I picked up this '96 K1100RS today. It's got 120/30/50/90 compression (overheated but he kept going) but the ABS functions, the battery is good, the fuel isn't stale, the fan functions, and all the bits you can't see in this picture are there. The previous owner fitted LT 'bars, Dash pad and cables. I'll put on stock RS 'bars or those K1 'bars I have sitting around. It's got about 59K miles/95K kilometres on the odo. I didn't need another project having just moved, but now I've got a two car garage again I've gotta keep it full. It's gunna require a bit of elbow to make it right...

I've got a spare K1100RS engine, complete, if needed, and I didn't pay much for this'n.

You expect it has toasted valves? You say the fan works, but it overheated nonetheless?  Hummm. Empty radiator?
With that seat, I hope you have very short legs! 
All in all, it looks to be a good project.  Put her back on the road where she belongs!

When cranking the engine to determine compression it loped, and I could hear pressure escaping from one cylinder to another, suggesting a bad head gasket. Also, all valve clearances were below minimum spec. I have not determined yet what caused it to cook, but cook it did. I have spares of everything. It will ride again!
I can sit comfortably on any height BMW seat, and have three post-'86 seats available.
It's actually pretty clean, just needs - to go down the road after an engine swap- a front tyre, fork seals, and a thorough scrubbing.

With that compression they should've paid you to haul it away!

Maybe they did...

nice project dazza

woohoo !

Have a word with 88 [Will Crean] His K1100RS did things but he also found no 1 big end was toast. Might want to check the shells while you are in there. Not cheap to do as they are single use bolts.

It's got those sexy 96 SE silver forks.   

They don't fade or get paint nicks like the black ones do.

92KK 84WW Olaf wrote:Have a word with 88 [Will Crean] His K1100RS did things but he also found no 1 big end was toast. Might want to check the shells while you are in there. Not cheap to do as they are single use bolts.

I have a spare, known good 59K engine. The original engine will get dropped and looked at later on. 

Yes, dead sexy silver forks, made partially black by chronically leaking seals. The tubes felt smooth when I stroked them. Def gunna havta burn some sage over this one. It was a Puget Sound ferry commuter and saw more water time than tarmac, get the demons out.

Here we are more than a year on from buying the '96 K1100RS (June, last month of K1100RS destined for US, production. Rest-of-the-world it was December of '96) & the project gets a renewed start. I've stripped the bike to bare frame & running gear. Most of the bits n pieces are reusable. Parts are bagged & tagged, fairing panels hung in the shed outback. I have another K1100 that's a bit rough round the edges but there are many good spares to be had, so the two shall become one. This one's gunna be an as-original resto look but with a few subtle mods such as '284' cams from earlier K1/K100-16V engines & from the K1200RS/GT series - I want to feel how she pulls compared to the stock '256' cams, & whether it's bottom torque or having to spin it up to get anywhere using different camshafts. It's the black & silver fairing colours with silver wheels & those dead sexy, shiny Marzocchis.

Today's forecast to be 36C/97F so I got an early start, but soon the garage will be too hot & I'll be out the back under the apple tree/shade awning sipping something iced this arvo.

Moving glacially as Winter rapidly approaches and I'm back doing my obligatory 35 hours per week at work (motorbike business off-season). Sunday I got the good, 1993 engine/gearbox/Paralever swapped to the '96 frame, both ends of the suspension, K1 'bars fitted, petrol tank vitals emptied for cleaning/re-doing, wiring looms chosen (using later Motronic) and sent a rough Corbin seat out on Monday to get re-skinned. 

Those beaut, original, shiny silver Marzocchi forks are gunna need a complete tear down and guts/seals replaced, such was the lack of maintenance by the previous ignorer. For now another good set of (black) Marzokes, and a set of black three spoke wheels with Bridgestone Battlax BT-16 tyres are going in. Pictures at eleven.

With a steady rain shower just outside my garage door, and about 45F partly sunny degrees with a double rainbow off to the east, I laid the 1996 engine wiring loom into the '93 engine and then began the task of threading the chassis loom and relay box into and around the '96 frame bolted down atop the motor. 

With Duck's words from a while back ringing in my ears I cursed and stumbled and realised what he meant when he said something like "I lay the chassis wiring loom over the engine before I bolt the frame down."  

I see what he meant, said the blind man.