Zaphod0808
New member
Hi all K Beemerphiles!
Yesterday, August 30, was the second year anniversary date of a motor vehicle crash that almost killed me and totalled my 1985 K100RS. Both the motorad and I have recovered. I was rebuilt into a reasonable fascimilie of original, the RS was rebuilt as a K100 standard by a fellow rescuing it from the shredder.
I just took posession of a 1993 K11-LT, with the excited blessings of my bride of 11 months. (Diana was my Florence Nightengale during months of recovery.) We've named the bike Berrin Marte Wise. I rode it from central Montana to the southwest Washington state coast, 960 miles, with no difficulty.
Being new to this list (but not to marque/tech/passionate owner discussion lists) I'll have to get used to the style and presence you passionate readers and riders use. You'll probably let me know if something is to ....long, obtuse, off-topic, etc.
My initial questions are two and are pilot and passenger comfort related.
1.) Diana would like more leg room in the pillion position. I can imagine fabricating a bracket that lowers the pegs 40 to 60 mm, but I'd like to know if aftermarket brackets exit or if anyone has done something like this and could make a recommendation as to design and materials.
2.) I found the pullback and sweep of the bars a bit too great for my liking. I'd like to talk to riders who've looked into, or have changed the handlebars on the K11-LT for a more forward riding position.
On the K100-RS (Lil Fredrik) I removed the rubber isolators, soild mounting them and I raised the bars by using an extra clamp shell and longer bolts. This 20mm rise was great for me. There was no rearward movement of the bars and the stock cover fit with small Alu bar-stock risers to secure it to the mounting points on the triple clamp. I can see that I'll probably loose the molded cover and I'll have to deal with switches and heated grips that I didn't have previously.
I don't think a RS bar would be right, but I recall -in one of my few close looks at a K1- that the bars were wider and taller than I'd have expected. I remember that they were a continuous bend, not at all like the welded RS bar. At least without mounting or ridint the bike, my K-RS bars seemed a lower and maybe narrower. Maybe I have that all wrong...but-- I was wondering if K1 bars might work for what I want, which is a little more forward position and less angle at the grips. Any suggestions?
BTW, I'm a K biker all the way. I've never owned an R and until a little while back, I'd never ridden one! The K bikes are "real" BMW motorrads in my book.
Thanks in advance for your input.
Perry & Diana Wise and Berrin Marte Wise, '93 K11-LT
Nemah, Washington
Yesterday, August 30, was the second year anniversary date of a motor vehicle crash that almost killed me and totalled my 1985 K100RS. Both the motorad and I have recovered. I was rebuilt into a reasonable fascimilie of original, the RS was rebuilt as a K100 standard by a fellow rescuing it from the shredder.
I just took posession of a 1993 K11-LT, with the excited blessings of my bride of 11 months. (Diana was my Florence Nightengale during months of recovery.) We've named the bike Berrin Marte Wise. I rode it from central Montana to the southwest Washington state coast, 960 miles, with no difficulty.
Being new to this list (but not to marque/tech/passionate owner discussion lists) I'll have to get used to the style and presence you passionate readers and riders use. You'll probably let me know if something is to ....long, obtuse, off-topic, etc.
My initial questions are two and are pilot and passenger comfort related.
1.) Diana would like more leg room in the pillion position. I can imagine fabricating a bracket that lowers the pegs 40 to 60 mm, but I'd like to know if aftermarket brackets exit or if anyone has done something like this and could make a recommendation as to design and materials.
2.) I found the pullback and sweep of the bars a bit too great for my liking. I'd like to talk to riders who've looked into, or have changed the handlebars on the K11-LT for a more forward riding position.
On the K100-RS (Lil Fredrik) I removed the rubber isolators, soild mounting them and I raised the bars by using an extra clamp shell and longer bolts. This 20mm rise was great for me. There was no rearward movement of the bars and the stock cover fit with small Alu bar-stock risers to secure it to the mounting points on the triple clamp. I can see that I'll probably loose the molded cover and I'll have to deal with switches and heated grips that I didn't have previously.
I don't think a RS bar would be right, but I recall -in one of my few close looks at a K1- that the bars were wider and taller than I'd have expected. I remember that they were a continuous bend, not at all like the welded RS bar. At least without mounting or ridint the bike, my K-RS bars seemed a lower and maybe narrower. Maybe I have that all wrong...but-- I was wondering if K1 bars might work for what I want, which is a little more forward position and less angle at the grips. Any suggestions?
BTW, I'm a K biker all the way. I've never owned an R and until a little while back, I'd never ridden one! The K bikes are "real" BMW motorrads in my book.
Thanks in advance for your input.
Perry & Diana Wise and Berrin Marte Wise, '93 K11-LT
Nemah, Washington
