Questions From a Non K-bike Owner

lostboy said:

The trouble with K-Bikes is that they make you find excuses to ride more. "Hey, I haven't been there in a while-I should still be able to get home/to the rally/to the party/to the dinner in time..."

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In reality, no more so than any other bike, and much less so on days when the temp goes north of 90.

Benton629 said:

The k-bikes I have seen for sale were 150k+ mileage and very few for sale.

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Last year I bought a VGC '92 K100RS with about 40,000 miles for just over $4k.

My previous '93 K1100RS was the same price with 34,000 miles.

Not very hard to find at all.

K75s

I've owned three BMWs (R69S, R75/5, and currently a K75S), also had in the past a Triumph, and a couple of Japanese bikes.

As an old friend and long-time BMW rider and restorer of many classic British bikes, and a guy who had a K75 and sold it, said to me:

"Never sell that bike!"

Overall, best all-around motorcycle ever built, period.

mieczkow said:

overall, best all-around motorcycle ever built, period.

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+1

I strated w/an R50 in the 60's
R75/5 in the 70's
R100RT in the 80/90/2000's
added an R1100RSL in the 2000's
sold the airhead
bought an '03 GT
sold
the boxer RSL
still have the GT
set up for me or 2up touring
runs double Gerbings liners/gloves/heated seat in winter
w/Motolights and PIAA's
smooooooooth
fast enough
beautiful
a keeper

Let's see now: K75s

I bought one in '86 and rode it till a crash in '05. Voni bought one in '90 and traded it in '93, but bought another in '98 and kept it for 2 years, then bought another in 99 which she kept till '05 but bought one in '04 which she still rides.

And I bought one in '06, one in '07, and one this year, and still have all 3.

I guess we like k75s.

I'm a airhead rider and always will be, but I do have two K bikes. Three year ago I got a 02 k1200rs and just love the bike, fast, smooth and just a great bike to ride. Then I just got a 91 K100rs the 4vavle bike, wow what a great ride,light weight not as fast as a k1200, but a very nice bike. Ya the one thing about a K bike is there hot behind them in warm weather... In hot weather I ride a r100s then

After I bought my first 85 k100 I recieved a load of grief from my Air Head friends. My Answer was. "Hey It has brakes, lights and selfcanceling turn signals. Its the best Japanese bike those German boys could put together"

hhshort said:

After I bought my first 85 k100 I recieved a load of grief from my Air Head friends. My Answer was. "Hey It has brakes, lights and selfcanceling turn signals. Its the best Japanese bike those German boys could put together"

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In 1977 I bought a 750cc three cylinder motorcycle. At 42,000 miles it had low compression and needed an engine overhaul. In 1986 I bought a 750cc three cylinder motorcycle. I rode it for 19 years, and at 370,000 miles it still had excellent compression, burned no oil, the head had never been off, the transmission had never been opened, and the final drive was original.

You can guess which one was made in Japan and which one was made in Germany.

46211 said:

Ya the one thing about a K bike is there hot behind them in warm weather...

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Not a K75S. The S is just fine in hot weather. MUCH better than an K75RT or any K100.

98lee said:

Not a K75S. The S is just fine in hot weather. MUCH better than an K75RT or any K100.

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There are a lot of "hot" bikes in this world and only some of them are BMW K-bikes. The first generation Yamaha FRJ1300s were notoriously hot and home remedy solutions to deal with this are all over the FRJ sites. The fixes are a lot like those used on the K100RTs - and for the same reasons. My first K-bike was a K100RT and it was very hot in the summertime because of the way the fairing would create a low pressure area behind it that sucks the hot air coming out of the engine area right up toward the rider's legs and torso. Makes a hell of a good winter bike, though. However, the two R100RSs I had were hot at times too because they blocked so much wind and half of the cylinders are on the rider's side of the fairing.

The K75 standards and K75S I have are not hot IMHO. Yes, there is some mild engine heat at slow speeds, but I never notice it on the road. However, with any motorcycle you are sitting on top of a device that burns fossil fuel, and that heat has to go somewhere. My K1200RS is not hot, either, even when stopped at a light. If the fans kick on they send most of the hot air far enough to either side of the bike that I don't notice it at all.

So, other than the RT/LT K-bikes I think the heat thing is over blown, and is driven by comparison with BMW airheads which are uniquely "cool" compared to many other motorcycle designs.

Brand new rider last year at 46 yrs old (I know right - wtf?), and I ended up with a K75S instead of the airhead I would have bought had one been available when I "needed" a bike in a hurry.

A lucky accident to be sure.

Funny thing is, I have never even noticed the heat much less found it uncomfortable.

I read the posts on this board and kind of wondered what people were talking about, and then I took a short ride on my brothers Honda ST1300 and I understood in a hurry. The thing damn near burned the skin off my leg.


Other than that

1) smooth - check
2) stable - double check
3) comfortable - yes, once I turned the handlebars up so my wrists weren't cocked.
4) fast - not compared to a lot of machines...or is it? It builds speed deceivingly quickly. The power delivery is linear as he77.
5) reliable - I'm doing a clutch because my main and/or transmission seal has leaked all over it, but the parts were cheap and the job looks easy enough.
6) handsome - eye of the beholder and all that, but timeless is a word I'd use.

7) respected - I think so. I see so very few of them on the road. Mine is the bright red colour (haven't found the name yet...can someone id it by my photo attached please?) so it has a bit of presence and it's unmistakable BMW. My brother certainly likes it and remembers it from @back in the day@ as a grail bike.

Yes, it's cool, and yes it works bloody well..

Looks like Marakesh Red (code 222 I believe) one of the fastest colors. Damn nice looking S you got there. Hang onto it!

Yep, that's Marakesh Red (the fastest color).

Should be a 1" x 2" black and white sticker on the rear body panel underneath the seat that says "642". That's the "Color Scheme" for Marakesh Red.

The Glasurit "Paint Code" is 222.

Looks like an '88 Marakesh Red K75S (just like 3 of mine. I also have a first week '87) with aftermarket mirrors. VERY NICE!!!!





Like I said, the Ss don't have any heat problems.

That is certainly a fine looking R75 in Marakesh red.

98lee said:

Looks like an '88 Marakesh Red K75S (just like 3 of mine. I also have a first week '87)

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Lee, you may want to look into a 12-step program for K75s-ism

I refer to mine as the Magic Carpet Ride. Mine is an '87S that I purchased with @ 30,000 miles. The guy I bought if from said it was making a "noise" that bothered him. So he bought a wrecked K75 so he'd have a spare motor.

The "noise" I later learned is when the clutch is released in neutral - not sure of the exclamation but doesn't it have something to do with the dry clutch design?

At any rate, I've put @ 20k on mine and just love it. I've upgraded the front rotors to EBC floaters and the front & rear brake lines to Spiegler S/S. Battalax tires are great and Progressive Air shock on rear. Had her painted this summer, Porsche Metallic Gray.

Thanks to this forum, these are the things I've how to do a spline lube, check valves (haven't needed to adjust), rebuild oil/water pump, bleed brakes, rebuild front master cylinder and replace rear m/c, install heated grips, driving lights and a Stebel Air Horn.

It's an amazing machine and I'll second the comment that it's the kind of ride you want to plan long trips on.

98lee said:

Yep, that's Marakesh Red (the fastest color).

Should be a 1" x 2" black and white sticker on the rear body panel underneath the seat that says "642". That's the "Color Scheme" for Marakesh Red.

The Glasurit "Paint Code" is 222.

Looks like an '88 Marakesh Red K75S (just like 3 of mine. I also have a first week '87) with aftermarket mirrors. VERY NICE!!!!

Like I said, the Ss don't have any heat problems.

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Checked the paint code this morning...it was too cold last night.

Stickie says 643...it's a 1990 model.

I did some poking around last night on the internets and came to understand it was Marakesh also. One site I visited listed all the paint codes and 641 and 643 were there but no 642.

http://www.bmbikes.co.uk/paintcodes/reds.htm

But yeah - it's a keeper. Iconic in it's own way.

I have to get that clutch done and get the ambient temperatures up a bit. I don't have the gear for cold weather riding (yet).

35634 said:

Lee, you may want to look into a 12-step program for K75s-ism

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If that means that I could end up with 12 Marakesh Red K75Ss, where do I sign up?


Ok, I MIGHT take a Black one or a Yellow one.

jwetering said:

Checked the paint code this morning...it was too cold last night.

Stickie says 643...it's a 1990 model.

I did some poking around last night on the internets and came to understand it was Marakesh also. One site I visited listed all the paint codes and 641 and 643 were there but no 642.

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That's the trouble with my damn keyboard!!! The 2 is right next to the 3. With my fat fingers.........

You are absolutely correct. 643 Marakesh Red (I knew that)

1990 are virtually identical to the 1988 models (they never made a 1989 S model. just sold left over 1988 Ss).