Here is a question that should case some debate.

What should my 87 K100lt with 35 on it feel like.

The engine feels sweet and smooth. Engine vibes are very small.

But the handling is very strange.  I ride a Tenere a lot which has wide bars and very high.  It is not light at 180kg but feels so light and nimble.

My K is great at speed but around town it's not so good. very slow corner is a fight to stop it from falling into the corner and on her side.  

I don't know how it should handle bumps in the road.  In the UK our roads are disintegrating before our eyes and the K agents bounced all over the place. It feels like the suspensions both front and back is just not fight.

I will change the fork oil soon but how do I know if he springs are shot or if the rear Hagen shock is gone as well.

I have a pair of pilot active tyres one.  The front is fine but the rear is squared off.

Again I will be changing tyres soon.

Headstock bearings feel fine.

Any comments are welcome.

Mike

What age are the tyres? Been there with tyres that were old and hard and they felt horrible. I too have to face the bumps and potholes, but new tyres and pressures right was a big help. Head bearings are on my to do list end of next week.

92KK K100LT 193214 wrote:What age are the tyres? Been there with tyres that were old and hard and they felt horrible. I too have to face the bumps and potholes, but new tyres and pressures right was a big help. Head bearings are on my to do list end of next week.

The tyres are 2012 so not that old.

Mike

The only time that I felt that I needed to fight a K to stop it falling into corners was when I rode a bike with a low front tyre pressure - it scared the hell out of me!

I changed my fork oil (it was disgusting in there), used 10 weight oil, took my Metzlers off and replaced with
Pirelli sports demon tires and the difference was immediate and gratifying. I had been experiencing the same thing as you, and reckon it was the fork oil mostly at fault.
Cheers, RT

Tyres at 2012 should be ok, but just check that's the date on the side and not the date fitted......don't ask how I know that one. I came to the conclusion the K s actually very sensitive to tyres and pressures. Not a problem, but more that if something is not right check tyres first then forks.

Fork oil can be changed without taking forks off. Easy to get oil out, harder to get new oil in so look for the tips on that. A big hypodermic and a tube is great and saves a lot of mess.

92KK K100LT 193214 wrote: A big hypodermic and a tube is great and saves a lot of mess.

....or a washing-up liquid bottle and a bit of tubing.  :joker: 



Paul.

Exactly. But I have a dishwasher. ........and she doesn't like bikes.

I have a K with Hagon rear shock, and Pilot Active tyres. Pressure 2,3 bar front 2,6 bar back usually, now testing with a bit more pressure since the tyre wear is so fast.

My bike handles very well in slow driving, but it does have wide handlebars. I'm just thinking that if it is the difference between your bikes that makes K seem so odd.  

A squared off rear tire could be a part of the problem. It makes for an either/or situation instead of a linear transition while cornering, even (esp.) at lower speeds. 
----

Definitely change your fork oil. And yes, you could just drain and refill (give it overnight to drain, it's a little hole and if the oil is cruddy it'll take ages to empty) but I'd make the commitment to dismantle each fork (one at a time - trust me on this), clean everything thoroughly, even polishing up what looks once-smooth-now-not-so-much to promote good oil mobility. 
New seals of course (it's easy to replace them using a PVC pipe) and quality fork oil measured by you for that oh so good feeling of knowing exactly what the aytch is in there and how much. 

You'll be amazed at the overall compliance, smoothness, responsiveness of your forks. Tires will grip better to, as the forks manage their contact with terra firma.

One thing more: why not install a pair of progressive shocks while you've got it apart? Easy squeezy and, at least for my bike, it made a real transformation in handling and braking responses.