85KRS polishing headers

[8ninety8]

Gotta go rubber down.

 

[barryg]

Good job; it really is a labor of love. You've inspired me. I'm in the process of freshening up a a '87 K100. It needs a total cleaning and detailing like what you are doing. I also see you are addressing some mechanical/service issues. You've got a plan and your following thru with it. The early K100RS was a revolutionary design in styling and engineering for BMW Motorad. Glad to see you bring the luster back to the bike. I remember seeing these bikes new on the showroom floor, they looked like something way in the future. Mine was a RT. I'm the 3'rd owner, bought it in like new condition with a few thousand miles on the OD. Rode it just 45,000 miles. I tired of the fairing so I removed it. it's on it's way to being a well outfitted 'K100T'. It will get a major service and now I will bear down on some cleaning and detailing. Pictures of my bike is over in Regional South in Ride Eat Meet.

 

[barryg]

That's what I'm talkin about. Wow. Neat. Nothing like a compact drive engine hanging from the rafters. I think I need to have my injectors cleaned or replaced. Probably new wires. Sometimes it seems endless. On my Mid South Ride Eat Meet thread I put a clutch in my R1100RS, I think pics on about post 1030. You might appreciate it. Bikes should be self servicing and self cleaning.

 

[barryg]

Looks like a Motad muffler. Love the look.

 

[QUICKDRAW]

Iv'e spent time this winter wrenching on my airhead but after seeing your post I need to do some clean up on my K75. Can you please let us know what polishing compound you used on the headers.

 

[barryg]

Looking good.

 

[pglaves]

What I don't get about that fork is, WTheck is that little spring do? Slide up and down on the valve tube when you hit a bump? I keep looking at it and it appears to not be involved in anything related to bottoming out or suspending anything?

The top spring captured between the top plug and the piston. The slider pushes the valve thingee up and down compressing and extending the top spring. Oil goes in and out of various holes. And the little spring does what? What am I missing? Having a brain block.

Look again. It is a retardent to the fork fully extending = call it an anti-topping spring.

It stays inside the bottom of the fork tube as the damping rod sticks down into the slider.

 

[mlytle]

hard to tell from the pics, but did you replace the "manifolds" (things golf balls are in)? if not, do it. no matter how good they may look, the seal on the bottom flattens out and gets hard from the heat. they will leak and cause the engine to run lean. do it now, or you will be taking all that stuff apart later to do it then...

btdt...

 

[barryg]

I really enjoy seeing your progression on this bike. As usual, good job.

 

[stagewex]

Makeover

Your bike is looking really incredible. I want to do that polishing to my K bikes headers and exhaust next Winter.

I had some very bad exhaust pipe grunge on my old r60/2. Hit one of those 50 gallon contractor bags that had fallen out of a truck in front of me at 65mph. The bag thankfully had only other soft stuff (rags and other plastic) inside of it. But the moment the front wheel passed over it the burning hot headers exploded the bag all over the underside of the bike.

I used a heat gun and believe it or not Easy Off oven cleaner to get the carbonized plastic off. It worked so well that I tried it on my K75 in the couple spots where my boot or show had touched and it really cleared away stuff. Of course after it will still need polishing to get to the level you have gone.

Word of warning about the Easy Off... with out being a chemist I can tell you high heat and this particular cleaner are no doubt toxic. So if you happen to try this out do it outside. You'll still catch a whiff or two anyway.