K11 Owners Group

[Saltcreek]

I'm thrilled to be a new BMW owner and anxious to take advantage of your collective knowledge over the next year. First, a dumb question: Why do you call them bricks?

I have one of those mechanical throttle locks and took it off cause I couldn't get it to completely release the throttle to snap back no matter how loose I adjusted it. It doesn't seem to be a lubrication problem, maybe alignment. I might try it anyway after becoming more familiar with the bike but coming off a Vulcan 500 I didn't want to start with a sticky throttle.

I stubbornly refuse to give up the fight to find a radio code even though I'd probably never use it once I get it working. I just like things to work. Everyone who has tried to run the serial # for me has come up empty. How long does it take to run 9999 codes? Serial # is 0003924 in case one of you has a master list.

Is there one place where alternatives to BMW factory fluids and filters can be found? My closest dealer is an hour away and seem to charge a lot for oil.

Synthetic or not? 28,000 miles on a '94

Thanks in advance.[img][/img]

[Scott_Anderson]

Welcome the forum. There's a lot of knowledge here.

At 28K you should be safe to change to synthetic, I changed mine at 26K.
I get most all of my fluids at the local auto store.
Our bricks can use standard motor oil, just get the right weight.
I still buy my oil filter kits from the dealer as well as my antifreese/coolant. Some others buy generic filters and use regular coolant, I guess that it's their personal preference, and yours. It's your bike.

Are you considering doing your own wrenching? If it hasn't been done yet you'll be looking at a trany spline lube soon. I had to do mine at 32K.
_________________
Ride safe.



1995 K1100LT 0302044
2017 FLHTK Ultra Limited
Garmin StreetPilot 2820
Garmin Zumo 550
Garmin Zumo XT
"One who does not ask questions is ashamed to learn" Danish proverb
1997 K1100LT 0302488(R.I.P.)
1997 R1100RT ZC62149(sold)

[Flying Duck]

Brick = in-line engine on it's side.

Fuel filter : FF424 at autozone

Oil filter: Bosch 72161 or BMW OEM. (Don't use the crappy one that Fram offers.)

Oil: Mobil 1 15-50 or Castrol GTX 20-50 (You cnan use normal car oil because our bikes have a dry clutch.)

Mobil 1 gear oil for tranny and final drive
_________________
93 LT (x2)
94 RS
86-97 K75F(K75/100/1100 Frankenbrick)
86 K75C w/paralever, hi perf cams,TURBO!
91 & 92 K75Ss
91 K1
86 custom K100
14 WR250R
IBA #17739 (SS1K, BBG, 50CC)
Buy parts HERE

[Jim]

Welcome! Do not use new anti-freeze in you K bike. I would not switch to synthetic oil until you have 30 or 40 thousand miles on the bike - just my 2 cents.
_________________
Jim
1997 K1100LTSE 94,000 - still has gremlins!
1995 R100RT Classic 16,650 crashed - repaired!
1992 K75RTP 46,000

"We shall not all die, but we shall all be changed."

[goldust]

After fooling around with various am/fm/cd radios on my k1100lt for the past thirteen years, I have finally taken it out completly.

When you are on the road (and that is the only time I listen to a radio),
my ipod, and xm are the only way to go.

Everything else is a waste!

ps: Plus you get more storage space.

[Flying Duck]

I have a Pioneer AM/FM MP3 CD player. (It is also XM ready but I don't use that.) Hundreds of songs per CD, doesn't skip and I mounted a the Pioneer marine remote on the handlebars. I also upgraded the front speakers. I'm very happy with this setup.


_________________
93 LT (x2)
94 RS
86-97 K75F(K75/100/1100 Frankenbrick)
86 K75C w/paralever, hi perf cams,TURBO!
91 & 92 K75Ss
91 K1
86 custom K100
14 WR250R
IBA #17739 (SS1K, BBG, 50CC)
Buy parts HERE

[Phil Marvin]

Hi,
AutoZone no longer has ff424 fuel filters. The number has been replaced by (Chinese-made) ff3424. The price is about the same - around $2.

I use Autolite 4163 spark plugs. I buy them at Checker Auto Parts for a little over $1 each (up from 99 cents on sale). I used them for tens of thousands of miles on my K1100LT's, and still use them in my K75's, with no ill effects. Some people swear by Bosch. Bosch plugs are good, but I object to paying my friendly, not-so-local dealer about $10 each!

I use OEM oil filters, but Drake's oil filter advice is good. Fram does sell a filter specifically for the K-bikes, Fram #6063. The first one I bought was the OEM filter (Mahle OC-91) repackaged in a Fram box. The next one was different, made in Italy and not Austria. YMMV!

I use Wal-Mart Antifreeze (or whatever is on sale), mixed with distilled water at BMW's recommended mix of 40% antifreeze and 60% distilled water.

I use Mobil 15w50 synthetic oil (car oil, not motorcycle oil) bought in 5qt bottles at Wal-Mart. I use 75w90 synthetic oil (because I have a quantity of it) in the gearbox and Castrol 80w90 (dino oil) in the final drive. I did use 75w140 synthetic in gearbox and final drive, but got a bunch of the 75w90 cheap and, because of the rash of final drive problems reported by Iron Butt participants, went back to the OEM-recommended lubricant in the final drive.

I use real compressed air, not synthetic air or compressed nitrogen, in my tires..... .

Ride Safe,
_________________
Ride Safe,
Phil Marvin in El Paso, TX
'94 K75A/3
'95 K75RTP

[Saltcreek]

Since my last post, Rusty Gill at Max BMW in New Hampshire got the code on the second try by contacting tech support at BMW. So it's working now even if I don't use it.
_________________
Jim

1994 K1100LT Mystic Red, bfd, 37000 miles, sold
2009 Wilderness Systems Zephyr 155 ST
2002 Litespeed titanium

[Saltcreek]

Are you considering doing your own wrenching? If it hasn't been done yet you'll be looking at a trany spline lube soon. I had to do mine at 32K.[/quote]

I'll do maintenance but only light repair. Spline lube somewhere in between.

By the way is the Clymer manual better than the free one online?
_________________
Jim

1994 K1100LT Mystic Red, bfd, 37000 miles, sold
2009 Wilderness Systems Zephyr 155 ST
2002 Litespeed titanium

[SugarHillCTD]

Jim,

Where in NH are you? I am north of Franconia Notch (Sugar Hill)

As far as maintenance, have you heard of ABS? (Affordable Beemer Service) Chris REALLY knows BMWs.

http://www.affordablebeemerservices.com/


Let me know your location. Would like to meet for a ride - most likely next year since this season is closing real fast.

John
_________________
John & Cathy

'92 K100RS4V Pearl White SOLD
'04 K1200GT
IBA Several-SS1k, BBG, 50CC NYC to S.F.

[mnb]

Welcome!

There are varying theories as to why they are called bricks.

One is because the spark plug cover and the crank cover (on the other side) are the shape of a brick.

Another is because they're built like a brick. That is, to last. Properly maintained, you'll get a lot of miles out of one.

I'd recommend switching to Mobil1 synthetic. I recommend the stock oil filter (it's generally superior to 3rd party filters). Same for the air filter. K&N makes a high flow, but that will allow more particles into your engine which is not a good thing. Synthetic lubricates better and can go longer between changes, although many people still do a change every 3000 miles. I do them every 6k at the regular service interval. Runs like a champ - 60k miles. Better lubrication can mean a slightly lower operating temperature. YMMV. I figure the parts will last longer with a higher grade of lubricant, resulting in more miles out of my beloved brick.

You can order filters online from several places, btw. Bob's BMW... A&S BMW, Max BMW... I'm sure there are others.

There is no master list for the code, but BMW should be able to reset it for you or at least find out what your code is. See if you can find out where the bike was originally purchased. It may be in that dealer's records.
_________________
M N B
1997 BMW K1100LT ABS Special Edition
2003 Husqvarna TE610e
2007 Harley Davidson Road King
2009 BMW F800GS
2011 Husqvarna TE310
2014 Ducati Multistrada Pikes Peak MNB Edition

[Shoganai]

[Shoganai]

[Saltcreek]

[Off the grid]

Welcome aboard Salt, Sugarhill is up from that area...some beautiful country up there.
_________________
Bane of your existence since July 2006
2007 Triumph Tiger ABS. "Sabertooth"
2009 Husqvarna TE610. "The dirty Italian mistress"

[bmwmick]