Howdy folks...name is ben...been riding for nearly 40 years and never owned a BMW...Hope to change that soon. Theres an '89 K100RS locally forsale that is very nice...has 90K and is in exc. cond. hence my interest in joining your ranks here.
I currently ride a 1979 Yamaha XS1100 thats been restored from the ground up...its a great bike but its not comfortable enough for me for those LD rides. I have also owned 2 Honda ST1100s so thats what spoiled me as far as sport touring is concerned. The K100 RS looks like it will provide me with what I am missing...more comfortable ride and more agile and less weight as well.
So I am looking forward to reading and learning more about the famous Flying Bricks... y'all have a great day...

BTW this is the bike forsale locally...@ $2400 this looks to be a steal [url=https://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y396/stbne1979/89 K100_zpse7mkhwjs.jpg]https://2img.net/h/i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y396/stbne1979/89%20K100_zpse7mkhwjs.jpg[/url]

You have chosen a good model Ben. Those K100RS SE are the pick of the 8 valve bricks. However you will need the comfort seat if you plan long rides as those Bench seats were named in honour of the humble wooden park bench.

Welcome Ben, and good luck in your hunt.  As you may have noticed, the old K-bikes are available for the proverbial song in the market.  For whatever reason, they are undervalued for what they are.  That is to say, well built, reliable traveling companions.  Frankly, I really like the lines of the RS models.  Hans Muth's work speaks to me!
Coming from riding the big Honda sport tourers, you may feel the K-bikes are light.  To be honest, the weight of my K100RS is a problem for me, as it can be a challenge when maneuvering and parking. But, I think it all comes down to what we're used to. In my case, I'm used to airheads!
There is information about the bike you have in your sights that will help you evaluate it's condition.  Invest some time researching and posing questions here and you will probably be well rewarded.

Thanks for the welcome guys...Its good to know the K100RS is a reliable platform for sport-touring. I am somewhat is a state of disbelief at the prices these bikes are going for...but I'm not about to complain. Its funny how the K100 is typified as a top heavy bike...My ST1100s were top heavy and weighed in at 730 lbs sans rider...so the 518 some odd lbs for the K100 will indeed make it feel much lighter and easier to manuver in parking lots. As for seats and other farkles..I will start with whats on the bike and progress as I get a true feel for what is making me uncomfortable..and after 40 years of riding it doesnt take much saddle time to figure out whats wrong. Its good to be in a place where other owners are as passionate about their rides and share in their enthusiasm for the K100RS. It is a similar experience on the other forums that I frequent as well. Wouldnt have it any other way... Happy Weekend too...Cheers!

That SE is IMO one of the nicest looking K bikes, and probably the one with the best chance to appreciate in value over the years.  At $2400 I would consider it a steal if it was in good running condition.

Point-Seven-five wrote:That SE is IMO one of the nicest looking K bikes, and probably the one with the best chance to appreciate in value over the years.  At $2400 I would consider it a steal if it was in good running condition.

It is in excellent running condition. Its being sold through a local BMW specialty shop in my area. The owner of the shop is meticulous and has an outstanding reputation locally...totally trust his seal of approval applied to this bike. I like the lines very much...it is so clean looking without any lower fairings to cover up the engine...well actually there is a lower section there but if you look at later models the lower fairings completely cover the engine... I need to know more about how well this would handle touring versus more spirited sport riding through the mountains and such. From what I have been reading there is an LT model for touring but isnt that well sorted for the twisty stuff. My main mission used to be long distance but now it is medium distance and lots of 2 lanes and twisting roads after doing the medium distances...is that possible on this bike?

Esentially there is very little difference between the RS and LT. On the RS you are sitting so that there id a tiny bit more weight forward. As for spirited riding as far as I am concerned there is no real difference. I find the LT a bit more comfortable for touring but that is because of back problems not the bike.

The handlebars differ on the RT/LT and the RS. You can swap them but it means some new cables and a front brake line. Plenty of advice on the forum on it but try out a bike somewhere before doing it.

A very small difference is the final drive ratio but the parts are interchangeable. Main differences between RT/LT and RS seem to be fairing/side panels, handlebars and final drive ratio. I haven't checked if the SE is 8 or 16 valve though.....I love the RT/LT for the riding position and the weather protection.

As mentioned the seat can be looked at and having compared both seats definitely the Comfort Seat is the way to go.

We live in a land of twisty roads here and the K is great for it. I seem to occasionally play cat and mouse with my son who more recently acquired a Honda VFR800 Vtec only to discover it doesn't get rid of a K100 off his tail. He was a little disgusted.

Just back from a great trip to France with all the camping gear etc etc and it just underlines how great the K100 is for touring and longer trips, not to mention the twisty bits.

I am certainly all for comfort but I have lost the patience to sit on interstate highways for hours on end... Some highways yes but mostly want 2 lane roads. If the only difference is in the handlebars and not the suspension then both LT and RS are up to the mission that i have defined for myself...I still need to read and see more models of the K100/K1100 line. The K100 I posted a link to is just my entry point of interest....however it would appear that particular model is an excellent choice. The only downside to that particular bike is that there is no BMW panniers. I would like those but not necessarily a top box trunk backrest type of setup. My rides are solo 100% of the time. and I feel those backrest trunks are just too bulky and ruin aerodynamics...

Some interesting fact findings...I am coming to the conclusion that a K1100LT 1993 -1997 would be more suitable for my needs. Everything I have read says the LT will do everything I'd expect it to on mountain roads and do so with more comfortable riding ergos,so that I could elect to do some super slabs with aplomb...in a manner of speaking

welcome aboard ...ride well and have fun

Thankyou Charlie