92KK 84WW Olaf
Life time member
Number of posts : 7955
Drove to Budapest 2 years ago, across top of France and through Germany and Austria. Just back from a trip to France on the K with 88KE.
No real issues except for petrol management. Lots of card only operated pumps that don't work with our cards. I had encountered this before and its still not great. France is worse than Germany for this. Might be worth getting a prepay credit card but the pumps also block off €119 when you get petrol, it takes a few days fro this to clear so 4 fuel stops in 2 days could leave your card minus almost €500 of your credit for €100 of petrol. Distances between stations is getting greater all the time as more and more close. I know that the number has dropped to about 30% of what it was a few years ago and that's fine with diesel cars having a range or 500-600 miles, but the K at motorway speeds will easily drop to 8 miles per litre so you are looking for petrol at 120 miles if you enjoy some spirited riding with all your gear. Rural areas can be bad too, so keep an eye on it. I would not dismiss the idea of an emergency fuel container with maybe 2 litres.
Not a lot to suggest on maintenance, you know the bike well.
If you are using the Channel tunnel than you park at an angle with front wheel against a kerb in the floor and use the side stand. If a ferry then the bike is strapped down and a little advice here. I would only use the main stand, not the side stand. Check your main stand, they are known to break by corrosion from inside. I brought my own straps for the ferry, strapped it down myself. You need a carpet across the seat. On main stand I used a strap through the front wheel and the cross brace on the stand to make sure it couldn't roll off, plus a chock under the front wheel and a strap to keep the front brake on. The perfect strap is one you use for putting bicycles on roof cycle carries, where you strap the wheel rim to the rack channel.
If you are doing a little high speed riding you might use a drop of oil. I kept a 500ml coke bottle of oil in the fairing pocket- when I drove to Budapest I spotted a 1 litre container of oil at a services. €39.
There are a lot of stories of BMW panniers either opening or falling off. 88KE has straps on his which went through the handles and around the carriers. I changed mine for Krauser K2 panniers a week before the trip and 88KE has also now procured the K2s. I had a set on my LT and they are streets ahead of the BMW ones for ease of use, locking and space.
TacKler here has just spent a few weeks travelling around on a K75 and we can ask him about his petrol experiences.
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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