K11 Owners Group

[N41EF]

Two years have passed since I brought the K home, it has cracks on both sides of the faring, and I thought I'd ride it a while before painting in case I dropped it.

For those who have done a color change I have a few questions:

1. The tank badges are stickers? Looks like Max BMW has them cheap. Do they just pop off?

2. The rear badge under the rack, is that another sticker or fastened somehow?

3. I know they sell bag gaskets for the saddle bags and top box, but can you reuse the old ones? Will they tear up taking them off?

4. I read that the mirror glass pop out. Someone said slam them face down on a towel. Really? Is there a better way?

5. I saw a few LT's that the base for the windshield was black, but some of them are painted body color. Anyone know why?

6. What parts should I gather before I tear it apart? I plan to replace the rubber gasket under the gas cap, what else?

7. LT side covers have a sticker on them "Touring Edition" or something, one of mine is missing. Know where I can get two new ones?

8. Under the seat there are the EPA stickers and such. Anyone know if they are available?

I have the SS hardware kit, new battery cables, stainless brake lines, and a Eastern Beaver headlight kits to install while it's apart. Am I missing anything?

I'm off to London March 19th for a week. Want to have the bodywork painted while I'm gone so I can have new paint for HM.
_________________
2014 R1200RT Water Cooled
2001 R1100S Light
1993 K1100LT. Nissan Ice Blue.(Gone)

[Jim]

I haven't done a color change, but I think I can answer some of your questions.

1 & 2 - The roundels aren't stickers (although they are adhesive backed, and they do stick) - the ones that come on the bike are painted aluminum. You can also go to a BMW auto dealer and buy the slightly thicker plastic ones - they look a little nicer - you just have to clean the mounting tabs off the back and apply double stick tape. Same roundels for the tank and tail section.

3 - The side bag lid gaskets, although not glued in, usually end up stuck in there, and will tear when you pull them out. They're still available - $44.00 each - ouch...

4 - There is another way that involves piano wire - but the best way is to slam them on a folded towel

5 I think they are painted on the SE versions and not the stock LT - or it could be a year of manufacture thing... not sure

6 - Make sure the gasket mating surface on the tank itself is clean and smooth

7 - I don't see the "Touring" on the fiche - doesn't mean it's not available - means you'd have to call parts to find out

8 - Very few stickers are available - you'd have to check the fiche. When I had the tail section on the K repainted, he was able to mask the stickers and paint the rest

I always buy from Max BMW - they provide good service - and a bag of M&Ms with every order.

http://www.maxbmwmotorcycles.com/fiche/DiagramsMain.aspx?vid=51711&rnd=07012015

Hope that helps...
_________________
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."

[rbm]

8. EPA Sticker sets might be had from Motorbike Stickers. He might do custom stickers for you if you ask.
_________________
- Robert
1987 K75 @k75retro.blogspot.ca
2011 Moto Guzzi V7 Racer

[Jim]

[Flying Duck]

[Grunter]

I have just removed all the plastic from my K75S in preparation for a respray and the badges, including the silver or gold name on the front can be removed by heating gently with a hot air gun. this softens the glue/adhesive and they can then be easily removed.
_________________
1997 K1100LT
1994 R1100RS

[Flying Duck]

FYI: Often parts listed as NLA may no longer be manufactured or available from The Fatherland but sometimes there are some left in a dealer's inventory somewhere on the planet.

If you call a dealer with competent parts personnel (like my local guys at Ride West BMW) then they can use their computer to look at inventory across all dealers and find parts that are supposedly NLA.

(This is how I found the last two new gold K100 badges known to man. )
_________________
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

[atlantaboblutz@live.com]

With all of the plastic work off, a whole bunch of maintenance items will be easer depending on milage. from memory here's a list of what I would do...having done them all to my bike
** replace every single rubber fuel hose.
** replace all the little rubber caps along the injector line to prevent vacuum leaks

** generally clean up engine and look for any leaks/correct
** clean all electrical grounds
** refresh air cleaner
** refresh coolant
** if you don't have fork gators... highly recommend adding them to protect fork seals... while there refresh fork fluid with good 10w synthetic (search the site for thorough discussions)

** with tank being painted... refresh fuel filter
** search the sight for a procedure to firm up your handlebar rubber mounts. I did that and am very pleased with the results. I think Drake is the author

** a matter of preference, but I also painted my wheels black (I have a mystic red bike so black trim parts show up) which gave it a bit more aggressive look.

** clean and lube electric windshield parts (only applies to an LT)

I likely missed a few things... several you may think are crazy... but preventative maintenance on these older bikes is a good thing and much less expensive than, for example, dealing with a burst fuel hose later on simply because they became stiff and brittle with age.
_________________
Thanks,
Bob
Atlanta GA

'94 K1100 LT
'76 R75/6

[N41EF]

9. How do you get the black rubbish tank/knee pads off? What holds them on?
_________________
2014 R1200RT Water Cooled
2001 R1100S Light
1993 K1100LT. Nissan Ice Blue.(Gone)

[atlantaboblutz@live.com]

mine was simply on there with an adhesive. In my case I SLOWLY and at low temp used a heat gun around one edge... heating the metal (not the pad since it is foam). Being patient, I was able to begin to lift one edge and SLOWLY repositioned the heat gun and, in effect, worked them off. After the paint was cured, used Loctite headliner adhesive to re-apply. Haven't had an issue.
_________________
Thanks,
Bob
Atlanta GA

'94 K1100 LT
'76 R75/6

[N41EF]

10. LT mirrors just pop off? It looks like the have some sort of snaps where they come off, but my fairing is cracked on both side makes me think it take a lot of force. Do you smack them up? Back? to the front? How do they come off.

11. Who decided to pop rivet the stupid locks on the saddle bags? I would like to smack them about the head and shoulders. I drill the rivet heads out, but will take a lot of work to get the old rivets out of the locks.

12. All of the rubber bumpers are glued on, and after 23 years the glue is nasty. Some of them will require heat. Any suggestions to make this easier?

13. The round plastic roundels on the saddle bags and top case are different from the rest. Are they just glued on as well?
_________________
2014 R1200RT Water Cooled
2001 R1100S Light
1993 K1100LT. Nissan Ice Blue.(Gone)

[Scott_Anderson]

Yep, the LT mirrors pop off. Sometimes easier than you think they should....mine can dislodge just by walking next to it in the garage.
They are supposed to be able to come off "before" you damage the main fairing when dropped. I had a drop square on the mirror, the mirror didn't come off, so now my fairing is cracked around the mirror mount.....
_________________
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)

[Jim]

10. LT mirrors just pop off? It looks like the have some sort of snaps where they come off, but my fairing is cracked on both side makes me think it take a lot of force. Do you smack them up? Back? to the front? How do they come off.

Just give a firm push on the outer edge of the mirror housing toward the front of the bike - and hold on to the mirror - it'll pop right off.

11. Who decided to pop rivet the stupid locks on the saddle bags? I would like to smack them about the head and shoulders. I drill the rivet heads out, but will take a lot of work to get the old rivets out of the locks.

Some German engineer... Yeah - and I don't see any way to replace some of those luggage rivets with a normal rivet tool...

12. All of the rubber bumpers are glued on, and after 23 years the glue is nasty. Some of them will require heat. Any suggestions to make this easier?

Heat is about the only thing that will work. The paint is more durable than you think.

13. The round plastic roundels on the sale bags and top case are different from the rest. Are they just glued on as well?

The plastic ones are the nicer ones. I believe those are available from BMW auto dealers. Yeah - they're just on with double stick tape - you should be able to gently pry them off without damage.
_________________
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."

[N41EF]

5. So for two years I though my windshield mount was body color. Today in bright sunlight I found out is a dark grey, but not the grey metallic my bike is.

I have everything off except tank, faring and tail pieces. Was 4 hours in the garage, i figure about 3 hours and it'll be ready to drop off for paint.
_________________
2014 R1200RT Water Cooled
2001 R1100S Light
1993 K1100LT. Nissan Ice Blue.(Gone)

[N41EF]

Ok, it's all apart now. Here's what I learned.

Draining the tank is a pain, run it low on fuel before you start.

I left the dash and speakers connected and just set them over the instruments. Ditto the radio bucket, swung it on the tank, then where the headlight set one the fairing was off.

The fairing was awkward, have someone hold it as you remove the last bolts.

I did several zip lock bags, and took pictures with my phone to see how the heat covers went.

To get the glass out of the mirror housing, I used a car GPS windshield mount to suction cup in the center, and just pulled the glass off.
_________________
2014 R1200RT Water Cooled
2001 R1100S Light
1993 K1100LT. Nissan Ice Blue.(Gone)

[N41EF]

Almost 80 today, rode the new-blue bike to work.




_________________
2014 R1200RT Water Cooled
2001 R1100S Light
1993 K1100LT. Nissan Ice Blue.(Gone)

[Flying Duck]

Lookin' good. Looks very close to Seiden Blau (BMW Silk Blue)
_________________
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

[N41EF]

Thanks Duck, I appreciate all of the help and input you guys gave me on getting everything apart. Hope it saves time for the next person who buys an old K and wants to paint it.

I was looking for Silk Blue, and spent an hour in the sun with my paint guy and settled on Nissan Ice Blue. They used it a few years ago on Cube's and it's just a hair lighter than silk blue.

It took quit a bit of body work to get my mirrors up to snuff, and the fairing was cracked on both sides, all the way through on the left side.

I still want to have a little talk with some of the engineers who designed the bike. There must be 12 fasteners holding the tail on and together, and the only function is to hold the rear lights. And then there ar the nuts, screws, allen heads (three sizes) and nylon nuts. To hold the brake light?

Thanks Again!
_________________
2014 R1200RT Water Cooled
2001 R1100S Light
1993 K1100LT. Nissan Ice Blue.(Gone)

[SugarHillCTD]

It does look great! Nice work. Now don't get it dirty on the trip to HM, we want to see that paint in pristine condition.


Logic on how these bikes were built? I don't think so.

Just one other example that quickly comes to mind because it happened to me.

http://k11og.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8395 go about halfway down the first page.

If you use too little sealant, it will likely leak. If you use too much and it clogs the return channel and it will probably......leak. Fun.

WHY wasn't a gasket used here??
_________________
John & Cathy

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