This modified K75s was from a family friend who passed away a couple years ago.

It has been sitting in storage for close to 20 years
I am in the process of cleaning it up and getting it into rideable condition so it can move along to a new owner.  

New battery, coolant, oil, brake fluid, tires, spark plugs, front brake light switch, and lots and lots of cleaning and I was able to get the bike running and out for some short sorting out rides. 

Currently I am chasing down a slow leak in the front master cylinder, waiting for new parts to arrive next week, and hopefully I will be all set.

Still trying to figure out all that the original owner did with the bike.. It has lots of miles and lots of upgrades/extras.. Corbin seat, luftmeister exhaust, suspension work,braided brake lines, custom front fender, conversion from fuel injection to Keihin flat slide carbs, and a "recent" engine rebuild/probable hop-up at 103K miles (it currently has 107K).

Hoping to keep it till spring, get a few nice rides on it and pass it on to someone who will put some miles on it.

Here is a few pics of my work so far..

That's a truly interesting bike.

New master cylinder is installed and brakes are bled again.





Took it out for a short test ride and everything feels great.

That looks like a great find. Not sure about the front mudguard myself but beauty is in the eye etc. I can't really see any advantage of fitting the Jap carbs but there's many cleverer folks than I on these pages who will be able to extol the virtues of such a modification. I remember always looking for modifications to fuel inject my Jap bikes such as my Kawasaki ZZR1100 etc to get rid of those pesky Keihin / Mikuni set ups.

It's a nice and interesting machine, you've certainly done the previous owner proud with the cleanup. 

I wonder if injection troubles prompted the fitting of the carbs? 

I may be mistaken but the front section of mudguard looks like its off an R/RT - I've seen something similar on a sidecar rig fitted to a K1.

88 wrote:It's a nice and interesting machine, you've certainly done the previous owner proud with the cleanup. 

I wonder if injection troubles prompted the fitting of the carbs? 

I may be mistaken but the front section of mudguard looks like its off an R/RT - I've seen something similar on a sidecar rig fitted to a K1.

That screams Luftmeister through and through. The front mudguard was in Matt Capri's catalogue from the '80s.

Lufty Catalogue & thread

The front fender is fiberglass..  I had suspected a Luftmeister part, but someone also mentioned Parabellum.. 
No idea if it really improves higher speed performance, but I think it looks cool.

Wish I could have found out more about the bike details from the original owner before he died.  He liked to tinker and change stuff around.  I know the suspension was reworked, and he said that he helped with the development of the exhaust.  I may get the paperwork from the engine rebuild, and that may give some more clues to what has been done to the bike.

For now, I'm just keeping it how he had it set up and will enjoy a little bit of riding in the spring before moving it along to someone who can put some real miles on it.

I also have his first new BMW..  a modified 74 R60/6 which I remember as a kid shortly after he bought it.  That one is my keeper.

Do you have a sense of what amount of dosh is expected when it's offered up for sale?

"Enquiring minds want to know."

A PM is OK if you don't wish to put it out there for all to see just now.

Ta.

Just because the forum has been quiet lately,  here is another pic during my cleanup of the bike.


I am done for now.. the weather isnt great for riding so the bike is tucked away in storage till spring.

Winter time here in the UK as well but that's when the work starts. I've inherited a half built K1100LT ( or what was left after a fairly disastrous attempt to cafe racer it). Whilst I say "inherited" I did have to pay for it ( too much I now fear). I'd post a picture but don't know how to and there are people on here would be extremely offended by what has happened to the bike that BMW made such a great job of designing. It's a shame you can't use your bike at the moment but, for myself, I rarely ride in the cold months. There'll be more bits you can polish if you study it carefully.

I like the sound of a reverse cafe racer project. Posting pictures is easy - the 'how-tos' are on this forum. Do us all a favour during the winter months and keep us entertained with your progress. You might find you'll need all sorts of daft little bits that the PO threw away during the strip down and which you don't find on ebay - folks on here will have them in their bedside drawers, or stored in a jar behind the pickled gherkins or whatever. 

It's not really a reverse of a cafe racer. If the picture uploads this is what I bough[. I looks sort of complete but nothing worked, the seat is just resting on the frame and the front mudguard is balancing on top of the tyre. There was no extra fairing supplied. url=https://servimg.com/view/20534398/1][/url]

Oh great - saved just before the hacksaw 

Will you be sticking with the, erm, green? 

I've started at the front. Fairing parts on eBay seem so complex across the range plus expensive ( I've seen asking prices of £500). So I'm going the scrambler route, sorry, I know you'll not be pleased to hear that but I bought the tyres dead cheap.

Arghhhh! You should have put up a 'wanted' post on the forum. I would quite happily have sold you a complete set of RS bodywork (Alaska Blue) for less than stoopid ebay prices, or maybe a complete RT fairing where you would need to decide which colour it was going to be.

Too late now, but I'll guarantee you'll spend more on building a scrambler than even that £500 set of bodywork would have cost you. I used to build customs of all sorts from the early eighties through to the late nineties for other people, so I'm painfully aware of budget busting in a big way.

£500? I can't be bothered to look but I'll bet your next paycheck that was James Sherlock. Yes?

You're not far off and much money has already been spent. However, a good chunk of that would have been needed with or without the fairing. The front wheel was buckled and a used item was supplied by a member on here ( cheers Graig). The fork seals and dust caps plus the steering head bearings were replaced along with the caliper pistons, pads and seals. Someone had fitted an £11 front master cylinder (13mm) which reached the bars without locking the wheel. Bits of the controls were missing and so,with your help, I replaced the controls with GXSR units and all electrics in front of the tank now work. I'm looking to fit an Acewell Speedo because the hole in the headlamp shell is 80mm. I made the headlamp brackets from some stainless steel 2mm sheet and the lamp itself is an LED unit. It's using up a lot of my time and a fair bit of cash. To be fair, I do own a Honda Deauville so there is a tourer in my garage if I need it. This is first custom build and it's fun at the moment.

.

a few of the custom k100 i see are on early reg 1983 so are soon to be tax and mot exempt and very cheap insurance , makes them a good toy to use as and when you please . im sure they are all rebuilding the bikes into the early frame and not just useing the reg   can be difficult to id a custom k100/1100 unless you are a fan .

I'm sure too 

As soon as you take a hacksaw to the rear frame loop it needs an SVA. If you get an SVA, it's pretty much down to the inspector whether you are issued with a new numberplate or not. If you are issued with a new numberplate the forty years starts all over again because it becomes a new vehicle. Don't skip the SVA because if you do, any insurance policy you take out is invalid from the moment it is issued and you are then riding without insurance.

Read this: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1100595/motorcycle-single-vehicle-approval-inspection-manual.pdf

I have a 1997 Moto Guzzi California 1100ie on the bench that is slowly being converted into a full-blown 1978 850-T3 California lookalike but with the big engine in it. I need an SVA on that because I have converted the frame back to the early straight-leg type; although the change to the frame is in a non-structural area it is a change to the frame and so needs an SVA.

The SVA is nothing to be afraid of; even the clown was able to get one  

(Sorry Chris - you didn't think I was going to skip that one did you? )

sounds strict in ireland , i know in the uk there are many k100 with altered frames which did not go through any sva and pass the mot each year , most alterations have been to the rear sections , maybe this is a insurance problem but i have found none who have had any problems inc my self so far , long may it continue

this is a very common alteration BMW K100 RT Project | eBay

firstle wrote:this is a very common alteration BMW K100 RT Project | eBay

Thar she blows—the Humpback of Holes Creek!

I think this is ok. I like the bits of fairing but I can't identify which model they came from. On fleabay there's many different rad surrounds and side panels.

looks good and some one has spent a lot of money , i have some bar risers here if you want some which came off a k100 fitted with renthal flat bars , the best bars i had fitted to a K where T bars , narrow and quite high , the standard cables fitted

firstle wrote:sounds strict in ireland

I wouldn't know - I don't live there! The Kingdom of Mourne (sig) is in Northern Ireland so yes, the SVA does apply here as well as GB. Hacking off the rear frame loop is a structural change and an SVA will be required by your insurance company even though it is (usually) replaced with a similar item on the shortened frame legs. The MoT is a completely different test which has no relationship to the SVA, bar the fact that it covers many of the same parts. 


Having re-read my previous post (carefully! ) I need to clarify a couple of things. The doc I linked to tells you what is checked/tested during an SVA. Your insurance company has a list of things that require an SVA and a modified frame is one of them. I'd bet that perhaps 99% of those cafe-racered BMWs don't have valid insurance (OTOH I could also be completely wrong, so no change there).

[Edit] Bugger. I missed this bit:

'MSVA does not apply to the following vehicles :
• Vehicles over ten years old.'

Wtach out though. Insurance companies these days are forever looking for a way not to pay a claim and not to insure you. I had a rather long 'discussion' with my insurers last time because I'd swapped the RS fairing for the RT fairing, then fitted the LT motorised windscreen and they wanted me to get an SVA done just for that because the bike hadn't come off the production line in that state. Eventually they accepted that what I had done was how BMW had worked in production but it took a shedload of time and forcing them to do internet searches to finally persuade them that I was not into SVA territory.

Can the administrators move the posts from #10 onward to a new thread? 

Glyn has done a massive thread hijack and has overtaken Ernesto's postings.  Glyn should have a thread of his own.  These are two entirely different machines with two entirely different projects going on.  Too confusing for my feeble mind to follow. 

thanks!

I agree, the SVA route is nothing to be afraid of. The regs are very clear, easy to navigate and surprisingly undemanding. If your thing is masses of forward-facing pike nuts and that sort of stuff, you'll just have to screw those on afterwards (and you'll be subject to the normal construction and use regs that eagle-eyed policepeople apply to every road vehicle)
Personally, I thing SVA is a healthy, and generous route for us bike builders.
The thing that taints it all the the stigma of the 'Q' plate that it results in if you can't wangle an age-related plate, which is pretty impossible on a wacky special anyway. The Q plate is traditionally associated with dodgy insurance write-off rebuilds and doubles your insurance, although for an old gimmer like me that's not too expensive. The temptation of 'basing' (ahem) your build on a convenient frame-and-logbook is too much in most cases. This is especially the case now that forty year old frames come with free road tax and no MOT. 
All of this is such a minority activity - the roads aren't filled with commuters riding dodgy 'specials' that only exist to dodge road tax etc. In fact, most specials don't trouble the roads much at all. So it's not a headache for the forces that be, or even the mainstream motorbike industry, hence unlikely to change anytime soon. It's a shame because, sans Q-plate, the SVA route could become enthusiastically trodden. 
As for insurance, there are a few companies who will provide sensible quotes on modified bikes, but I've found their categorisation and understanding of modification to be a poorly fitting tick-box exercise with way too much loose generalisation to have any real meaning. I sent Adrian Flux a photo of the Madass, which was then assessed as 'ooh that looks nice!' (it doesn't - it's the ugliest bike ever) and they no doubt plucked a quote out of thin air with no further questions, and certainly no inspection.

sounds good , the k100 looks to me to be a very popular bike to alter , @50% turning up on ebay have been hacked about which is a shame , i wonder how many have then gone through SVA ? my guess is not many if any because its just another cost and red tape the owner can avoid , i have been through the sva route with a new build bike (harley) it cost @ £140 and a day with the trailer etc , very straight forwards and issued a new build reg , the owner called it a big hog for the v5c as he could not use harley . the silencers where changed the same day .

Just another pic while waiting for paperwork and warmer weather

The original owner liked Metzler tires.. he had one of these on each of his bikes.. I am keeping it there.

Ernesto wrote:The original owner liked Metzler tires.. he had one of these on each of his bikes.. I am keeping it there.

I have a huge dislike of Lasertecs, horrid in the wet. All my Ks are on Bridgestones, BT45/46, great for winter riding.

"I have a huge dislike of Lasertecs, horrid in the wet."

I dont have enough experience to know.. I went with a set of Dunlop D404s

Ernesto wrote:

Is that like, one of those BMW black boxes that have magical powers?  



I am reminded of the late Peter Brock.

Is that like, one of those BMW black boxes that have magical powers? 

I wish I knew all that was done to this bike from the original owner..

The black box is a rpm limiter..  Here is a better picture when the bike looked worse before cleaning.

I assume it was added when the bike was converted to keihin cr flat slide carbs.
I know he used this bike on the west coast for track days back in the day..  I am not as fast and don't anticipate exploring the top of the RPM band..

Found some details on the front fender of my modified K75s.

Parabellum sold the Land Speed Record version I have for $180 in 1987

Got my title/license plates/insurance all settled on the K75 and we have a warmer couple days in Chicagoland (40's and low 50's) so I got the bike out of storage to take the first official ride.

It takes a bunch of cranking to get it started and idling steady, and then even longer till it lets me roll on the throttle, but after it is good and warmed up it runs great.  Hoping that will work itself out with some regular usage.

Point-Seven-five wrote:Can the administrators move the posts from #10 onward to a new thread? 
Glyn has done a massive thread hijack and has overtaken Ernesto's postings.  Glyn should have a thread of his own.  These are two entirely different machines with two entirely different projects going on.  Too confusing for my feeble mind to follow. 
thanks!

I have only just now noticed this. 

Agreed, he should have started his own Customisation thread, for which there's a place on the forum, but there's no way I know of extracting only segments of an existing thread to create another. I (we) can delete them entirely and individually from the original thread, but that's not the best way to go about it. Especially considering that threads get absolutely hijacked with some regularity here. Nudge, wink, say no more.

I have only just now noticed this.

No problem.. they were in and out, all done.

First highway ride on the 87 K75s.
The bike is super strong and pulls well to 6,000 RPMs at which point I backed off due to cold/dark/wet/new tires..  I'll explore more at a later time.

I lost my little green starter button somewhere on the ride today.

The bike is still cold blooded and doesnt want to stay running or pull any RPMs till it is completely warmed up. Then it is great.  Hoping some miles will help.

The K75 goes back to storage for the remainder of the winter and the R60/6 comes home.


Ive put on about 180 miles in the past couple weeks due to unexpected warmer Chicagoland weather..  Mostly local riding, and a little bit at highway speeds.

Once we get more springlike weather I'll put some more miles on it, and most likely put it up for sale later in the spring/early summer.

I think the rest of the forum will pile on to me for this but... I think I'd rather have the airhead too.

air head for me also out of the two

Got a 60 degree February day in Chicagoland, so I pulled the K75 out of storage and took a short neighborhood ride over lunchtime.

Starts much easier in this weather compared to 35 degree temps in December, but still needs a very long warmup before it will pull any RPMs over idle.  Once fully warm, it is a blast to drive around.

Looking forward to spring when I can get some more real sorting out miles in.

Just a couple pics for fun


1987 BMW K75 by Ernesto Vumbles, on Flickr

My '85 K100 is a few hours east of you and we have very similar weather/temperature patterns. I switched to a 15W40 motor oil and it made a world of difference during cold days as compared to a 20W50 for quicker warm ups. My bike had spent the 1st 100k miles of its life in South Central Texas.

Bricklayer wrote:My '85 K100 is a few hours east of you and we have very similar weather/temperature patterns. I switched to a 15W40 motor oil and it made a world of difference during cold days as compared to a 20W50 for quicker warm ups. My bike had spent the 1st 100k miles of its life in South Central Texas.

This bike also spent it's 100,000+ miles in both Texas and California..
There is no choke after the Carburetor conversion, and it isnt happy starting/running in colder weather till it idles for more than 5 minutes. That is why I am waiting till spring to really get it going. Not planning on it being my winter bike.

There's no enrichment jet in the carbs? Manual or automatic? That sounds a bit odd.

There's no enrichment jet in the carbs? Manual or automatic? That sounds a bit odd.

I havent found anything on the Keihin flat slides. Just an idle adjustment knob.

The bike was primarily a Texas/California bike and I think the original owner was biased towards track day activities when he had the motor rebuilt

I'm not familiar with Keihin flatslides but to me, the housing on the r/h carb looks like it's an accelerator pump. If so, that would explain why the engine is reluctant to take off while it's still cold - it wouldn't take too kindly to having great gouts of petrol stuffed down its throat.

Ernesto wrote:I havent found anything on the Keihin flat slides.  Just an idle adjustment knob.

What is the function of the rod with a knob on its end?