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92 k75 about to go (maybe) buy one. What should I look for.

Changed engine oil. There is a leak coming from the crankshaft and it looks like it is a little seal inside the flywheel. Rear main seal looks good.

It is an O-ring under the nut and washer that hold the flywheel on: 11 21 1 460 456 O-RING - 19X4 $1.67

THE most common cause of leaks in the clutch area when it dries out and cracks.
REPLACE IT NOW! If it hasn't yet, it will trash you clutch, as it leaks directly on the disc.

I have a quick question. Bike came with Russel Day Long seat which is in pretty rough shape. I also got another seat which looks like it should fit but the pan is too deep, it sits on the ME holder. When I removed the holder and put the seat it is fine (sitting on the rails). Are there two different seats for the K bikes or two different ME holders (one without the storage)?
Thank you and I will provide some pictures.

There are two seats that I am aware of that will not fit with the tool tray that is above the computer:

One is the non-hinged (lift off) low seat. On this seat, the upholstered sides come down lower than the bottoms of the frame rails making the battery covers unusable.

The other is the hinged comfort seat for the 16 valve K100 and K1100. The area under the seat on those bikes allow the seat pan to extend down between the frame rails. I believe that you MIGHT be able to make this work by cutting the tool box part off of the computer holder or getting a holder from a low seat bike. There MIGHT be a difference in the required hinges and hardware. Try with computer out before you cut anything.


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Mr Fulton you are spewing knowledge today. Thank you very much.
I am waiting for parts from MAX BMW. They had to order front brake line from Germany so I lost a week there.
In retrospect I should have gotten the line from Spiegler but too late now. I deleted ABS so I am running non ABS line to the front caliper.
Rear line is stainless steel braided and that one stays (just routed it directly from cylinder to rear caliper.
I am getting antzy, want to put it together and ride.
 
A great thing to do while you are waiting is check the valve clearances. Very important to verify that they are correct.

Checking is easy.

Bike MUST be cold (under 94F)

Remove valve cover.

Make chart:
Intake 1. 2. 3.
Exhaust 1. 2. 3.


One intake and one exhaust on a different cylinder will be in position to check with the heel of the cam facing the valve. Measure and record.

Hit starter and immediately hit kill switch (so bike doesn't start).

Cams will stop with a different pair of valves ready to check. Measure and record.

Repeat until all six valves have been checked.

Intakes should be .006-.008". Exhausts should be .010-.012" with the looser side (.012") preferred as the exhausts are cooled by seat time and tighten with time. Shims are available in .002" increments.

If any valves are out of spec. and need adjusting, that requires special tools. Let me know and i'll advise further.

An important note about replacing the valve cover: the cover bolts have a shoulder and are meant to bottom out and should be TORQUED to 6-7 ft lbs or you will strip out the holes in the cam bearing covers or the head. Ft/lb torque wrenches are not accurate that low. You need an inch/lb torque wrench, even the $10 Harbor Freight version and torque to 72-84 in/lb.

What holds the cover tight, since the bolts bottom out, is the rubber bushings that go around the bolts. It is the elasticity of the rubber that applies the pressure. When these get old and hard, they loose their elasticity causing poor sealing. New gaskets are under $20 for the pair and the 10 bushings are under $1ea.



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Thank you for the info. I will leave the valve adjustment for the next oil change. It was running fine. I would like some guidance regarding the fuel gauge install.
 
I am a sucker for a bike in need I guess. Could have spent $800 on something else but I guess I will be oilhead/brickhead since I already have R1150R.
I must say I like the bike. Ride home (the most exciting part as you all know) was very nice. Bike is taller than R and more "wobbly" but very nice. It is narrower, I feel I can play with traffic more with it. Engine is smooth and 5th gear is awesome, you can go from 20-90 without shifting, very smooth torque curve. It was ridden hard but still runs well. I am assuming drivetrain is OK. Gotta start going through it slowly, tank is first. I took the fairing off already and I need some plastic pieces. Windshield is cloudy and was wondering if there is replacement for it. Thank you for your input.
What is up with the side cases? Lock here lock there lock everywhere and to take off is an exercise in 3D geometry. What am I missing?
Also when you put the bike on a side stand it leans a little more than I would like. Is there a pad that goes on the foot. There are two holes.

Gustaffson probably makes a windshield for it. I got one last year for a K100RT. They are located in St Augustine.
 
Quick update. Parts coming Monday. Here is the status
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I deleted the abs completely both abs sensors are off as well.

Come on Monday hurry up
 
Quick update

I put the clutch, transmission, swing arm and final drive in.
Used hammer handle as a holder to tighten the flywheel nut.

Clutch alignment was a little tedious, in the end I took the push rod out, left the clutch slightly lose, and used the transmission as the alignment tool Forgot to route the clutch cable before the swing arm ( slight setback).

Gotta bleed the brakes and then off to the front of the bike, air filter housing, fairings and the tank.
I am thinking, I am riding by the weekend.

Am I correct in assuming that there is no way to replace clutch cable boot. It is one of those idiot taxes I guess since I bought it.

Pictures coming.
 
Almost done

Just need a windshield.

Seat turned out great.
image.jpg

image.jpg

image.jpg

Runs great. Idle is a little low bur overall very nice. If you have emerald green drivers side cover or nice windshield let me know
 
. I will leave the valve adjustment for the next oil change. It was running fine.

Only a few ounces of oil will escape during a valve check. No need to empty the oil.

A K75 will "run fine" even with out of spec valve clearances, but you will experience less than optimum performance, poor fuel economy and increased parts wear.
 
Only a few ounces of oil will escape during a valve check. No need to empty the oil.

A K75 will "run fine" even with out of spec valve clearances, but you will experience less than optimum performance, poor fuel economy and increased parts wear.

I don't mind doing the check, but since I don't have the shims or the tools needed to complete the job if I have to change the shims it seems like inviting one of those "bike down" for a month scenarios. I will see if somebody in the area has tools and shims and do it then.

EDIT: I could probably improvise the tools
 
You really need to do the check to get a baseline and know if everything is OK. If a valve or two needs adjusting, you can put the cover back on and ride it (if it's not crazy bad) until the tools show up and you can schedule the adjustment to your convenience. It's much better KNOWING where things stand, than just hopeing that everything is OK. You want to make informed decisions.

If you wait until it starts running poorly, you've already started doing some damage.



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Intake 0.006. 0.007. 0.007
Ex. .012. 0.009. 0.009
One bucket 3. Has 245 on it, I can't see anything on the other one
 
I have to find somebody in the area with tools and shims, until then I will ride. If shim says 245, which one do I need to make it right. I guess 240
 
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.05mm = approx. .002". Shims only come in .05mm increments, so a 2.40 would give you about .011". Any more and it would be too loose.




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If you don't already have the shim tools or don't want to spring for the more expensive ones because you don't anticipate using them much, there used to be a guy that was making them. Don't know if he is still making them. You'd need to call or email him first to check. The quality was good for keeping a couple of bikes in shape for their life time. If you were going to make your living doing valve adjustments, you'd want the better ones. Kind of a Snap-on vs Harbor Freight kinda deal.

Here's my comunication with him from 6 years ago:

Hi Lee
Yes, I have BMW "K" engine Valve Adj tools available for the 2 valve "K" engine.
The 2 Pieces are made from 3/16? Laser cut steel. Working contours are identical to factory tools. Tools are new. Tools come w/ instruction sheet.
$27 S/H included.
Clutch pilots for K's are available also. New, from steel
$18 S/H included.
?Pay Pal? to Polepenhollow, Cashiers Checks, Money Orders and Personal Checks accepted.
I ship as soon as Pay Pal is posted or the check arrives.

Thanks, Good Luck and Good Riding.
Kenneth Lively
318 S Hart St
Palatine Il 60067

polepenhollow@yahoo.com
847-561-8555


If you DO get in touch with him, please advise us of his latest status.



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Riding impression

Well I had the K75RT for about 3 months now and I put about 500 miles on it.
Riding impressions.
RT in Florida heat, not a good thing. Burns the hell out of the legs. I would venture to say that this bike would be perfect in 30-40 degree weather.
Storage is nice.
Engine runs smoothly . My oil level inspection window is still black. I was hoping it would "self clean" itself but no luck.
There is s small leak of gear oil coming from I assume input shaft seal (which is bad since I was in there recently. Oh well, practice makes perfect.
Brakes are good but can not compare with my 04 Rockster.
Handling is OK but again cant compare with the Rockster.
Gearing is not really set for US highways. The bike is screaming at 90mph and I dont think it can go much faster than 100.
Side cases are nice. Are there two different sizes since I think mine is about an inch wider than the "regular" k75 case?
I think my tank breather is clogged since it blows off heavily when I open the tank. Are there areas to check?
Overall a nice bike but not really something with a lot of "soul".
Ill give it a year, see what happens, I think it might redeem itself in cold weather (Naked bike in 40degrees is no fun).
 
I know I appreciate long term updates so here is one.
K75RT gets ridden more than any other bike in the stable.
I have 83 gl1100a, 04 Rockster, 85 V65 Sabre and the K.
It is the "easiest" bike to ride. v65 wants to kill me, Rockster is fun but I am always illegal, and the Goldwing is too much (heavy) most of the time (nice highway cruiser).

From a mechanical standpoint it has been pretty reliable.
I changed rear brake pads (should have done it sooner).
Didn't do anything to fix the odometer.
I am getting 150 miles to 4 gallons of fuel, maybe somebody can let me know if that seems normal.

There is a small leak at the "oil pan",is it a gasket or silicone seal?
There is also a transmission oil leak that is coming out of the clutch housing and I think it is getting on the clutch as well since it feels very "grabby" at times. Usually when I first start riding and it gets better with time.
If I go back in, which parts should I get in advance? I am not really understanding which seal can leak gear oil on the clutch. It should be the "pushrod" seal but open to suggestions. I dont want to go back in there any time soon.

Other than that I am liking the bike. I am planning a cross country trip for fall next year and I decided to take K75 over the rest of the bikes in the garage. It just feels like a good friend.
 
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