Ted's House: Garage: My K1100RS

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Ted's House
The Black K1100RS

"Speed is what the K1100RS likes,
thousands of miles of it."
Steve Engelbrecht, MotorWorld Online K1100RS Review

The Black K1100RS
by Ted Verrill

I bought my 1995 K1100RS on April 29, 1997. I picked it up around 11:30pm that night and by 5:00am the next morning I was on my way to Georgia for the 1997 Georgia Rally. The bike had 10,731 miles on it. In July of 1999 I unfortunately totaled this wonderful machine, literally just a few miles shy of 50,000 miles.

Regular Scheduled Maintenance
Pick Up Bike	Service II Inspection completed immediately prior to pick-up, including Brake Fluid change.	10,731	04/29/97	YAY New(ish) Bike! *Level II (BMW Inspection)*
Engine Oil and Filter Change (work by Bob's BMW)	BMW Oil 20-50, BMW Filter Kit	12,744	05/20/97	*Level I (BMW Service)*
Engine Oil and Filter Change	BMW Oil 20-50 BMW Filter Kit	16,327	08/02/97	no comments
Transmission Oil Change	Mobil-1 Synthetic GL75/90 Gear Oil	16,327	08/02/97	Smoother shifting.
Final Drive Oil Change	BMW Brand GL 80/90 Gear Oil	16,327	08/02/97	no comments
Coolant Change	BMW Brand Coolant 45/55 Mix with Distilled Water. Distilled water in the overflow.	16,327	08/02/97	Removed, drained & cleaned the overflow tank.
Engine Oil and Filter Change	BMW Oil 20-50 BMW Filter Kit	20,061	09/06/97	no comments
Spark Plugs (work by Bob's BMW)	Champion Plugs	23,370	10/11/97	BIG change- much smoother than before, with much less buzz. One plug had yellowish deposits.
Air Filter (work by Bob's BMW)	K&N Air Filter	23,370	10/11/97	Replaced the stock BMW air filter with the K&N at the suggestion of Bobs' service manager.
Fork Oil (work by Bob's BMW)	BMW 7.5 Fork Oil & BMW Drain/fill gaskets	24,296	11/13/97
Valve Adjust (work by Bob's BMW)	2 Cam Shims Required (2.75, 2.85)	24,296	11/13/97	WOW - even better than the improvement with the spark plugs. No buzz anymore, smoother than the K75 loaner bike!
Engine Oil and Filter Change	Mobil-1 15-50 BMW Oil Filter Cruch Washers	24,340	11/15/97	Not sure whether it is the synthetic oil or the fuel filter, but the engine seems to run even smoother and rev freer.
Fuel Filter Change	BMW Fuel Filter	24,340	11/15/97
Rear Brakes Bled	Bell Dot 4 Brake Fluid	25,981	12/13/97
Front Brakes Bled	Bell Dot 4 Brake Fluid	26,837	02/08/98
Engine Oil and Filter Change	Mobil-1 20-50 BMW Filter Kit	29k
Engine Oil and Filter Change	Mobil-1 20-50 BMW Filter Kit	34k
Fuel Filter Change	BMW Fuel Filter			I thought the fuel filter was clogged due to sluggish response so I changed it, (it turned out to be a faulty injector which was replaced under warranty.)
Engine Oil and Filter Change	Mobil-1 20-50 BMW Filter Kit	37,341	08/15/98
Transmission Oil Change	Mobil-1 Synthetic GL75/90 Gear Oil	37,341	08/15/98
Final Drive Oil Change	Mobil-1 Synthetic GL75/90 Gear Oil	37,341	08/15/98
Spark Plugs (work by Bob's BMW)	Bosch XR7LDC	37,???	??????	Big improvement, similiar yellow deposits on one of the plugs.
Complete Spline Service (work by Bob's BMW)		37,???		Requires major dissembly of the bike (and over 7 hours of labor!) Services included are brake fluid change and frame/swingarm bearing check and torque.
Brake Fluid (work by Bob's BMW)	Bel 3/4	37,???		The brake fluid was changed over when the complete spline service was performed.
Engine Oil and Filter Change	Mobil-1 20-50 BMW Filter Kit	42,141	10/30/98
Fork Oil	BMW 7.5 Wt. BMW O-Rings	45,451	02/07/99	New fork springs too, Yahoo!
Engine Oil and Filter Change	Mobil-1 20-50 Motorcycle Oil BMW Filter Kit	47,022	06/01/99
Transmission Oil Change	Mobil-1 Synthetic GL75/90 Gear Oil	47,022	06/01/99
Final Drive Oil Change	Mobil-1 Synthetic GL75/90 Gear Oil	47,022	06/01/99
Spark Plugs (work by Bob's BMW)	Bosch XR7LDC	48,282	06/10/99	As with the last plug change, one of the plugs had deposits on it - Bob's will do a leakdown to see if one of the cylinders has "issues"

Unscheduled Maintenance History
Bag Latch (work by Bob's BMW)	BMW OEM Key Cylinder	13,102	06/07/97	Bob's replaced the key cylinder no questions asked.
Radiator Cap O-Ring (work by Bob's BMW)	OEM Seal	15,585	07/26/97	BOB's replaced sealing ring under warranty with a promise to replace the cap once it is in stock.
Oil Fill Cap O-Ring (work by Bob's BMW)	OEM O-ring	15,585	07/26/97	BOB's replaced O-ring under warranty.
Radiator Cap (work by Bob's BMW)	OEM Replacement	16,960	08/07/97	BOB's replaced cap under warranty.
Steering Head Bearing Adjustment (work by Bob's BMW)	N/A	16,960	08/07/97	Steering MUCH better, no more wobbles.
Rear Tire (work by Bob's BMW)	Michelin BT-54 160/60 ZR-18	16,960	08/07/97	I switched from the BT-50 to the more mileage oriented BT-54. I noticed no degradation in handling (actually got a little better!)
Exhaust Header Bolt Replaced (work by Bob's BMW)	BMW OEM Bolt & Hanger Assembly	17,150	08/12/97	All exhaust header bolts were retorqued, two additional ones were not to spec. The missing bolt (#1 cylinder) simply backed itself out?!?
Front Tire (work by Bob's BMW)	Michelin BT-54 170/70 ZR-17	23,370	10/11/97	The old BT-50 lasted about 14,000 miles but towards the end wore very unevenly towards the left side of the tire.
Check Exhaust Torques (work by Bob's BMW)		23,370	10/11/97	All bolts within spec.
Fork Seals (work by Bob's BMW)	OEM Seals	24,296	11/13/97
Fork Gators (work by Bob's BMW)	Bob's Gators for K bikes	24,296	11/13/97
Tachometer (work by Bob's BMW)	OEM	24,296	11/13/97	Original tach stuck when in direct sunlight I think from an air bubble under the tach face sticker - a pin would have done the job out of warranty ;-).
Rear Right Turn Signal Bulb	OEM from BMW Bulb Kit	25,746	12/07/97
Rear Brake Pads	EBC "Black"	25,981	12/13/97
Rear Right Turn Signal Bulb	Generic 1157	25,981	12/13/97
Front Brake Pads	EBC "Black" FA170	26,837	02/08/98
Exhaust System (work by Bob's BMW)	BMW OEM			Baffle was loose, replaced under warranty.
Injector Unit (work by Bob's BMW)	BMW OEM			This might have been faulty from the beginning, only progressively getting worse.
Rear Tire (work by Honda NorthWest BMW, Columbus, OH)	Metzeler ME-Z4	36,601	07/19/98	Love this tire! The BT-50 that had only a few thousand miles on it picked up a few staples and had to be replaced.
Rear Tire (work by Bob's BMW)	Bridgestone BT-50	41,864	10/24/98	The ME-Z4 was a great tire but its softness was its undoing - after picking up a second nail I replaced it with my old standby, the BT-50.
Adjust Clutch (work by Bob's BMW)	N/A	46,370	4/17/99	I gotta learn how to do this myself :)
Front Tire (work by Bob's BMW)	Michelin BT-50	46,370	4/17/99	The old BT-50 lasted a long time but towards the end wore very unevenly towards the left side of the tire.

Updates & Modifications
Run'N'Lites Rear	Run'N'Lites Type-2	16,960	08/07/97	I decided to spend the $27.95 after being told how poor the rear visibility of the K Bikes are.
K&N Air Filter (work by Bob's BMW)	K&N Air Filter	23,370	10/11/97	Minor improvement in performance.
Fork Gators (work by Bob's BMW)	K bikes	24,296	11/13/97	Far better than regular fork slider, keeps seals far more protected.
BMW K-Bike Luggage Rack	OEM Rack	24,296	11/13/97
BMW Heated Grips	BMW Heated Grip kit	42,141	10/30/98	These things are HOT!!!
BMW "C" Bar	BMW "C" Bar	42,141	10/30/98
Fork Springs	White Brothers WP Fork Springs	45,451	02/07/99	Big difference, much nicer ride. The WP springs are "full length", no spacer is required. I believe the longer spring and progressive windings at both ends make for a better upgrade than similiar aftermarket springs.

Short Trip Notes
January 31, 1999	Short Ride to West Virginia Don Graling, Bill Shaw, Brian Horais and I rode out to see Larry Fears at his house in Charles Town. It was COLD but the bike performed flawlessly - didn't even have an ABS fault and the bike started immediately at 18 degrees. Here is what Don had to say :)
July 15, 1999	Washington DC to Delaware Memorial Bridge.

Detailed Trip Logs
GEORGIA RALLY 1997 April 29th - May 4th, 1997
MILEAGE	GALLONS	TOWN	ELAPSED	MILEAGE
		Georgetown, DC
		Front Royal, VA
11,018	4.00	Buena Vista, VA
11,182	4.30	Fancy Gap, VA	164	38.14
11,284	2.52	Blowing Rock, NC	102	40.48
11,448	4.0		164	41.00
11,660	3.9		212	54.36
11,812	3.45		152	44.06
11,955	3.42	Hiawassee, GA	143	41.81
12,147	4.15	Ashville, NC	192	46.27
12,338	4.30	Lexington, NC	191	44.42
12,469	2.87		131	45.65
12,575	2.46	Richmond, VA	106	43.09
				43.928
The bike in general ran flawlessly, though it was quite a big change from the K75S. Initial impressions are that while it is not as nimble in the corners as the K75, when the proper line is found it is truly incredible.

MAINE for the 4th of JULY 1997 July 2nd - 6th, 1997
MILEAGE	GALLONS	TOWN	ELAPSED	MILEAGE
13,933	Full	Alexandria, VA 07/02 - 17:39	N/A	N/A
14,105	3.52	NJ TPK 07/02 - 21:32	172	48.86
14,292	4.46	Waterbury, CT 07/03 - 1:52	187	41.93
14,477	4.05	Freeport, ME 07/03 - 6:31	185	45.68
14,597	2.67	ME 07/03 - 9:32	120	44.94
14,765	3.85	ME 07/04 - 12:04	168	43.64
14,963	4.59	ME 07/06 - 12:52	198	43.14
15,137	3.63	CT 07/06 - 16:43	174	47.93
15,291	3.16	NJ 07/06 - 20:34	154	48.73
15,458	3.89	MD 07/06 - 23:12	167	42.93
15,613	N/A	Old Town, Alexandria, VA	155	N/A
1,680	33.82			45.309
I rode up to Islesboro through a terrible storm the entire way (with a quick 30 minute nap in Massachusetts), stopped at Beans, and made it to the Lincolnville Ferry at about 9am. The next day Larry Fears and I rode over to Acadia to get the National Park Stamp. Returned through terrible traffic on the 6th. I had only two problems with the bike. The gear indicator was intermittant the second day (I think due to 12 hours of heavy rain,) though that lasted only a few hours. Second, the radiator cap leaked. Bob's replaced the sealing ring as they had no cap in stock, and I have made a service appointment to have it replaced before my big August trip.

VERMONT, NEW HAMPSHIRE, CANADA & MAINE August 13 - 24th, 1997
MILEAGE	GALLONS	TOWN	ELAPSED	MILEAGE
17,186	Full	Alexandria, VA 08/13 - 04:52	N/A	N/A
17,321	2.99	Cape May, NJ 08/13 - 09:31	135	45.15
17,491	3.80	Paramus, NJ 08/13 - 12:21	170	44.74
17,676	4.35	Becket, Mass. 08/13 - 20:21	185	42.53
17,873	4.19	Lebanon, NH 08/14 - 13:20	197	47.02
18,029	3.61	Johnson, VT 08/14 - 17:22	156	43.21
18,190	3.79	Berlin, NH 08/15 - 10:09	161	42.48
18,374	4.05	Franconia Notch, NH 08/16 - 08:25	184	45.43
18,542	14.77ltr 4.06	Marieville, PQ 08/16 - 11:46	168	41.38
18,687 (horrendous headwinds)	15.04ltr 4.14	Laurence, PQ 08/16 - 19:47	145	35.02
18,754	4.21ltr 1.16	St. Gerard, PQ 08/16 - 21:56	67	57.76
18,943	4.35	Newport, ME 08/17 - 10:34	189	43.45
Arrive Islesboro, Me, 08/17 - 16:30, 18,999 miles.
19,125	4.08	Saco, ME 08/24 - 10:43	182	44.61
19,290	3.59	Scituate, RI 08/24 - 14:25	165	45.96
19,474	4.09	Montvale, NJ 08/24 - 17:33	184	44.99
19,662	3.90	Bel Air, MD 08/24 - 20:54	188	47.24
Arrive Old Town Alexandria, VA, 08/24 - 22:31, 19,742 miles.
2,538	56.15			44.731
The bike didn't as much as hiccup during this trip. On the New Jersey turnpike the back end felt a little loose like the tire was low on air but the tire checked out fine. I wonder if the rear shock is starting to go?

1997 RA RALLY, FONTANA, NC September 18 - 21st, 1997
MILEAGE	GALLONS	TOWN	ELAPSED	MILEAGE
20,944	Full	Alexandria, VA 09/17/97	N/A	N/A
21,127	4.12	Apammattox, VA 09/17/97	183	44.17
21,300	3.95	Floyd, VA 09/18/97	187	47.34
21,385	1.78	Doughton Park, VA 09/18/97	85	47.75
21,530	3.41	Ashville, NC 09/18/97	145	42.52
21,657	2.80	Fontana, NC 09/19/97	127	45.36
21,815	3.73	Chattanooga, TN 09/19/97	158	42.36
21,957	3.11	Exit 42, I-75, TN 09/19/97	142	45.66
22,109	3.49	Robbinsville, NC 09/20/97	152	43.55
22,252	3.00	Robbinsville, NC 09/20/97	143	47.67
22,326	1.79	Pigeon Forge, NC 09/21/97	74	42.53
22,509	3.75	Pennington Gap, VA 09/21/97	183	48.80
22,706	4.095	Ironto, VA 09/21/97	197	48.11
22,798	2.02	Greenville, VA 09/21/97	92	45.55
Arrive Old Town Alexandria, VA, 09/21 - 23:35, 22,960 miles.
2,016	41.045			45.49
The bike worked literally without incident. Oil consumption is down to about 0.5 quarts per 1,000 miles. The bike did run a bit hot in traffic on I-24 around Chattanooga, though the light never came on and as soon as we started moving again the temperature returned to normal. Also, the front tire, a BT-54, has finally given up the ghost and will soon need a replacement. In the final 300 or so miles the tire has worn unevenly, much more on the clutch side then the throttle.

1998 GEORGIA RALLY April 29 - May 3, 1998
MILEAGE	GALLONS	TOWN	ELAPSED	MILEAGE
31,614	Full	Alexandria, VA 04/29/98	N/A	N/A
31,801	4.317	Fairfield, VA 04/29/98
31,951	3.702	Fancy Gap, VA 04/30/98
32,128	4.152	Black Mt., NC 04/30/98
32,279	3.43	Hiawassee, GA 04/30/98
32,469	4.05	Robbinsville, NC
32,549	1.8	Helen, GA
32,649	2.05	Hiawassee, GA
32,752	2.245	Ashville, NC
32,908	3.56	BRP/Doughton Pk, NC
33,109	4.36	Steele's Tavern, VA
33,332	4.786	Old Town Alexandria, VA
Arrive Old Town Alexandria, VA, 05/03 - 21:05, 33,332

Used very little oil, down to about 0.3 per 1,000 miles. This was a WET trip, both up and back. The BRP, which was far too foggy to ride on the way down, was too rainy on the way back (but I did it anyway ;-) Too bad the Aerostich Roadcrafter I won didn't arrive till 5 weeks later.

AMA Conference July 17 - July 20, 1998
MILEAGE	GALLONS	TOWN	ELAPSED	MILEAGE
35,792	Full	Old Town Alexandria, VA
35,942	3.492	Cumberland, WV
36,121	4.413	Wheeling, WV 07/18/98
36,328	4.660	Lancaster, OH
Arrive Columbus, OH, 07/18/98, 36,366
36,517	4.875*	Mid-Ohio Races
36,709	4.258	Columbus, OH
36,905	4.395	Cheat River, WV
37,051	3.083	Frederick, MD
Arrive Old Town Alexandria, VA, 37,066

Oil consumption hovering about 0.3 per 1,000. Trip went well but for a rear tire that picked up a staple at the Mid-Ohio races. The Metzeler rep helped me patch it so I replaced the ailing BT-50 with a ME-Z4 from Honda Northwest BMW in Columbus, OH (excellent service and prices!) The tire is excellent in all respects. The AMA Lobbyist almost took me out in his black 325 on the way back to the Hotel, made sure to kid him about that one ;-)

This material is for personal use only. Republication and redissemination, including posting to news groups, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Ted Verrill.