My coworker has a 1985 blue k100rs in his garage that he is selling me for $900 and the replacement fuel pump to get it running for $450.  He replaced the oil when he got it but its been in his garage for a couple years now.  I plan on getting it looked over by  the guy my mom has taken her z3 to for over a decade now to see if there is anything else that could use replacing.  

Are there any notorious maintenance concerns with these bikes to have specifically checked out?  Should I find a dedicated bmw power sports mechanic or should any certified mechanic be able to work on it?  I have pipe dreams of taking this bike cross country so I would love any advice on getting this bike ready for the open road.

Very excited to get this motorcycle!

Buy the bike, not the fuel pump.

You can do all of the maintenance yourself. JMHO but it is not worth owning one of these bikes unless you plan do all your own maintenance on it.  All the expertise you need to do it can be found on this site.

The "side benefit" of doing your own maintenance is that if you ever run into issues while out touring you are much better able to deal with it. (Although breakdowns generally don't occur on a K bike.)

How many miles does the bike have on it?

Welcome to the forum and as advised all the knowledge and information is right here, that extends to the sources for parts too.

As said, buy the bike but not the fuel pump. They can be bought a lot cheaper and there will be other issues to attend to.

Go into the portal tab and you will see a link on what if you have just bought a K bike.

Sitting for a few years means a few issues but they are real mile munchers and if you learn your own maintenance it will not let you down.

Almost all workshops will not have a clue about a K bike and most of the time its electrical connections or other issues rather than expensive parts that need doing. Over time if you get them sorted then you will know your bike is reliable and you will be able to sort things out yourself.

The engines are generally unburstable so you are unlikely to have problems there.

Welcome, I agree with the others, that's a lot for a fuel pump - I'd want to pass on that one at least for the meantime.  Assuming it's the fuel pump that's parked the bike in the first place...  not always the case.  You should be able to diagnose and repair a fuel pump easily with assistance from this forum.  And most other issues as well.  Here is the link previously referred to:

http://www.verrill.com/moto/newkbike.shtml

Cheers!

Clubbie

duck wrote:Buy the bike, not the fuel pump.

You can do all of the maintenance yourself. JMHO but it is not worth owning one of these bikes unless you plan do all your own maintenance on it.  All the expertise you need to do it can be found on this site.

The "side benefit" of doing your own maintenance is that if you ever run into issues while out touring you are much better able to deal with it. (Although breakdowns generally don't occur on a K bike.)

How many miles does the bike have on it?

My coworker got back to me and says there are 50,724 miles on it.

club_c wrote:Welcome, I agree with the others, that's a lot for a fuel pump - I'd want to pass on that one at least for the meantime.  Assuming it's the fuel pump that's parked the bike in the first place...  not always the case.  You should be able to diagnose and repair a fuel pump easily with assistance from this forum.  And most other issues as well.  Here is the link previously referred to:

http://www.verrill.com/moto/newkbike.shtml

Cheers!

Clubbie

Thanks for the reply!  My coworker is pretty handy and a big fan of the k bike so I trust his assessment.  He would have had it up and running but just had a new kid (dude is in his 50' lol) and said his wife would kill him if he started riding again so he hasn't gotten around to getting it up and running. I hear you guys on the expense of the fuel pump but I want this bike to run when I buy it.  My work is somewhat erratic compared to most so I dont want to get the thing in pieces and go back to 12hr shifts 5-6 days a week and never get around to it.

Even as busy as we all seem to think, changing the fuel pump can be done quite easily in 20 minutes (taking your time).

Mike

nakedtriumphrider wrote:
 My coworker is pretty handy and a big fan of the k bike so I trust his assessment.  He would have had it up and running but just had a new kid (dude is in his 50' lol) and said his wife would kill him if he started riding again so he hasn't gotten around to getting it up and running.

It takes about 1 hour for a K-bike fan to replace a fuel pump, including latte and stargazing breaks. His schedule must be right out straight. Clearly though, a seller motivated by money and personal well-being could easily meet mike d's timetable.

Maybe you can convince him to install the pump and ride the bike to your place then you give him an all-expense paid return-trip to his home. Alternatively, if the death threat is legitimate and neither of you want to make a call to the authorities, he could take you to the bike after he installs the pump and you could ride it home. You supply the coffee and profiteroles. 

It's clear that he lives in fear and needs to rid himself of the bike. Use that.

I wouldn't pay that much (900+450) for a bike that isn't running.

Duck is right and since it isn't running you have no idea what other issues might be in there. Not necessarily expensive ones but could be frustrating unless you have a good method worked out. Ks are fabulous when they go right, most that were paid up were put that way because of some at the time minor enough issues like perished rubbers or hoses and so on.

50,000 miles is nothing on a K and no reason why that wont go to 150,000 miles and lots more.

Pump prices start from $30.00 from Ali Express, Ebay. Ford Escort pumps can be used with minor modifications. There are a lot of pumps out there that can be made to fit.
Regards Martin.

UK you can buy a brand new pump that fits exactly without any modifications for £50. Even with postage that's a lot less than $450. Landed in Ireland about €75.

From Ireland to US postage would be all of €12.25 if it's under 1 kilo weight which it is. €87 is a lot less than $450.

Exact same pump is in a lot of Fiats, Lancia, Alfa Romeos, Peugeots etc.

I cna do a brand new identical knock-off fuel pump for $95 shipped via Priority Mail.

There's no need to mess with the Ford fuel pumps anymore since there's identical knock-off pumps on the market these days.

That sounds about the same money to me!

When I hear stories like this I'm very cautious. You need to hear the bike run so you can at least determine what condition it's in. Outside of that, it's not really worth a lot. I've heard of sellers who've lost keys for the bike saying "it was running fine when I parked it in the shed!". Be cautious. It could be a time and money pit.

I could almost guarantee that your mechanic friend won't know what he's looking at. Most m/c mechs balk when they see a K-bike because they're so different in a lot of ways. The drive train, fuel injection, clutch and GB all work a little differently and then there's the distinct peculiarities of the ignition and electrics.

Buy something 'on the road' that has a bit of service history particularly spline lubes and you can't go wrong. You'll pay more but its good value because you could easily spend a grand or more plus a lot of time getting that one going and it becomes a project with an open budget and timeframe. Also the forum is here to help walk you thru the purchase.

Chinese copy cheap as chips. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/for-BMW-K-Ducati-K75-K100-K1100-K1-1983-1997-BOSCH-16121461576-16121460452-0580-463-999/32784411992.html?
Regards Martin.

For nakedtriumph, if the bike was running for $1350 (bike and pump cost) I think that would be ok value.  If he's "handy" ask him to install it for you.  If it's been sitting in the garage for a couple of years, it'll need a battery too.  I'm sure his wife could support him in the garage for an hour or two getting the K running if it means it gets it out of storage, and some funds into the family budget.  That's assuming the rest of the machine is in good condition...  have you seen it in person? 

I will say I paid WAY more than that for my '88 K100RS SE, sitting in a corner of a shop for a couple of years and sitting in a garage for a couple of years before that.  It wasn't running when I took it home, so a bit of a crap shoot.  For the K-heads outside of North America, it seems these bikes go for a taller dollar here than in Europe and probably Oz too...

Ah but the K100RS SE is a special machine, a mint one lives not too far from me and definitely they are sought after.

For those who do know their Ks, working on them is not bad but like any thing they have some frustrating points to balance all the good ones. Many tasks are actually easier than on some bikes regarded as easier to work on, for others some have developed some clever trickery like how to sort a sprag [starter] clutch. A mainstream dealer will strip your engine for that and probably drain you most of a grand but there is another way that even with limited tools and knowledge you can do it that will work 99.5% of the time with minimal dismantling. Its all on the forum.

club_c wrote:For nakedtriumph, if the bike was running for $1350 (bike and pump cost) I think that would be ok value.  If he's "handy" ask him to install it for you.  If it's been sitting in the garage for a couple of years, it'll need a battery too.  I'm sure his wife could support him in the garage for an hour or two getting the K running if it means it gets it out of storage, and some funds into the family budget.  That's assuming the rest of the machine is in good condition...  have you seen it in person? 

I will say I paid WAY more than that for my '88 K100RS SE, sitting in a corner of a shop for a couple of years and sitting in a garage for a couple of years before that.  It wasn't running when I took it home, so a bit of a crap shoot.  For the K-heads outside of North America, it seems these bikes go for a taller dollar here than in Europe and probably Oz too...

  I am going to go see it tomorrow.  He said something about a battery too. He changed the oil and drained the fuel when he bought it.  Said the pump needed to be replaced bc when the previous owner drained it all the seals dried out and cracked.

So one weak area to look at is the lower front corners of the gas tank.  They can corrode through there and of course leak gas.  If there is gas in the tank you'll know right away.  If it's dry there, its ok.  If he bought a battery for it two years ago and it's just been sitting, that battery will probably be junk.

One last wet towel to toss on this transaction. If this seller and you see each other at work regularly, do you really want to open the possibility of having a problem in your relationship at work because of this bike if it turns out a fuel pump isn't all it needs as he has implied, and it starts eating into your bank funds and free time?

I guess that would depend on your supply of equanimity.

Laitch wrote:One last wet towel to toss on this transaction. If this seller and you see each other at work regularly, do you really want to open the possibility of having a problem in your relationship at work because of this bike if it turns out a fuel pump isn't all it needs as he has implied, and it starts eating into your bank funds and free time?

I guess that would depend on your supply of equanimity.

He has been very up front with all the info regarding the bike and what it needs to run.  I'm not timid about doing my own maintenance and I have been looking for something that could facilitate some skill building in that area.  If I don't like it, then I can sell it. I do appreciate everyone's advice.

Laitch wrote:One last wet towel to toss on this transaction. If this seller and you see each other at work regularly, do you really want to open the possibility of having a problem in your relationship at work because of this bike if it turns out a fuel pump isn't all it needs as he has implied, and it starts eating into your bank funds and free time?

I guess that would depend on your supply of equanimity.

Always an issue when buying from a friend/colleague - but not a reason to avoid buying the bike. Just be very clear with each other that you are buying it "sold as -seen" for an agreed price that you are both happy with. Your workmate is not a dealer or a shady eBay seller after a quick buck - you must have some good rapport with him already.

No matter how trustworthy he is, when you get stuck into maintaining the bike, you will find things that aren't quite right, like repairs to fairings, odd fittings and such like. He won't have deliberately not told you about them, more likely, they really weren't a big issue and he didn't even think to mention them...or even more likely they were the sins of some previous owner. At the end of the day, you are not buying a new bike, so there are no warrantees or guarantees - you can't expect it to be perfect anymore than he could expect you to keep it exactly the way it is.

Bottom line - if you like the bike tomorrow, are happy with the price and have the wish to ride, maintain and learn all about these machines, then it is probably the right bike for you. 

I bought an excellent bike from a K100-forum friend - was it perfect? no, it was 26 years old, but for the price, I was very pleased with my purchase and, over the last couple of years, I've fixed a few things that needed fixing - the sort of things that do need fixing on these bikes from time to time, no matter how meticulous the previous owners were. 

Sometimes we can all suffer from "paralysis by analysis" - time for a leap of faith!

I too bought my RT from someone on the forum. I knew the bike from posts here documenting some questions and issues and when I went to see it my thought was that once it was in reasonable cosmetic condition I would do the deal. It wasn't perfect but the price reflected this and remain pleased with it. Weekend it came home it got stripped apart for the usual electrical check out and repainting some acid damaged frame paint. In the intervening time every K job has been done, including rear seal, oil pump, head bearings, rear shock, 2 batteries, monkey nuts, brakes overhaul, new rear disc, final drive bearing and a host of preventive items. Having said that it's also added about 50,000 miles.

It also does not have the 4,000 rpm vibration that some Ks and my LT have.