[Sharkmonkey]

Because I found one

My work travel ended up providing me the means to purchase and transport this baby from a 2nd owner garage (where that guy had it 25 years) to my own greedy mitts.

It's a relatively early version (build number in the 8000 range) because it has the older style side badges, but the newer seat cover. 12k miles and been sitting for a decade at least, but it's the absolute cleanest old motorcycle I've ever seen for a reasonable price. I think spending a lot of time in a garage in a pretty dry area helped keep it preserved. All original and came with a set of saddle bags and a crappy cracked windshield!

I'm very excited to get this one on the road.

 

[leethal]

nice score

 

[Znabb]

Really nice find! The blue color is not that usual (at least not here in Europe) and the best part, it does not look like a mix of parts but a true unfettled K1. Congratulations.

 

[tomgndallas]

wow she is beautiful. that is the exact color and model of the one that I am putting together.

 

[Sharkmonkey]

It really is just as it was meant to be. It has been dropped on both sides as far as I can tell (apparently by the original owner, but who knows for sure), but luckily a crash bar was installed so only the shifter/cover took some damage. Relatively easy parts to remedy. It mostly seems to be a tune and clean job to get her on the road again. Which will be nice since I'm neck deep in my 360 disassembly at the moment!

This is the first blue one I've seen for sale and I've been looking for about a year and a half. Seen a couple black ones and a red one that were all way out of my price range (as in $4k+).

 

[tomgndallas]

heck finding a K1 in half way decent shape regardless of color is pretty hard to do these days. They are really fun and beautiful bikes. I am just hoping I can get her all finished up and on the road before the cold weather hits in a few months. It would be a shame to finish it then just have to winterize it. Guess I need to get off my duff and get busy..haha. This weekend I am heading back to Alabama with my wife to visit my parents so guess I will have to wait another week.

 

[Bike-Mart]

How do I get to America?
Chance of finding one like that in UK - ZILCH.

 

[Sharkmonkey]

heck finding a K1 in half way decent shape regardless of color is pretty hard to do these days. They are really fun and beautiful bikes. I am just hoping I can get her all finished up and on the road before the cold weather hits in a few months. It would be a shame to finish it then just have to winterize it. Guess I need to get off my duff and get busy..haha. This weekend I am heading back to Alabama with my wife to visit my parents so guess I will have to wait another week.

I know what you mean, mine is housed in Seattle and I'm working in CA for the rest of the summer/fall, so it's not going anywhere this year I think. I can probably get it going again before I have to head back since I'm pretty sure the main problem is the carb sync. I'm just glad it is there for when I am able to work on it.

Any tips for the chrome tank sides? Mine seem to be lightly scratched and one of them has a small dent I'll have to fix (or get fixed). I'm a little nervous about trying to take them off. It also needs a new seat cover and I'll probably go with the early K1 white piped cover and mod the foam underneath to get a little flatter seat which I think will look good. The stock one looks more like the later model seat cover than the early one. I'd also like to have an owner's manual, but that may be nigh on impossible to find.

 

[Sharkmonkey]

How do I get to America?
Chance of finding one like that in UK - ZILCH.

It's not a long flight but you guys over there get a lot of cool stuff we don't, so I don't feel to bad for you

 

[tomgndallas]

heck finding a K1 in half way decent shape regardless of color is pretty hard to do these days. They are really fun and beautiful bikes. I am just hoping I can get her all finished up and on the road before the cold weather hits in a few months. It would be a shame to finish it then just have to winterize it. Guess I need to get off my duff and get busy..haha. This weekend I am heading back to Alabama with my wife to visit my parents so guess I will have to wait another week.

I know what you mean, mine is housed in Seattle and I'm working in CA for the rest of the summer/fall, so it's not going anywhere this year I think. I can probably get it going again before I have to head back since I'm pretty sure the main problem is the carb sync. I'm just glad it is there for when I am able to work on it.

Any tips for the chrome tank sides? Mine seem to be lightly scratched and one of them has a small dent I'll have to fix (or get fixed). I'm a little nervous about trying to take them off. It also needs a new seat cover and I'll probably go with the early K1 white piped cover and mod the foam underneath to get a little flatter seat which I think will look good. The stock one looks more like the later model seat cover than the early one. I'd also like to have an owner's manual, but that may be nigh on impossible to find.

that is a good question, honeslty mine are a little scratched as well but I am just leaving them that way for now. I had planned on experimenting with some of those scratch remover polishes for auto paint, but have not gotten around to it.

 

[tomgndallas]

Here is where I am today on my build, wheels have been cleaned up, new steering bearings, freshly sprayed frame. Some new hardware here and there, and I got new superbike bars coming from cycle recycle.

 

[tbpmusic]

that is a good question, honeslty mine are a little scratched as well but I am just leaving them that way for now. I had planned on experimenting with some of those scratch remover polishes for auto paint, but have not gotten around to it.

Depends on how anal you are.
Once they're all scratched up, there's not a lot you can do, and it's a very noticeable detail.......wasn't the world's greatest chrome to begin with.

An obvious solution would be to send them to Brown's Plating - not sure what they'd charge, I think they go by square inches or something. But the results would be spectacular, better than new.
Probably around $100 each (just guessing), but no one does better work. Everything they've done for me has been of incredible quality, and fast too.

Re-chroming is pricey, but there are a few bits on any bike that are candidates.....it is the defining feature of a K1, after all.

 

[Sharkmonkey]

that is a good question, honeslty mine are a little scratched as well but I am just leaving them that way for now. I had planned on experimenting with some of those scratch remover polishes for auto paint, but have not gotten around to it.

Depends on how anal you are.
Once they're all scratched up, there's not a lot you can do, and it's a very noticeable detail.......wasn't the world's greatest chrome to begin with.

An obvious solution would be to send them to Brown's Plating - not sure what they'd charge, I think they go by square inches or something. But the results would be spectacular, better than new.
Probably around $100 each (just guessing), but no one does better work. Everything they've done for me has been of incredible quality, and fast too.

Re-chroming is pricey, but there are a few bits on any bike that are candidates.....it is the defining feature of a K1, after all.

Exactly, and that's why I'm thinking they need to be nice. It could be old paint buffed up a bit for all I care, but those chrome tank sides need to look good or the bike isn't going to. I'll try some chrome polish and see where that gets me. I need to pull the left one anyway to fix the small dent. Luckily the rest of the chrome on the bike is stellar. Thanks for the re-chrome reference, if it irritates me enough I'll definitely give them a call.

 

[tomgndallas]

the chrome polish did not do much for me on the scratches, this is why I wanted to go the scratch remover route. keep me posted if you have some success!!

 

[Sharkmonkey]

Now with no crash bar, back rest, etc.

Bench sync'd the carbs and discovered a severely imbalanced float setting meant only gas in one bowl, easy enough to fix! Now it runs on two cylinders. Haven't ridden it much since I haven't had a shot at adjusting the valve clearances and the front brake is badly out. I think the cable isn't helping on that one. Shoes are good, though. She gets around town a bit when I get a chance. Fires up on the first or second kick, every time.

It also really really needs a folding kick start lever. That thing sticks out right in the way! I think I'll abscond one from a 350 or 500/550.

(that's my friend Prash's GT185 and CB550F in the background, he's loaning me garage space while I live out of town)

 

[305 SH]

Sharkmonkey,

I'm new here, but looks like this went to a good home. Really glad to see!

Rode over early one morning and looked at it myself, pretty nice garage find, but too much for me to bite off right now with other stuff to do.

Congrats on a rare and very cool bike.

 

[tomgndallas]

heck yes!! nice to hear you have had a chance to ride her around. I loved it when I fired up mine for the first time and got her running well enough to zoom around a bit. I was really suprised how well the little twin carried down the road. 65 to 70 was no problem for her, and she had really not even been tuned that well. I cant wait to get her back together once I finish this engine work (which is going to take a while I can already tell). Once I get my oil filter tool and check into that side of the engine, if it is really dirty, I may just bite the bullet and split the cases. I was really hoping I could keep the rebuild to the top end, but I am really not sure right now.

honestly I am a little jealous i cant ride my little blue beauty... :mrgreen: