I hate to part with any motorbike, but especially one with such character like my Velvet Hammer. I have seven bikes in the shed here and need the room, plus a coupla them are redundant in that they're too like the others. The bike has a Canadian customs tag as the original owner (I'm number two) lived in British Columbia (as well as Alaska) so North American market acceptable.

So, for sale is my trusty 2003 K1200GT, 43K miles, heated seat & grips, factory cruise, powered ZTechnik taller/wider 'screen (plus original), full Two Bros exhaust system (non-cat but w/O2 sensor), Booster Plug (mild enrichener), BMC reusable air cleaner, one key fits all factory lockable rack duffel w/raincover & factory pannier liners, 75% Metzeler M7RR tyres, heavy duty Eibach rear spring on refreshed shockie, recently flushed servo ABS, 75% front & rear brake pads, non-colour matched pannier lids (but I have the scratched original body-coloured lids), Dowco cover, side stand enlarger, Scorpion Li battery. Right hand fairing scratches (just forward of the side vents and near RH bar end) from previous owner's parking lot drop are pictured.

It's ready to ride cross-country and I'm asking US$3300. The VIN is WB10558A53ZK01448.





Thanks for looking.

I bought a new one of these in 2004, bloody fantastic intercontinental rocketship!

BobT wrote:I bought a new one of these in 2004, bloody fantastic intercontinental rocketship!

Too funny, Bob! My Pamela calls it the Velvet Hammer due to the smoothness and the grunty torque. All this talk of torque, I'd better go have a cold shower.

Here's the damage. No cracks, but paint scratches beneath the finish into the ABS plastic.

They were known for falling off the side stand. I modified mine.
Once did 550 miles across France in 5 hours and 45 minutes on mine.

50% Iron Butt.

I've never had a problem with any K bike side stand - I use side stand pad enlargers when available - and it's solid when deployed. The unfortunately short arsed previous owner dropped this one a coupla times, sold the bike to me in early 2014 then went and bought a new 350k (768lb) K1600GTL...granted, the seat height on that one is a lowly 780mm (30.9").

You tryin to distract me away with pics of you with hair or is it a mop you holdin.

Mind bleach - I need mind bleach. Please bring back the ostrich!

Actually, ostriches are pretty stupid. The farm about fifty metres down the road used to keep a small herd; one male and half-a-dozen females, for the eggs. My old Hein Gericke stuff had faded to something close to ostrich grey after years of abuse and one day I'm leaning over the gate watching the birds when the big stupid male started displaying at me! 

Yer can keep yer thoughts to yerselves!!!!

It was a bloody emu, Dai. What use would an Aussie do with an ostrich besides make a massive omelette!?

Twenty years ago I had some follicles. My boss insisted I wear it back in a ponytail. It was sitting for a company photo for the workshop wall. The photographer said 'smile' so I shook it out and made hairy evil face, perfectly timed. The snap that got posted is tame.

Yep I guess he couldn't have some hairy headed hippie scaring decent folks like you and me.

RicK G wrote:Yep I guess he couldn't have some hairy headed hippie scaring decent folks like you and me.

The family-run car dealership was managed at the time by the eldest brother, a conservative but open-minded, late 70s gent who was slowly waking up to the world, and allowing his managers to hang loose a bit. I did the job (parts manager) for them so they cut me some slack. One day one of the 'techs' stopped at my desk and announced aloud "You're going bald" - I hadn't noticed - so off came the hair. I never relished the thought of looking like a patch elbowed jacket-wearing uni professor with a thinning ponytail. I've saved heaps on shampoo and the barber for the past two decades, and cut it once a week whether it needs it or not. 

Bump. Let's go back even further!


BTW, the bike's still available.

Sold. Gone to an excellent home, a good friend who owns many many motorbikes and who bought that clean 1985 K100 standard from me a coupla years back. He's a forum member, too: MickeyD from Juneau, Alaska.

Half of me is glad but the other half of me not so much; Was going to do a fly and ride deal if it was not sold in the next week or so. My brother and I am heading out to Colorado and Idaho at the and of the month and your bike was tempting me bad. Good to see it is going to a rider.

caveman wrote:Half of me is glad but the other half of me not so much; Was going to do a fly and ride deal if it was not sold in the next week or so. My brother and I am heading out to Colorado and Idaho at the and of the month and your bike was tempting me bad. Good to see it is going to a rider.

Bloody hell, you should've contacted me.

There's always this if you're looking for some additional power with less weight...it's for sale now too.

I'm not sure I want to get over my head with to much juice. I've ridden the k1200gt and seemed more than I could use but not as ridiculous as the 1600. My skills are not that good to handle big power. I'm a firm believer in "It is funner to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow".

caveman wrote:I'm not sure I want to get over my head with to much juice. I've ridden the k1200gt and seemed more than I could use but not as ridiculous as the 1600. My skills are not that good to handle big power. I'm a firm believer in "It is funner to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow".

I get it, but it's all down to how much the rider turns the loud handle. It's never too much when you keep it in reserve.