Greetings y'all - I'm a newbie to this forum but it looks like a gold mine of real information that's really gonna help. 

I got my first K100LT with 73k miles on the clock back in June 2012 (1990 vintage). It was a bit tatty, but it's reliability was fantastic and I needed to do only minor repairs. I clocked up another 17,000 miles (sun, rain & snow) commuting and getting out and about at weekends before a car coming in the opposite direction decided to turn right and tried to occupy the same bit of road as me. Unfortunately, there was no room to avoid him and he drove into the side of the bike and dumped me over his bonnet into the road. Sadly the bike died an honourable death as the cost of the repairs far exceeded the value of the bike. I got off lightly with just a broken collar bone. If I'd been on a sports bike without fairing and panniers, I reckon I would have probably lost my leg. Sobering thought! 

Anyway, 11 weeks on, bone fixed and just got new K100LT (1991 vintage) with just 33k miles on the clock and in great looking condition. Unfortunately, there are quite a few electrical issues to iron out (disadvantage of buying an old, low milage, bike that hasn't had it's fair share of use. Hence me being here on the forum. Already fixed the right indictor switch (dirty contacts), changed the ABS control unit (warning lamp wouldn't clear) and the 12 V power socket (just duff). Next on the list is the right heated grip and more challenging, sorting out the gear indicator switch (the LED showed me that I was in 9th gear this morning and then in neutral while powering along at 70mph). Luckily I kept the old bike so have a ready source of spares and also intend to use it as a test bed to try out some of the more complicated repairs before messing up my new bike!

So anyway, that's me. Looking forward to all your sage advice and how to dos (my list is growing).

Welcome Paul.

Handy to have your old bike as a source of spares.

Hi Paul and welcome.

Nice to see you and sorry about your mishap. Been there too, hit from behind but no permanent damage to me.

Its a great forum and a chance to meet up too, a few members down your way. Everyone is very helpful and the technical help is escellent. Of course you are spoilt for nice roads.

If you get adventurous you can always take a ferry over our way and we will meet up with you for a Complan beer.

Olaf.

Welcome!

Welcome aboard Paul - all the help you need can be found here somewhere - if not just ask questions

Thanks guys - it's great to feel welcome. 

As I get stuck in to fix my problems, I'll make sure that I capture the evidence so that I can share my successes ...and mistakes with you all. I tend to take photos of things before I dismantle them anyway (the advantage of digital cameras) as I have found it to be an invaluable way of ensuring that I know how to put it back together again, correctly! It always seems straight forward and obvious when it comes apart, but a few days (or weeks) has a serious impact on the memory.
Paul.

Hi Paul,    


Here's a tip which may solve your gear position indicator.
https://www.k100-forum.com/t6936-gear-position-switch

Both my K's have had this mod for well over 20 years, so there aren't any adverse effects.

Cheers, from another Paul.

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the tip. I really do not want to remove the swing arm unless I absolutely have to - and there is no other way of getting to the gear indicator switch. I am not adverse to tackling major jobs, but know from experience that it will throw up a whole host of other issues and I ask myself "Is it really worth the hassle? - is it essential? - can it wait until I need to get in to grease my drive shaft splines?". 

I tried to find an easier route on my test-bed/donor bike by removing the battery and drilling out a section of the aluminium web below it (having satisfied myself that it wasn't the gearbox casing!). Through this hole I could finally see the gear indicator switch, but it just proved that the only way to get at it to do anything other than shining a torch (flashlight) on it was to strip down the back of the bike and get the swing arm off.

As your suggestion is really easy and very accessible, I shall try it as soon as I can get my hands on some 470 ohm resistors. The other option was to unplug the switch and accept no indication at all.

Cheers
Paul

Hi Paul and welcome to ze forum. Removal of the swingarm is no big deal and neither is running without the GPI. It's nice to have but no big deal, put it on the too do when you, and you will, do the spline lube etc.
Cheers Ghost

Great introduction! 
Welcome and enjoy the forum.

Hi Paul,
Great to have you with us, it is worth remembering that the agreement to accept writeoff only applies if you are claiming on your insurance, if it is the other guy's fault as it was with your biff their liability is not limited to write-off value they have to return your vehicle to the condition it was in pre-crash. I used this argument to get a major insurance company to pay double the value of my wife's car to fix it rather than accept the write-off value. As the claim was just over 5000 I had the option of small claims court and told them I would see their insured in court, they paid out in full.

They will always bluster but stand firm and no more Mr nice guy, polite but very firm. I had a courier friend who worked in London and he had many accidents the vast majority of which were not his fault, when it was the other guy he simply advised his insurer and contacted the other party directly, ignored their insurer, refused to fill out any form from them and took court action straight away. In the UK you used to be able to get a bailiff to serve the summons on the other party for I think it was 15 quid, that always brings them up with a short sharp shock. Your claim is against them not their insurer, they have entered into a contract with their insurer for the insurer to pay the cost of their mistake, that is of no interest or concern to you and does not reduce their direct liability to you for their actions. 
Regards,
K-BIKE