Going over to the "Dark Side" ?

[wilcom]

After suffering a perfect financial storm, I had to part with my beloved R65 4-6 months ago. I'm back and have been shopping again for a BMW R65.

NC Steve's blue one was perfect but for sale too soon, I would have grabbed it in a heartbeat. The problem is the one I sold was near perfect ( like Steve's bike) and there aren't a lot of them around that don't need a ton of work or at least a lot of cosmetic attention. I'm past the period in my life where I get great joy with a wrench in my hand, there was a time, but now I just want to ride them not work on them.

I have found that for what they are asking for a good Airhead R65-100 you can buy a very nice K-bike for about 1/2 the money. Any Airhead that I would consider owning is North of $4000 some are way North. I'm talking about a decent mileage bike with a fresh tranny and cosmetically 9 of 10. I'm not interested rebuilding or restoring a bike.

I looked at this 1989 K100RS SE today for sale at $2900 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxhaFOXqACo&t=47s  and thought about how much of an Airhead could I get for the same money and when I answered that question to myself, it sure didn't bode well for the Airhead.

Any thoughts or ideas' before I go over to the "Dark Side"

[Justin B.]

I've got an Oilhead so it's close enough that it's still fairly easy to work on.  I thought about a K and after reading up on some of the maintenance procedures I decided to pass...

[clonmore1]

Wilcom,

Lucky Lou ran a K75 for a while, why not ask him?

It's interesting what you say about finding a good R, there are a few around, but having almost got to the end of a lengthy and very expensive restoration of mine, I would have to agree that there are not many that don't need a ton of money/time spent on them.

I certainly will never buy a project bike again[ch128077]

[Lucky_Lou]

The K I had was a cosmetic rebuild I bought it on a whim and it only cost a few hundred to get it back on the road making the total project at about £1K + labour a steal.
The bike was great for cruising and eat the miles on motorways, I would not however go back there as I found the it top heavy (maybe due to the RT fairing) and not only deserved its nick name in the UK "The Flying Brick" it also cornered like a Brick.
The guy I bought it from gave me a box full of new parts saved me a fortune without them I would have lost money on the deal as they are giving them away here.
At the moment there are some good deals on older Triumph triples , that would be my next buy if I could get one passed the boss.
I would also echo Justins post, any faults on the complex engine management system and you are screwed.
Lou

[skippyc]

I just sat on a K100 and said no. It was to big and awkward. I thought about a K75, but it sound like they are similar.

[Bob_Roller]

Wilcom, I've noticed the same thing in the Phoenix area, airheads that are well used and are in need of repair, asking prices that I would only pay for very good condition bikes .
What I have noticed, locally, is that the older oilhead bikes, the 850's and 1100's are quite reasonably priced .
I know you made a posting about not liking the oilheads a few years ago .
I've had my 1150 for 15 years and have only had to do basic routine maintenance, pretty much, put fuel in it and ride .
I really don't know how to work on it, as I've never done any real work on it, going on 67,000 miles .
But, they are devoid of character, compared to an airhead bike .

[wilcom]

Yes, I was so excited to see my first oil head and when I did the sound it made wasn't  a motorcycle sound to me and I got turned off ........ they are good bikes, I just can't get over that first bad taste ........ LOL 

[Bob_Roller]

I use the oilhead four days a week to work, on Saturday, or major holidays during the week, I use one of the R65's, or the Guzzi .
It is a different ' experience ' on the older bikes !!
I'm glad I ' stocked up ' on old bikes 8 years ago, I think I'm set for the rest of my life  !!!

[marcmax]

Wilcom, I have both an airhead (modified R65LS) and a K75S. They are two completely different beasts. I was talking to my BMW Mentor, Tom High at Rennsport Motorrad, about it one day and he said it better than I could. An airhead is alive and changes with its environment. It is different when it is cold vs. being warmed up. It is different when it is freshly tuned up vs. needing a tuneup but still running well. A K bike is like an appliance, refrig, etc. It starts and runs the same each time until it doesn't run, then you fix it and it is back to running again. But it has no soul, it just runs and runs and runs.

I have both. If I want to enjoy the subtleties of an old bike with its occasional miss or backfire and nice exhaust note I ride the airhead. If I want to cover some miles comfortably and reliably and listen to an exhaust vaguely reminiscent of a high revving formula car I take the K bike.

Just my $.02 worth.

[wilcom]

I pulled the trigger on the K100. That doesn't mean i disagree with any of the comments and wisdom you laid down.

For my situation right now I believe this was the correct decision. I love the styling of the RS SE, it's comfortable it all works, cosmetically 8 out of 10 and it needs nothing for under $3K.

Yes it has no soul, but like my 07 Caravan, I get in it and go, rather it's to the store or across country. No fun, but no worries and it does it's job quite well.

I would have bought NC Steve's Blue R65 in a heartbeat but it was for sale before I had recovered financially, timing is everything, Aye!

I had had that R65 for 20 years and all but about 7 Kmiles on it were  mine. I'd be in the garage and think I heard something and look around and nothing was there, except my bike..... sometimes I wondered if she was talking to me at some level, could have been were very close, we'd been everywhere together.

But in the grander scheme of things it was just metal formed into a shape that was pleasing to me and can be recreated at a later date....... or can it?.  :-/

After I make a full recovery there will be another R65 in my future, hopefully with Nikasil, dual disc, tall rear end and points so I won't have one black box on the thing

[nhmaf]

The K bikes can go for many miles without issues - and they have a pretty good online support community.   Certain failure points are expensive to fix - such as failed jackshaft bearing in the bowels of the gearbox, or replacing fuel injection controls, but if those happen it is usually cheaper and easier to buy a new donor powerplant or FI system from BeemerBoneyard.com... and it could take many miles for those issues to crop up.

My cousin put over 240K miles on his K100RS until encountering the jackshaft issue, and ultimately bought a low mileage engine and gearbox complete on the web for about $800.... which most people will know here that isn't much more than the price of getting a rebuilt airhead gearbox.

[Bob_Roller]

Welcome to the ' dark side ' Joe !!!

[clonmore1]

Enjoy Joe and ride safe[ch128077]

[NC Steve]

And if you decide the K just isn't your thing, give a shout, I've got a nice R1100R here that I'm not entirely sure is my thing either... :-/

[wilcom]

I've got a nice R1100R here that I'm not entirely sure is my thing either...

Steve..... I doubt I will be on the "dark side" for long. One glance at the trouble shooting procedures for various systems on the K bike makes your head go crazy!

Another airhead like your blue bike will come along and I will nab it. Yours was set up nicely, especially that rear drive. I had a rear drive on the shelf waiting to go in mine when I sold.