BMW Flying Bricks (K-bikes)

[Scud]

What do you all think of the original BMW K-bikes (late 1980s to mid 1990s)? Have you owned one in past? Do you have one now? Have you been thinking - dang those things are cheap and indestructible? 

 

The BMW Brick:  discuss....

[Scud]

I'll start - since I just did a fly and ride and brought one home. I think they have to be the cheapest, most reliable form of transportation available - pretty good performers, and a bit more "personality and quirkiness" than your standard boxer or other recent BMW models. I chose a later-year (1992) K75s, with low miles (40,000 of it's 200,000 or more useful life). Having recently left each of my V11s at the airport (which made me sick), I decided to get a "beater-bike." This one looks good from distance, but has been left out in the weather too much, which makes it OK for me to continue doing. $1,600 - but needs some work and tires. 

 

I rode it about 800 miles over a few days of work with customers in various cities on the way. Concluding with a fun ride of 370 miles to get it home today over a 6,000 foot pass through the Sequoia National Forest in the Sierra Nevada range. 

 

 

These K-bikes have massive electrical generators... and today I thought: "I might get myself some heated grips."

[docc]

That's a VERY nice looking sports-tourer!

[LowRyter]

A buddy on mine had a blue one just about like the one in the photo.  Perhaps 1994 model? 

 

He had to rebuild the ABS system.  But the transmission did him in.  Not sure how he got rid of it but it was toast trying to replace the tranny.  

 

He purchased a 2006 K1200S ESA (white with the blue stripes)- sorta German Hayabusa with conventional 4 cyl transverse engine.  He must really love water cooled 4 cyl Beemers.  I was a little surprised that he he got another one after all he did on the last one.

[Kiwi_Roy]

I'm planning a trip back to New Zealand next year, a month motorcycle camping, I spent a lot of time browsing Trademe, Guzzis are few and far between so I started looking at beemers.

It seemed to me these K bikes were under-appreciated so I found an 88 K100RT which I won for NZ$2200

 

I haven't seen the bike yet, my Brother KiwiKev went around and found the old girl stored in a nice dry storage locker, carpet on the floor no less. It wasn't running because the fuel pump had gummed up with lack of use but he's pretty handy and soon fixed that and had it purring away, he reckons it's a keeper.

 

1000cc, 4 cylinder double overhead cam, water cooled, 90 Horsepower, what's not to like?

Sorry I don't have any good pictures yet

 

http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/Kiwi_Roy/slideshow/BMW%20K100

 

I can't wait for his ride report.

[Craig]

I rode an 89 K75C for ten years.  The only reason I sold it was boredom.  It was a great bike, but I just wanted something different, SWMBO set a limit of one bike at a time.  They have their quirks (like spline lubrication) but dead reliable otherwise.  I would recommend them to anyone looking for a good reliable bike.

[gstallons]

Just like a Guzzi , they are for a specific rider. Die hard Beemer owners ostracized them because they were to replace the Boxer . Sales were poor so they didn't fare well. 

 I had one ( K100RS ) for a long time & loved it . You will know this bike was very well engineered when you feel no wind on your grips because the mirrors cut the air and you feel nothing. Everything is perfectly neutral . 

  You just have to get accustomed to no Steppenwolf , Bon Jovi, The Who , Grand Funk RR or even MC5 music in your head...maybe Kraftwerk ?

[Craig]

  You just have to get accustomed to no Steppenwolf , Bon Jovi, The Who , Grand Funk RR or even MC5 music in your head...maybe Kraftwerk ?

 

Yeah, the K75 has a well deserved reputation as having a super smooth engine, but the sound is not particularly inspiring.

[Scud]

I was one of the die-hard boxer purists when the K bikes came out - plus I couldn't afford anything new at the time. I had a 1981 R100CS (little known model, basically the same as the 100S). I asked my girlfriend (now wife) to marry me on a ride down PCH back from a weekend in Monterey. She registered for our wedding at a department store, I registered at the BMW dealer and my buddies gave me tires and oil as wedding gifts. We used to ride two-up a lot - and she's been hinting that she might ride with me again if I got something "more comfortable."  So... if she likes the K, I'll dress it up a bit more. She also wants the motorcycle to be "cute."   The K75s is "cute" - right?

 

In retrospect, I find it amazing to think that in 1987 you could walk into a BMW motorcycle dealer and choose between:

1. R80 airhead, or various R100 airhead models - now considered classic or vintage bikes.
2. K75 or K100 models with fuel injection and ABS (a motorcycling first).

As to music - well, I was actually making Scura sounds in my head when I did the mountain pass yesterday... But the 250 miles (across Mojave Desert and greater Los Angeles Metro and slab-sprawl) that followed were easy miles on the K-bike. Even with shitty tires, a poor shock, and in need of a tune, it was smooth, stable, and comfortable.

[LowRyter]

Speaking of Beemers, I was kinda looking for a two-up tourer.   So I was checking out the Boxer Twins. I am still partial to the Cal 1400 but don't like the feet-forward riding position and it doesn't have radios and some of the top rig luxuries (that I could probably live without).  

 

I rode the new R1200RT, water cooled and telelever, etc.  Pretty impressive bike, easy to control (but no road feel), agile/light feel, perky engine, comfortable, just about the right size and loaded with radio, cruise and electronic.  Of course the list was about $22-24k.  

 

So I thought I'd check out a used model like a 2006.  It was too tall and the engine a little gutless.  Wasn't that impressed.  A nice one is about $6-10k.  

[PDoz]

Scud, I have a mate who took a k rs up this track. Two up.

 

Then again...he did eventually snap the frame riding along a sandy whooped out trail....

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Scud]

Well, the Ks are not supposed to be dirt bikes... but I did venture into the sand yesterday while crossing the Mojave Desert - just for the hell of it.

 

 

@LowRyter - Maybe look at the older, oilhead BMWs - the R1100RT (5-speed) and R1150RT (6-speed). I had an R1100RT for a long time: very comfortable, efficient, etc.  As for bricks - a K100RS or K100RT would make a nice two-up machine. There was even a K75RT for a few years. I like the looks of the K-S and K-RS models more than the K-RTs. The K-bike gives me more feeling of the road than the R1100RT did. While the K engine "sound is not particularly inspiring" a quiet bike is nice for two-up touring. The K-bikes also make cool whirring gear sounds  - like spooling up a jet engine.

[PDoz]

Scud, take a look at what's possible.

http://rooneycycle.com/cycles/

 

The guy who killed the k rents his shed out to another guy....who has a k75 rooney . I mix with strange people....

[gstallons]

Uhhhh , there is one more drawback to the K-bike. You use the sidestand & when you start it the next morning you had better be ready for blue smoke to roll for the first 60 seconds..

[victor]

Hi I'm Victor this is my first post.I own a 2002 V11 le mans  and a 1988 K100rs

Yes as you said k bikes are almost indestructibles, mine has 180000km with original clutch,fuel pump etc.

Recently I've had repaired the shaft and pinion splines (my fault ,low maintenance) 200 euros and k bike good for another 200000km.