Project Chronicle

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.