Oddly enough, I couldn't find too many motorbike quotes from Mark Twain, or Abraham Lincoln, or even Shakespeare. So we'll have to go with some Irishman (you know who you are) who said...

"I once ran out of bikes to build. I couldn't believe the sense of panic"


Which pretty much explains why these are suddenly in the boot of my car



Oh lord, why two?

Well, if you leave them alone for long enough, they might mate and multiply (if you're lucky....)

Why Two? Well at a guess and seeing as you're quoting Irishmen, I'd say "to be sure to be sure" Might be the reason. 

Looks like the Dai is cast. I sense a Kwadricycle coming on. Inspired by one Madass.

Oh heck no,
It's happening again...

Love that :-)

Just trying things for size and no, a 3 cylinder engine doesn't fit in a 4 cylinder frame (never take anyone's word for anything)

I measured the paralever and standard swingarms with a bit more accuracy, and the paralever on its own adds 37mm to the wheelbase (the paralever is fitted in the picture)

Ignore the wheel in the pic (a 17" with a Tourance tyre) it's just there to give an idea of proportions.

K75cster noted the effect that a 78mm cut and shut would have on the alignment of the frame top rails (great spatial perception - I bet he's left handed!), so I checked this out. The slope is 7.5' and the missing 78mm would leave the back half 10mm lower than the front half. This would require the two halves each to rotate clockwise approximately 1' in order for them to align and be joined back up. Too much. Loses the benefit of the steeper rake.

Anyway, have a look at this:

... which just cries out for a shapely hanger bracket cum rearset footrest mount, picking up the original M10 mounting hole and the 2 rearmost M8 footrest hanger holes. Guiding light is coming in through the window at this point because...this makes it possible to set the frame rear mountings 10mm higher than standard (it's set like that in the picture) which gives a further one degree reduction in rake. The two hanger brackets can be complemented with a triangular ally plate for the top bellhousing mounting, which will replace the original steel flange, replaced with a couple of bosses welded to the frame in its place. The 3 hanger plates can be remade with slighty different vertical offsets, which would be almost like having adjustable rake.

The reduction in rake to 25.5' now calculates out at 110mm trail using the KTM duke yokes and forks (34mm offset compared with 56mm offset on the standard K1100 yokes). 

The wheelbase starting point is 1565mm (standard K1100RS). The 'forward shift' of the CDS by the missing cylinder is 78mm, which means that the rear wheel has moved forward by that amount. This stage brings wheelbase down to 1487mm. The increase in trail through using KTM yokes is 18mm (I can't find a web figure for the K1100RS' trail, so I calculated it at 92mm), so this rearward shift of the front wheel brings the wheelbase down to 1469mm. Lastly, the 1' increase in rake (calculated as a rotation of the frame around the front engine mounting) brings the front wheel back a further 3mm. So the theoretical wheelbase is down to 1466mm.

Just thoughts at this stage...don't shoot me

Post 5 has to be "Post of the Year"...if we had such a thing!

Not sure that anyone outside the UK (or under 50) would know who those two guys are..

chris846 wrote:Not sure that anyone outside the UK (or under 50) would know who those two guys are..

I am over 50, and from outside the UK. You got me on this one.

chris846 wrote:Not sure that anyone outside the UK (or under 50) would know who those two guys are..

Krayzy!

If you want a good productive challenge put a 6 speed K1200 gearbox into the K75 and give us a step by step on the whole process or put a telelever front end on a K75.
They would be good projects and many here could benefit from what you do.

The Kray twins...Ronnie and Reggie. There are numerous books and a couple of films about the "exploits".

They had led an interesting life.

There are indeed quite a few who would like to see a K1200 gearbox in there......including one Michael Oakes and we know you know him too.

Speaking of strangers in the night a high res photo of K bikes was requested and one of your Kreation should be provided since you are coming to K Fest.

Interesting that you know I'm left handed, just from that one post, intriguing.
I must say the frame seems to fit alright, I see you have the first two bolts in ready, Just three more to go.
A way to resolve the rotation of the frame is to sleeve and pin the upper frame rails together and then remove the 10mm from the legs accounting for the slight realignment of the front frame mounts, which may mean you gain a mm or two up top but you've only pinned them and they can be repined before welding and setting in position. That way the three rear bolts will slip right into the three mounts as yet lined up.

You can continue the way you are going with some attention paid to the rear wheels movement into the frame crossmembers.
The addition of 37mm by using the K1100 paralever nearly lines it all back up again in the 1100 frame just 41mm to sort.

Moving the engine forward to the front frame mounts and dragging the gearbox forward will change the stock footpeg setup, It would be close to a mid mount of forward controls like some choppers offer. Interesting concept. 

I don't know anything about the KTM front end you are looking at but am wondering does the front guard look like touching the engine on full compression?

I like the idea of a K1200 gearbox and suspension in there, but thought it might work better with an R850rt gearbox and suspension, that would also give a closer final ratio for the road. The travel is 135mm for the R850 and that would match the front of a stock K1100 but maybe not the KTM or DUKE front end planned.

I at present have the K100 final drive on my K75, and it does not hurt the bikes drive out of corners of tootling around town. Just a thought.

Looking forwards to your next post. Interesting that the K1200 and R1100/850's have 120mm front end travel which is an equal to the stock K1100 rear in there at present. I am wondering just how a matched set of suspension travel would do to the bikes feel on the road.

Here's some food for thought:

This is a R1100/1150 series swingarm and it seems to fit okay. Only thing is, the boxers have much shorter engines than the Ks so their swingarms are all a couple of inches longer. Shame, it would have offered a central shock.

 Allo, Josef?

 Ja!

 Listen up, der idiot from Barnsley ist at it again!

 Oh shitz...das is nicht true?

 Mein freund, das ist nicht something Ich would pull your bein about. Listen, diese time wir haben to do something about it. Schnell. Haben sie still got das Mauser?

chris846 wrote:
 Allo, Josef?

 Ja!

 Listen up, der idiot from Barnsley ist at it again!

 Oh shitz...das is nicht true?

 Mein freund, das ist nicht something Ich would pull your bein about. Listen, diese time wir haben to do something about it. Schnell. Haben sie still got das Mauser?

Nein. Kalashnikov und Corbin.

RicK G wrote:

What kind of tyres do you recommend for your tank? Do you use mineral or synthetic oil? Does it play 10cc?

92KK 84WW Olaf wrote:

RicK G wrote:

What kind of tyres do you recommend for your tank? Do you use mineral or synthetic oil? Does it play 10cc?

Tyres:- Round Black rubberish,   Oil:- F**king heaps any kind including used from fish and chip shops,  No, it plays Burning Bridges.

RicK G wrote:No, it plays Burning Bridges.

Yeah - and everything's probably Obscured By Clouds when you've finished.

chris846 wrote:Here's some food for thought:

This is a R1100/1150 series swingarm and it seems to fit okay. Only thing is, the boxers have much shorter engines than the Ks so their swingarms are all a couple of inches longer. Shame, it would have offered a central shock.

I had suggested the 850 for the shorter gearing in the final drive, but which ever is used its the ability to line up with the stock rear guard that then allow you to have the short engined K75 motor and the R1100 gearbox final drive combo working in a frame you didn't have to amend. If it works then you would sit back rather smugly and feel really happy about your search for a great handling bike. 135mm front end travel on the stock 1100 forks and 135mm travel on the R1100 rear suspension, gotta be a great scoot to hoot about on.

Early days, lots and LOTS of squinting required..

Note No.1 tool centre stage..

 Josef?

 Steffi liebling

 Der Idiot ist "Skvinting" jetzt

 Sodding idiot.

 Er hat gone and tried to put ein 3 cylinder engine into ein four cylinder frame!

 Ho ho ho ho ho...nicht wunder er ist...ho ho ho.."Skvinting"! Was ist los - kann er nicht count? Drei?...Vier? Ist he some special kind of moron? Ho ho ho ho

 Nein, er ist from Barnsley. Sie sind all like das over there.

Chris, es ist wunderbar!  I like how it levels out with the delicate earlier Y rim on the front which is then counterbalanced by the more meaty later 3 spoke on the back.  This will be a work of art that communicates on so many levels

Listen 'Woodie', I have my limits you know, I can only take so much!

I'd say it looks worse in the flesh, but that's not possible. I think the key element that this project needs in order to proceed, is a lack of respect for reality.

like the disks on the front chris ,what are they off ,  or newbies ?

Oooh good spot! 
They are 310mm from a Soozooki (possibly early 18" wheel GSXR-1100) They needed drilling with a 4-hole pattern, plus a spacer. I fitted them to my K100 years ago.

I think other people have fitted these discs too?

OK, I'm going to have to say this again.  I don't care much for custom conglomerations, but based on your last example, I'm looking forward to this.   It should be a great mix.   Sort of a "Best of K Bikes", or "K's Greatest Hits".   
 Everything you ever wanted in a BMW...and less.

Post 7. I know those are English words but cannot understand a syllable of it...

 Allo Casey?

 Steamin and a rollin' baby, steamin and a rollin...

chris846 wrote:"Post 7. I know those are English words but cannot understand a syllable of it..."


That's because it's garbled nonsense masquerading as technical insight. I mean, c'mon, that last picture just looks like the kids have been playing with bike parts.


On a serious note (now I'm laughing) I think K75cster's idea of removing 10mm or so from the front frame legs looks favourite. The radiator will still just about fit, and the measured rake (26') will be preserved. The KTM forks and yokes, with their increased trail, don't look like they are going to cause problems with the front wheel striking the timing cover. But, the steering lock seems as though it might be a bit limited. I say a bit limited...I'll probably rip the tyres off and travel everywhere by railway lines.

Sounds like your on the right track.

Reminds me I have this nice Bob Dylan album here....

Well this is definitely looking like one slow train, turns out I promised to do some decorating when I retired 15 months ago. How can anyone remember that? I can't even remember what I had for tea last night

chris846 wrote:Well this is definitely looking like one slow train, turns out I promised to do some decorating when I retired 15 months ago. How can anyone remember that? I can't even remember what I had for tea last night

I was thinking more like 'Blood on The Tracks'.....


Sounds like we need to dig out 'Paint it Black'.

"I see a red door and I want to paint it magnolia.."

Nah, it wouldn't have worked.

Still squinting. Seat arrived from cafe4racer, very impressed. Note that there's actually 2 (one's upside down on the bench) the first arrived damaged in transit - the second arrived just 36 hours later! Excellent people.
I'll post some details of the seat unit later, but meanwhile I'm just playing with the lines before I start sawing things to bits. I'm thinking of an Avon/Rickman fairing - the one with the big perspex nosecone. The tape line between the forks and the tank is the bottom edge of the fairing..

 Ist das...insulation
 ...tape?
 .....
 Fritzi...
 Steffi...
 Ach, mein mutti..
 Julie Andrews?
 MEIN MUTTI IST NICHT JULIE ANDREWS!
 Sie sind from Austria nicht wahr?
 Ich bin nicht ein bloody Von Trapp for der millionth time, you sodding imbecile!
 Edelweiss...edelwiess...

chris846 wrote:Still squinting. Seat arrived from cafe4racer, very impressed. Note that there's actually 2 (one's upside down on the bench) the first arrived damaged in transit - the second arrived just 36 hours later! Excellent people.
I'll post some details of the seat unit later, but meanwhile I'm just playing with the lines before I start sawing things to bits. I'm thinking of an Avon/Rickman fairing - the one with the big perspex nosecone. The tape line between the forks and the tank is the bottom edge of the fairing..

Funny how BMW designed that tank over 30 years ago with holes in it for you to set out your fairing lines.

I knew the K was ahead of its time but that puts a new perspective on it.
I guess now you will find the Rickman fairing is a perfect fit.....

 Pretty smart huh, die holes in der tank fur die Rickman fairing?
 Das was my idea.
 Das sodding was not. Your idea was der side panels das kept falling off!

Hier ist Fritz Egli.....Side panels??? Nein!!!!!!

It looks like the tank needs to drop at the rear to align with the fairing tape line. Just visualising and thinking. That would create a lot of work to true the image. But the Image would run so clean that way.
The other thing I am wondering it the seat tank relationship, will they partner for life or completely marry?
Just looking at the shape of the seat front and imagining the tank shaped the same, a real orgasmicly close fit to us humans

I can see why you wanted the R1100 gearbox and suspension, that combo would really look good huh?

agree about the tank line
what about raising the front of the tank just a metric smidgen (maybe 30 -50mm )  pending interference from the steering head ?

Trying to organise the lines...

...to put me in touching distance of the most achingly gorgeous bike of all time, that I'll never own...

Burgh... it's Japanese (says the Bandit owner!).

As far as Zorst's go I'd bet parts of your anatomy would twitch if you were to run a three into two and Siamese it up under the tail piece like the V twin Honda's did.
Wont all those lines weight the bike down?