K11 Owners Group

Frank T · Brick Rider Joined: 25 Jun 2007 Posts: 26

All,
A picture of the W2000 I plan to ride this coming weekend to the BMW rally:

Frank T
Decatur, AL

Frank T · Brick Rider Joined: 25 Jun 2007 Posts: 26

Some may be wondering why I would ride the W2000 to a BMW rally, especially when I have a 92 K100rs that is ready to run (finally after solving several electrical problems). Well I was challenged to ride the bike by a couple Royal Enfield (made in India) riders who are planning to ride over to Pickwick. I felt like I had to uphold German honor, besides it will be fun to run the 300cc Herc at 70-75mph on the 100 mile trip and see if the Enfields will keep up or blow up.

Frank T
Decatur, AL

Don Sproule · Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 4:59 pm Post subject: Hercules

Wow. I thought BMW held the patent on ugly. It is quite magnificent in it's own way. You can sure tell it's German, by the accute lack of chrome.

Don Sproule

Das Boot · Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 7:40 pm Post subject:

I always liked the looks of the Hercules!!! I have only seen one other one in my life, outside of magazines and books. Looks like an unfaired Hesketh v1000 to me.
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Dom

Off the grid · Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 9:48 pm Post subject:

Scores big points for rarity and original lines.

That Wankel name looks familiar. They ever do engines for cars at one point?
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Bane of your existence since July 2006
2007 Triumph Tiger ABS. "Sabertooth"
2009 Husqvarna TE610. "The dirty Italian mistress"

djw · Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 10:22 pm Post subject:

Flying Duck · Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 2:31 am Post subject:

Damn, that looks cool. I assume that it has a single rotor, right?

Didn't one of the Jap manufacturers put out a rotary MC as well for a year or two in the past? I met a guy through work a long time ago who had one - and loved it.

Having owned some RX-7s, I have nothing but good things to say about the Wankel. How can you dis an engine that has no valves, an awesome power curve and virtually unlimted RPMS? (At least compared to pistons.)

I still have my 89 RX-7 convertible and will until the day I die.

As the old commercials said: " Piston engine goes boing, boing, boing. But the Mazda goes mmmmmmmmm...."
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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

rydor · Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 12:08 pm Post subject:

Suzuki produced the RE5 from 1974-1976 497cc.

John Clauss · Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 1:08 pm Post subject:

I'll never forget when I test drove an RX-7 for a friend that could not drive a stick. The salesman was watching the tach and I get on the gas expecting to shift when I "feel" it. Never felt it, the tach was buried. Opps. No damage done, thing ran like a raped ape. She did not buy the car though. Crying or Very sad

_________________
1997 K1100LT
1975 R75/6

It will bring you so close to nausea, it will make you sick! - Big Al

Klinker · Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 8:49 pm Post subject:

I've seen one of the Suzuki RE5's in a salvage yard. Always wanted to see one run, but still haven't.

Owned an '86 RX-7 years ago. Loved the car... until the apex seals on the rotor (eqivalent of piston rings) went bad and the engine froze up. Unfortunately, they're not cost-effective to rebuild and I ended up putting a used engine in. Car was never the same. Sold it with much grief.
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tlp
1994 K1100RS

Only the Reasonists. They believe in an evidence-based world, something called Rationalism. But it's a tiny group, not so influential.
- Page Griffin

Flying Duck · Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 12:12 am Post subject:

My first was a 79. The 78s and 79s were geared for TORQUE. I used to eat up riced out BMWs and all sorts of hot cars off of the line and mine was stock except for replacing the cat with a straight pipe. I could go on ando n about the shit I could do with that car but this is a motorcycle site.

That Suzuki is the one I was thinking of. Thanks for the ID.

Would love to find one of those someday. Now that I know what it is I'll keep an eye out on Craig's List.
_________________
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

Frank T · Brick Rider Joined: 25 Jun 2007 Posts: 26

I guess I am somewhat of a rotary motorcycle nut since I have owned 6 Suzuki RE5s in the past 15 years along with the Hercules. The Suzuki RE5 had the highest production numbers of the mass production rotary bikes. Only three companies "mass produced" rotary engined bikes: Suzuki, Hercules/DKW, and Norton. Suzuki production over a two year period was about 7000 bikes, Hercules/DKW produced about 1800 bikes, and Norton about 800 bikes. The Suzuki RE5 is relatively easy to find, usually there are 10-15 that come up for sale on ebay during the year. Parts are fairly easy to obtain for the Suzukis and Hercules, both were marketed in the US, the Norton was not. The parts source is Rotary Recycle in Ohio. Both the Suzuki and Hercules are durable bikes, there are several Suzuki RE5s in the US with over 200,000 miles on the odo.
Below is a pic of me riding my 76 RE5 back from Deal's Gap.

Frank Tarpley
Decatur, AL

John Clauss · Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2007 4:43 pm Post subject:

There was a revival of Norton that built a screaming rotary. They wanted to race it, but the FIM had issues with exactly how to classify the size of the engine. The thing was a beast though. It could have been really good to have Norton make a real come back.
_________________
1997 K1100LT
1975 R75/6

It will bring you so close to nausea, it will make you sick! - Big Al

Don Sproule · Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2007 9:17 pm Post subject: Wankels

If anyone wants to read up a bit on rotary engined motorcycles, 'rider' magazine has a Norton featured in their "Retrospective" section (at the veeerrrry back of the mag) this month (Nov/2007).
They go through a bit of history of the Norton, Suzuki, Hercules and even Yamaha is mentioned.They have a few pics of the Norton, and I must say, it's almost downright handsome.

Don Sproule

Flying Duck · Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:53 am Post subject:

I just ran across this. Someone built a bike around a Mazda rotary engine with a BMW paralever final drive. (The wheels look strangely familiar too.)

Technician · Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 12:41 pm Post subject:

Norton did race for a couple of years about 18 years ago withthe Rotary engine. They were sponsered by John Player Special ciggerettes but there was always the question of which size/catorgary to include them in as they could be classed as a 600,1200 or 1800cc engine but one thing for sure was they went like stink. The worrying thing was at the time was that the Police had a few of them. I watched them at a practice day at Brands Hatch as they were riding alongside some 900 +1100 sporty things, they would come alongside on the straight , look at the other rider then twist the throttle and in a flash they were gone, very impressive.
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Fat Ba***d with a K1100LTse
Squire D18 trailer
Garmin Zumo 660
"Run it round the block to see if the wheels fall off!!!!"

Klinker · Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 1:26 pm Post subject:

Flying Duck · Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 2:47 pm Post subject:

Guess I missed that one. Embarassed

_________________
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

Klinker · Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 6:43 pm Post subject:

Looks like the above photo was taken prior to installing the rear caliper. Or Photoshopped off for the media "beauty shot." Or left off to shave weight for a high-speed run...stopping isn't as important at Bonneville. Wink

And it looks like the intake got dinged in the truck on the way to the cycle show. Or he hit a mosquito at high velocity...
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tlp
1994 K1100RS

Only the Reasonists. They believe in an evidence-based world, something called Rationalism. But it's a tiny group, not so influential.
- Page Griffin

Klinker · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 9:50 pm Post subject: