Project Chronicle

The BMW K1 has been a distant memory for the past year; a project I had no immediate need to use but still wanted to have in good working order. I sent it to my friend and longtime Isuzu mechanic, Jay, in Rhode Island, who has a fair amount of motorcycle experience. However, Jay eventually owned up to admitting that he wasn't equipped to restore a BMW motorcycle, and after sending the fuel tank out to be resealed and the fuel tree rebuilt - and paying for shipping back and forth to Jay's shop - we threw in the towel.

Ironically, the gentleman who rebuilt the K1's fuel system is also well known in the community for being a BMW expert. So, I asked him if he'd be willing to get the bike into safe operation, and he was happy to do so. Known as Joel, he's been very fair with me on the fuel system rebuild and I suspect he'll do the same with the bike's overall refresh.

After sitting at Jay's for a year, Joel had the bike running within 2 days of arriving at his shop. No smoke or bad noises and it shifts as it should. There's more to do but I've asked Joel to keep it within a reasonable budget - this is not a full restoration, it's simply to get the bike in good, running order. He sent the video below and it sounds healthy, and I'm encouraged at how easily it has come back to life after a decade of dormancy. 

You may recall I bought my "dream" bike a few months back, a 1991 BMW K1 motorcycle. Yes, I still cannot ride, and yes, I have bought a second bike since then (that I also cannot ride). The K1 went up to Rhode Island to my long-term mechanic Jay Gaston, who - while not being a BMW tech - is pretty talented at all things mechanical and a regular motorcycle user, so I felt it was worth shipping it up to him.

The bike had been in a prolonged state of disuse, so it wasn't a surprise that the fuel system was trashed. Amazingly, a few weeks ago, the guy I bought the bike from contacted me to say that the title had turned up. When I received it, the title had some language on it that indicated the K1 was ordered to be sold as part of a divorce settlement, which may indicate the bike was tied up and not usable for some time. 

Regardless, Jay was honest and told me he was uncomfortable disassembling the fuel system. I didn't know where to start, especially with the bike in Rhode Island. Fortunately, the gentleman I hired for bike transport over the last few months connected me to another individual (Joel) in Pennsylvania who apparently was a BMW tech in another life. He's retired but now runs a motorcycle tour business, but takes on a few projects each year. With my transport guy vouching for me, Joel told me to send the tank to him and he'd clean the tank, rebuild the fuel system, and re-seal the tank if need be. 

So far, I am super impressed. Joel has been sending me weekly updates - with photos! - of his progress. He's ordered the fuel pump, sender, various gaskets and seals, and so on. He did advise that the last K1 tank he did had pinholes in the bottom that didn't materialize until after it was put back together, so a treatment may be needed; regardless, I am thrilled to have found a turnkey solution that will allow Jay to install the tank and (hopefully) fire the K1 up.