K sera sera whatever will be will be

[Kookaburra]

In increasing moments of insomnia I have been cruising around the internet looking at K bikes and wondering whether I could get away with another bike in the carport and whether it should be a K75S. Some commentators are saying they are an unrecognised classic or the "next generation 65LS".

K bikes have the advantage of being relatively cheap compared to airheads of any description. However they might be a bit tall and heavy for my 5'9" height and aging body. There have been several on the Scrapheap ride I do, some with offroad tyres and interesting front fork mods.
An intriguing bike - 75% of a Peugot engine turned sideways and bolted to an R80 gearbox connected by drive splines that are a PITA to lube. Looked at the Chris Harris spline lube Youtubes (all 6 of them!) and I reckon that with the skills I have picked up on the R65 I could do it.

So any in the asylum currently got or had a K bike in their stable and what's your view?  

[Bob_Roller]

I've been considering a K75 myself, from the comments of owners, the 3 cylinder 750 engine is the smoothest engine BMW has put in a motorcycle .

Prices locally, are around $2900-3500US for bikes with 50-75,000 miles, 65-90,000 km .

If I'm not mistaken, it has shims under buckets for valve adjustments, that means removing the camshaft and replace shims if the valve clearance is out of adjustment .

[Lucky_Lou]

I had a K75RT project rebuild, It didn't take much to get it back on the road, brilliant engine smooth as silk perfect for motorways, I did find it a dog on corners though I am 6 ft with thick socks and roughly 200lb I found it top heavy maybe due to the fairing. I never felt nearly as confident on bends as I do on the R65. It was fitted with the lower rear suspension but I still struggled a bit with it.
Lou
Finished job... they are as cheap as chips here in the UK

[Kookaburra]

Nice bike Lou

" It was fitted with the lower rear suspension but I still struggled a bit with it."

As someone who is inseam challenged, I am really interested to know, was the lowered suspension part of the OEM package for a particular year bike or is it an aftermarket modification? Have also heard about a lower seat option but not sure which models.

Bob, They do have shim adjusted valves but the gurus reckon they require adjustment very very rarely.  

[clonmore1]

Lou's K was a lovely looking bike in the flesh, it looked big and not a little imposing, but I bet was amazing to ride on out motorways.

I kinda like them...

[marcmax]

I have a K75s that was the first BMW I ever bought and still have it although it needs to be restored. Haven't ridden it much in the last 3-4 years. I agree with Lou that it seems a bit top heavy and I never felt comfortable throwing it into a corner like I do with the R65.

I am 5'9" and definitely older yet I never have had an issue with it. I can't straddle the bike flat footed like the R65 but I can have one foot flat and the other on my toes.

My friend a BMW mentor told me that K bikes are like an appliance. They start and run the same all the time unlike Airheads who's character changes between carb and valve adjustments weather conditions, etc.

If I am taking a long trip, that is the bike of choice. A number of years ago during the holidays my children were at their mothers and I had a few days to kill. I left Jacksonville FL heading for KeyWest, FL. Had dinner and a beer, got back on the bike and headed for Tampa, FL then back to Jacksonville. 1100 miles in just a shade over 24 hrs. No way would I ever attempt that on an R65. And never again will I do something that stupid. I spent a week with a physical therapist getting all the kinks worked out of my body. But the K75 functioned flawlessly.

[Luca]

I picked up a K100RS for $400 US.  Been sitting apart for 18 months.   I think I'll finally start getting it together this winter.

Haven't ridden the thing, but I can say that taking it down to the transmission splines isn't that bad.  There are a lot of screws, but it's all pretty straightforward and the transmission is a stressed member, so you don't have a frame under/behind it getting in the way of things.

BTW, K bikes were cheaper than airheads when they were new!

p.s.  early bikes had a lot of problems with failing speedometers/odometers  Look under the seat for a speedometer replacement sticker if you look at any K's to make sure you know how many miles are actually on it.

[Lucky_Lou]

Nice bike Lou

" It was fitted with the lower rear suspension but I still struggled a bit with it."

As someone who is inseam challenged, I am really interested to know, was the lowered suspension part of the OEM package for a particular year bike or is it an aftermarket modification? Have also heard about a lower seat option but not sure which models.

The previous owner gave me a box of bits with the bike ... in it was brand new rear Hagon shock which he had specialy ordered via Motobins it dropped the rear end by almost 1 inch, when I priced up  the spares he gave me they were worth over £500 I only payed £650 for the lot. You can see the difference in the original shock compared to the lower one by comparing this picture with the finished earlier one.
Chris I remember the visit to you on the K as I recall it was Peeing it down.....
The engine only need a clean up and basic service. I did not have to shim the valves and I have to say the power was extraordinary considering there is only an extra 100cc on the R65  
Lou

[clonmore1]

It didn't look like that when I saw it Lou!

[nhmaf]

I think that they are nice bikes - though they don't appear to me to have the old-timey "soul" or character that the airheads have.    I've ridden a few R100RS bikes and they do have a top heavy sort of feel, but they feel quite solid/planted once moving and they do have plenty of thrust.   The R100 engine definitely seemed to send more buzzing through th handlebars than the the K75 model I rode.   The K75 powerplant seems to have a more noticeable "whine" like a turbine, that I had attributed partially to the counterbalance system.   If I didn't have an R65LS in the garage, I'd most likely have ended up with a K75S in its place - that model appears (to me at least) the most visually appealing of the flying bricks.

They are definitely underappreciated in my area, and usually are priced for a song.   My cousin has put over 250,000 miles on his K100RS, and ended up swapping out the motor for another from the Beemer Boneyard - he's ready for another 100,000 now.

[Burt]

Kooka,

Come on over for a look at K100-forum.com. I have a number of K75s including two 75S.  Sorry, actually three because one is a parts bike.  

Why because they are cheaper to purchase than R series in Oz.  The engines are very reliable and all the faults are known.  I purchased my original 75S and rode it around Europe and brought it back here.  If you want a long distance reliable tourer for reasonable money, then you will not look back.  

The story about the Peugeot engine is actually a good example of myth turning into fact.  I believe about 70% of parts are interchangeable between K100 and K75.  The 75S is the best looking model (IMHO) closely followed by the K100RS.  

K100s are available for anywhere between A$1,000 and 3,000.  K75s are a little bit more and prices are pretty stable at the moment.  I have paid between $2,000 and 2,800 for my others.  

There are still a lot out there but 75S' can be a bit thin on the ground.  Don't be afraid of a high mileage bike and try to find one with good plastics.  First thing to do is change oils and rubber bits.  

Dave.

[Burt]

In reply to a couple of the comments above.  Regarding shim adjustment you can go the long way and remove the camshafts if you like.  The recommended method is to obtain the two tools to make the job easier - a lever to lift the cam and then the spacer to fit underneath allowing removal of the shims if adjustments are necessary.  Not a big deal and generally the rear shims that require adjustment.  You can buy a shim kit and tools from Motobins, etc.  

For vertically challenged riders there is a low seat option available.  They seem to be more prevalent on K75s than K100s but should be interchangeable.  The low seat clips onto to the frame instead of folding open.  You lose the tool tray space underneath the seat though.  I am 5'10" and have no problems with the standard seat.  Unlike the R65 you can buy comfort seats from Corbin, etc off the shelf.  There is also a BMW comfort seat still available.  

Yes, there is an engine whine and being so reliable some think they are boring to ride.  Horse for courses, I suppose but if breaking down every five minutes is your thing, don't get a K series.  

The only real problem you may encounter when buying one is the find out whether the drive shaft has been lubricated.  Unlike the R65 which runs a wet final drive shaft the K series have a dry shaft and requires lubrication.  Lubing every 20K km is fine.  Also the  K gearboxes are interchangeable.  

The speedometers problems can be either corrosion in the wiring connectors or pins inside the speedo, clean the final drive sensor or teeth broken off the plastic gears inside the speedo.  A lot of electrical problems stem from corrosion of the earthing connection under the fuel tank.  DeoxitIT is your friend.

For the last two summers I have ridden a K75 around the European Alpes.  Why?  Because they are reliable, cheap and do what they are designed to do.  

Happy to answer any questions you may have.

Dave.  

[k_enn]

Properly cared for, a K75 can last real long time and whole lot of miles.  One of the men in my local BMW club has a K75 with over 750,000 miles (and 3 engine rebuilds).  Still going strong.  I just hope my K1300 lasts a quarter of that many miles.