Guys,

I want to strip the back end of the bike and treat and repaint the frame as it's got a fair bit of surface rust.

I was going to use an electric drill with some sort of attachments (wire brush/flapper etc) plus metal primer and metal gloss, brush applied.

When I eventually rebuild it will get a full shotblast and repaint but until then I just want to spruce it up a bit and stop the rot.

Advice on good techniques and tools to get the rust off and products to prime and paint gratefully received.

PS I don't have a compressor so can't use air tools

Best
Dave

Gday Mt I cleaned mine up with wet & dry by hand took all of 1 1/2 hours and cleaned it with paint solvent alittle touch up with a rattle can and its all good, you could certainly hit it with some spray on rustolium or rust guard of your local choice just ask if its compatable with the top coat you intend to use. a hair dryer or heat gun can make sure things are curing well. Keith

Oh btw I used a broken cloth sanding strip about an inch wide and 12inches long it came off one of those belt sander things you hold in you hand, I just turned it over and used it see saw fashion on the tubing nice and gently

Thanks mate, sounds like good low-tech sense to me.

All the best
Dave

Hi Dave I used a leckie drill with a rotory sanding mop, cleaned her up a treat it did I then used P-38 zinc primer and a good gloss chassis black paint. In the past I have used plasticote, smoothrite and all have worked well and did the job untill a major rebuild was required and then had the frame powerdercoated.

BIG D

Cheers BIG D; I've used those rotary flap wheels in the past, better than the drill wire brush for sure. I've used smoothrite and hammerite but don't really get on with it. Gloss chassis paint sounds the way to go and I'll look for some decent zince primer.

All the best
Dave

Stripped the bike back remembering to raise the rear wheel on some wood before removing the shock absorber. All of this was pretty easy and despite the rust and miles everything came apart well. The rust was pretty much superficial but ugly so I used sand paper and a drill with wire brush (which surprised me by working pretty well) to clean up the frame. I was surprised the BMW paint seemed to be only one black satin coat. Lots of corrosion in the rear light connector so gave that a good dose of contact cleaner.



Above is the frame halfway through the strip to show the rust

Pretty much stripped ready for painting afetra wipe down with some spirit. Primed it with some Dulux metal primer (that I already had) plus two coats of auto black paint.



While I was at it I did a few other small jobs, new indicator lens and mirror clip plus a new air filter (bits from James Sherlock). Check out the air filter in the photo - it hadn't been changed for a long time!


Bike is all back together now; slight fiddle getting the seat aligned so the catch clicked home easily but fine otherwise. All in all a satisfying couple of days.

Just need some riding weather and I'll be laughing!

All the best
Dave

Hi Dave,
I see your K-RS has a gauge mounted on the left side of the inner fairing. I'd like to add a voltmeter on my 1985 K100RS in roughly the same spot. Here's my question: Is there any additional support bracket under the plastic bit to hold the gauge? Can I simply cut a hole (or source a proper OEM plastic piece) and fit the voltmeter? TIA

It`s a sheet metal bracket with the correct diameter hole underneath the plastic cover.
The cover is fixed with two screws in the bottom (shared with the lower inside panel),
and a barb beside the hole for the instrument in the sheet metal.

Inge K.

Thanks Inge, I would've had to go and look!

Dave

Top job Dave that looks a lot better and its a good way to learn what goes where.

BIG D

Hi BIG D, and thanks. You're dead right about getting to know what's where; will give me some idea what I'm doing when it comes to the full rebuild. It's also taught me that you can't ever have too many photos when you're taking things apart!

All the best mate
Dave

Spot on mate we live and learn, and there was even a slight glimpse of the mt in one photo:lol:

BIG D

Good work Dave. I dunno how I missed this thread but I'm going to do the same thing on my LT next week. Judging by the Photo the condition of the frame is about the same as yours.

I know that if I do a little tidying I can get another year or two before the full rebuild and it'll give me a chance to lear the bike. Most of my mechanical experience is on old MG's, Land rovers and the like. I find the prospect of a K alittle more complicated and intimidating but I'm sure that's just lack of experience.

It's the little rust spots that are visible around the battery box and handlebars that lets mine down. I'm also going to do the front fork lowers and front discs with plastikote per this other thread.

88KE

Hi 88

Sounds like we're at the same kinda point; putting off the big rebuild until we know the bikes well enough and until they really need it!

Nothing complicated about the back end, I'd defer to the more experienced on the front end stuff you're planning but I wouldn't think there's anything too difficult. It's a really satisfying job.

The key lesson for me was take a lot of photos before and during the dissassembly because you won't remember as much as you think you will when you come to put it back together! This was my experience anyway; small things like where the cable ties were and which route a particular wire takes.

I used a gloss finish paint but the rest of the frame looks satin - doesn't matter to me at the rear as the frame is hidden but where you are painting it might?

Good luck mate
Dave

I'm not planning a full strip down of the front forks Dave, just a quick toutch up. With the wheel removed to do the Discs I intend to remove the front mudguard and brake calipers which I will tie back out of the way. That should leave the lower fork legs free enough in space for me to get at them without having to remove them from the head clamp (In theory). I'll stick up some pics as I go.

88