MarJay's Latest Project: 1998 KE100! 56k warning...

MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

Hello!

Many of you may remember my last project bike, which was a crash damaged 2002 TT600 streetfightery thing.

Well, that was an amazing success (because I'm good at front end rebuilds) right up until the point where the engine dropped a valve. Doh!

Luckily, this could not be attributed to my spannering skills, because I did not have the engine apart. However I decided to cut my losses and swapped the bike for a 1986 TZR250 1KT. John (whose username is 'John' on this forum) parted with his little Teezer in exchange for my popped TT. He managed to source a new engine, and with the aid of another member of BCF he managed to get the bike running. I rode it and it was really nice.

Anyway I digress. Recently I had a hankering for an off road bike, and found that many of the bikes which were in my price range were too tall. G suggested that I look at getting a smaller bike of an older off road style and showed me a KE100 which was for sale on visord*wn. This was an old one and was for sale for £500.

So, being the pragmatic and careful creature that I am, I promptly bought a 1998 model on ebay for £300.

I'm not exactly sure why, but it seems that bikes which need front end rebuilds are attracted to me. After a long rigmarole of collection and delivery involving Jay12329 (thanks J Wink

) I received the bike and found that the head bearings were extremely notchy.

https://www.bikechatforums.com/download.php?id=43974

After much cursing, swearing and posting in the BCF workshop section, and a couple of false starts involving a mix up with bearing shells, I've replaced the steering head bearings. Having noted that the forks were leaking a little, and being that they were off the bike anyway I also decided to replace the fork seals.

hmm. That may have been a mistake. I started on the left hand fork leg first. I noted a large amount of mud and rust under the dust cap on the fork, and having removed a lot of it with brake cleaner, carb cleaner and a stiff wire brush I managed to remove the circlip and the washer. The Haynes manual told me that the fork stanchion should just slide out with a sharp tug, using slide hammer action to pull out the seal.

Could I get the seal out? could I heck! In the end I had to drill a hole in the seal and it came out relatively easy. The inside of the lower had rusted to heck, so with a bit more carb cleaner, brake cleaner and WD40, I managed to remove the worst of it. This must have been why the seal was so stuck. I replaced the seal and reassembled the left leg.

Starting on the right leg I removed the cap and spring as on the other leg, pumped out the oil and came to remove the dust cap.

I managed to remove it fairly easily, however I had real trouble with what was beneath.

RUST, pure rust. noooooo!

I got to work with the usual combination of chemicals and wire brush and have managed to remove and clean up the circlip. However I cannot currently get the washer (back up washer as it is described in the Haynes) to move. I am bathing it in brake cleaner as we speak.

I shall add further Photos and more comments to the thread later on when I manage to get the camera out to the garage!
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

More pics:

Here is my KE with a novel use for an ABBA stand! It is currently attached to the front engine mounts!
https://www.bikechatforums.com/download.php?id=43995
From this pic you can see how small and narrow the bike is, and its simple air cooled motor.
https://www.bikechatforums.com/download.php?id=43994
Heres a pic of my lovely squishy purple seat.
https://www.bikechatforums.com/download.php?id=43993
Here is the seat again, except with the great little bonnet prop thing showing. This also shows the lack of battery!
https://www.bikechatforums.com/download.php?id=43992
Again a view showing how small and narrow the bike is!
https://www.bikechatforums.com/download.php?id=43991
Here is the exhaust in a proper sixties/seventies enduro position. On the side of the machine!
https://www.bikechatforums.com/download.php?id=43989
Here's my garage with one or two bikes in it.
https://www.bikechatforums.com/download.php?id=43988
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

As you know from my previous instalment, I had a bastard of a time with removing the left hand fork seal; On the right I can't even remove the washer! Its rusted solid! Shocked

https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/rust_116.jpg

I've tried Brake cleaner, Carb cleaner, WD40 and now I'm trying three in one. I'm not holding out much hope. I used a narrow grinding tool on my Dremel to remove some of the surface rust, but I was very wary of damaging the stanchion. That said, I had the stanchion fully compressed into the lower leg so if I did catch it, it would not be in a place which would pass the fork seal, and compromise it.

My next plan will be to drill a small hole in the washer so I can remove it. This will be an extreme pain in the backside as it means I will need to go out and buy a genuine kawasaki washer! I don't think I'd find a good enough match in a plumbing supplier or whatever!

Also, I am very wary of drilling the washer in case I damage the stanchion, as previously mentioned.

Once this is done though, that should be the last job to get the bike rideable.

Everything works on the bike despite having no battery, bar the indicators. In order to get the bike MOT'd so I can ride it to work, I will need to work out where the deliberate short circuit was made to bypass the need for a battery.

https://www.bikechatforums.com/download.php?id=43998

There is a widget marked on the photo above that G thought may have been aftermarket. However I cannot see that being the resistor as the battery terminals should be white and black according to the wiring diagram in the Haynes manual.

One of the wires going into that thing is green and yellow. I did trace the green and yellow wire on the diagram, but I've forgotten what component that could be.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

Well, after a lot of hassle, and a lot of brute strength I managed to remove the fork seal.

I re assembled the fork after using my Dremel to remove as much of the rust as I can manage. The head bearings are perfectly adjusted, and the new fork seals aren't leaking.

The only problems I found are the indicators not flashing (which I knew about) and the front brake.

I discovered that the front brake was of the 'go faster' type. You pull the brake and you go faster! Laughing

after half an hour of fiddling I finally got the forks to dive when I pull the brake. I wouldn't call it slowing down exactly, but I'd definately say it was an improvement!!

I've attached a few piccies of my now rideable cheapo:

https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/ke100whole1.jpg
A little smoky!
https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/ke100whole2.jpg
https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/ke100whole3.jpg
https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/ke100whole4.jpg

Rideable, but possibly not MOT Passable yet...

I think the rear tyre is too worn, and I need to get the bloomin' indicators working! :-/

I've ordered a new indicator relay on the basis it may be that which is faulty, however I think it all stems from the lack of battery.

G and I spent sunday afternoon trying to work out where we can attach the new battery, and I think we worked it out. I'm not certain we have it right because the lights only work when the engine is running. However we may have it right and the battery may be flat (although it does produce 6.2v) or, we may have it right and I need a new indicator relay!! Laughing

Fingers crossed that its the last of those.
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

phil_DT · Nova Slayer Joined: 20 Oct 2006 Karma :

about the headlights only working when the engine runs, my DT is on a 6v system and does exactly the same thing. Passed its MOT perfectly so i presume this is correct Thumbs Up

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1992 DT80MX with Gianelli zorst and Mallosi Carb. Goes through engines faster than tyres.....

MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

My next plan is to swap the front end for one from a bike which has a disc brake. I still want wire wheels, and I'd like to keep roughly the same fork diameter, but it may involve lots of bodging.

Then, I plan to put some KE175 or 250 shock absorbers on there to raise the rear ride height a bit. The MZ forks I've been looking at have 40mm more travel than the ones currently on the KE, so this should make for a better off road machine.

Once all that is done (and I have a KE100 on stilts) I plan to fiddle with the engine. I was thinking maybe a straight swap with a KE175 engine, or perhaps something a bit more ambitious! Smile

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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

colin1 · Captain Safety Joined: 17 Feb 2005 Karma :

nice to read, but i do tend to think that if people want a bigger engine, they should just sell the bike they have and get one that comes with a bigger engine.

This probably just shows that im more into riding than projects.

Giving my bike a wash is a project to me Smile

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colin1 is officially faster than god

MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

befdelta7 · Brolly Dolly Joined: 24 Aug 2006 Karma :

oooh the KE100,
i know them things very well from my collage days. cracking little bike, great to work on fairly simple and good fun!

great read MarJay Thumbs Up

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Dont do a wheelie in front of a traffic copper... it gets you 3pts and £220 fine.