white out stuff )

the switch works as it should again .....yippee !!!

All I can say is you and Gerty are bright sparks...well done.

Ahhhh! Yet another reminder that I must pull mine apart for some preventative maintenance. Thanks for the pics charlie. They're good photos.

You'll find that the grubscrew thread is an M3. When I opened mine up for cleaning, the grubscrew slot took a bit of a battering on the way out, so I open up the wee plastic locating hole with a hand-held M3 drill and replaced the grubscrew with an allen bolt. Now, Murphy says I'll never need to open it up again but if I do, it's going to be a lot easier.

did the handle bar saddles as well ...whilst in there

didn't have the correct size stainless bolts to fit up

the saddles take a beating over time and mine were not the best looking

before and replacement



at least I know that this bit is  painted again and might last a few more years ....not a thing that we get to inspect very often


ill get some stainless bolts soonish to finish it off

well a change cosmetically to old gerty ....
off with the black seat cover and on with a new and different colour ...to match the new theme

ill let the pics tell the story

















kinda pleased with the outcome
looks ok ... ?

whooohoo.... very nice Charlie.

Fantasic result Charlie....I see that you have made it into one of those seats that you can electrically adjust....at least I saw where you applied the electrical clamps. Probably give you a kick start in the cool mornings. Is that a comfort seat you have?

yes indeed stan

and very pleased with the comfort level that it provides

I have added an additional 8mm soft foam layer to the outer coverings of the seat rubber  ....bleached by sunlight  with the discolouration that you can see ...and a goretex  type material cover over the whole lot before the cover went on ...it may let the vynal  flex a little more whilst compressed and provide a barrier to the cloth backing of the vynal .

still to get a good uv stable vynal conditioner to treat the seat cover though .....better do it soon ....and to flood the seams with some form of waxy substance to prevent leakage into the rubber beneath

Very nice

Charlie was the old cover glued to the foam at any point? I thought that for the cover to fit well they glued the "bucket"...hollow part down. Where did you get the cover and how much? Do they do an orange one....maybe bit much for he orange bike.

if you look at the standard seats  ... yes they glue the cover to the rubber .....I guess to follow the lines of the profile of the seat
but on the comfort seat not so ....they seem to have a layer of goretex material for separation of the layers and strength


I noticed on the standard type seats that they also include that 8mm low density type foam ....although from many reports the stock seat is quite uncomfortable for long rides .....I guess its all perspective and different material formulas more a dunlopillo type substance on the comfort seat

so here's a shot of a standard seat internals with some of the low density layer removed



doing this for a project not too far away now ...I hope

so this seat cover  was from dis-covers in the uk ...they have a range of interesting options ....probably worth checking out stan

http://stores.ebay.com.au/Dis-covers/BMW-/_i.html?_fsub=15887578&_sid=657605941&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322

I wasn't interested in waiting for a really good buy price ,,,just something in the right colours and style ...and when I could afford it ...always an issue for me periodically, to do the job on the grey seat cover .

Yes I know about the standard seat....alias the"plank". The standard seat is a pain in the bum. My 83 basic had one. Thanks for the info.

Charlie, you've done a good job on fitting that new cover and as you might have noticed lately I'm quite partial to a grey seat. It certainly makes Gerty look pretty smart.

I had a look on that site where you got the cover and I think the prices are quite reasonable.

I guess its not leather and demands a high price gaz ...yes the price seamed reasonable ...

just a little bit of patience and some fiddling around ...rather than when I last did one ...too many years ago now ...when I was young, dumb and full of ...no patience at all

thanks for the comments guys

cheers to you all

Definitely well done Charlie!

The seat looks great in grey/gray/gris/grau/grå...however you spell it from where you live.

It looks like a living room easy chair Charlie! I'm glad to see you take the riveted bar approach - but of my tanks have been scratched by stray staples at some point. Do you think the vinyl is likely to stretch under you? mines a bit baggy on the Riders seat and I'd love to get it out of it but was thinking Glue is the only route.

Nice work Charlie

im  hoping the underlay of the light duty foam will act as the tensioner Will ...for when weight is no longer on the cover .

all the perimeter of the under seat is glued all the way around and stapled ...(in places ) as well as the rivets through the bar aluminium .

the previous cover didn't seem to sag at all ,,,but broke up at the edge of the seam on the left side and towards the bottom of the side panel on the right side ...

this is where the most deflection - compression of the cover was evident whilst seated ,,,,it went quite hard and cracked in those locations ...im guessing the uv did the damage to the pliability of the vynal just there .

you might have noticed I put a little more foam just at those locations , on the side of the seat  because I noticed   when compressed the height of the seat rubbers folded in a little






to work the cover properly you need some heat to manipulate the vynal  ....I had tried the evening before and found it quite difficult ....but the next  day the sun came out ,,,,just before lunch time ...which heated the vynal a good deal (about 27 c  air temp ) the sunlight really made it easy to get it stretched just right .

the little ripple in the seat on the right hand side front also stretched out to lay flat in the sunshine during the glue - staple process (picture 6 )

so im quite chuffed that it all worked

I see what you did with the lower edge, good idea, I've noticed mine creases most there too. Feeling encouraged to have a go after seeing that! Thanks for the post Charlie.

Best to do them out in the sun Will, oh yes I forgot sorry.

RicK G wrote:Best to do them out in the sun Will, oh yes I forgot sorry.

I'll try it with the Liquid kind 

yes have been playing again ...whilst waiting for parts to arrive for the gearchange indicator - integrator for ricks chookie instruments
a complete redesign is required  to allow for the high current gearchange sensor wires into the instruments without stacking more and more chips into that little box ... basically some 900 od ohm relays which should give good workability - reliability for almost all situations .

so got a fairing from rick some time ago now ...and decided to patch it up ...for a long term project I have in mind














all now in primer grey ...and inside the awning ...waiting to apply some mods to make those blooming rs fairings  far more robust that they appear to me to be at the moment ...not unbreakable ...but more likely to survive a good - bad drop event .

also a gearbox case ...from alby some time ago also ...that I plan to refurbish and swap into gerty pretty soon as the bearing noises are becoming more apparent ..( just hope I don't wear off the case hardening before then ...but have other gearsets from seanii  ready to go in )


its being a real labour of love getting all that pesky paint out of the crevices and widdle holes ,,,im resorting to a sharp nail and bloody fingers to dig it out .....as some one said ..."you cant hurry art "  yeah right ,,,wish I had a media blaster to speed up the process .....but honestly happy to do the hard yards along the path   ( trying really hard to save up for a 15 year younger car that I have my eye on )






anyhow its going along just fine ...when I get the time

three day weekend here ...cant make the alpine rally ...work on sat morning ...blast

but anyhow decided to repair the fairing ...after the layover event at the "Karuah River Rally " some months ago now





at first it seemed just a crack along the side ....but further investigation revealed that previous repairs let go at the fibre compound that they call fiberglass ...where the fairing Tree mounts ..in the top right corner







anyhow repairs are happening



but also found the tree to be cracked ...quite severely  at the bottom and at the spread bar at the top




fortunately have a spare from werewasi   ...thanks mate

so hopefully fiberglass repairs will all go according to plan ...and a newer tree will fix the flexing of the fairing I have been noticing lately

more repair pics coming as the resin sets and I get to clean it up

hopefully for a repaint process later tomorrow ??  well at worst ...Monday ...

bit chilly round here just lately ( a good 15 deg c lower than normal overnight ) so I hope that doesn't affect the whole process  
 
send me luck guys...so much to do in such little time