BMW K bikes (Bricks)


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1Back to top Go down   Low Flying Brick Empty Low Flying Brick Mon Sep 01, 2014 7:22 pm

Dai

Dai
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How I came to get Low Flying Brick is a story in itself which can wait for now.

LFB got called that because, surprisingly, it caught me out by easily aviating some of the more nasty humps in the roads around home.  I hadn't expected that because my Bandit 600 won't fly without some serious input.

When I got it two years ago almost the first thing I did was to get rid of the standard BMW touring lunchboxes and replaced them with Givis. Yes, it's an import and that's a Republic of Ireland number plate! 

Low Flying Brick Brick1

Low Flying Brick Brick2

A close friend gave me an RS fairing because LFB is the daily commuter (50 mile round trip) and I was whinging about how uncomfortable it was. The fairing had been down the road quite badly; the previous owner had done about 95% of the repair job and then stopped. I reinforced what he'd done but didn't have the time to paint it.

Low Flying Brick Pt92

I do a minimum of 6000 miles a year at night, so good lighting is a must. I found a 50amp alternator on ebay, used it for a week or so then gutted it and fitted the insides of a 60amp one into it. All the lighting goes through a relay panel and fusebox mounted in the tailpiece.

Other things done: usual problem with corroded brake switches so I replaced them with hydraulic ones. While I was at it I got rid of the hydraulic tube in the headstock and mounted a Kawasaki splitter on the homemade fork brace. I also dumped the original badly-scored stainless steel discs and replaced them with cast iron ones. The suspension got a good seeing-to as well. I replaced the rear shock with a RamShock and fitted progressive springs to the front. I used 10w fork oil; the improvement in handling over the standard setup was unbelievable.

It's an on-going project. Unfortunately I have lost half the movement in both wrists and both thumbs so I find the stretch to the BMW switches highly uncomfortable. The next step is to replace the entire wiring loom with a custom one so that I can use Japanese switches. I'm also no fan of the ratchet throttle (a brand new ratchet and twistgrip only lasted 15000 miles before getting notchy again) so I'll also be putting a Japanese twistgrip and master cylinder on there.

That's LFB as it currently stands.

    

2Back to top Go down   Low Flying Brick Empty Re: Low Flying Brick Mon Sep 01, 2014 9:43 pm

Be made

Be made
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wow. what a great workhorse you have there. Love that lighting set up!

    

3Back to top Go down   Low Flying Brick Empty Re: Low Flying Brick Tue Sep 02, 2014 7:28 am

Dai

Dai
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You have no idea how much satisfaction I got the first time a car driver refused to dip his headlights. Despite his full beam I could still see the road beyond him!!

'Workhorse' is a good description. Last year I clocked 14000-odd miles on LFB - and just 837 on my 600 Bandit.

    

4Back to top Go down   Low Flying Brick Empty Re: Low Flying Brick Tue Sep 02, 2014 12:01 pm

92KK 84WW Olaf

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I use the K for most of my travels too.

Mine is also 84, K100RT.

This year I took off the panniers and picked up Krauser K2 panniers brand new on eBay. They don't fall off and don't leak......I had them on the LT and wanted to stay the same.

You can sort the fairing cosmetics in your own time. In our climate though its possible to stay riding all year round so no one goes off road to do jobs like that. The correct solution is a second K. 

One thing worth doing, an extender for the front mudguard. Keeps the road spray and dirt off the water pump and the electrical connections at the front of the engine. You may in extreme rain conditions get an oil warning light on.

I would suspect for all year round wet weather commuting you would find the RT/LT fairing a great asset. And for the occasional foray south......


__________________________________________________
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
    

5Back to top Go down   Low Flying Brick Empty Re: Low Flying Brick Tue Sep 02, 2014 4:21 pm

Dai

Dai
Life time member
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I do have a complete body kit from a later 16V RS up in the garage roof ready for refurbishment. Well, almost a complete 16V kit - the tank is from a 4V model (thermistor fuel sensors) and so are the sidepanels. I managed to get a NOS still-in-the-original-wrappings bellypan and mounting bracket for 75 Euro from the same guy - ah! Just remembered; he's been mentioned on here before - John Tilley down in Tullamore, Offaly. LFB came from Birr, originally from London. Ironically enough, I knew John before I knew what he did for a living! We had a mutual friend and would meet up for the Dragon Rally crossings from Dublin.

As for a second K... if you look in the background of the first couple of pictures there's a frame on the bench. Not a K, but a 1978 Moto Guzzi Cali 1 being restored. In addition to LFB and the Bandit I have four Guzzis; apart from the Cali 1 I have a Cali 1100 that's being disguised as a Cali 1 and two that will most likely remain as a spares cache.

A second K isn't off the cards though. My wife has expressed a serious interest in a flying brick trike.

    

6Back to top Go down   Low Flying Brick Empty Re: Low Flying Brick Tue Sep 02, 2014 5:03 pm

Comberjohn

Comberjohn
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Was that you who was commuting on a Guzzi last year?
Think we may have met a while ago when you mention the Guzzis.
Haven't seen the K around though. It is distinctive!


__________________________________________________
Life is not a rehearsal.
2010 VFR 1200F DCT 
2010 R1200GS(gone)
1986 K100 Silver(gone)
2012 K1600GT(gone)
1984 K100RT Madison Silver(gone)
1989 K100LT Stratus Grey(gone)
1984 K100 Red(gone)
http://www.johnsdrivingschool.co
    

7Back to top Go down   Low Flying Brick Empty Re: Low Flying Brick Tue Sep 02, 2014 6:01 pm

Dai

Dai
Life time member
Life time member
Not last year but some two years past. A 1978 V1000G5 - sometimes it was all blue and other times blue with a black tank and sidepanels. Three headlights Very Happy and a Givi topbox. LFB was a hurried replacement for it when the G5 was stolen and torched in Belfast. 25 years and 205,000 miles gone in seconds. Worse still, it was the second Guzzi I've had stolen from work... Mad at least I got the Cali 1100 back despite it being a dented mess. LFB is locked and shackled right outside the office door now.

Does this look familiar?

Low Flying Brick Front

    

8Back to top Go down   Low Flying Brick Empty Re: Low Flying Brick Tue Sep 02, 2014 6:05 pm

Comberjohn

Comberjohn
Life time member
Life time member
Yep, that was it.
They do have a certain presence. A friend who lives near the Bloody Bridge outside Newcastle, sold his 1200 Griso last spring.
Very pretty.


__________________________________________________
Life is not a rehearsal.
2010 VFR 1200F DCT 
2010 R1200GS(gone)
1986 K100 Silver(gone)
2012 K1600GT(gone)
1984 K100RT Madison Silver(gone)
1989 K100LT Stratus Grey(gone)
1984 K100 Red(gone)
http://www.johnsdrivingschool.co
    

9Back to top Go down   Low Flying Brick Empty Re: Low Flying Brick Tue Sep 02, 2014 7:23 pm

92KK 84WW Olaf

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Comberjohn wrote:Yep, that was it.
They do have a certain presence. A friend who lives near the Bloody Bridge outside Newcastle, sold his 1200 Griso last spring.
Very pretty.
Wonder is that 'Bjorn's bridge'?


__________________________________________________
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
    

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