The Big Red Bus

[Horse]

Something worth trying: press both indicator switches together. On old Ks you had instant hazard lights. IIRC the optional extra switch just did the same.

And don't think of it as sounding the horn by accident it's actually Herr BeeEmVee thoughtfully fitting an audible warning for you

[KungFooBob]

The old fella I bought it off only rode it once and put it away.

When I went to pick it up he was worried it wasn't starting... he was using the indicator cancel button

To be fair to him he was more of a Yamaha and Honda man.

[KungFooBob]

I've just remembered the centre stand.

What kind of magic is that?

The manufactures 'dry' weight figure is 288kg.

I reckon you could put in on the centre stand no handed, just with a small amount of pressure on the stand with a small child's foot!

I thought my Bullet was the easiest bike ever to put on a centre stand, but it's even easier on the Red Bus!

[Horse]

Good, isn't it? Do you have a fold-out handle on the side too?

Designed for codgers with dodgy backs

There is a knack to it: keep your back straight and 'hop' on the stand footrest. If it at all feels like you're 'lifting', let it back down and reset.

[Horse]

There might be a downside, though. Check whether it tips front-back on the mainstand. Rs do, which is great for wheels out. But K bikes tended to have the mainstand further back. You need a car jack under the engine to lift the front wheel

[KungFooBob]

Yeah it's front heavy. I noticed when I was checking the wheel bearings.

There's a noticeable amount of 'lash' in the drive train, I've been googling and apparently they all do that.

This and the Guzzi are the only bikes I've had with shafts, the Guzzi has no such lash/play.

I'm going to give the thing a good going over, change the diff oil, grease the drive shaft splines, etc... winter project innit.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I've just remembered the centre stand.

What kind of magic is that?

The manufactures 'dry' weight figure is 288kg.

I reckon you could put in on the centre stand no handed, just with a small amount of pressure on the stand with a small child's foot!

I thought my Bullet was the easiest bike ever to put on a centre stand, but it's even easier on the Red Bus!

My CBR is probably 30kg heavier than the Bonnie. The former is a one foot affair to get on the centrestand, you practically have to take a run up with the latter

[KungFooBob]

Might order some new brake pad retaining pins...

[Horse]

'Interesting' groove in the top pad.

[KungFooBob]

Or I could put the pins in the chuck of the drill and rub them with some 400 grit wet and dry and then polish them off with Autosol...



I have to remove the rear wheel to get the caliper off the disc, which is a pain.

[Gregor]

There’s a special grease/ paste for the splines.

The rear splines are easy to get but access to the front splines is the only really fiddly maintenance task, everything else is a pleasure to work on once the fairing is off.It’s such a well designed bike.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Why are the bits on top to a Moleskin notebook?

WRT splines, I did a load of testing for aerospace shaft connections a few years back. The absolute dogs danglies was the Optimoly white stuff....sticks like shit to a blanket but also manages to be slipperier than wet ice.

I believe its been re branded now, and from what I can tell its what the Bimmer folk recommend anyway. Its the Moly based stuff that looks almost like toothpaste.

[Gregor]

Stabarugs is the name of the BMW recommended paste.

Although I used this:

[KungFooBob]

that's the caliper off and stripped...



It was odd. I could pump the pistons out, pushing one piston in, pushed the other out more... as normal. However I couldn't push them both back at the same time, like fluid wasn't returning to the res.

Also the pistons, when pushed out where showing fluid on them, so it was getting past the seals.

About to order a seal kit from Motorworks.

I've read that sometime the hoses on these fail internally and start to work almost like a one way valve. So I might get a new rear hose too, it's only short as it joins to solid pipework like on a car.

[KungFooBob]

Need to do something about this too...



Its sheared, it wobbles, but it shows no signs of falling off and it takes my weight fine.

Must be braced under the rubber.

[Horse]

Eek!

[KungFooBob]

Just spoke to a lovely bloke at Motorworks, it's a shame they can't do collections at the moment as it's only down the road.

Seal kit on the way, but there is some concern that it might be a pipe, happens a fair bit apparently.

[KungFooBob]

Look away now if you like things Weeksy clean...











I've ripped this thing out as well, I assume it was an alarm, but it didn't do anything and the previous owner had no idea it was there.

[Rockburner]

The bus is home... and I only broke down twice on the way home!

The rear calliper seized on. Freed it off once then it did it again 2 miles later.

Called the wife and she brought me some pliers to pull the pad pins out and remove the pad for the rest of the trip (I was only 10 miles from home).

Initial thoughts...

The pegs are high, they almost look like raised foot pegs, they're not straight from the pivot, they step up. I'll post a pic tomorrow.

It's a giant moped. 3rd gear for everything.

It's jolly fast.

Its floaty, smooths out a lot of the worst British roads can throw at it.

Which fucking idiot invented BMW indicators?

It's smooth on the throttle, but there's a bit of vibration when off the throttle.

So far so good.

Need to strip that rear calliper before anything else.

You'll get used to the indicators, then you'll swear at everything else.

The weirdy beardies will be along shortly to tell you the indicators are to encourage countersteering.

Not heard that one before!

I've just remembered the centre stand.

What kind of magic is that?

The manufactures 'dry' weight figure is 288kg.

I reckon you could put in on the centre stand no handed, just with a small amount of pressure on the stand with a small child's foot!

I thought my Bullet was the easiest bike ever to put on a centre stand, but it's even easier on the Red Bus!

The R1150R/Rockster is like that (same generation, more or less) - main stand is directly under the centre of mass, and has a nice lever to push on too.

I have to remove the rear wheel to get the caliper off the disc, which is a pain.

???

Do you mean caliper off to remove wheel??

[Horse]

You'll get used to the indicators, then you'll swear at everything else.

The weirdy beardies will be along shortly to tell you the indicators are to encourage countersteering.

Not heard that one before!

I have. We used to tell Born Agains, as a two way reminder for steering and indicators.