Fixing broken Odometers on K(And R) bikes.

[KJM00]

Hey Guys!, I just wanted to make this to help anyone out there who had suffered from the same blight of broken cogs made from compressed apple-sauce that failed in their odometer.  I'm just a 24 year-old kid, and I've been working on bikes for about eight years, riding for about 12 years, I'm certainly no expert, I work in IT and I'm only a decent Shade-Tree Mechanic.  The Clymer Manual was my best friend for 80% of the work I did here.  But I highly recommend doing this yourself, as it's about $200+ to have a 'specialist' do it for you, when you can do it for $85 and 3 hours time and then you lose out on the experience and knowledge-gained.  (Seriously the hardest part for me, was removing all of the fairings, windscreen, and instrument cluster, I love you Clymer manual, I love you so hard)
Step0) Go to odometergears.com, ([  http://www.odometergears.com/products/BMW/R+%26+K+Motorcycles/42   ])  Order the Series 1 Gears if you're a US K-Bike guy, like me, Series 2 if you're a Euro-Rider.
Step1) Follow Clymer, Haynes, internet, or personal knowledge to correctly remove instrument cluster.  (Ain't here to help with that, just the odometer, babes)
Step2) Take Secured Instrument cluster to a workbench, get a Flat-head Watch Screw Driver,(I used a Swiss Army Multi-tool, heh), Phillips driver, and a 10mm Socket wrench.
Step3) Follow the pictures.


If you guys have any questions, I'd be happy to provide answers, you guys have been INCREDIBLY helpful to me in the short few weeks I've been a Motobrick owner.

[billday]

Excellent post. Thank you

[MCRyder]

Thanks for the post.  This job is on my list.  Hadn't decided to DIY or farm it out to a shop.  $200 is what I got back as a quote.

[Filmcamera]

I just brought a perfect condition second hand instrument cluster for $50

[Chaos]

20 years ago I replaced my bad gears with gears from a wrecked K100 I picked up for free.  Those gears have been fine so far.  Anyone know if they changed the composition of the gears at some point or is it more bad karma or bad apples?

[Laitch]

  Anyone know if they changed the composition of the gears at some point.s . . .?

Maybe more pectin was added in the early '90s.

[halfwit]

There is a cheap and nasty option to repair the cogs.
Ebay :58-styles-Plastic-Gears-Cog-Wheels-All-The-Module-0-5-Robot-Parts-DIY-DW[ http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/291849107333  ] for about $2.
With a bit a filing and gluing one can replace the buggered cogs.
Not sure about their longevity but mine has been working for a couple of months.
A good way to amuse oneself on those long winter evenings.   
 
 

[The Mighty Gryphon]

Have the new gears had any effect on the accuracy of the odometer? 

I wonder what the reason is for using gears made out of compressed tofu.  In my experience molding gears, the specification has always been to use nylon or Delrin.  Had one of those materials been used, the gears would outlast almost everything else on the bike.  The only reason I can think of for using whatever they used was to make the gears tamper evident in that any attempt to fool with the odometer reading would destroy the gears.

[halfwit]

The cog sizes are the same and the odometer accuracy seems as before.

[billday]

There is a cheap and nasty option to repair the cogs.
Ebay :58-styles-Plastic-Gears-Cog-Wheels-All-The-Module-0-5-Robot-Parts-DIY-DW[ http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/291849107333  ] for about $2.
With a bit a filing and gluing one can replace the buggered cogs.
Not sure about their longevity but mine has been working for a couple of months.
A good way to amuse oneself on those long winter evenings.

Looks like you have a few (dozen) left over . . . might be a business opportunity.

[Martin]

I was told By Otto Instruments do not lubricate the gears as this is what causes them to transmute into apple sauce. I would assume then if BMW had not lubricated them then all would be fine.  :dunno
Regards Martin.

[ruben]

My fix without using any of those gears.
Comes with fuel gauage too! :riding: :riding:




IMG_20170610_010015.jpg (35.25 kB . 768x576 - viewed 1912 times)
IMG_20170610_010015.jpg (35.25 kB . 768x576 - viewed 1912 times)

[Laitch]

My fix without using any of those gears.

That looks like the lighting in the Leisure Lounge near Homestead, Florida back in the 70s—at 2am. I can almost hear the mournful twang of a pedal steel guitar and see the pavement pizzas outside glistening in moonlight.

[Paver Owner]

Thanks for the info on you odometer fix. Here in OZ when you ask some people about a fix you get a blank stare and reply of "Just use a bicycle speedo." That's ok but doesn't really help when it comes to the aesthetics of the bike or at annual vehicle inspection time.

[billday]

That's ok but doesn't really help when it comes to the aesthetics of the bike or at annual vehicle inspection time.

Or riding at night. I have a bicycle speedo on mine -- a legacy from when I was sorting out my instruments. I kept it on because it's handy to have a second trip odo etc. But the lack of illumination can be a problem. At night.

[Martin]

A novel solution to the speedo problem, requires the fitting of a screen and the services of a really really good electrical tech to integrate it. :dunno
https://www.aldi.com.au/en/special-buys/special-buys-sat-7-october/saturday-detail-wk40/ps/p/head-up-display/   
Regards Martin.

[Andrew2]

  G'day,
  my first post here as I joined up today. I'm in the process of buying a K100RS but the dealer has to fix the odo first so I thought I would do a little researching as they probably won't get it right anyway. So I came across this video and thought it might help.
 
  Cheers
  Andrew

[Laitch]

So I came across this video and thought it might help.

Welcome, Andrew! Thanks for this useful post as your first contribution.  :clap:

[Andrew2]

  No worries mate. Hopefully I'll be able to add more if I can but more than likely you guys will be helping me in the coming months :2thumbup: .


  Cheers
  Andrew