New K75 Rider in Central Pennsylvania

[Martin]

A Brick is probably one of the most reliable if not the most reliable bike ever, if you maintain it and keep it on the road. Most problems seem to be bad electrical connections which can be headed off by cleaning with Deoxit and using dielectric grease. Bricks also do not like sitting and require the correct procedure when not being used over winter if you wish to avoid fuel problems. I love my Brick.
Regards Martin.

[natalena]

Buckman Springs near San Diego?  Buell pic??  You lost me.

Opps, sorry, I got you mixed up with another Bricker who posted a bunch of cool rides.

[TommyT]

Here's the headlight/instrument cluster assembly.  Rode last night for the first time.  Some of the bulbs are out that illuminate the speedometer and tach.  I'll probably replace with a set of LEDs.

How is the instrument cluster attached to your bike? I ask because I have a K75 "T" that is missing all of that area, headlight, cluster, turn signals and the windscreen mounts, so your bike's setup is an interesting alternative to me  spending $$$ on good used parts.

[ScooterNSticks]

How is the instrument cluster attached to your bike? I ask because I have a K75 "T" that is missing all of that area, headlight, cluster, turn signals and the windscreen mounts, so your bike's setup is an interesting alternative to me  spending $$$ on good used parts.

It's mounted to the top of the fork unit.  I'm not familiar enough with the motorcycle, or the other types, to know if that's unique or not though.

[ScooterNSticks]

A Brick is probably one of the most reliable if not the most reliable bike ever, if you maintain it and keep it on the road. Most problems seem to be bad electrical connections which can be headed off by cleaning with Deoxit and using dielectric grease. Bricks also do not like sitting and require the correct procedure when not being used over winter if you wish to avoid fuel problems. I love my Brick.
Regards Martin.

I fellow stopped me this past Friday afternoon in a coffee shop and asked if the K75 belonged to me.  He told me he used to have a K75S and rode it for 12 years without a single issue.  He seemed in a hurry so I didn't have the chance to inquire for more information on what happened after 12 years.

My plan is to ride the K75 year round through the winter.  We have plenty of dry road days in winter here though it is cold.  My Vespa is configured to keep me comfortable down to -15F if necessary, and I run winter tires on it as well.  The K75 won't have the same protection so I would think my riding with it will be in the over 25F range.  I'll put it on a Battery Tender Junior to keep the battery sipping electric and hope for the best.

I already love my Brick.  It "feels" perfect to me.  But that's all based on a handful of 20 and 50 mile rides.  Until the service is complete later this week and I have a chance to do some day long rides I won't know for sure if I'm still in love or not.  If I were a betting man though, I would lay money on "Steve loves his Brick."

[ScooterNSticks]

The service is complete on my K75.  Haven't seen the bill yet but I asked them to send a couple pictures for my blog.  The technician told me all the splines were is good shape.  Hopefully I'll find a way to pick it up tomorrow.

Here's a couple pix.  Didn't realize how far the bike would be dismantled.

[natalena]

You'll have a hoot riding the brick. Now that it's been tuned, running a couple tanks with Techron will be a great prophylactic. Enjoy!

[caveman]

The 4 winds rally is this weekend in New Bentham Pa. (Red Bank), any chance you heading there? I will be there Sat. on a blue 75s so if you come look me up and say hello.
Nice looking bike , good to see you are getting it ready for service!

[TommyT]

   Didn't realize how far the bike would be dismantled.

Wow, the tank is off, the seat is off. What did they do to your bike? Did they do something to your gas tank?

[ScooterNSticks]

The 4 winds rally is this weekend in New Bentham Pa. (Red Bank), any chance you heading there? I will be there Sat. on a blue 75s so if you come look me up and say hello.
Nice looking bike , good to see you are getting it ready for service!

I doubt I'll be heading anywhere this weekend.  Unfortunately I'll be working at restoring old wooden double-hung sash windows.  The polar opposite experience to riding the K75.  Sort of like having a colonoscopy but not as fun.

Nice area to ride up there.  I'll have to see if there is a group around here similar to the Four Winds BMW Riders group.

You're in Kennerdell.  As a kid I used to go deer hunting with my dad in the forests around there.  Good times.

[ScooterNSticks]

Wow, the tank is off, the seat is off. What did they do to your bike? Did they do something to your gas tank?

They did a lot of work.  Won't find out the price until later this morning when I pick it up.  I was going to have them do the clutch spline as well but the tech called me and said considering the condition of the rear drive splines, the grease and the fact that there are no issues shifting up or down on the bike that he would wait until the next tire change to pull the transmission and do them.  Time will tell if that was the good choice.

Here's what they did:

Engine oil and filter change.
Brake fluid flush.
New Spiegler brake lines
Clutch cable replacement
Coolant flush.
Tire change.
Pennsylvania State Motorcycle Inspection.
Final drive oil change.
Transmission oil change.
Rear spline lubrication.
Swing arm boot replacement.
Check and replace if necessary any hoses or rubber parts he notices
And whatever else emerges during the maintenance.

Figure this will all cost thirty or forty dollars.  Right??

[ScooterNSticks]

greetings...

id ask them to ping me a photo of the jar showing the name and particulars of the spline lube they used on there...

then you can start a spline lube lube thread...

we can talk about how f-ed up those spline are and how this factory lube will extend their useful life...

j o

I gave them a new bottle of Loctite Moly Paste to use.  Some research here and other K bike sites suggested it as an option to some of the other good stuff that's no longer available.  I'll ask today if the tech used it.  I assume they did.

Another spline lube thread?  I figured you would have banned that by now.  Sort of like some places not allowing conversations about helmets or loud exhausts!

[caveman]

I doubt I'll be heading anywhere this weekend.  Unfortunately I'll be working at restoring old wooden double-hung sash windows.  The polar opposite experience to riding the K75.  Sort of like having a colonoscopy but not as fun.

Nice area to ride up there.  I'll have to see if there is a group around here similar to the Four Winds BMW Riders group.

You're in Kennerdell.  As a kid I used to go deer hunting with my dad in the forests around there.  Good times.

This is going to be the first Sat. I've taken off in 6 weeks if you deside to ditch the window job look for a vrod with purple seat (wive's ride) god knows what I will push out the garage tomorrow.

If not this weekend it would be cool to get together sometime. I do live in Kennerdell so if your coming this way anytime shoot me a PM.

[Frederick]

Just get a propane fueled construction heater.  Not much money at all.  I work all winter long with a 25 - 80,000 btu one.  Bought it on CL for $50. 

[ScooterNSticks]

Just get a propane fueled construction heater.  Not much money at all.  I work all winter long with a 25 - 80,000 btu one.  Bought it on CL for $50.

I've been looking at them, browsing Northern Tools and Craigslist.  Probably the ideal solution.  Certainly easier and cheaper that putting a new electrical circuit in to run a baseboard heater.  Are you using a convection type or one of the others?

[natalena]

They did a lot of work.

And whatever else emerges during the maintenance.

A prior post said the mechanics have experience with bricks (and know to check), although, I'd ask anyway if they checked the valves (really easy) and balanced the throttle bodies. Sends a good message that you're a conscientious consumer, who appreciates their labor.
Cheers!

[Laitch]

The service is complete on my K75.  Haven't seen the bill yet but I asked them to send a couple pictures for my blog.  The technician told me all the splines were is good shape.
 

Here's food for thought. That splined shaft isn't what concerns most of us. That's the transmission output shaft on the rear side of the transmission. It's clipped to the drive shaft so that keeps it from sliding. Sliding contributes the most to wear. That shaft rarely wears.

The shaft splines whose treatment is the subject of natalena's holy grail search and innumerable discussions about moly content, composition stiffness and application strategy belong to the input shaft on the forward side of the transmission. That shaft can wear severely from the clutch disc hub's sliding along it as part of shifting and riding revs.

That the tech sent you a photo of the output shaft makes me wonder.

[ScooterNSticks]

Here's food for thought...

That the tech sent you a photo of the output shaft makes me wonder.

When I read your comment I thought of a friend's frequent saying, "Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean people don't hate me."  I'm not worried that the tech was hiding something.  The pictures he sent were long shots of the bike.  I just happened to crop that one because it showed some splines.  I should have asked for him to photograph the others and the ends of the driveshaft.

Regardless, I'm done worrying about any of it.  I'll ride it until something breaks or I get to the next spline lube time that I plan doing myself.

For now it's full flounder ahead!

[ScooterNSticks]

A prior post said the mechanics have experience with bricks (and know to check), although, I'd ask anyway if they checked the valves (really easy) and balanced the throttle bodies. Sends a good message that you're a conscientious consumer, who appreciates their labor.
Cheers!

Next time I stop by I'll ask about the valves and throttle bodies.  I had watched one of Chris Harris's videos where he discusses the valves.  It did look pretty easy to check them. 

[ScooterNSticks]

Took the K75 to the local Moto Hang last night -- a group of riders of all stripes and machines who get together for a few hours every couple weeks to tell lies, look at machines and enjoy some food.  These events rotate through various homes.  I've attached a shot from one of the ones that took place in my little burg.

It was interesting how many riders were drawn to the K75.  I felt like the pretty girl at the dance with all the horny boys crowding round.  And two guys there had ridden K75s for over ten years before succumbing to GS Adventure Syndrome.  Each spoke wistfully of their flying brick days.

As they went over every detail of the motorcycle and shared thoughts they also found a few things I was unaware of -- didn't notice in my own romantic infatuation with the BMW.  Like little cracks in the plastic on the back of the left-hand mirror.  Or a couple of paint chips in the Caribic Blue paint.  Or the fact that the power outlet on the instrument panel isn't connected to anything.  But even if my girl has a few wrinkles who cares.

Mainly though, they said it was the smoothest motorcycle they've ever ridden, and it will last forever.  That was good to hear.  Plan on going for a long ride tomorrow to test the seat/ass combination.

[stokester]

Looks like a fun ride.  Enjoy your brick.

[billday]

Sure are a lot of dad jeans in that picture.

[ScooterNSticks]

Sure are a lot of dad jeans in that picture.

Well what do you expect?  Only old farts ride motorcycles anymore. 

[Laitch]

Well what do you expect?  Only old farts ride motorcycles anymore.

There's no payoff being elderly-centric.

[ScooterNSticks]

There's no payoff being elderly-centric.

That's for sure.  The only "young" people at the Moto Hang are usually women.  Very few people under 50 show up.  And plenty over 70. 

Aging is an interesting topic.  I recognize the physical and external changes.  But when I look in the mirror, I still see a kid...