K11 Owners Group

voodooskin · Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 10:15 pm Post subject: K1100LT forky leaky?

DOH!

I just had the good folks at my local BMW shop zap me for the 20K maintenance at the cost of four figures but hey, figured, bike'll be good to go for a long time. Put a few hundred miles on the bike since then.

nyet.

Went out this AM and 3-4 tablespoons of very light oil leaked from either the brake caliper or the fork on the ground. Fork seals are very probably original. I assume it's fork oil, the brake reservoir is full and the lost oil doesn't smell like brake fluid.

1) should the shop have said "Dude, replace your fork seals, they're original" when I brought the bike in? They did repl. the fork oil as part of the maintenance. Just burns me this happened so soon after all that work. Or is this just the luck of the draw and I'm just SOL and need to either do this myself or assist the local ecomony some more?

2) unrelated: I've never ridden a BMW until I got this bike. Shifting this thing is less smooth than jap bikes I've ridden by a long shot. That's fine as long as I'm not beating the transmission/clutch to death. I keep reading about "splines" but I saw a post about what's involved in lubing them and it looked like almost a complete disassembly! I think I need to go to a BMW rally somewhere and get someone to tell me "Yeah, they're all like that" or "Dude, lube the splines or start saving money"

Cheers, y'all! And thanks for any clues imparted...

Mystic Red · Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 10:45 pm Post subject:

First post so we need more info. How many miles on your ride. RS or LT? What year? Slap that in your signature and it will always be there.

Mystic Red · Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 11:21 pm Post subject:

This is what you'll be dealing with:

Probably want to do the bushings too.
If you don't have a Clymers book they are pretty helpful and walk you right thru almost anything. I think it's easiest to leave the forks in the triple clamp and drop the sliders down and off.
_________________
Scott Hespelt, '94 K11LT
K11 OG #466

voodooskin · Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 12:30 am Post subject:

[quote="Mystic Red"]First post so we need more info. How many miles on your ride. RS or LT? What year? Slap that in your signature and it will always be there.

Done, but just in case because technology, she hates me:

'97 K1100LT with about 12,000 miles is all, I've had the bike 6 weeks and have put on about 1,500 of those miles Wink

[quote] About a 3 beer job. Smile

Is that the price if I bribe someone else on this list to do it for me? Wink

We have _good_ beer made locally in Eugene...real good...
_________________
1997 K1100LT
49,000 miles

owrstrich · Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 12:37 am Post subject:

Jim · Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 2:02 am Post subject:

Skin - make sure you get some fork boots to put on there while you have the forks apart. You can get the el cheapo Rancho boots or /6 boots.
_________________
Jim
1997 K1100LTSE 94,000 - still has gremlins!
1995 R100RT Classic 16,650 crashed - repaired!
1992 K75RTP 46,000

"We shall not all die, but we shall all be changed."

Phil Marvin · Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 4:15 am Post subject:

Hi, Voodooskin,
I'm sorry your fork seals started to leak, but I doubt seriously the shop had anything to do with it. You probably have a ding in the fork or the seal had passed through dried bug guts enough times and finally said, "Enough," and started leaking. If you do the seal replacement, when the slider is off, very carefully feel all along both fork tubes where the seal slides and make sure all is smooth with no burrs or hard bug gut deposits. If you feel anything, remove the deposits or use a very fine stone to remove and smooth over the burr. Rancho boots (Rancho part number 1952) look fine and work fine and are less than half the cost of the /6 gaiters.
_________________
Ride Safe,
Phil Marvin in El Paso, TX
'94 K75A/3
'95 K75RTP

Saltcreek · Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 8:11 am Post subject:

Welcome Voodoo!

You know if they had recommended you replace fork seals that weren't leaking, we'd all be giving them a hard time for padding your bill. I'd be curious what the shop bill is for fork seals. For me, it was a good first project getting familiar with the bike and building confidence working on it.
_________________
Jim

1994 K1100LT Mystic Red, bfd, 37000 miles, sold Sad

2009 Wilderness Systems Zephyr 155 ST
2002 Litespeed titanium

Scott_Anderson · Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 8:26 am Post subject:

Welcome Voooodoooo,

Do yourself a favor if you decide to takle this job yoursef. Don't use aftermarket seals, (part #1 & #3). Stick with what the dealer sells.

I tried some of those that are sold on e-bay, they didn't last, even with boots on, not to mention that they didn't fit well either.

There are quite a number of dealers that will sell on-line, Max's, Bob's, Chicago, more....

If your dealer had just changed the oil, ask them what they put in. (or check your shop ticket) Stock wt is 7.5 The previous owner may have been using somthing heavier, hence no leaky.

Sometimes puting a little heavier wt oil will stop the leak. Not always, but sometimes.

The Bmw branded 7.5wt fork oil is purple(ish) in color.

The last bottle of 10wt performace fork oil that I bought from the local Honda dealer was green. Some have been red.

Good luck, we'll be here.
_________________
Ride safe.

1995 K1100LT 0302044
2017 FLHTK Ultra Limited
Garmin StreetPilot 2820
Garmin Zumo 550
Garmin Zumo XT
"One who does not ask questions is ashamed to learn" Danish proverb
1997 K1100LT 0302488(R.I.P.)
1997 R1100RT ZC62149(sold)

Mystic Red · Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 9:23 am Post subject:

supercat1 · Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 12:10 pm Post subject:

well, my seals leak too ... but i'm gonna have a shop do the work for me as i don't have space or tools myself.

could a failing clutch cable also lead to rough downshifting due to frayed/broken wires no longer providing pull?
_________________
(formerly) 1993 k1100rs

Flying Duck · Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 12:18 pm Post subject:

You indicate that it's coming out near the brake caliper, right? If the sliders (the shiny part at the top of the fork) aren't wet then there's a fair chance that the shop IS responsible if they changed the fork oil. The threads on the fork drain plugs are easy to strip so I'd guess that if they're leaking down there then the shop may have overtightened the drain plugs when replacing them.

If the fork seals are leaking then the oil leaks out of the top and gets the sliders wet.
_________________
93 LT (x2)
94 RS
86-97 K75F(K75/100/1100 Frankenbrick)
86 K75C w/paralever, hi perf cams,TURBO!
91 & 92 K75Ss
91 K1
86 custom K100
14 WR250R
IBA #17739 (SS1K, BBG, 50CC)
Buy parts HERE

Flying Duck · Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 12:29 pm Post subject:

On the shifting thing: K bike trannies are known for being a bit "notchy."

Running Mobil 75-140 gear oil in the tranny can help smooth it out a little.

And part of it is also just becoming used to the bike and getting to know it.

A few tricks that might help:

1) Make sure the clutch cable is properly adjusted. Here's a link to a page I did on K bike clutches which you might find useful:
http://smithduck.home.comcast.net/~smithduck/bmw/tech/clutch/clutch.htm

2) The key to making a K bike shift well is to pull the (properly adjusted) clutch all of the way in, and assertively commit to changing the gear with your foot. Don't force it though.

3) Practice, practice, practice....

Although I've never found it needed on any of the Ks I've owned, many people report finding it useful to "preload" the shift lever with your foot just prior to shifting. You might also try that to see if it helps.
_________________
93 LT (x2)
94 RS
86-97 K75F(K75/100/1100 Frankenbrick)
86 K75C w/paralever, hi perf cams,TURBO!
91 & 92 K75Ss
91 K1
86 custom K100
14 WR250R
IBA #17739 (SS1K, BBG, 50CC)
Buy parts HERE

Phil Marvin · Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 2:30 pm Post subject:

voodooskin · Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 10:39 pm Post subject:

I think I need to do more sleuthing. For the life of me, I can't tell where the oil came from, but it was definitely on the ground. I might have to remove the fender and look some more. I know these don't show the various bits on the fork itself but nothing on the moto other than the rim and tire, as far as I can tell, has any oil on it.

http://www.debmail.net/images/forky.JPG

http://www.debmail.net/images/leaky.JPG

Thanks y'all. I'd like to start doing my own work on this bike. However, I used to have an old Honda 550-four and once I tried to "adjust" the valves and afterward had to coast it down hill to the shop Very Happy

I'm that good a mechanic...
_________________
1997 K1100LT
49,000 miles

Mystic Red · Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 11:09 pm Post subject:

That doesn't look like a fork seal leak to me!
And you've already got boots.
Did they bleed the brakes?
_________________
Scott Hespelt, '94 K11LT
K11 OG #466

Jim · Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 12:08 am Post subject:

Skin - I think I'd check with the shop real quick - find out what color fork oil they put in the forks - and see if that matches what's on your floor.

It does look more like brake fluid - but I think you'd notice that. I look at the front master sight glass before I get on the bike.
_________________
Jim
1997 K1100LTSE 94,000 - still has gremlins!
1995 R100RT Classic 16,650 crashed - repaired!
1992 K75RTP 46,000

"We shall not all die, but we shall all be changed."

Scott_Anderson · Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 1:04 am Post subject:

Skin, how does the fluid feel to your skin(fingers). Slippery like a lubricant or, "dry" tacky like brake fluid.

Brake fluid should also have a distinctive odor to it that the fork oil won't.

I'm thinking like Jim, looks like brake fluid to me. Hard to tell until you remove the rear fender and expose the brake calipers.

By the way Mystic, when I got my '97LT in '05 with only 7k miles, trailered it home from Florida, the fork seals were the leaking before I got it out of the trailer.
_________________
Ride safe.

1995 K1100LT 0302044
2017 FLHTK Ultra Limited
Garmin StreetPilot 2820
Garmin Zumo 550
Garmin Zumo XT
"One who does not ask questions is ashamed to learn" Danish proverb
1997 K1100LT 0302488(R.I.P.)
1997 R1100RT ZC62149(sold)

Mystic Red · Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 8:43 pm Post subject:

voodooskin · Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 10:55 pm Post subject: