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Why is the 85 K100 the "Finest Year K?"

S

SweetT

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I've seen the 85 K100 refered to as the "FYK" or Finest year K. Is it really that good? Why?
 
Tarren Shaw said:
I've seen the 85 K100 refered to as the "FYK" or Finest year K. Is it really that good? Why?

That's pretty funny. The 1985 K100s, were, in a lot of ways, their own bike. They have a different seat and tail cone combo along with some other differences, one of which is different cams. I think..

Anyway, Don Eilenberger had one and dubbed it the FYK quite a long time ago. Looks like the name stuck.

:D
 
Absolutly its the finest year. I got one.
Seriously the '85 K-model is probably the simplest to work on, no ABS, 2-valve engine, lightest?, at that time its dependability was unknown,as now we know its good for 200,000mi.
All I know for sure is, if you keep it well maintained it will give you good dependable service for a very long time, unlike a certain Triumph that I know of.
Bruce C :doh
 
I like sheep!!!!

hey now EZ on the sheep referances, We all know that K bikes SUCK and yes the white ones were the fast ones. Me thinks it was the only year without ABS.
 
Kbike lifespans

I don't know about others but...got my 85 k new 6/85 rode the wheels off it or at least tried to,did mostly all my own maintanance & had a trouble free,except for a speedo,affair w/ my silver mistress for 16 yrs & about 150k mi. Then I met a sluty little R1150r.and ya know how the story goes..I still see my ex now & then she seems happy in her new relationship & I'm still geting to know my new"date" but I wouldn't mind dancin w/the old gal again...contrary to myth the silver ones are fastest!!! :type
 
mechanic savant said:
I don't know about others but...got my 85 k new 6/85 rode the wheels off it or at least tried to,did mostly all my own maintanance & had a trouble free,except for a speedo,affair w/ my silver mistress for 16 yrs & about 150k mi. Then I met a sluty little R1150r.and ya know how the story goes..I still see my ex now & then she seems happy in her new relationship & I'm still geting to know my new"date" but I wouldn't mind dancin w/the old gal again...contrary to myth the silver ones are fastest!!! :type
the older I get the faster I used to be
 
KBasa said:
That's pretty funny. The 1985 K100s, were, in a lot of ways, their own bike. They have a different seat and tail cone combo along with some other differences, one of which is different cams. I think..

Anyway, Don Eilenberger had one and dubbed it the FYK quite a long time ago. Looks like the name stuck.

:D

Dave is absolutely correct. The story is kinda funny.

I was asked to give a K-tech session at the RA National Rally in Greenfield MA some years ago. (Dave was Chair of that rally..)

At the time, I owned an '85 K100RT, and was somewhat defensive about the scorn heaped upon the '85's by owners of later K's.

During the tech session, several people made somewhat disparaging remarks about the '85 K.. and finally in response to one of the remarks I sarcastically said "Oh - you mean the FINEST YEAR K?"

It got rather a large laugh and I thought that would be the end of it.. but I started referring to my K as the FYK100RT in messages to the IBMWR mailing list.

The name stuck. I started seeing it used in ad's for '85 K bikes, it started appearing in people's SIGs on messages, and questions like this started popping up - "Why is the '85 the Finest Year K?" I've even seen it used in articles in a certain national club magazine :clap

As Paul Harvey would say - now you know the rest of the story.. :D

Oh - the '85 K100's had one advantage over later K100's (until the 4V engine) - they were the "fastest" ones. They had a euro intake cam (except in California) that gave a real 90HP. Starting in '86 all K100's received the California intake cam that gave about 5 less HP - but BMW never changed the specifications.

There were some features that BMW did improve with later K100's - heat management was generally better (but still awful on an RT) and buzz/vibration was reduced a bit... but the '85 bikes were a real bargain since you could usually find one for $1,000 or more cheaper than the same bike as an '86. This changed as the FYK rumor spread :(

Best,
 
1985 Srtong bike

The 85 K100RT I had was indeed ÔÇ£the finest yearÔÇØ. Aside from the dreaded ÔÇ£buzzÔÇØ the motor gave you on the highway, the bike was reliable as a hammer. I later sold it to upgrade to a 93 K1100LT but the motor on the 85 seemed to be tighter than the 1100.

I have to admit I like the 1100 better overall.
:twirl
 
Absolutly, the white ones were faster because you got there faster, due to every body in front of you probably thought you were a cop tailing them and pulled over to get out of your way.Am i for real...matthew
 
Ha! I've enjoyed reading all the responses to my original question. I've seen the '85 called the FYK by at least 4 different people in as many different places, and now I know the rest of the story! :)
 
Fyk

My friend Tim Balough had a silver '85 K100RS. He and his wife Linda ("Last Year" R100CS) and I ('81 R100RS) rode from Indianapolis to the 1986 'MOA at Laguna Seca together and I was very impressed with how his K made torque in any gear. I challenged him to do the slow hill climb into Laguna Seca in 5th gear and he did it with ease.
He did have instrument cluster problems, which I understand were quite common with the early K, and his fuel gauge quit working somewhere in the Pacific Time Zone.
He was leading as we rode through Utah and kept passing gas stations at a point where Linda and I were pretty sure he needed fuel.
Finally, Linda hailed him on the helmet-to-helmet communicator, "When do you plan to run out of gas?"
"Right about here," he replied as his engine quit and he coasted to the berm.
Linda emptied a plastic saline solution bottle she carried for contact lenses and they used it to transfer enough gas from her bike to his to get to the next gas station.
Here's the proof:
 

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Hi Don,

You don't happen to remember the part number for the Euro cams? I have an '84 head that has the same cams as my '88 head...thought I was getting the euro cams with the earlier head.

Greg



Dave is absolutely correct. The story is kinda funny.

I was asked to give a K-tech session at the RA National Rally in Greenfield MA some years ago. (Dave was Chair of that rally..)

At the time, I owned an '85 K100RT, and was somewhat defensive about the scorn heaped upon the '85's by owners of later K's.

During the tech session, several people made somewhat disparaging remarks about the '85 K.. and finally in response to one of the remarks I sarcastically said "Oh - you mean the FINEST YEAR K?"

It got rather a large laugh and I thought that would be the end of it.. but I started referring to my K as the FYK100RT in messages to the IBMWR mailing list.

The name stuck. I started seeing it used in ad's for '85 K bikes, it started appearing in people's SIGs on messages, and questions like this started popping up - "Why is the '85 the Finest Year K?" I've even seen it used in articles in a certain national club magazine :clap

As Paul Harvey would say - now you know the rest of the story.. :D

Oh - the '85 K100's had one advantage over later K100's (until the 4V engine) - they were the "fastest" ones. They had a euro intake cam (except in California) that gave a real 90HP. Starting in '86 all K100's received the California intake cam that gave about 5 less HP - but BMW never changed the specifications.

There were some features that BMW did improve with later K100's - heat management was generally better (but still awful on an RT) and buzz/vibration was reduced a bit... but the '85 bikes were a real bargain since you could usually find one for $1,000 or more cheaper than the same bike as an '86. This changed as the FYK rumor spread :(

Best,
 
Hi Don,

You don't happen to remember the part number for the Euro cams? I have an '84 head that has the same cams as my '88 head...thought I was getting the euro cams with the earlier head.

Greg

Hi Greg,

Sorry, no - dunno the PN.. but have you played with www.realoem.com - perhaps spec'ing an '85 euro model for the lookup?
 
A high percentage of the '85s imported had the California cams. The easiest way to ID them-assuming you could find an unmolested example-would be to check the emmisions label under the seat; if it has the hotter cams, it will say 49-States on it.

It is probably possible to ID them via a code on the cams. I don't recall them having part numbers on them.
 
Have one

A high percentage of the '85s imported had the California cams. The easiest way to ID them-assuming you could find an unmolested example-would be to check the emmisions label under the seat; if it has the hotter cams, it will say 49-States on it.

It is probably possible to ID them via a code on the cams. I don't recall them having part numbers on them.

Correct; but a better way is to hop on it and twist the throttle at 4,000 RPM in any gear. You will know it for sure.
 
If I understand this correctly, The 49 states model had the hot cams and the California models had the milder cam. Am I understanding this correctly?
 
Yes, Barry, you have understood the hotter European cam issue correctly.

I bought my FYK off the showroom floor in Lubbock, Texas summer of '85.

My god, that bike took off like a bat out of hell! The first stoplight I came out of as I was leaving Lubbock I actually did an unintended wheelie!

I was riding back home to Santa Fe after flying into Lubbock. Since I was trying to break it in gently I didn't go crazy with it at all until I put a couple thousand miles on it.

But every time I was accelerating out of a dead stop I had to be careful not to pop another wheelie.:brad

While I enjoy my current ride ('94 K75S) I still miss those days when I was flying low in the Land of Enchantment on my candy apple red FYK. :thumb
 
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FYK really should be more generic, i.e. First Year K.

On my first test drive of one, I was in 5th gear in 500 feet, trying to make the vibration go away.

These bikes were plagued by
  • excessive vibration
  • superheated gas tank
  • vibrations destroying muffler bracket.
  • vapor lock
  • other things I've forgotten (repressed)
Since my first experiences with first-year K-bikes, I haven't considered ownership of a K-bike for a nanosecond since.

Given that, I'm positive they haven't gotten worse, so "finest" is undoubtedly misused.

Obviously '85s are probably the cheapest Ks on the used bike market, and lots of rationalizations I'm sure thereby make them "finest."
 
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I've seen the 85 K100 refered to as the "FYK" or Finest year K. Is it really that good? Why?

Because it's the year I own. But...it's also the ONLY BMW I have ever owned, and as the saying goes, "The best you know is the best you've had'
 
1985 K100RS Vibes

Kent, I think there must be a fair bit of variation in the vibration level on the early K-bikes. In the 80's (don't recall exactly which year) I was tempted off my beloved airhead by a test ride on a K100RS. I was not impressed at all. The vibes really bugged me and it seemed to be something of a slug.
Fast forward to this past summer. I found a 1985 K100RS that I couldn't pass up. Unloved but with very low miles and the price was very attractive. I did some routine maintenance on her, treated her to a new rear suspension unit and now I can't wait for warmer weather so I can put some serious miles on the bike. The engine is very smooth and the progressive power curve is a delight; she feels planted on the highway like no airhead I've ever ridden. There are no cylinders in the places my big feet need to occupy. ;)
I can easily foresee riding my old GS in hot weather, for the K-bike really does throw off more heat that I can probably tolerate. But, a fairly modern three-season bike is not a bad thing. Ya know?
 
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