-
Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password. If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?
-
Beginning April 1st, and running through April 30th, there is a new 2024 BMW MOA Election discussion area within The Club section of the forum. Within this forum area is also a sticky post that provides the ground rules for participating in the Election forum area. Also, the candidates statements are provided. Please read before joining the conversation, because the rules are very specific to maintain civility.
The Election forum is here: Election Forum
Luftmeister?? what ever hapened to...
- Thread starter pbbeck
- Start date
BRADFORDBENN
Slowpoke & Proud of It!
pbbeck said:
Can you explain why?
pbbeck
New member
BradfordBenn said:
Sure. I suppose this comment deserves some sort of explanation.
Before I became a BMW convert, I was a Triumph owner. I've owned three Triumphs over the past few years - a Daytona 955i, a Bonneville Speedmaster, and most recently a Rocket III - all of which I miss greatly!
I bought the Speedie from South Bay Triumph. I rode it for about 6 months, but eventually decided I wanted a bigger bike, so I traded it in on the Rocket. I first went to South Bay. They told me they don't take trades, so I went to another area dealer who happily made a deal with me and gave me a favorable allowance for my bike.
About a month after acquiring my Rocket III, I stopped by South Bay to buy a couple things. Matt Capri greeted me in the parking lot and literally staged a nutty. He told me his store was for "loyal customers only" and that I "had a lot of nerve showing my face in his store."
Since the Triumph community is relatively small, I've had the chance to speak with many other area Triumph owners. To a one, they all have a stories of unscrupulous dealings w/ South Bay Triumph. Matt Capri promised one friend free oil changes on his new Speedmaster as a condition of the deal. At the 600-mile services, Capri denied making such a promise and my friend was charged. Another friend took his under-warranty bike in for R&R on a broken speedo cable. He was charged $45 and told that Triumph's warranty doesn't cover cables. Yes it does.
He complained to Triumph USA, who promptly cut him a reimbursement check.
I have several more examples, but I hope I've made my point.
BRADFORDBENN
Slowpoke & Proud of It!
Thanks that helps. I agree based on that info.
I got slickered by the Luftmeisters ("masters of hot air") at a rally, took advantage of their "rally special" dual plug/SS valves head job, and sent my heads off.
The valve job took longer than expected, and one of the heads had a recently broken fin, caused we might suspect by the shipping clerk dropping it off the bench. Wanting to get the bike operational, I fumed, but put it together, and figured out how to make the dyna ignition work with the dual plugs.
Later, one of the valves self-destructed, and I did some careful measurements that showed the valve stem oversize, out of round, and tapered. I contacted Matt with the assumption that he might want to do something about the faulty parts having cost me a bundle. About six weeks later he telephoned, and explained away the problems. (no, they hadn't measured the broken valve I had returned, since he knew that every valve was measured before shipping.) Or, maybe they were oversize to save me the trouble of having to replace the guide. Or maybe the taper was within BMW specs. Or maybe it was my fault for working on my own bike...
I had to buy new heads, and balance and replace both cylinders and pistons to get a matched pair, after cleaning out the shrapnel from the engine. It was a very expensive lesson.
If you want a "hot air" catalog, I probably have one gathering dust. It is amazing that they got away with it for so many years.
I wrote an article about this for ON years ago, and more than a few airhead owners subsequently contacted me sheepishly to admit they too had been suckered and had similar disasters.
So, I second the motion: keep it stock and avoid any aftermarket engine goodies unless they have really been proven to work better (by others)
pmdave
The valve job took longer than expected, and one of the heads had a recently broken fin, caused we might suspect by the shipping clerk dropping it off the bench. Wanting to get the bike operational, I fumed, but put it together, and figured out how to make the dyna ignition work with the dual plugs.
Later, one of the valves self-destructed, and I did some careful measurements that showed the valve stem oversize, out of round, and tapered. I contacted Matt with the assumption that he might want to do something about the faulty parts having cost me a bundle. About six weeks later he telephoned, and explained away the problems. (no, they hadn't measured the broken valve I had returned, since he knew that every valve was measured before shipping.) Or, maybe they were oversize to save me the trouble of having to replace the guide. Or maybe the taper was within BMW specs. Or maybe it was my fault for working on my own bike...
I had to buy new heads, and balance and replace both cylinders and pistons to get a matched pair, after cleaning out the shrapnel from the engine. It was a very expensive lesson.
If you want a "hot air" catalog, I probably have one gathering dust. It is amazing that they got away with it for so many years.
I wrote an article about this for ON years ago, and more than a few airhead owners subsequently contacted me sheepishly to admit they too had been suckered and had similar disasters.
So, I second the motion: keep it stock and avoid any aftermarket engine goodies unless they have really been proven to work better (by others)
pmdave
V
VANZEN
Guest
have a Lufty 1993 catalogue
not wanting to part with it, really ...
but could copy info that you might need.
Luftmeister operated their business such that their primary focus was to make plenty of $$$$ selling BMW accessories
in the british-bike-aftermarket tradition.
The window of opportunity was wide open for a company to sell performance BMW parts -- the factory was not doing it. Unfortunately, the integrity was not always there.
A knowledgable mechanic, familiar with "hot-rodding" technique and strategy could make good use of Lufty parts.
The uninitiated might believe the Lufty ad copy and REALLY get into trouble...
Consequently, some parts were less than well engineered -- didn't work or didn't fit.
Claims were exaggerated.
Some were sold without regard to how they would be used / installed --
like the turbo kits and the Krauser 4V heads, which were both sold as "bolt-on" affairs with no concern as to the condition of the engines that they were bolted onto, and no caution, advice, or attempt whatsoever to be assured that their parts were installed correctly by competent professionals. And in the RB / turbo case, Lufty apparently began selling product before RB finished research & development!!
Other parts were regular fare -- good enuff, if you were willing to pay the price for dubious claimed benefits.
not wanting to part with it, really ...
but could copy info that you might need.
Luftmeister operated their business such that their primary focus was to make plenty of $$$$ selling BMW accessories
in the british-bike-aftermarket tradition.
The window of opportunity was wide open for a company to sell performance BMW parts -- the factory was not doing it. Unfortunately, the integrity was not always there.
A knowledgable mechanic, familiar with "hot-rodding" technique and strategy could make good use of Lufty parts.
The uninitiated might believe the Lufty ad copy and REALLY get into trouble...
Consequently, some parts were less than well engineered -- didn't work or didn't fit.
Claims were exaggerated.
Some were sold without regard to how they would be used / installed --
like the turbo kits and the Krauser 4V heads, which were both sold as "bolt-on" affairs with no concern as to the condition of the engines that they were bolted onto, and no caution, advice, or attempt whatsoever to be assured that their parts were installed correctly by competent professionals. And in the RB / turbo case, Lufty apparently began selling product before RB finished research & development!!
Other parts were regular fare -- good enuff, if you were willing to pay the price for dubious claimed benefits.
bmwrider@beer
New member
Luftmeister....
Found their Exhaust system at a dealer when i needed to replace my stock unit.
looked great and sounded great(on a dealer bike) Had it installed and loved the sound. It is distinct....
A few years later upon extreeeeam acceleration it launched itself off my bike .. into the front grill of a Buick. (witnessed by riding buddy).
It now has been christened the Scudmeister. (after rebuilding the dam thing)
Long live the Scudmeister!!
Scudmeister Exhaust- rambling and snorting at a rally near you..comming this summer. Rated X
Found their Exhaust system at a dealer when i needed to replace my stock unit.
looked great and sounded great(on a dealer bike) Had it installed and loved the sound. It is distinct....
A few years later upon extreeeeam acceleration it launched itself off my bike .. into the front grill of a Buick. (witnessed by riding buddy).
It now has been christened the Scudmeister. (after rebuilding the dam thing)
Long live the Scudmeister!!
Scudmeister Exhaust- rambling and snorting at a rally near you..comming this summer. Rated X
Last edited:
V
VANZEN
Guest
Scud
would LOVE to have seen that!
bmwrider@beer said:
would LOVE to have seen that!
Rinty
New member
Luftmeister
I almost had a set of Luftmeister stainless steel "high-flow" valves installed in my '82 RS, but luckily my tech insisted on using BMW ones. Only much later did I read about the grenading engines.
I imagine the turbo kits led to some interesting results as well.
Rinty
I almost had a set of Luftmeister stainless steel "high-flow" valves installed in my '82 RS, but luckily my tech insisted on using BMW ones. Only much later did I read about the grenading engines.
I imagine the turbo kits led to some interesting results as well.
Rinty
B
bmwmick
Guest
bmwrider@beer said:Luftmeiser....
Found their Exhaust system at a dealer when i needed to replace my stock unit.
looked great and sounded great(on a dealer bike) Had it installed and loved the sound. It is distinct....
A few years later upon extreeeeam acceleration it launched itself off my bike .. into the front grill of a Buick. (witnessed by riding buddy).
It now has been christened the Scudmeister. (after rebuilding the dam thing)
Long live the Scudmeister!!
Scudmeister Exhaust- rambling and snorting at a rally near you..comming this summer. Rated X
Hmmmmmm maybe "Dudwrencher" would be more appropriate. There was a pretty robust clamp at the Header/Muffler junction IIRC. I had a full Luftmeister system on my K1100 for about 20K miles till I got sick of repacking it every few thousand miles. Nice power hit at 4,500 RPM though. The matching chip killed fuel mileage to about 36MPG. But it DID run nice.
Ahhhh, when I was younger and more foolish.
Luftmeister
I am looking for one of the K75 turbos if anyone knows where there might be one.
Reflection on some of the posts on this thread:
The kits and engineering were far from complete and were not "bolt" on in my opinion.
As far as the carb kit they had for the K75's, you did get significant power gains because it eliminated the relativiely restrictive intake system with mass flow sensor, etc. Didn't really make for a nice ride though. The two guys I talked to that had them said it cooked their crotch.
I do have a Luftmeister catalog/price list (from the early '90s?) that I could scan in some pages if interested. I do not believe there would be any issues with that.
Steve
svonborstel@rocketmail.com
49908
I am looking for one of the K75 turbos if anyone knows where there might be one.
Reflection on some of the posts on this thread:
The kits and engineering were far from complete and were not "bolt" on in my opinion.
As far as the carb kit they had for the K75's, you did get significant power gains because it eliminated the relativiely restrictive intake system with mass flow sensor, etc. Didn't really make for a nice ride though. The two guys I talked to that had them said it cooked their crotch.
I do have a Luftmeister catalog/price list (from the early '90s?) that I could scan in some pages if interested. I do not believe there would be any issues with that.
Steve
svonborstel@rocketmail.com
49908
GILLY
What, me worry?
As long as the thread is revived:
There was a guy at, what was it the 25th anniversary rally in DuQuoin IL? Who had the carb set on his K75 and was PO'd my non-stock yet injected k75 outpowered his by a pretty good margin; I don't believe he even put out what the stockers were putting out. He had lots of excuses. I had lots of power. (CC Products big valve kit, Luftmeister regound the cams for me and I had no problems, as far as I know they are still bumping away at the valves to this day. Was a trade-off doing it, as was mentioned (several years ago on this thread). My fuel mileage never sucked THAT bad though.
Gilly
There was a guy at, what was it the 25th anniversary rally in DuQuoin IL? Who had the carb set on his K75 and was PO'd my non-stock yet injected k75 outpowered his by a pretty good margin; I don't believe he even put out what the stockers were putting out. He had lots of excuses. I had lots of power. (CC Products big valve kit, Luftmeister regound the cams for me and I had no problems, as far as I know they are still bumping away at the valves to this day. Was a trade-off doing it, as was mentioned (several years ago on this thread). My fuel mileage never sucked THAT bad though.
Gilly
Luftmeister saddle tanks.
Perhaps because they are low-tech, the Luftmeister saddle tanks work well. I picked up an unused set in the early '90s for $100 and mounted them on my '81 RS in England. Rode around Europe for a few years, and the USA afterwards. Plumbed in right, they give me a 5-stage reserve. I Td them in above the crossover T. I run with one petcock on the main tank. When that sputters out, I set the 2nd petcock to 'On' (stage 1 of reserve). When it sputters I switch on one saddle tank (stage 2). Next, the other saddle tank (stage 3). Then I go back to reserve on one side of the main tank (stage 4). And finally, reserve on the other side of the main tank (stage 5). That should work in theory, although I have never had to get to stage 4 or 5 before finding a gas station. I've ridden through some pretty remote areas. Hwy 50 across Utah and Nevada, for instance. A sign posted in Utah warned 209 miles to next gas stop at the Nevada line. When I arrived the gas station was boarded up. Coasted into Ely on fumes. It was after that when I found the saddle tanks. Still have them on the '81 RS along with a 9-gal Heinrich main tank. The saddle tanks carry a gallon each.
Perhaps because they are low-tech, the Luftmeister saddle tanks work well. I picked up an unused set in the early '90s for $100 and mounted them on my '81 RS in England. Rode around Europe for a few years, and the USA afterwards. Plumbed in right, they give me a 5-stage reserve. I Td them in above the crossover T. I run with one petcock on the main tank. When that sputters out, I set the 2nd petcock to 'On' (stage 1 of reserve). When it sputters I switch on one saddle tank (stage 2). Next, the other saddle tank (stage 3). Then I go back to reserve on one side of the main tank (stage 4). And finally, reserve on the other side of the main tank (stage 5). That should work in theory, although I have never had to get to stage 4 or 5 before finding a gas station. I've ridden through some pretty remote areas. Hwy 50 across Utah and Nevada, for instance. A sign posted in Utah warned 209 miles to next gas stop at the Nevada line. When I arrived the gas station was boarded up. Coasted into Ely on fumes. It was after that when I found the saddle tanks. Still have them on the '81 RS along with a 9-gal Heinrich main tank. The saddle tanks carry a gallon each.
Lufmeister fuel injection kit
Hello--
I realize this is an old thread but I have to start somewhere. I have recently acquired a Lufmeister fuel injection kit to install on my '92 GSPD but no instructions came with it. I writing the list in case someone has a set or could point me in the right direction to locate one. Thanks in advance. John
Hello--
I realize this is an old thread but I have to start somewhere. I have recently acquired a Lufmeister fuel injection kit to install on my '92 GSPD but no instructions came with it. I writing the list in case someone has a set or could point me in the right direction to locate one. Thanks in advance. John
breyfogle
New member
News Flash !! A Harley with a muffler ????
