Iron Horse Motorcycle website

Would you like to OPT OUT of these newsletters?  Send an email to parts@ironhorsemotorcycles.com and ask to be removed from distribution.

Let the summer begin.
BMW Airflow 2 Gloves

- 2 colors: black and sand
- Additional foam backing
- Back of the hand: material mix of leather and AirTex mesh fabric
- BMW Motorrad logotype embossed
- Closure/width adjustment on the back of the hand
- Comfortable seams, not bulky since seam allowance is on the inside
- Cordura® comfort stretch on the fingers, foam backing; also on the knuckles
- Double layers of material at the areas particularly endangered in case of a crash
- Extended hand, Short gauntlet for a superior grip.
- Palm of the hand unlined for a direct grip
- Particularly soft and long-lived special leather is water and perspiration repellent
- Perforation between the fingers and mesh structure on the back of the hand for ventilation
- Leather protection on side of glove
- Thumbs made of stretch Cordura® with wiper section.
Sizes Available

SAHARA SOCK
From Moose Racing

- Designed to keep you cool and comfortable
- Coolmax constructed with heavy-duty wear areas for durability
- Tall over the calf design
- Reinforced elastic in foot and calf helps eliminate bunching
- Sizes: L(7-9), XL(10-13)

Hella Driving Lights

FF300
Modern Free Form (FF) lighting technology is the result of a highly sophisticated computer-assisted design system that perfectly coordinates the shape of the reflector with the light source, thus producing the most efficient possible light output. The fog lamp illuminates the roadway over a broad area without dazzling oncoming traffic, while the driving lamp produces a far-reaching, accurately directed light. FF technology allows a clear lens design for modern styling.
Kits include:
- 2 lamps
- 2 H3 12V55W halogen bulbs
- Fast-Fit mounting system with color-coded wiring harness and fused 12V relay
- 2 stone shields
-Easy-to-follow installation instructions

FF50 / FF50 Blue
Small overall dimensions - powerful light. Hella's Free-Form (FF) technology is available in a design for even the most difficult mounting conditions. Now available with trendy blue styling that gets you noticed!

- Blue driving lamp produces crisp white beam
- Optics-free glass lens on both clear and blue versions
- Modern bracket technology offers flexible mounting possibilities
- Uncompromising long-term quality through the use of magnesium 
reflectors
- State-of-the-art halogen H7 bulb
- SAE compliant
- Clear lens available as fog lamp and driving lamp

Micro DE
The trend setting compact auxiliary headlamp. Hella's DE auxiliary fog lamp gives automobile designers, fine-tuners, and do-it-yourselfers just what they need to open up surprising potential in terms of lighting. It is ideal for surface-fitting in front spoilers and air dams.

The DE fog lamp is characterized not only by its small dimensions (66 x 76 x 140 mm), but also by the DE light technology and its material makeup. The body and the reflector are manufactured from high-quality magnesium, a material which is now used wherever products are subject to great stress (e.g. in aviation, space travel or Formula 1).
Kit includes:
- Two lamps with decorative bezels
- H3 bulbs
- Soft rubber caps & mounting brackets
- Wiring harness, relays and switch

BMW Motorcycle Cooling Systems: Part 2 Air Cooling Summary:  Air cooling has it's advantages and disadvantages, but they're all part of the design goals. Oil inside the engine also plays a major factor (in addition to lubrication and cleaning) in getting the heat away from the hot internal components and into the crankcase/oil pan where the cooling fins/reinforcement ribs can dissipate the heat into the air.

CAUTION!  There is the danger of severe burns or scalding when coming in contact with hot coolant and or cooling system components.  Be careful of hot coolant spraying out from below a loosened radiator cap.  Allow engine to cool down completely prior to opening or working on the engine liquid cooling system.

Liquids are Better Cooling Mediums – That’s Why We Get Those Blue Lips and Goosebumps.  While we are in the swimming pool, we feel nice and comfortable since we are cooling off from all that desert heat. However, after a while we can start to look like the little kids with blue lips and blue finger nails who play in the pool all day, because we have been cooled down too much. This shows us exactly how effective a liquid can be used as a medium to remove heat from any human or non-human object.

Three Times the letter "A" Equals the Letter "K" – Really?  There was a period of time at BMW, when it was thought that the traditional boxer engine was the only possible design. There were those within BMW who did not want to change the basic concept, for it was simply very BMW-ish. During the /5 time period (1969 – 1973), the thought of designing and producing an overhead cam two cylinder engine was very real indeed. This was called project M79, which never went into series production. However, well into the late seventies, corporate BMW thought that any design other than the traditional boxer engine could indeed cause a major identity crisis for BMW.

The Second Letter "A":  After the M79 project, Martin Probst, an engine designer who came to BMW from Audi, designed a four cylinder engine of 1,300cc displacement for the European market and 1,500cc for the USA market. However, once BMW heard that Honda would soon come out with the first Goldwing model (a flat four cylinder engine, liquid cooled) in 1975, it terminated the M79 project in 1974. Certainly, BMW would not be caught copying the Honda Goldwing design!

The Third Letter "A":  In 1977, Josef Fritzenwenger drew the first concept of the K-series engine. His idea was both radical from conventional 4-cyclinder placement and yet very simple in design and construction. It was to be both a 4 cylinder and a 3 cylinder design. The entire drivetrain consisting of gearbox, driveshaft and rear drive were to be mounted longitudinally and with a low center of gravity. Different, yet incorporating very much of the traditional BMW drivetrain philosophy. The new engine, however, would benefit from BMW Automotive and Formula 1 engine technology.

Equals the Letter "K":  Beyond the basic engine (which was patented under the name Josef Fritzenwenger in February 1979), the letter "K" stood for (Kompact) Compact Drive System. Late February, the board gave the OK for the new project and assigned Martin Probst, who was responsible for the development of the BMW Formula 2 engine, to head the construction of the K engine. At first, the engine was to be a 1,300cc, but after much discussion it was decided to move forward with a 1,000cc sized engine, which could produce 90 horsepower. The horsepower of the engine was kept below 100 due to political reasons. There were also obstacles such as engine weight and cost to produce the motorcycle. Cost was a factor and BMW had to offer more than the competitive Japanese models.

Liquid Cooling - It Has its Advantages, Too.  Even before the last century, it was found that plain water worked very well to transfer heat from the hot cylinders and cylinder heads to a heat exchanger called the radiator via water hoses and connectors.

BMW K Models as of 1984:  With the advent of the K-series, BMW entered the 4-cylinder arena in a unique way that was and is still quite novel. The engine can be almost totally rebuilt while still attached to the frame. Connecting rod bearings and main bearings can be checked by just removing the right hand cover. Engine work, such as access to the entire upper end of the engine (meaning camshafts, valves, pistons etc.) on the left hand side is just as easy. The crankcase which includes the cylinders (which are part of the casting) are of the "open deck" design, meaning that the top of the cylinder is open and the sealing between cylinder top and the cylinder head is accomplished via the head gasket. The advantage here is that the cooling is quite good because the coolant circulates more completely around the cylinder and within the cylinder head via some very small passages. The coolant and oil pump are located in the front of the engine. Overall the engine is amazingly simple and compact. Two years later in 1986, the K75 triple cylinder model with a 750cc engine displacement was introduced into the market place. It is based on the same design as the 4-cylinder. The difference being 1 cylinder less, shorter overall length and with a 120 degree crankshaft which produces an exhaust note like a Porsche Carrera engine…wow… what a sound!

How It Works – Like Blood in Your Body.  Coolant (usually consisting of 50-50% mixture of water and ethyl glycol) is used as a medium to transfer engine heat from cylinder heads/cylinders (which are hot from the combustion process), to the radiator where the heat is released into atmosphere, thus lowering the temperature of the hot coolant. Somewhat like our red, flushed skin when we ourselves become overheated. The coolant is circulated via the coolant pump through out the cooling system. A valve which controls this movement is called the thermostat. The thermostat opens at a set coolant temperature and thus slowly allows the coolant to enter the radiator.

K-series Coolant Maintenance (Be Careful with Hot Coolant):  Coolant flushes are very important in any liquid cooled engine to remove residues and drain coolant whose additives have become depleted over time. Timely maintenance (see your owner’s manual for details) is especially important to the life of the coolant pump seals, where the coolant is also used to lubricate and protect the seals within the coolant pump. The additives used in the coolant are also used to protect the metals used in the cooling system from corrosion, and these additives do wear out over time.

CAUTION!  Attempt this only with the ignition OFF and the motorcycle completely cooled down:  If you have access to the electrical cooling fan behind the radiator, give it a spin with your fingers to ensure that it is not seized or hard to turns. These fans are usually not in operation very often and may stiffen up over time. Just like a car, if the bike is traveling over 35 mph, the fan is usually not necessary to pull cool air through the radiator.

In the next Newsletter will discuss the advantage/disadvantages and function of BMW Oilhead cooling.