The Rusty Brick - '92 K100RS

[Filmcamera]

I have and it takes a while but can be done.


The back brake is relatively easy.  Start with the ABS modulator then move on to the caliper itself. Do not assume that when bubbles stop coming out you are done - that is what I did and I was very wrong.


OK this is how to do.


11mm wrench on the bleed valve as well as some clear plastic tubing leading to a glass jar or something to hold the brake fluid as it comes out.


Open the bleed valve, press the rear brake caliper down about half way SLOWLY, close the bleed nipple, release the pedal, repeat.  Keep an eye on the level of fluid in the reservoir because you do not want it to run out.  Use a new bottle of DOT 4 brake fluid and I suggest putting at least two or three reservoirs full thought the system before you are done.


 Johnny said pump at each bleed nipple 26 times, I used 27 because it is the cube of 3 which is the number of letters in BMW - the point is do it a LOT.


Same procedure for the front, start with the ABS modulator then the caliper furthest from the lever then the one closest.  Do not pull the brake lever more than half way and do it SLOWLY.


Again 27 per nipple - at least two or three reservoirs full. 


You should start to feel pressure on the lever as you are half way through the last lever, maybe earlier.


When done tie the brake lever back in about the half way position overnight.  You can also try and get some weight on the rear brake to do the same thing.


Good luck, let me know if anything isn't clear.


Delboy from Delboy's garage just did a video on bleeding the brakes on his Triumph - different bike, same principal.

[MaraudeRS]

Thank you so much for the detailed instructions! I shall try that out and we'll see if I'm successful. I'll let you guys know how it goes


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[MaraudeRS]

Confession time:

The reason for my 3 week hiatus is that I couldn't get the brakes bled myself so I took it to my nearest BMW motorcycle mechanic, which is about 45 minutes away. I asked them to bleed the brakes and do an overall inspection of the bike. Turns out that both of my master cylinders needed to be replaced. They gave me an estimate, and even though I know I could have done it for far less, I let them do it because I didn't want to do it wrong. I also asked them for an estimate to replace then gear position indicator, which I know isn't working. They called me on  Tuesday and told me the bike is ready to be picked up. Yay! I drive out there to pick it up and I asked "so what did you find wrong and are the brakes good to go?" They tell me that the brakes are still a little softer than they'd like to see them because the ABS pressure modulator might be going bad. They recommended getting rid of the abs system altogether, which is what I'll do. Hopefully I can recoup so if my money by selling the control module and new brake hoses I just bought. They never gave me an estimate to replace the gpi and didn't do much of an overall inspection aside from telling me my fork seals are leaking and my stanchions need replacing (which I already knew). It was an $1100 lesson in why so many K owners do a lot of their own repairs & maintenance.

The good news is that I finally got to take this baby for a ride. Wow, what an incredible feeling! She's a heavy one but nothing I couldn't handle. I rode around my neighborhood learning how to shift gears and use the controls. I never went over 30mph since the brakes aren't as they should be but the new hose is on its way for the front and I won't need to replace anything for the rear.

As for the fork seals & stanchions, I'm torn between replacing them and doing a front end swap. I really want to do a swap but I have a bunch of money into the brake rebuild, new tire, and powder coating. Decisions, decisions.


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[Filmcamera]

Ouch...


Well at least you should end up confident in your brakes which is important.


I told you bleeding them was a PIA - I ended up getting a MC rebuild kit for both front and rear but only used the rear one in the end, so I have a front for when it is needed.


I would be interested to hear why they think soft brakes means a modulator going bad.  Luckily every single cafe rebuild takes the ABS off so getting new modulators should be fairly easy and not hugely expensive.


The fork seals are easy to replace - assuming you do not have the threaded bolt nightmares I did anyway... the stanchions are just a straight swap as you do the forks.  I would do that first, the front end swap can wait.  If I remember this is your first bike so it is not like you will be pushing the ragged edge of performance any time soon, at least I hope not.


The hoses you got are stainless right? Is there a reason you did not have BMW install them when they did the rest of the work?

[MaraudeRS]

I'm not sure why they believe the soft brakes are bad. When I was riding they felt ok to me but there is quite a bit of travel on the lever  before they bite.

You're probably right about the stanchions and seals. I definitely won't be pushing the bike to the edge of performance any time soon. I'll keep looking out for a nice set of used stanchions so I don't feel so guilty when I do the swap.

Yes, the new hoses are stainless. I had already replaced them myself. I just ordered the new one that will bypass the abs system so I'll change that out when it arrives. I'll have 3 basically brand new hoses for sale shortly :)


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[MaraudeRS]

Im actively searching for a set of used for tubes/stanchions in good condition. If anyone comes across a pair please let me know. I'd like to spend $150 or less since that's about half the price of a new pair. Thx


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[MaraudeRS]

Almost a one month hiatus?! Time sure flies when you're having fun riding your brick!

Instead of spending money on new stanchions that I will end up replacing anyway I went straight for the jugular and bought a front end off of an 06/07 GSX-R600/750.
I still need to get a front wheel and rotors, and new bearings. Does anyone know if the stem and triple clamps will work? I've found a stem that will work but at $140 plus shipping I'd rather use the one that came with the gixxer front end if I can.


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[Laitch]

Well now, lookee here! Not much difference with what you're trying to do, Marauder. Maybe the answer is in there somewhere.

[BrickMW]

Here's another one.... About half way down the page, after the crash... Good details on what he did to get the USD forks to work. (Although he used some from a 2000 R1)


https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:VhAfX6zINzcJ:https://papajhotel.com/2013/07/01/the-k100-project/+&cd=16&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us


I can only get the cached copy to load, if link fails google 'k100 don't call it a cafe' -- should be first result, then choose cached with drop down arrow.


Good luck!

[MaraudeRS]

Thank you both very much for the links! I'd actually already found both of those builds and read them thoroughly. I've been searching specifically for someone who's fitted the front end I got to the brick I have but I guess I'm the first. That's ok, I'm willing (aka stupid enough) to give it a shot and throw all the money at it that it takes. The new front arrives tomorrow so I'll take some measurements and let y'all know what I find.

Still excited!


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[Laitch]

I've been searching specifically for someone who's fitted the front end I got to the brick I have but I guess I'm the first. .

You aren't the first and won't be the last either. Good luck!

[MaraudeRS]

You aren't the first and won't be the last either. Good luck!

I don't think I am either, I just can't find any specific info. I'll keep searching.


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[Laitch]

Maybe the guy in this post would be willing to correspond with you.

[MaraudeRS]

Maybe the guy in this post would be willing to correspond with you.

Thank you! You beat me to it. I had only searched this forum at the time of my last post and was on my way to searching other forums. Much appreciated.


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[MaraudeRS]

Does anyone buy these? I won't be needing it anymore but I don't know if it can still be used.



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[Laitch]

I don't think that pistol and silencer are worth anything. Where's the trigger anyway?

[MaraudeRS]

I don't think that pistol and silencer are worth anything. Where's the trigger anyway?

Lol
I didn't think so but thought I'd ask. Is it true that there's platinum in catalytic converters? Should I tear this one up to get it out?


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[Laitch]

Is it true that there's platinum in catalytic converters? Should I tear this one up to get it out?

29.61USD per gram for platinum today. You can either cut the thing open to get it or try to suck it out.

[MaraudeRS]

29.61USD per gram for platinum today. You can either cut the thing open to get it or try to suck it out.

Where's my grinder? Hahaha


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[Elipten]

The total amount probably not worth the effort


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[MaraudeRS]

The total amount probably not worth the effort


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I agree.


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[Laitch]

The total amount probably not worth the effort

I agree.

Use somebody else's grinder and house current. That will lower the mining cost.

[MaraudeRS]

I've been having the time of my life riding my rusty brick. A couple issues I need to address...I'm having trouble shifting into first gear. One down, four up, right? Turns out my shifter is hitting my 4-into-1 exhaust collector here
so I pulled it off and adjusted it upwards so that it will no longer hit. Hopefully there aren't any drawbacks to doing this. I'll have a chance to test it out tomorrow.

Also, my forks are leaking really badly. As I've noted before, the stanchions are badly rusted therefore my seals are shot. I have the new front end I just need to source a GSX-R wheel and possibly a triple tree. I'm going to pull the current setup off in a couple weeks. When I do I'll take both triples to a machinist and see if they can cut and thread the gsxr stem to fit the brick with the all balls racing conversion bearings. I wouldn't mind getting a a new top clamp so that I'm not using the Suzuki one. The whole setup is around $600 on Cognito Moto so I'm trying to avoid that expense if possible.


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[MaraudeRS]

It worked. The brick now shifts without problem.

In other news... isn't third gear the greatest thing since sliced bread?! I have the time of my life every time I ride, especially when I shift into third and I slingshot forward.

I found a wheel and new headlight on fb. The seller shipped them both today so as soon as I get them I'll take the wheel to the powder coater to get the same blue color as the current wheel. I'm excited about the headlight too. I'll post pics when it arrives.


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[Laitch]

In other news... isn't third gear the greatest thing since sliced bread?! I have the time of my life every time I ride, especially when I shift into third and I slingshot forward.

Please describe this slingshot technique. I don't have your riding experience. What kind of oil did you put in the gearbox?