Would appreciate advice from the wise and wonderful forum

Hello,

I am a slightly (not brand new ) rider in need of advice and opinions. My first and present bike is a K75. I enjoy this bike very much and have finally gotten to the point where I am having fun when I ride. My concern is the top heavy weight of the K75. I still think and worry about if I have to stop in a hurry will I be able to control the bike. I know with time I will get more and more comfortable with it. I am unable to flat foot with both feet ( low seat ) which is why I probaly feel this way.
My brother is an advid rider (3 Bmws) one of which is a R850R needless to say when I rode his bike it felt like I was not always on guard. He lowered the seat for me and it fit great.. My dilemma is I need to justify in my head that it is ok to sell the K75. Would like to hear some thoughts or insights on the R850R and how it would compare or differ from the K75.

Thank for listening (reading)
Carla

I'll put in my two cents.

I ride a K75c and really haven't found it to be top heavy, however if you do, that's fine. I wonder how much rear brake are you using? and what is the age and condition of the front springs?

Are you finding that the bike dives when you come to a stop and then pops back up?

I tend to use rear brake until I need something more, then I'll ease off the front brake as i come to a stop. Various riders courses I have taken advocate using more rear than front brake.

That all been said, if your heart is set on a new bike, you'll find all kinds of reasons to make that reality come true! The K75 is my dream bike, yours may be that R850R.

Let your heart guide ya! (just a gut reaction)

Yikes!!!!

Carla....we may be wonderful........, but wise???????

A couple of thought from a K75 owner, which was also my first bike.

The K75 is top heavy. I can more than flat foot mine, yet dropped it regularly my first...oh...3 years. I'm not alone in this category.

I often see people recommending the K75 as a first bike, because of the displacement. I tend to advice people against this because of the top heavy factor. It is no fun feeling like you may drop the thing at any minute. This feeling must all the worse when you feel that your feet are too far from the ground.

If you have had the opportunity to ride your brothers bike and you feel more comfortable on it, I would recommend you move over to that bike.
No matter what you paid for the K75, you can get that price again, almost all K75's are as depreciated as they'll get, give or take some serious miles and/or damage.

Now, if you have a few extra pennies to spend and you'd like to stay with the fine qualities of a K bike, I'd recommend looking at a K12RS/GT. It's a lower ride and superbly balanced. Test ride one of these and you will understand what people have been talking about sitting "in" the bikes, vs "on it"

Good luck with your decision!

Carla-

My first motorcycle was a K75S. Red....lovely! I enjoyed that motorcycle a great deal. Had some spline trouble with it and while it was in the shop, a beautiful R1100R (essentially the same motorcycle you're thinking of buying), came into the showroom. I bought the R and sold the K after it was fixed. To this day (8 years later) I wish I still had the K75 in my garage.

Don't get me wrong, I love the R11R, but the K was sporty, fun and had a lot of power for a 750 (in my opinion). If I could afford it, i'd by another K75 and be very happy that it was my second motorcycle.

Either way, you won't be dissapointed.

I found my first two BMW K bikes to be very tall and top heavy for me. They were a K100RT and a K75RT and both had top cases. I think part of my problem (other than a short inseam) was the heavy fairing and top case made them more top heavy than a standard would have been. Between the two of them, I rode them for 7 or 8 years and I was never really comfortable with them. I finally ended up with a R80RT and a R1200CLC that are both lower and are far less top heavy.

The K bikes reminded me a lot of the tall and top heavy Japanese bikes I had or rode in the 70s and early 80s (CB350, CB500T, CB550,CB750, KZ900, etc).

THanks so much for the replies

Wow thanks for the advice.
I was also thinking about the R1100R as someone mentioned, does anyone have any advice on it. I was just thinking the 850 but found out they only imported them for 2 years so I may have trouble finding one..
Gail..I enjoy your blog very much and read it often

Yes I do think you are wise.......you ride bmw's.....yes?

Carla

monkeywork said:

Various riders courses I have taken advocate using more rear than front brake.

Click to expand...

sorry for the hijack, but i need to ask on this one. WHAT rider courses have you taken that advocated using more rear than front? The Hurt study identified overuse of rear brakes combined with underuse of the front brake as a leading cause of rider induced crash involvment.

Carla- if you like the R11R, and it fits you fine, it is a very capable mount. How tall are you? My g/f rides an R1100S, and with a slightly lowered shock and a custom seat by Rick Mayer, she can flat foot it "most" of the time. She is 5'3".

and remember, when coming to a stop, look forward, not down!

jcridge said:

Wow thanks for the advice.
I was also thinking about the R1100R as someone mentioned, does anyone have any advice on it. I was just thinking the 850 but found out they only imported them for 2 years so I may have trouble finding one..
Gail..I enjoy your blog very much and read it often

Yes I do think you are wise.......you ride bmw's.....yes?

Carla

Click to expand...

Here are a few answers to the questions asked.

Carla is 5'8" with a 30" inseam and can ride the K75 with no problem.

The K75 she rides is mechanically perfect, other then a bit of paint fade and a corner cracked on the windshield it is like new. I have ridin her bike, and with the D205 Dunlop radials it is a fun bike to toss around and has pletty of power for the solo rider.

The K75 is top heavy......I ride one 70 miles everyday, rain or shine, freezing or hot and love ever minute.

Thanks all for your comments, keep them coming as she isn't completly ready to sell the K75, but the truth is the R850R or R11**R will suit her better as she is a good rider that needs a bike thats not so top heavy.

.......Carla's riding partner and husband for 20 years......

I've had two K75RT's for about 100K miles.It's a heavy bike and a top heavy bike. Somebody 5'8" would probably have to pay close attention in slow speed and stopping situations. I'm 6'1'' and it took me a long time to get comfortable with the bike. I never dropped it, but it would not be hard to do. I think Carla would be more comfortable on an oilhead.

I had a K75 and found it top-heavy and too tall for me (5-7, 29"-inseam), especially because at the time I rode mostly in town. I bought an R1100R and it feels perfect to me. Mechanically, I still believe the K75 to be a superior machine, but the R has more charm, IMO. If they made a lowered K900 triple, I'd be at the dealer tomorrow with a check. No, the F800 is not the same. The early Ks, for their time, were a very special breed.

Re 850/1100: They're essentially the same bike. One is 250 louder.

jcridge said:

Wow thanks for the advice.
I was also thinking about the R1100R as someone mentioned, does anyone have any advice on it. I was just thinking the 850 but found out they only imported them for 2 years so I may have trouble finding one..
Gail..I enjoy your blog very much and read it often

Yes I do think you are wise.......you ride bmw's.....yes?

Carla

Click to expand...

The R1100R is really a nice motorcycle. Not as fancy as the other beemers out there but equally as reliable and good looking. It is a great machine for long hauls or just cruising around the city. I've had mine at Deal's Gap and it performed beautifully (and so did I, if I may be so bold!). You'll be pleased if you can find one you like.

Also, if you are into performing your own services, this bike makes servicing reasonably easy; no body work to futz with. Good luck.