ok the bike starts but dies immediately after I throw it in gear. What am I doing wrong? is something broken or how do I shift? I am using the clutch properly, but is there a specific RPM I should reach before throwing it in the first and what is the shift pattern?

also, noticed smoke coming from the engine. I’m wondering what the issue there is and if I need to head over to the electrical to make a post on why I’m not seeing the radiator fan spin. The bike has coolant in it. I don’t know what the issue might be.

vividcolt wrote:ok the bike starts but dies immediately after I throw it in gear. What am I doing wrong? is something broken or how do I shift? I am using the clutch properly, but is there a specific RPM I should reach before throwing it in the first and what is the shift pattern?

Very funny!   

Have you heard the one about Gus the mushroom who was always buying drinks for everyone in the bar? Why? Because he was a fungus.

What model it is can have a big bearing on why.
Owners Manual https://www.dropbox.com/s/gh8prjm6qzjk89v/Riders%20Handbook%20K100%20K100rs-K100rt.pdf?dl=0
You sound like a newbie to riding so read this https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wg8ti67qptqax08pvwinf/Full_Control.pdf?rlkey=d06jjw2fmi8shf88x6bgp5db7&dl=0

Interestingly, when i tease the shifter with the clutch ALL THE WAY IN i hear and feel grinding..

Rick G wrote:What model it is can have a big bearing on why.
Owners Manual https://www.dropbox.com/s/gh8prjm6qzjk89v/Riders%20Handbook%20K100%20K100rs-K100rt.pdf?dl=0
You sound like a newbie to riding so read this https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wg8ti67qptqax08pvwinf/Full_Control.pdf?rlkey=d06jjw2fmi8shf88x6bgp5db7&dl=0

1985 K100

Two suggestions:

First, double check the clutch adjustment.  There is a good Chris Harris video on YouTube.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBW4D2jDw2A

Second, do a search for MSF motorcycle training in your area.  https://msf-usa.org/

If indeed you are new to riding, it would be very wise to learn on something a bit lighter and less powerful than a 750cc bike that weighs over 500 pounds.  They have experienced instructors and provide smaller bikes to learn the basics on.  Teaching yourself on a large bike is a good way to get into a hospital.

Point-Seven-five wrote: Teaching yourself on a large bike is a good way to get into a hospital.

On the other hand, your extended stay in a hospital will be a good way to find a prospective wife, or husband, especially if you're able to turn on the charm with your head swathed in bandages and your mind clouded with pain killers.

Point-Seven-five wrote:Two suggestions:


Second, do a search for MSF motorcycle training in your area.  https://msf-usa.org/

If indeed you are new to riding, it would be very wise to learn on something a bit lighter and less powerful than a 750cc bike that weighs over 500 pounds.  They have experienced instructors and provide smaller bikes to learn the basics on.  Teaching yourself on a large bike is a good way to get into a hospital.

This is a VERY good idea if you are indeed new to riding. I also ride an 85 k100rs. They are top heavy and very heavy in general. When they get to a certain point (left or right lean while stopped) they are going to drop and not a lot you can do about it. Mine has been down twice.   Hope you do well with the bike! Love mine.

A suggestion: creating an entirely new thread for what is basically a continuation of a "problem" isn't the best way to post. Try sticking with your original question and following it along, and as you progress, so may the answers given. It's easier to follow later (for reference) and isn't such a "scatter shot" method.

I tighten the clutch cable so there is 3 inches of cable and the clutch thing (idk the name) so there is 5 mm of freedom on the handle. When i start it up i get a lot of white smoke. and it still shuts off when thrown into first. now what?

Two Wheels Better wrote:A suggestion: creating an entirely new thread for what is basically a continuation of a "problem" isn't the best way to post. Try sticking with your original question and following it along, and as you progress, so may the answers given. It's easier to follow later (for reference) and isn't such a "scatter shot" method.

my apologies. i have felt like ive been terrorizing the forum these days. great feedback

Did you follow the tips from the Chris Harris video?  That will get you the correct clutch operation.

One other tip, a drop of oil every week or two on the connection between the barrel on the end of the cable and the clutch lever will allow the barrel to pivot freely in the lever.  A dry connection will flex and eventually break the cable at the most inopportune moment.  I even go so far as to smear a little of the moly spline lube on mine.

Smoke on start up is part of the charm of these beasts, especially when parked on the side stand.  A tiny bit of oil gets past the rings and is burned off on starting.  It's a mosquito fogging service K bike owners do for their neighbors.  Unless you are burning off a lot of oil, don't worry about it.  Tip: keep the oil level in the sight glass no higher than the dot in the center.

Speaking of the side stand, unless you are a serious weight trainer, it's a really  good idea to deploy the side stand while still sitting on the bike and then set the bike on it before getting off.  Cost me two scratched mirrors and a lower fairing panel(not to mention the public embarrassment) on my RT to figure that one out.

Point-Seven-five wrote:Did you follow the tips from the Chris Harris video?  That will get you the correct clutch operation.

One other tip, a drop of oil every week or two on the connection between the barrel on the end of the cable and the clutch lever will allow the barrel to pivot freely in the lever.  A dry connection will flex and eventually break the cable at the most inopportune moment.  I even go so far as to smear a little of the moly spline lube on mine.

Smoke on start up is part of the charm of these beasts, especially when parked on the side stand.  A tiny bit of oil gets past the rings and is burned off on starting.  It's a mosquito fogging service K bike owners do for their neighbors.  Unless you are burning off a lot of oil, don't worry about it.  Tip: keep the oil level in the sight glass no higher than the dot in the center.

Speaking of the side stand, unless you are a serious weight trainer, it's a really  good idea to deploy the side stand while still sitting on the bike and then set the bike on it before getting off.  Cost me two scratched mirrors and a lower fairing panel(not to mention the public embarrassment) on my RT to figure that one out.

Haha, u must be a neighborhood hero. I followed the video pretty well. Although, I don’t understand where you’re exactly saying to apply oil? 

As for the stand, I stick to the center as to avoid leaky oil. As it creeks into the cylinders, I would suspect it to coke onto the cylinder heads after burning. Best to avoid that potential. Glad to hear the white smoke is normal. 

Is there a specific rpm the bike should idle at? maybe it dies out because it doesn’t have enough power to move the rear wheel?

When you pull the clutch lever all the way in, you will see the top of a round barrel shaped fitting that connects the clutch cable to the lever.  That is where you want to put your drop of oil.  Just put it on top of the barrel and it will work into where it needs to be.

Yes, put the bike on the center stand when you park, but put the side stand down before you get off the bike. Then put it up after you set the center stand.

Haven't had a mosquito bite in my yard since I started riding my Bricks!

this?

Exactly. 

Looks pretty dry.

has the bike a side stand switch fitted ? why are you oiling the cable and if you are oiling the cable remove it from the bar end , leave it facing skywards , make a funnel with a small plastic bag , small amount of oil ,  and oil it over night , cable with fell like new in the morning

Never oil cables unless you use a PTFE based lubricant like Tri Flow. A lot of non PTFE lubricants can cause the Teflon cable liner to degrade over time shortening their life spans. To lube My cables I make a funnel out of plasticine and fill with PTFE lube until it emerges out the other end. Once you've finished just  pat dry plasticine with a paper  towel and squash it back into a lump. Then store in a air tight container or wrap in cling wrap. I'm still running my original 30 year old 184,000 Km cables. I've also fitted a grease nipple to the clutch arm. I class regular lubing of cables, pivot points and levers as part of my regular maintenance schedule and it's a cheap preventative.
Regards Martin.

good advise , i use wd40 on all the cables , however how does this help the post in question ? "bike starts but dies immediately after I throw it in gear" 

I believe WD-40 is one of the problematic lubricants that can degrade the liner over time.
Regards Martin.

works well especially older cables , how long does it take to show up as a problem (i have used for over 40 years) no problems to date that i have noticed , i do use mostly on british bikes from 1920/30s so no plastic type liner to worry about there  , but also on harley , honda and bmw . is there a list on the internet i can look at just to be sure .

firstle wrote:has the bike a side stand switch fitted ? why are you oiling the cable and if you are oiling the cable remove it from the bar end , leave it facing skywards , make a funnel with a small plastic bag , small amount of oil ,  and oil it over night , cable with fell like new in the morning

He is not oiling the cable.  I am advising him to lubricate the clutch cable connection at the lever.  When the connection is dry, the barrel fitting does not rotate in the lever and as a result flexes the cable slightly every time the lever is pulled and then released.

Those flexes, small as they are, eventually weaken the cable where it attaches to the clutch lever, causing the cable to break.  If you apply that drop of oil conscientiously, the cable should last for the life of the bike.  The one on my K75RT was still good at 100k miles, and I had a K100RS that had 125k miles on the original clutch cable.

There is no lube needed for the cable itself.  The lining of the cable cover is Teflon which if kept clean is pretty slippery by itself.  If it does feel a bit draggy, Martin's Triflow is the best lube to use or a if you can't get it, a dry Teflon spray.  Oil in the cable will just attract dirt and make it harder to pull after a short while.

thanks i will get some wd40 dry lube ? never tried this to date so when i finish the gallon of wd40 i have (maybe about 5 years)  i will get some ,  still unsure as to how this might help with the problem he has or is this sorted now ? what was the fix in the end ?

The original WD-40 is not a lubricant it is a water displacement fluid. The WD stands for water displacement and the 40 stands for the batch number that worked when they were formulating the product. I do believe that they now do a WD-40 PTFE lubricant. But it should not be called WD-40 as it is no longer for water displacement. Lubing with PTFE has two benefits it flushes out the road crap that builds up in the cable that eventually causes wear. Two it won't damage the cable while flushing as it is compatible, and it will also lubricate the cable. Wrap a white rag around the end of the cable while flushing you'll be surprised by the amount of crap that comes out. From the net Oil based lubricants may damage Teflon because they can dissolve or break down the protective coating of Teflon, which is a type of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)¹. Some oils and thickeners don’t mix well with Teflon and may cause galling or sticking²³. It is better to use lubricants that are compatible with Teflon, such as silicone oil or PFPE oil². Link to the Venhill site https://www.bing.com/ck/a?
Regards Martin.

is this the stuff you say to use ? WD-40 Anti Friction Dry PTFE Lubricant with Smart Straw 250ml | Euro Car Parts

That will be compatible.
Regards Martin.

MartinW in Post 19 refers to Tri-Flow brand aerosol Teflon lube which is an excellent product. If you are having difficulty finding Tri-Flow at a hardware shop, you should be able to get it at a gunship. Years ago advertisements for Tri-Flow stated..."as used by Country Music star Carl Perkins". - Nothing like an arcade addendum.

MartinW wrote:I do believe that they now do a WD-40 PTFE lubricant. But it should not be called WD-40 as it is no longer for water displacement.

My vote is for calling it Mother's Homemade PTFE Blend.

redrockmania wrote: If you are having difficulty finding Tri-Flow at a hardware shop, you should be able to get it at a gunship.

I doubt the officer of the deck will allow you to board because government naval services worldwide usually don't have retail sales with the public; however, if you brought your own measuring cup and are polite, maybe you'll be given a few milliliters to promote good relations.

I got all excited when somebody mentioned Carl Perkins.
But then I realised I was thinking of Conway Twitty. Shame that.

Laitch wrote:

redrockmania wrote: If you are having difficulty finding Tri-Flow at a hardware shop, you should be able to get it at a gunship.

I doubt the officer of the deck will allow you to board because government naval services worldwide usually don't have retail sales with the public; however, if you brought your own measuring cup and are polite, maybe you'll be given a few milliliters to promote good relations.

Just ask the two recently arrested, young navy spies for some information on how to obtain it. Don't be confused with troop ship movements, however.

I use Mobil 1 synthetic grease at both ends of the clutch cable. Moly spline lube goo or lithium grease would probably do well there too. It's more work at the front end since taking it apart to grease it is more work than squirting oil. Never had a clutch cable break on any of my Ks. (I always have a spare clutch cable in the tail cowl though because anything you carry a spare of will never fail. )

duck wrote:(I always have a spare clutch cable in the tail cowl though because anything you carry a spare of will never fail. )

You sound like an old enduro rider.

Is this an ok substitute for triflow?

Well, now that we are way out in the tall weeds, I wonder how our friend Vividcolt is doing with his bike.

Point-Seven-five and all, 

My flying brick is a 1985 for reference.

The bike is alive! it runs well - or it ran great. I got to play with it for two days. Now, I had been driving it around a parking lot at low speeds, never above 30 mph, and for 30-50 minutes at a time. As I was coming back to put it away, it shut off on its own.  Naturally, I tried to start it again (which it has been doing without fail these days) but it wouldn't. At the time, I had assumed it was low on fuel. But it wasn't. I'm thinking it overheated. The coolant tubes were scorching hot, and I think the thermostat is at fault. Coolant levels are good and the coolant is a clear-to-green color. Anyways I put the bike away.

The next day I tried again and it gave me some trouble. Finally after giving it some throttle while holding the starter, it got up. I drove it a few feet then it died. After looking at the fuse box, I noticed the second one down was blown. My understanding is that this fuse is the Ignition Switch, which should be a 7.5 A? The one I pulled off my bike was a 10 A... 

I would also add that I don't know why both fuel indicators on the gauge cluster are always lit up. Even with a full tank.  

I am thinking I need to replace the following:

• thermostat
  
• temperature switching unit
  
• coolant temperature sensor
  
• and the Ignition Switch fuse
  

What info is there on the thermostat that I need to replace? What size is it? What temperature does it open at? 82 degrees? Can I get one at my local auto store?

Before you spend a bunch of money on parts it would be good to check the fan.  They are notorious for seizing up and not running.  If indeed you were riding around at low speed on a hot day it is unlikely you got enough airflow through the radiator to keep the engine cool if the fan wasn't cycling on and off.

See if you can poke the fan blades to see if they turn freely.  If not, the motor is bad and needs to be replaced.  There are threads about replacing it with a much better fan at a much lower cost.  You can find them by doing a forum search on "Spal fan".

Got o reply #18 to see how I did mine.

  http://www.motobrick.com/index.php/topic,4313.0.html

It is also possible/probable that the cooling fins on the radiator are plugged with dead bugs and dirt.  That will require removing the radiator(which you will need to do if the fan is bad) and soaking it in white vinegar to dissolve the bugs so they can be flushed out of the fins.  While soaking the bugs, put some of the vinegar in the radiator to dissolve any mineral deposits in it.  I had this problem with one of my bikes.  The engine was always on the edge of overheating when running at highway speeds and was puking coolant every time I got stuck in traffic.  Cleaning the fins and the insides fixed the overheating.

Getting the radiator and fan out is not one of the nicest jobs, but it is part of getting your bike back to a reliable state.

As far as the low fuel lights, the fuel level sender in the tank is an early version that has a history of causing problems. Again, a search on the forum should bring up some advice on how you might be able to fix it. 

https://www.kforum-tech.com/forum-area/__Files/electrical/Fuel_senders/fuel%20level%20sensors.htm

vividcolt wrote:Point-Seven-five and all, 
. . . noticed the second one down was blown. My understanding is that this fuse is the Ignition Switch . .

Negative.