After a 5 year gap I am back on two wheels with a 1988 K100 RS - brilliant bike.

Welcome from Ireland

I also took a gap, 15 years in my case, and started back with a 1989 K100RS.


They can be addictive ...

bimbler wrote:After a 5 year gap I am back on two wheels with a 1988 K100 RS - brilliant bike.

Mine was a 30 year gap before I got back on BMW K100.
Mine is the late 88 model.
Oh yea, Welcome to the Knuthouse.

Similar story, with 20 year gap. Never regretted it for a minute, with the bonus of the help and Kameraderie of this forum.

WelKome.

Bill

Lots of us on here had a break. K's are superb to start back on!

glad to see I made the right choice. I was a tad worried when, having parted with the cash, I rode away on what is a very old bike (53k miles) went to adjust the mirror and it fell off. The ride is so much better than I expected. Smooth, comfortable and really stable. I have given it a good clean, changed the oil (after reading the threads on oil choices) and fixed the mirror.
looking forward to many happy miles and a lot of tinkering.

Be very careful or you will catch the dreaded K-POX. Start with just one and the bikes just seem to grow in number. If you look at the signatures of many members you will see multiple K bikes in their stables... In this thread alone four members have 12 K bikes between them. 

WelKome!

Welcome!  53.000 miles is just broken in.

I sold my last bike and quit riding in 1994 so it just made sense to get a 1994 bike when I started riding again.  Always wanted a Beemer and the K75 was priced right. 

Now I can add three more bricks to this thread.

bimbler wrote:After a 5 year gap I am back on two wheels with a 1988 K100 RS - brilliant bike.

5 years is barely a gap...but welcome back anyway.
 
Glad to hear that you've picked the right bike for your re-discovery of the pleasures of riding and becoming acquainted with the K series at the same time.

Lots of help hereabouts, some healthy banter and the odd meet up too for those that are willing and able.
Enjoy

er... where is it?

I am not sure if my K100RS had one when I bought it and having looked under the saddle etc, should I expect it to be in the seat cowl under the top box?

bimbler wrote:er... where is it?

I am not sure if my K100RS had one when I bought it and having looked under the saddle etc, should I expect it to be in the seat cowl under the top box?

It'd be a rare beast that still has the original tool kit, though I think you can still buy a new replacement. 
Just as easy to make a roll of the items needed for roadside repairs, including spares. If you ask the question of what should be in the kit, opinions will be many and varied, up to almost a spare bike and enough tools to replace everything. 

Bill

bimbler wrote:er... where is it?

I am not sure if my K100RS had one when I bought it and having looked under the saddle etc, should I expect it to be in the seat cowl under the top box?

Or in the tail cowl.

A replacement is available from BMW - part 71112300060

indian036 wrote:....It'd be a rare beast that still has the original tool kit....

All 3x K100 LTs I have bought had the original tool kits (not bad result for 5 owner+ bikes) - usually stowed in the duck tail. 

Whilst it is not the most sophisticated tool kit in the world, it pretty much has everything you need for a road side repair to keep you going...just add a roll of duct tape, some white zip ties, a pack of spare fuses and a spare bulb kit and you're laughing!

If your tool kit isn't present, then there are a few on eBay for about £80
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-K100RS-8V-1984-12-220-miles-tool-kit-/152678549386?hash=item238c59c78a:g:9KcAAOSw7GRZAyaQ

or new from the likes of James Sherlock for a few quid more
http://www.james-sherlock.co.uk/shop/k75-k100-k1100-k1200/tools-1123/tool-kit-and-roll-3499-detail

KiwiK100 wrote:Be very careful or you will catch the dreaded K-POX. Start with just one and the bikes just seem to grow in number. If you look at the signatures of many members you will see multiple K bikes in their stables... In this thread alone four members have 12 K bikes between them. 

i had or have same prob with bm cars have 11 of them mostly old girls

88 wrote:Lots of us on here had a break. K's are superb to start back on!

Agreed... 
I always rode R bikes and said I would never ride a K. After taking nearly two decades off of riding to focus more on raising my son, I'm now back on the saddle. He left for college, so I decided to give a K an chance (as early model R's were getting rare and expensive). I love the K Bike! So much fun to ride and tinker with. I fear that I might come down with a case of the K-Pox.

bimbler wrote:After a 5 year gap I am back on two wheels with a 1988 K100 RS - brilliant bike.

Hey there. You have a fine machine there. I took a K100 and "made it my own" so to speak but stock standard is brilliant too. If you treat it right and do the necessary refreshers in liquids, filters, plugs and valve clearances etc you should get pretty much trouble free running out of it from one year to the next

welcome to the forum and cheers from a fellow beemer lover

indian036 wrote:

bimbler wrote:er... where is it?

I am not sure if my K100RS had one when I bought it and having looked under the saddle etc, should I expect it to be in the seat cowl under the top box?

It'd be a rare beast that still has the original tool kit, though I think you can still buy a new replacement. 
Just as easy to make a roll of the items needed for roadside repairs, including spares. If you ask the question of what should be in the kit, opinions will be many and varied, up to almost a spare bike and enough tools to replace everything. 

Bill

after a "well Duh!" moment when I realised you get into the seat cowl by removing the unfixed and easily removable plastic cover under the saddle, instead of having to remove the top box and rack - I found a complete original tool kit, puncture repairkit, owners handbook, spare bulbs and white zip ties - previous owner must have been a forum member!

A real bonus, if unexpected from my experience. 

Bill

If you look up your bike by VIN number on the RealOEM parts site there is a list of what tools were in the original toolkit and as BAE pointed out that kit will cover almost anything you will need by the roadside.

With that list of tools most can be obtained at local tool stores at reasonable cost except the rear wheel spanner and its extension handle. A "C" spanner for the shock can be made up using someone else's as a template.

Cheers

If you don't have the original rear shock, you won't be needing the C spanner....sort of. Its also used for checking the gearbox oil level. Make one out of a piece of plastic or use a screwdriver with a painted ring on the shaft to tell you how far to drop it in.

If you do have the original rear shock you won't have it for very long as they don't last.

You didn't ask on the forum about tyres yet.......

Jury is still out on what are the best tyres.....

As for K pox......I went on holidays and someone mentioned a local K1100LT was for sale, also a member on the forum. I had the owner's contact details in my phone so expressed interest. We finally got to meet up a week after I got back.........K pox did the rest.

actually, I think it might be the original shock. Shocking!

What is a good replacement?

I also think that as it has been down the road on the right hand side, (missing crash bar and scrapes on engine) that the fairing is not mounted quite straight - ideas? It looks ok from the front and seems to be equally matched on the tank etc, but the screen appears to be slightly raised on the right from the cockpit and the clocks don't look quite central when viewed from the outside

I thought about taking it all off and checking the fairing mounts, or just putting the screen under pressure on the top right (ratchet strap to brake pedal) to see if it would pull it down if left like that for the winter

As for replacing the crash bar - trying to find one seems a bit of a challenge, let alone fitting it as the original mounts dont seem to be there

I like the colour , is that 617 Diamond Grey ?

John Re

Melbourne Australia

Hi Bimbler 

I too took a long break from riding, due to finances and family etc.

I had owned three R bikes before inadvertently coming across a guy selling a 1989  k100 LT.

Having been away from biking for a while , I had never heard of the K series , but after a very short test ride I just had to buy the bike.

I enjoyed my first foreign road trip on her to Switzerland through France and loved every minute.

Bike had full BMWSH so was in good fettle from the start and she drove accordingly.

I had to sell her but after  gap of 18 months, but I knew which bike I wanted again.

So a second 1989 K100 lt in the garage, and after a fair bit of routine maintenance  she runs really well with bigger TB,s and a timing tweak .

Riding solo she is really fun winding her up through the gears, and is more than adequate two , and is so smooth and comfortable on long trips when you need her to be.

Enjoy your RS and hope you get her fettled soon .

Bob

bimbler wrote:actually, I think it might be the original shock. Shocking!

What is a good replacement?

I also think that as it has been down the road on the right hand side, (missing crash bar and scrapes on engine) that the fairing is not mounted quite straight - ideas? It looks ok from the front and seems to be equally matched on the tank etc, but the screen appears to be slightly raised on the right from the cockpit and the clocks don't look quite central when viewed from the outside

I thought about taking it all off and checking the fairing mounts, or just putting the screen under pressure on the top right (ratchet strap to brake pedal) to see if it would pull it down if left like that for the winter

As for replacing the crash bar - trying to find one seems a bit of a challenge, let alone fitting it as the original mounts dont seem to be there

The fairing spider mounting bracket is bolted on to the front of the headstock and it has 4 mounting points on to the main or front fairing. In a drop this spider can get bent and/or some of the 4 mountings get damaged. There are also mountings for the main fairing to the frame tubes left and right of the radiator. These can also get bent but can be straightened. Its a 2 man job to take it off only because you need 2 hands to support it while you unbolt it. Ideally a beer buddy sharing a beer while you do it. Both my K100s were off when I got them, I was able to rejig them and get them aligned.

Thanks OLAF 

I have checked the Haynes manual about removal of the fairing,  doesnt look too difficult. best not indulge in too many beers though as there are quite a number of bits to take off!

Welcome from New York. I have the same bike and just started using it yesterday .So far I love it and am pretty sure you will feel the same about yours.Ride safe.

bimbler wrote:Thanks OLAF 

I have checked the Haynes manual about removal of the fairing,  doesnt look too difficult. best not indulge in too many beers though as there are quite a number of bits to take off!

Patience is important and double check you have all the screws. The panels come apart very easily so if something isn't coming do a recheck.

I only mentioned one beer shared........The rest are for after you have it off.

While you have it off is a chance to look at the headlight. I just bought a brand new reflector for my K100. The headlight comes apart and you can clean the glass but do not touch the reflector, you can't clean it and will destroy it. If the reflector is dirty just get another one, cost me £25 and well worth it.

bimbler wrote:What is a good replacement?

I also think that as it has been down the road on the right hand side, (missing crash bar and scrapes on engine) that the fairing is not mounted quite straight - ideas? It looks ok from the front and seems to be equally matched on the tank etc, but the screen appears to be slightly raised on the right from the cockpit and the clocks don't look quite central when viewed from the outside

I thought about taking it all off and checking the fairing mounts, or just putting the screen under pressure on the top right (ratchet strap to brake pedal) to see if it would pull it down if left like that for the winter

As for replacing the crash bar - trying to find one seems a bit of a challenge, let alone fitting it as the original mounts dont seem to be there

bimbler - RAM shock are good (UK made and the guys at Realm are responsive and helpful)

Removing the fairing is not a big deal - quite a few jobs need sections of the fairing off, so you will get used to it. It is not so common to need to take the top fairing off, but if your mounting spider is bent (easily done in a lie down) then you are much better off removing it and checking the spider than you are trying to force it using ratchet straps etc. Besides, what is this "left like that for winter" thing? Some of the nicest riding is had during winter - on a cold, crisp day and not a Hardly in sight!

Crash bars - unless you really want them, just remove the left one (don't throw it away though). The Kommunity is divided on the pros and cons of crash bars...my personal opinion is that they don't do a lot of good, except perhaps in a static lie down. You can normally get the crash bar to engine mounts from the normal UK dealers (e.g. James Sherlock, Motoworks, Motobins) and individual bars often come up on eBay - unfortunately in the UK, our bikes often go down on the right side (perks of driving on the left?), so the right crash bar can be harder to come by. Several on eBay from US and Europe...but silly prices!