BMW K bikes (Bricks)


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audibob

audibob
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I have put this in here, as I found it funny that I managed to forget it during my two "K" bike 

ownership.

I LUBRICATED THE THROTTLE ASSEMBLY...........
 
I also checked for free play between the grip and the Bar end weight as per instructions from Rossko

But what a difference ...a different bike

I now recall an article in a british bike mag, about a young guy who took his bike to 

a shop, who advertised very cheap tune ups.

When the bike came back, and duly found to be much faster, the guy enquired as to what was done to 

improve the performance.

Guess what...

He lubricated the the throttle assembly...

nuff said.

One portion of  humble pie coming up..

Bob


__________________________________________________
Yamaha 90
Honda CD 175
Honda CB 360 
Triumph T 140V Bonneville
Triumph T150 Trident
Honda CB750 F1
Cz 175
Yamaha XS 750
R 100/7
R 80
K100 LT
K100 LT current bike
    

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Two Wheels Better
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On lubing the throttle: years ago, at a BMW dealership in Oregon, whenever someone brought in an Airhead with 32mm carbies needing a full service, after the required work was done on the engine, valve check and adjust, ignition timing check & carb sync, a 40mm throttle cam gear & chain was fitted into the throttle housing and properly lubed - a similar design to early K bikes. It was only a few dollars back then.

The more radical 'ramp' of the larger carb's throttle pull would make an amazing difference in revibility and response. Just like a quick turn throttle.


__________________________________________________
"How many cars did we pass today?" "ALL of them."
1977 R75/7-100, '93 K11/K12 Big Block, '93 K1100RS, '95 R100 Mystic, '96 K1100RS, 2 x '98 K1200RS, '06 K1200R & '09 K1300GT
    

MartinW

MartinW
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Against general consensus I lubricate all my cables with a PTFE lubricant called Triflo. It is compatible with the Teflon liner and will not degrade it like some other types of lubricant. I added a grease nipple to the clutch arm and I also grease the lever pivot points and lube the cable nipples and grease the throttle gear assembly. My Brick is now 26 years old I've owned it for 21 years and still on it's original cables. I have however replaced a couple of levers. Anything that moves will benefit from an occasional lube with the correct type of lubricant.

Regards Martin.


__________________________________________________
1992 K75s
    

4Back to top Go down   The best 10 minutes a "K" can get..... Empty The best 10 minutes a "K" can get Wed 12 Dec 2018, 12:51

audibob

audibob
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I too fitted a grease nipple to the clutch arm, lube the nipples, and lever barrel.

A new clutch too, and the action is very light.

Having recently renewed the front master cylinder, you would have thought I would have noticed 

the lack of lubrication..

My K is a delight when filtering at low speed, even more so now.

Bob


__________________________________________________
Yamaha 90
Honda CD 175
Honda CB 360 
Triumph T 140V Bonneville
Triumph T150 Trident
Honda CB750 F1
Cz 175
Yamaha XS 750
R 100/7
R 80
K100 LT
K100 LT current bike
    

Two Wheels Better

Two Wheels Better
Moderator
Moderator
MartinW wrote:Against general consensus I lubricate all my cables with a PTFE lubricant called Triflo. It is compatible with the Teflon liner and will not degrade it like some other types of lubricant. I added a grease nipple to the clutch arm and I also grease the lever pivot points and lube the cable nipples and grease the throttle gear assembly. My Brick is now 26 years old I've owned it for 21 years and still on it's original cables. I have however replaced a couple of levers. Anything that moves will benefit from an occasional lube with the correct type of lubricant.

Regards Martin.
Having worked with OEMs for many years my understanding of the oft-repeated statement that new cables should not be lubed is more like that they should not need to be lubed like in the days of yore when cables were not lined. If TriFlo works for you then no worries, it may be a good idea.

In fact, most BMW OEM & replacement cables have had liners in them since the early to mid-'80s.


__________________________________________________
"How many cars did we pass today?" "ALL of them."
1977 R75/7-100, '93 K11/K12 Big Block, '93 K1100RS, '95 R100 Mystic, '96 K1100RS, 2 x '98 K1200RS, '06 K1200R & '09 K1300GT
    

Dai

Dai
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I'll give you another good reason for lubricating lined cables. The exposed bottom section of the inner gets covered in sh!te and drags it up into the liner for around two-three inches. The result is teflon-backed grinding paste which doesn't do the inner cable any good whatsoever, no sirree.


__________________________________________________
1983 K100 naked upgraded to K100LT spec after spending time as an RS and an RT
1987 K100RT
Others...
1978 Moto Guzzi 850-T3, 1979 Moto Guzzi 850-T3 California,1993 Moto Guzzi 1100ie California
2020 Royal Enfield Bullet 500
    

MartinW

MartinW
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You're right Dai, when I spray in the Triflo I spray until it runs clear. The first part to come out can be pretty grotty. Another little trick I do is to pack the rear master cylinder boot with heavy silicone grease which stops the ingress of water and road crap and stops the corrosion that effects a lot of rear master cylinders. And I have only replaced leaking front shock seals once when I first got the bike, twenty years ago. I now pack under the dust boots with silicone grease, whether it has extended their lives who knows. But it can't hurt.
Regards Martin.


__________________________________________________
1992 K75s
    

blaKey

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Listening to Martin go on about Triflo made me go and get some from the local bicycle shop.

I've used it on various cables (including my K's) and it works a treat.

Sort-of-like DeoxIT for cables.


__________________________________________________
Neil
K100RS 1986 RED!

Dress for the ride and the potential slide.
    

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There you have it, as with most things in life, a little added lubricant does the job.
study  cheers Sleep


__________________________________________________
"How many cars did we pass today?" "ALL of them."
1977 R75/7-100, '93 K11/K12 Big Block, '93 K1100RS, '95 R100 Mystic, '96 K1100RS, 2 x '98 K1200RS, '06 K1200R & '09 K1300GT
    

brickrider2

brickrider2
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If I remember correctly TriFlo is sold in a small plastic bottle, not in a can with propellant.  Is it then applied to the cable end held vertically, with gravity pulling the lube through the cable lining?  Or, am I confusing this with another lubricant?


__________________________________________________
1996 K1100LT
    

MartinW

MartinW
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No Gryph you can get both, the local locksmith has it in both. I thought it only came in spray cans. My can is that old the label fell off probably 30 years old. Only use it on the Bricks cables.
Regards Martin.


__________________________________________________
1992 K75s
    

GF Wollongong

GF Wollongong
Platinum member
Platinum member
Of course Martin bathes in the stuff ... and then cleans his teeth with (2 part) Deoxit

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/TriFlow-Superior-Lubricant-Bike-Chain-Lube-4oz-113g-PTFE-Teflon-Tri-Flow-Spray/263833989272?hash=item3d6dbb3098:g:7-QAAOSwQDhbVsL1:rk:17🇵🇫0

This was the cheapest can I could find on Ebay Aust (our American friends can no doubt get it for half that.

Have just placed an order

    

Dai

Dai
Life time member
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Aha! Also known as GT85 in the UK.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GT85-400ml-Spray-Lube/153344080870?hash=item23b404fbe6:g:aR0AAOSwCgtcQb-k:rk:1🇵🇫0

I picked up a crate of twelve cans last mid-year for £25 on ebay. It's always worth scrolling past the one- and two- can adverts.


__________________________________________________
1983 K100 naked upgraded to K100LT spec after spending time as an RS and an RT
1987 K100RT
Others...
1978 Moto Guzzi 850-T3, 1979 Moto Guzzi 850-T3 California,1993 Moto Guzzi 1100ie California
2020 Royal Enfield Bullet 500
    

Two Wheels Better

Two Wheels Better
Moderator
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No doubt it's cheaper in the US...$13.99 plus 9.4% tax down the local hardware for that same sized spray can. There are several varieties of Triflow, or at least different labels. Perhaps like fizzy beer from a mega brewery, different bottle, same piss-like taste.


__________________________________________________
"How many cars did we pass today?" "ALL of them."
1977 R75/7-100, '93 K11/K12 Big Block, '93 K1100RS, '95 R100 Mystic, '96 K1100RS, 2 x '98 K1200RS, '06 K1200R & '09 K1300GT
    

brickrider2

brickrider2
Life time member
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This thread has opened up a mystery of sorts for me.  BMW says no lube for cables. They are plastic lined and may be damaged.  Riders report lube is beneficial.  Triflo has petroleum distillates; such material could damage plastic.  That being the case, I'm left to wonder what this all means.  Does BMW advise against lubing cables for marketing reasons (maintenance-free for the owners' convenience)?
Could some cables will be damaged with lube and some not, according to what material the manufacturer chose for a given run of products?  Question


__________________________________________________
1996 K1100LT
    

Two Wheels Better

Two Wheels Better
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Brickie, go up and have a read of post no. 5 above.


__________________________________________________
"How many cars did we pass today?" "ALL of them."
1977 R75/7-100, '93 K11/K12 Big Block, '93 K1100RS, '95 R100 Mystic, '96 K1100RS, 2 x '98 K1200RS, '06 K1200R & '09 K1300GT
    

MartinW

MartinW
Life time member
Life time member
Actually Guy I've gone off DeoxIT the last couple of times I used it I got mixed results. I've gone back to my old favourite LPS1 and the only reason I rarely mention LPS it is because it is extremely expensive and hard to get in OZ. DeoxIT is expensive but easy to get. As for the Triflo it is brilliant, but I'm still on my original 30 year old can.
Regards Martin.



Last edited by MartinW on Wed 23 Jan 2019, 10:13; edited 1 time in total


__________________________________________________
1992 K75s
    

duck

duck
Life time member
Life time member
I generally avoid lubing cables but when I do I use aerosol silicone lubricant because silicone is inert.  

I also use it on electric windscreen rods and in locks because it doesn't retain dust like many other lubricants do.


__________________________________________________
Current stable:
86 Custom K100 (standard fairing, K75 Belly pan, Ceramic chromed engine covers, paralever)
K75 Frankenbrick (Paralever, K11 front end, hybrid ABS, K1100RS fairing, radial tires)
86 K75C Turbo w/ paralever
94 K1100RS
93 K1100LT
91 K1
93 K75S (K11 front end)
91 K75S (K1 front end)
14 Yamaha WR250R
98 Taxi Cab K1200RS
14 K1600GT
http://www.ClassicKBikes.com
    

GF Wollongong

GF Wollongong
Platinum member
Platinum member
I was wondering if there is benefit in providing a list of recommended lubricants et.al to help newer K bike owners? Not exotics like Martin's special sauce he's been keeping from us but good quality middle of the road stuff. I suspect there is a list of recommended salves and ointments somewhere.

My current ride is a naked K100RS 84 and I quite like its patina - so it's not getting cleaned / polished. 

And to kick it off my favourite is:

Inox (a marine WD-40) - for general lube and surface protection (K bike frame paint is rather thin). It has a big brother ... Lanox (leaves a clear coating that smells like mutton). Best of all, you can apply it while holding a cold beer in the other hand!
 
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/6-Pack-Inox-MX3-Original-Super-Lubricant-Aerosol-Spray-300g-MX3-300x6/253971857716?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

Triflow for the cables 

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/TriFlow-Superior-Lubricant-Bike-Chain-Lube-4oz-113g-PTFE-Teflon-Tri-Flow-Spray/263833989272?hash=item3d6dbb3098:g:7-QAAOSwQDhbVsL1:rk:17:pf:0

Deoxit for the electrics / connections (Martin's comments above not withstanding)

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/DeoxIT-D-Series-Contact-Cleaner-Rejuvenator-5-Solution-142g/322940597859?hash=item4b30c27663:g:HEgAAOSwDaBcDfCr:rk:1:pf:1&frcectupt=true

As a footnote to my bike's patina, I have noticed some vibration when riding and, being selectively anal, I don't like noises or pending mechanical issues, did a compression test. 1: 155psi, 2&3: 165psi, 4:170psi. (wires to coil disconnected, engine warm, all spark plugs out, throttle fully open). 
On one hand I am quite pleased for these figures on a bike of this age (speedo reads 79000 kms). However, I want to change some inlet/exhaust shims to get clearances back into spec. Their tightness gets me thinking that valve seats might have worn. I am currently using 98 octane and valve seat lube (though there is no remedying any wear that might already have occurred).

Question time: yesterday while "testing" the bike, I noticed a little front to back movement of the front shock (I was head down near the speedo - needed for the 140km/h I was doing) near the axle. Steering head bearing is good, axle bolt to torque spec, clamp bolts to spec, fork oil good, no play in the forks. Highway was smooth. Any ideas what this might be? Wheel bearings were not changed but will be soon. Do the early forks have any issues (eg Showa forks had a brace across them).

Happy riding 

Guy

    

MartinW

MartinW
Life time member
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Good idea Guy but probably should start a separate post. Maybe titled Products used and recommended by Brick riders or along those lines.
Regards Martin.


__________________________________________________
1992 K75s
    

Snod Blatter

Snod Blatter
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brickrider2 wrote:This thread has opened up a mystery of sorts for me.  BMW says no lube for cables. They are plastic lined and may be damaged.
I am of a similar mind, I once lubed some Honda cables which are Teflon lined and all it did was gum them up - I had to blast it all out with brake cleaner afterwards, then they slithered just fine.

My K is currently sporting cables from Venhill who do recommend using some lube. I'm sure I'll get round to that job one day..


__________________________________________________
1989 K100RS SE ABS 8v  VIN: 0149214
Others: 1.5 x CBX250RS-E, '94 CB250, '95 TRX850, '16 Z250SL, '01 R1100GS
http://justbikethings.blogspot.co.uk/
    

92KK 84WW Olaf

avatar
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I have tried both Venhill and BMW cables and have to say BMW all the way for me. Teflon and no lube. On my K100RT in 2013 it got new cables and well over 50k miles and a one finger pull on the clutch. No lube but lube the lever nipple very very often.


__________________________________________________
1992 K100LT 0193214 Bertha Blue 101,000 miles
1984 K100RT 0022575 Brutus Baja Red 578 bought 36,000 now 89,150 miles
1997 K1100LT 0188024 Wotan Mystic Red 689 58,645 now 106,950 miles Deceased.
1983 K100RS 0011157 Fricka 606 Alaska Blue 29,495 miles Damn K Pox Its a Bat outta Hell Now 58,200 miles. 
1996 K1100LT 0233004 Lohengrin Mystic Red 38,000 miles currently 51,800 miles.
1983 K100RS 0004449 Odette R100 colours 58,000 miles. Sprint fairing now 63,390 miles

Past:
1968 Yamaha 80 YG1
1971 Yamaha 125 YAS-1
1968 Honda 125 SS
1970 Honda CD 175
1973 Honda CB500-4
Honda CX 500
    

MartinW

MartinW
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I have heard Venhill are not as durable as OEM and the nipples are more prone to pulling off . However I've now got 165,000 K's on all my OEM cables and I've lube with PTFE lubricant. Some lubricants will react and degrade the Teflon liner so if you go down the slippery lube path do your research.

Regards Martin.


__________________________________________________
1992 K75s
    

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