K11 Owners Group

[Flying Duck]

So I've been roaming Montana on the LT for the last few days. Picking non-major roads at random just to see what's out there. (And I took a sunset run on Beartooth Pass yesterday. )

Today I was getting my ass kicked by lightning and rain so I just headed west for about 110 miles on I-90 to get the heck out of the weather front. Once I was sure I'd cleared the weather, I peeled off of I-90 and headed north to Avon, MT. From there I headed north on MT 141, a nice 2-lane rural road with Montana speed limits of 70 so you can run the sweepers at 80 without fear of getting a performance award.

The rain had stopped and there was none to be seen ahead so I had a few more hours before I found a campground and laid up for the night. All was right with the world and my LT has been running like a top lately.

Then it all went south (not too far though.) As I was coming out of the sweepers the rear end starting doing some strange oscillations which reminded me of what it was like to run bias ply tires. At first I thought it was buffeting crosswinds but the oscillations seemed to cyclical for that. After a few fishy turns I pulled over only to find the rear PR2 was near flat - and I was in the middle of nowhere.



Upon inspection, I found a sliver of metal diagonally embedded in the tire tread that appeared to be the culprit. If it had been just a nail or something I might have tried to patch it with the kit I carry but since I'm not very experienced with such things I decided just to call Progressive and cash in on my towing insurance.

Cell coverage? Nope. Ruh roh.

I'd stopped by a forest service road entrance and after a few minutes an elderly couple in an SUV came down the road and asked me if I needed some help. I told them I had a flat and gave them my insurance policy info and my GPS coordinates and asked them to call Progressive from the next place they found with cell coverage.

They came back about 40 minutes later and told me a tow truck would be there in 30-40 minutes. (And the nice lady gave me a couple of homemade cookies to boot. )

Eventually the tow truck showed up (with a trailer so he wasn't going to try the hook thing - what a relief, I don't think I'd let a tow truck driver ever try to hook one of my bikes) and I was rescued. Since he'd never tied down a Beemer he let me tie down the front and I showed him where to tie down the rear.

He told me Progressive only covered the first 15 miles ($3/mile after that) and that I had two choices: 31 miles to the small town of Lincoln he came from or 100+? miles to Missoula. My GPS tells me there's Big Sky BMW/Kaw in Missoula but I figured they'd probably be closed on Sunday and where's the challenge in that?

He got me to a hotel in town where he dropped off me and my bike. Then he gave me a ride to the store and back to pick up a 6-pack to drown my sorrows.

He gave me his card and told me to call him in the morning and said he'd try to get the guys from the local auto shop to patch my tire even though they're closed on Sundays.

So here I sit in nowhere Montana on a bench outside my room, sipping beers and wondering what tomorrow will bring......

Tech tip: PR2s do not run well with 33psi/front and 2psi/rear.

Film at 11:00.....
_________________
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

[Mystic Red]

Whoops!
_________________
Scott Hespelt, '94 K11LT
K11 OG #466

[Flying Duck]

Here's the pics:

The culprit:




Not much going on around here:




Mmm... cookies: (I'd already eaten the other one)




The rig:



Here's Jed (VERY nice local tow truck operator who found me a room, gave me a ride to the store and back and will try to help me get the flat repaired in the morning):


_________________
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

[drikko]

Bugger, at least beer will calm the nerves for a while. I think I would have at lest dug the bit of metal out and seen what shape the internal hole was, if it was smaller than the outside bit then a plug may well have worked?

Will be interesting to see what the fixers say when they pull the piece out.
_________________
K1100RS '97
Laverda RGS 1000 '84
Jim Young Trailer Sailer 5.7M WB

DISCLAIMER:- Anything I say may have been when I was drunk so please don't take it personally.

'Bigamy is having one wife/husband too many. Monogamy is the same.'
Oscar Wilde

[Flying Duck]

[Mystic Red]

Any tire shop will do. You don't need a MC shop if you hand them the wheel and tire.
_________________
Scott Hespelt, '94 K11LT
K11 OG #466

[Flying Duck]

Yeah, there's no powersports shops here. I've got the wheel off in the motel parking lot and the tow truck dude is trying to track down the owner of the local auto shop who is normally closed on Sunday.

The parking lot is gravel and I couldn't get the bike high enough to get the wheel off, even flat. There's no way I could ever get it back on. Fortunately I had my Slime topoff pump with me and was able to get it up to 25+ psi so I could ride it up onto some pavement without damaging the tire or rim.

I can hear the air hissing out of the spot where that sliver of metal is so I'm sure that's it.



Now I just have to sit around and wait to see if the tow truck dude can track down the auto shop owner.

By the way, Lincoln, MT was home to the Unabomber. His shack was 3 miles outside of town.
_________________
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

[malcolmt]

Last week I had a puncture in my rear tire in the works carpark.
It was a 6mm x 50mm macine screw in almost the same position in the tire.

I carry plugs and a small compresser plus a tire fix aerosol.
The hole plugged easily, its 100% air tight.

Surely this would get you to a decent tire place and have it fixed professionaly.
_________________
******************************
A Bike on the road is worth two
in the shed
******************************

[Flying Duck]

It's already 1pm and raining here today. The nearest "real city" is Missoula which is 100+ miles away. Given the weather I'll just hole up for the day, watch TV and play on the Interwebz..
_________________
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

[Ernie-NH]

Hi Duck....

I KNOW the place... I was stranded for 2 days in Deer Lodge MT., other side really, in Phillipsburg on MT Rt 1.. Thought I'd never get out of there. It rained also during my unintended stop !! Really great folks there though, very helpful, friendly, 'salt of the earth' I'd say !

Say, just how does one tie down the rear of an LT properly ?? ( ie: just in case )

Best regards and hope you're out soon... // Ernie in NH
_________________
AMA,, American Deaf Bikers
Airhead Beemers Club
'11 G650gs
'95 K1100LT
'76 R100/7

[Flying Duck]

Deer Lodge is HUGE compared to this place. Phillipsburg is pretty podunk though.

Tying down the rear is easy. There are holes on each side of the frame to hook into. One is right down by the seat lock and it's partner is in about the same location on the other side. Tighten down so there's a moderate amount of pressure on the rear suspension but not a whole lot.

Alternately, if you want to tie it down at two points, wrap the tiedown around the rear angled frame member. That's how I usually do it.

The front is the key though. Tie down at the fork brace and let the front of the bike ride on it's own suspension. Reefing down on the handlebars or triple trees can blow fork seals.

Next time I pick up a parts bike I'll take some pics.
_________________
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

[merlin geikie]

As Ernie says

[Jim]

Guess I better check my coverage with Progressive - I could have sworn it was 75 miles. But it isn't - they cover $75.00 - so it depends on what the towing company charges per mile.

I know the BMW MOA coverage is 75 miles. Guess I better check that, too...

Hope they get you on the road Monday!
_________________
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."

[Ernie-NH]

G'Day Jim and all.... ( info only )

Re the "road assistance"... I insure with Progressive, BUT the $75 turned me off. So I went to an independent. I now insure breakdown service using a firm called MTS ( Motorcycle Tow Service ) for basic $89/per year. They will cover up to $300 in tow fees, and for extra coverage will provide tires or batteries as required. A good reliable firm that has helped my out on several occasions..

Best regards and "fingers crossed" for Duck......// Ernie in NH
_________________
AMA,, American Deaf Bikers
Airhead Beemers Club
'11 G650gs
'95 K1100LT
'76 R100/7

[supercat1]

[dave n]

Check into AMA "MoTow" - 35 miles is their free limit - covers your autos too and family members.
$39.00 a year to join - gets you a thin magazine also - I know lots of people turned off by the politics and infighting of AMA last couple of years but the rate is still very good and they are a m/cyclists rights advocate in state and federal politics.
Dual sport and off road riders should also be paying attention to the battles going on to keep federal lands open to all.
_________________
Dave Norris KOG 248
1999 Cagiva Gran Canyon
1993 K1100LT w/Hannigan sidecar
2008 Suzuki DR650

[Jim]

Supercat - thanks! I called to check coverage - my policy expired in June.

It does cover 100 miles towing, fluids, and batteries - and it's only $26.00 a year.
_________________
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."

[dave n]

[supercat1]

[Jim]