I received my valve shim tools in the post from Motobins a coupla weeks ago and decided yesterday was a good day (cold hard OZ rain) to spend in the garage. Music on, enough light to see things clearly, clean rags, appropriate tools, a stack of shims, replacement gaskets, four new NGK spark plugs at hand, and a celebratory cold beer for the completion.

Not one valve's clearance was even remotely close to being out of spec, either by being too tight or too loose! The clearances were checked ages ago. They'll likely not need to be checked again for ages. The bike has just 90,000 kms on the odo. There's a lot to love about these solid, over-engineered lumps of alloy and steel.

Good on you; bet that meant two beers at least!

Three bottles of Tasman Bitter, not our finest, but it'll do in a pinch, a good dinner, a deuce, rubbed one out and then a nap. My clearances are not even close to within spec!

The shims are like the ones used in the BMW M3 engine, in my 13years with BMW I never had to change one of them,
rock soild,
unlike the cam lobe rockers which needed adjusting all the time due to the nuts going lose

My '05 K1200S was like that: after an initial check at about 1,000 miles and again at the 37,500 miles service, not one valve clearance was anywhere close to being out of spec, and this was with that early software programming that 'suggested' a clearance check based upon heavy-handed throttle usage, rpm & etc. Modern shim and shim under bucket systems are stable over the long haul. Now my olde Airhead, that's another story, even with upgraded unleaded compatible valves and seats, over the years and many, many miles...you could always count on at least one tight valve. At least they were easy to fiddle with at the side of the road with a rock, a business card and a Swiss army knife with a corkscrew - that's for the drink you'd need after suffering an unplanned stopover.

Bought my 85 K100RS with 37,000 mi. I paid for check at 75,000 mi, one valve was .001" tight, had it adjusted. Just did check myself at 126,000 and 7 of 8 were too tight, all exhausts were .003 to .007 and should have been .010. to .012 inches. No Adjusted and it made a huge improvement and I don't think I ruined any of the exhaust valves by being too tight and hot either. Worst symptom was bad running first 5 minutes especially below 3000RPM. Some smoothness had gone away as well, mileage was lower. Stalled at stop signs first 30 min of rides too.

Hey TWB,
Just revisiting this and saw that you have a k1200 S. How do you like it compared to the old 100?

Thanks!
OG

I sold the K12 when I came home to OZ several years ago. I had it in No. America, rode it about 38,000 miles in under eighteen months' time. We went everywhere: to the tip of Baja for a month, across the States and through Canada. One of my favourite rides was riding the length of Vancouver Island in June. It was there in a nice motel room overlooking a fine harbour that I watched the Italians steal a win from OZ in World Cup Soccer, by a decision, but not through their skill in that particular game! I digress.

The old R100 are fine bikes, I have travelled for years and many many miles on them, but they don't hold a candle to the swift and mighty new K's. I like them for their simplicity. Now if you mean K100, then it's a step above the Airheads and a step below the new K still. The Canadian I sold the K1200S to still has it, with 100,000 miles on the clock, the only failures have been two ignition stick coils and an ABS fault. He writes to me on and off thanking me for running it in right. I miss it and wish I had imported it back to OZ with me. I'd buy another but am loving my K100RS at the mo'...and may well do. I have my eye on a K1300R in black/black.

Thanks for asking.

Thanks for the info TWB. You certainly do get around! I saw a K1200S for sale here locally and really liked the look of it and of course modern power would be nice so I starting thinking...

OG

Hey TWB,
Is the fueled up and ready to roll weight similar to the K100RS?

OG

Whatever the weight is of the new K1200/1300S series (they're slightly lighter than a K100RS) any thought of it vanishes with a casual turn of the right hand wrist. I reckon the power to weight ratio is vastly superior. My K12S, with some minor mods of open Remus exhaust and de-restricted intakes produced 154 rwhp at peak, with a stated crankshaft hp of 167 from the factory. Not bad for 245kg. I once read 177 mph on the Plains of St Agustin, New Mexico, near the 'Very Large Array' satellite dishes. Factor in for some speedo optimism and it was low level flying at its best.

Definitely a bad influence. Reminds me of that old saying, "A little bit too much is just enough!" Think I might need to see if I can get a test ride?

OG

That 'bike was as docile as an old, familiar pony, one you'd let the kids ride, around town and on the daily commute. The clutch action was light, the steering input easy, the go-power readily available and the sweet sound from the engine as it thrummed along in stop 'n' go traffic was reminiscent of a thoroughbred at the gates, waiting to leap out and burn. My smile to frown ratio was off the charts!