Stuntex Club M-Unit example
Corrected in my original post. As we know early Ks have essentially two (some would say three) wiring looms. I should have stated that I plan to remove whatever excess and unnecessary wires I can from the chassis loom which controls headlight, stoplight, tail light, horn & indicator functions.

Screw terminals in a high-vibration environment = how many miles do I have to walk home? I'd think seriously about applying Loctite to the screws and don't screw them down tight because you'll slice the wire strands. Just my 2C worth, if it's worth anything

Well, that video was enlightening. I never realized that a significant quantity of the electronics on the K-bike would be eliminated with this unit.  I am impressed (and take back what I might have said about it in the past).

As for screw terminals, my experience has been good.  I have found them to be reliable even in extreme environments such as extreme heat, cold, and vibration.  I can see that Insulation Displacement Connectors (IDC) such as Scotchloc connectors to be troublesome.  My two "go to" connection types are screw terminals and solder.  I have never had a need for locktite but have experienced broken connections.  Those come about because I'm too heavy handed with cutting back the insulation and have nicked the wires. They subsequently fail from vibration exactly at the nicked spot.

I've sold quite a few M-Units. I hear a lot of satisfactory results from customers. I thought it about time to try one myself. The Big Block is the perfect test bed of the bikes I currently own.

I always thought that the screw type were OK on soldered twisted wire. The Scotchloc type IDC's are mainly for single wire wires, they do play havoc on the multi wire wires. I have used in the past crush type connectors.

Soldered wires sounds good but is actually worse as you've introduced a vibration/pressure failure point between the solid (soldered) bit and the flexible wires bit. I've been building wiring looms for both custom (one-off) and standard bikes for over thirty years now, so perhaps I'm a bit fixed in what I've found works and what is liable to failure. IDC is simply crap. Robmac has hit the main problem on the head for screw terminals, which is why a good wire stripper is a necessity. I paid £26 for mine about thirty years ago and still haven't found another to match it.

IME the best way to use screw terminals is to twist the strands of wire together tightly, then push the whole lot into the terminal until the screw can grip the insulation and not the copper. That gives you a cushion to the clamp the terminal on to; tight grip and no sheared wires.

I know the video was only a demo of what the M-Unit can do but I was horrified by the demonstrator pushing loose (untwisted) wires into the terminal blocks and leaving strands of copper wire poking out. If someone follows the video method (and they will), something is going to go unexpectedly bang.

In m y experience with screw type terminals on mobile equipment [or any for that matter] stranded wire works best when terminated in a ferrule where the softer material conforms to the clamping piece but won't cut into the fine strands of the wire.  They also keep the fine strands together and move the bend point to the insulated portion of the wire.

Wot he says. My method is second-best.

I've managed to ride about over a 1000 kms on the BB in the past month since returning home from Alaska and recently fitted the oil cooler and got the cooling fan working - a bad four pin relay in the slot. The oil cooler's from a late-model Hexhead boxer. I shaved off a few mount tabs and utilised some rubber bushings and brackets from a Ducati 848. The stainless stand-offs are 6x20mm threads inserted where the timing cover screws would go, with a 10mm shoulder, and internally threaded to accept a 6x20mm screw. I used a rubber mount at the top right. The cooler flexes nicely against the hoses and mounts, and sits an inch above the bottom edge of the front mudguard - relatively safe from average road debris coming off the tyre. The engine oil cooler's thermostat opens after about ten or so minutes of idling and the cooling fan kicks in shortly after that, this with a three-row radiator. I reckon she's fairly well cooled, even on a 30C+ day.

In taking an overnight ride over the mountains I find the BB to be quite smooth on a tour, with a bit through the footpegs, and a minor amount through the 'bars, but not bothersome. I can ride it about 150 miles before the thin padding of the custom seat under me arse gets thinner... I will get the seat upholsterer to insert a gell pad or simply increase the padding in that area. He was more concerned with the feet down aspect and underestimated - I can flat foot it with bent knees. The bike is nimble and turns in very quickly, so that the stock steering damper is going on as soon as I can have a frame bracket fabbed - this frame is an 8V K100 and not a 16V frame so no stock mount available. This Winter I will add a frame brace down the backbone similar to the triangulated K1100; there's some wiggle/wander as I accelerate hard out of corners.

The heat coming off the engine is tolerable but as there's even less plastic and mechanical bits in the way, the fan-blown heated air (Spal 6.5" diametre mounted to a custom cut aluminium plate screwed to the radiator surround) reaches my legs on the hottest days. For this I wear my taller leather boots and riding trousers with armour.

On Wednesday I depart for Sturgis and the Badlands for ten days but I'm riding the K1200R since there's really no way to lash camping gear on this bike.

I hope everyone's enjoying their respective riding season where ever you be. 
 

Very professional mods and the end result is quite remarkable.
Enjoy Sturgis and the Badlands.

CF

Nice fit up of the oil cooler TWB.

Cool and showery in southern Victoria. Like the winters of old.

I was wondering where you had got to. Been out riding hey you doity rat you. Enjoy Sturgis and we expect a full report with piccies as well.

Thanks, gents.

I'm sitting at the lengthy timber bar of the Union Tavern in Anacortes, Washington, part of the San Juan Islands. I'm off to Orcas Island to retrieve Pamela, who has been attending a course on Permaculture at Bullock's Homestead (permaculture originated in Tassie - Bill Mollison). Anyway, the quiet two weeks alone were not so. I ripped up some eastern Washington roads over a five day weekend and took day rides every other spare day. It's a wonder I had time to also tend my backyard pea patch and plentiful fruit trees!

About that K bike smoothness issue, I reckon we've all assumed that the larger displacement of 1200cc and with slightly more reciprocating mass, the Mightiest Brick would be a buzz box. Hence the aluminium frame and rubber mounts of the latter models. Not so. This engine has very minor rpm points where it tingles, less so than the earlier incarnations of the brick, but overall it's buttery, and definitely more rompy and eager. I wonder if the increased length intake tube design, like Larry Romestant's, has anything to do with it...

It's a tough job, this Summer off, but some poor sap has gotta do it.

The Big Block, which hasn't seen much sunlight lately, has had a framectomy and a thorough tidying up of the wiring loom, along with several minor details that cleaned 'er up a bit. I jettisoned the gold-coloured ProTaper 'bars for less blingy black ones. The '93 K1100RS basket case that I bought a coupla weeks back was the backbone donor. The K11's triangulation of the top frame tubes and the plate metal side braces might help alleviate the hard acceleration on-ramp/canyon carving slight weave the '89 K100 frame exhibited. I reckon the K12 engine's extra 40 place a smidgen more stress on the chassis. I'm looking forward to a good burn on her this weekend.

That garage is disgustingly clean and uncluttered.

duck wrote:That garage is disgustingly clean and uncluttered.

Not if you look from another direction!

looking good dazza
yes I agree, the longer intake would certainly add to the whole torque thing ,especially at lower revs , and perhaps even out the top end a little more gracefully
not that an extra 40 ponies wouldn't be a dramatic change from the k100 in the same space constraints

ride well mate .
interested to hear what the step back in frame will do to the ride feel ..

charlie99 wrote:looking good dazza
yes I agree, the longer intake would certainly add to the whole torque thing, especially at lower revs, and perhaps even out the top end a little more gracefully
not that an extra 40 ponies wouldn't be a dramatic change from the k100 in the same space constraints
ride well mate .
interested to hear what the step back in frame will do to the ride feel...

Thanks, Chaz. The bike has bottom, for certain, and with light weight it gets away from things muy pronto. I have not had a chance to let 'er rip on an open road other than a coupla quick 90 mph blasts on the freeway - hangin' on like a sail in the wind blast with those mid-height ATV 'bars! I'm curious about its top end now that the frame is subtly more substantial and will seek the truth to that question soon.

What is it you mean by the 'step back in frame'?

um , did I just read that you moved the motor to a k1100 frame ?
but ahhhh  reread it to find that it has moved from a k100 frame to k1100

Yep, lifted the K100 frame and Marzocchi forks off as a unit - aren't these buggers bloody easy to work on!?


Then dropped the K1100RS frame onto the driveline and installed the forks, wheels, etc.


The cappuccino rider, who stripped the bike but never saw his café dream come to fruition, painted the callipers. Why not fit them, the pads are in much better nick than my originals.


They're a laid on thick, calliper-specific paint, and 'look' the part. That's me, the trendy set. Ya should see me in skinny jeans. Oh, never mind. They bled up easy and the pads up front are new, too. These things are important.

The BB is now fully, legally and officially registered with the State of Washington. It is running well and next weekend it'll see battle in a track day/safety school at The Ridge, a motorsport park near Shelton, WA. I look forward to rubbing off the chicken strips of the Pirelli Rosso Corsa II tyres.

The Ridge

California Superbike School at the Ridge

hi mate


you don't have a few closer pics of the induction path at hand do you? ...
the ones that I have seen are hiding pretty much under a big plastic thingy ...I guess airbox ?

have fun on the track mate

From the right hand side...adjustable fuel pressure regulator below the TBs and K&N air filters. The added weight of the 38mm K1200RS TBs, due to them hanging on the end of the 44mm diametre stainless intake sleeves, is supported by a strap attached to the two top frame rails. I've played round with a range of fuel pressure, from just above 4psi down to 3.25psi and it runs best, idles, revs, right at 3.5 psi. Go figure. The intake moan from those free-flowing pods is a sound to behold, like angry angels belting out a heavenly wrath - God is about to enter the room style, when you're giving it some stick.

And from the left hand side. The new 'boots' and clamps fit snugly around the stainless intake sleeves. No air leaks as tested by solvent spray right at their base and by a smooth idle and clean revs.

What did I hope to achieve from this design? I like the idea of air space in areas we usually have large bits of plastic or metal. I wanted see-through. I've had it in mind for a while, but didn't want to simply whack some pods onto the end of the TBs, potentially ruining any hope of a performance improvement. I saw Larry Romestant's excellent K-Agusta at the One Show in Portland, early '15, and came away with the idea that I should attempt it myself. He recommended polishing them all shiny to me in conversation. I wanted a more muted look. In the end it's difficult to gauge whether, performance-wise, it has any major effect that could be measured by a dyno run or two - and that's in the future as a customer of mine runs 2Wheel Dynoworks, just north of Seattle in Totem Lake/Kirkland.

All I can tell you is that it rips, it's so incredibly responsive and feels like it has more instant 'bottom' than a stock bike. The front tyre skims the tarmac a bit more than any other bike I ride, bar the two K1200R. I find myself in top gear on surface streets and not always fully aware there's not another gear to go. It pulls effortlessly. The lack of excess weight on the bike (and me, have lost over 2 stone since February) has helped that, as well.

ah !
good to see dazza

had been thinking that the tbs were hidden back in further than atop the head ..

cheers and thanks for the effort

It is 260mm (10.25") from the TB throttle plates to the opening of the intake port at the intake boot base. If you're crawling round on the RHS of your bike, these TBs sit directly inline with the bulge at the back of the motor for the alternator drive.

yep good for all those k1100 and newer bikes with motronic ignitions etc

bit hard to put the plenum on k100 bikes elsewhere , although giving it some thought over the last year or two
I do have a couple of ideas to toss the airbox though , will give me a straight through path from radiator to battery - gearbox area  (about 7 x 5 inches right down the guts )

Awesome build Darren. Would love to hear that beast running. Cheers

charlie99 wrote:bit hard to put the plenum on k100 bikes elsewhere, although giving it some thought over the last year or two
I do have a couple of ideas to toss the airbox though...

Recall the bloke from the Netherlands or somesuch place on the forum a coupla years back who made the forward-facing plenum for the MAF on his 8V K? That was exposed to the elements, but awfully sweet-looking.

Holister wrote:Awesome build Darren. Would love to hear that beast running. Cheers

Thanks, mate. It sounds all right in the flesh. I got handed a Ghost 4K Drift camera recently so I'll see if I can work out how best to video the BB running and post it up to Goob Chewb, but often the audio on that site is so freakin' bad as to wreck the experience.

Two Wheels Better wrote:

charlie99 wrote:bit hard to put the plenum on k100 bikes elsewhere, although giving it some thought over the last year or two
I do have a couple of ideas to toss the airbox though...

Recall the bloke from the Netherlands or somesuch place on the forum a coupla years back who made the forward-facing plenum for the MAF on his 8V K? That was exposed to the elements, but awfully sweet-looking.

yes remember that roal scheffers  ? Netherlands

with some awesome pipework on exhausts

https://youtu.be/948AwN1NLjA


here it is 

k-rider

It went up to about 20c (68f) here today, sunny as, blue sky all round, no wind, and hardly a cloud. While Old Christoper Columbus' memory was taking a beating I went for a rip on the BB. The cool, dense air made her run like a wild beast. I think I'm in love again.

Last Saturday the temps topped at 11 degrees (52F) and the usual grey clouds parted to reveal a smattering of blue clouds above. No chores, no work, a solo day. Perfect for the Big Block. I pushed her backwards out of the garage, pressed the starter button, she stumbled into a lumpy idle, settled down in a coupla minutes and I let 'er rip.

There's still plenty of snow on Mt Rainier and the surrounding foothills, just barely visible to the east past the farmer's as yet unploughed fields. There's been a lot of rain in the lowlands over the Winter and just the past coupla days the early pink cherry blossoms are appearing.

The population increase the past decade round the Puget Sound region of Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia has mini-mansion homes and endless warehouses being built on steep hillsides and formerly productive farmland, respectively. This view looks West towards Tacoma's Commencement Bay and the Olympic Range. Soon there'll be a row of 'little pink houses' here blocking that long view to the Pacific.

I found as many two-lane roads as I could and ambled round the back country of Sumner, Bonney Lake, Buckley, Black Diamond, Enumclaw and South Prairie for several hours until the weather began to close in, eventually chasing me home. The bike settles in to corners well, making choosing a good line a cinch, and the meaty bottom end torque pulls the bike cleanly out of the bends and rams her down the straightaways, making it a quick hundred miles over hill and through dale. I have plans to ride her to the Oregon BMW club's annual Chief Joseph Rally in John Day, Oregon end of June this year with a coupla mates, also on bare bones bikes. We'll whack a soft duffel and tankbag on and take two or three days to ride down, camping, rather than the long single day I usually do each year.

Get home before the weather...

I wasn't so happy with that 5" LED ring headlight, looked a bit cheap, dodgy wiring, stuck out too far, etc. I recently spotted a Hardly VRod headlight hanger on eBay then imagined a larger, higher output lamp whacked onto the front. A few weeks later this is the result. Once I get it plumbed I'll post a piccie or two of the illumination. I rather like the low slung look it has, the mount is simple and effective, and, it's DOT and EU legal.

Scary monsters

Angry scary monsters

I reckon they'd melt a hole in a gum tree from 20 metres!

A partly sunny Sunday arvo, topping out at a whopping 16c Springtime degrees in the Pacific North Wet region. I'm just back from the auto parts store where I obtained two H8/H11 sealed two-pin connectors for the low-slung H-D VRod-type LED headlight to OEM three-pin H4/9003 bulb socket. I'm using thumbnail-sized Kellerman Atto (German-made) amber LED indicators in the front mounted to threaded 8mm hollow brackets with a shoulder which replace and act as the lower of the two triple clamp lower pinch bolts. Nifty. And bright. Everything's wired up and working. Also, the new stainless steel exhaust hanger bracket, mounted to the subframe in rubber, and OEM footpeg brackets are being slowly trimmed down to minimum, with further lightening work to be done. This bike is not a rearset ergo type. A new rear EBC MD611 drilled brake disc out back, and gearbox, Paralever swingarm/final drive in refreshed semi-matte (is there such a thing?) black paint. A newly fabbed 10mm thick plastic tray (super sturdy HDPE kitchen cutting board material) with the base outline of the 12amp lithium ion battery professionally routed out and a black leather belt with silver buckle securing the lightweight battery to the tray. One last thing, is two R1100RT single tone horns mounted either side of the tank to the cutout hole, that gap that needs filling on any stripped or custom K bike. They are loud and facing sideways and forward. I got cut off last time out riding and a viciously loud horn's as good as a well-meant middle finger salute AFAIAC. How's she looking in the glare of day?




Low beam face

High beam face

The view from the 'bars

Now, should I mow the lawn yet again, or go for a burble?

looking good Dazza

Well, I'd ride it!

Thanks Chazza. It's therapy, eh, fiddling with these things over the long term in the garage. Here's a look at those tiny Bullet Atto indicators from Kellerman, but sold by Kuryakyn in the US. They are literally the size of a copper cent. I'll whack a video of them blinking onto Goob Chewb in a mo'.


Here, at the Tucker Rocky Expo in Texas back in early February.

And on the Big Block

Another thing, had to have that Kiwi Malcolm-built four into one exhaust connector welded up. The inner lower tube separated from the collector all around its base and so a local fabber/welder did a sweet job on it for me. Truth be told it was light welding from go, and with the muffler hanging from the back end of the original footpeg plates, and no sturdy top down mount, as I had it, it was bound to fail. It's back together and hanging from a sturdy bracket as well as rubber, and the header pipes are aligned so there's no stress on the entire system as previously. It does not move from side to side any more than a coupla mm's now, whereas it swung a good 25.4mm (a good old-fashioned Americun inch!) at the tip, prior.

At least let that poor patch of grass grow enough to get rid of the marks where it was cut last time and go for a f^*#@ng ride will ya.

RicK G wrote:At least let that poor patch of grass grow enough to get rid of the marks where it was cut last time and go for a f^*#@ng ride will ya.

Ha, Rick! This is velvety thick, lush Pacific NW grass, not scrubby, water-starved Aussie tufts. Here, every three or four days it gets cut from April to October. And I have 1/3 of an acre to push mow. It's fabulous exercise. Afterwards I blow the froth off a coldie or three. No joke.

It started to rain so I built yet another 6' long x 3' wide raised bed for leeks, onions, lettuce, carrots, beetroot and spuds, instead. The sun will shine tomorrow, and I'll go for a lengthy burble.

Get a goat.

RicK G wrote:Get a goat.

what can I say ...

RicK G wrote:Get a goat.

You'd be surprised how often you still see that around here. Best one I saw was a small pony in a front garden - cut the grass and fertilised it at the same time.

If I didn't spend so much time away from home I would get a couple of them, with 3.5 acres I find it hard to keep a path to the front door open.

My wife was telling me that her da' used to borrow the goat from next door to keep the grass down. When the goat was finished, it'd be passed along to the neighbour on the other side and so on, until the owner's grass needed trimming again. Rinse and repeat...

Dai wrote:My wife was telling me that her da' used to borrow the goat from next door to keep the grass down. When the goat was finished, it'd be passed along to the neighbour on the other side and so on, until the owner's grass needed trimming again. Rinse and repeat...

So, the goat got passed round. Who ended up mowing the lawns?

Two Wheels Better wrote:

This.