BMW K bikes (Bricks)


You are not connected. Please login or register

View previous topic View next topic Go down  Message [Page 1 of 1]


1Back to top Go down   new member introduction Empty new member introduction Sun Dec 30, 2012 9:18 pm

okr

okr
active member
active member
Bought my first k-bike ever and first road bike ever a few weeks back. I have a lifetime of off-road experience but have never
ridden on the street. I've wanted an R or a K since I was a kid and finally decided to stop waiting and squeeze the trigger.
I picked up a 1991 K100 RS 16v off craiglsist from a guy who, by strange coincidence, lives down the street from me. It's a bit of a
fixer-upper cosmetically, but appears solid mechanically. He was a shorter guy and found that the bike forced him into a hunched over
posture that he found uncomfortable on long rides. He bought a harley that fit him better because of the more upright riding posture, and the k-bike just sat for ~2 years. He wanted to send it off to a good home, and I'de say he has. It's got the usual bumps and scratches you'de expect from a bike that's been sitting in a garage more than it's been ridden. Took the fairings off
and haven't found any evidence on the frame/radiator/engine case/exhaust that the bike's ever been downed, although the fairings are a little beat up, cosmetically, but intact.
The bike's got 2 years worth of dust and dirt all over it. It was time for it to go to someone who would take care of it
The fork seals are shot, and I have new ones on the way. The K bike is going to replace a 1968 vw I have been driving and working on myself for 25 years. Told myself I would sell that car after 20 years but just couldn't see a good reason to part with it. I'm solidly middle aged now and can't see any reason to put off owning a bike for another 20 years. Only got so much sand in the hourglass of life.. don't want to wait another 20 when there will be even less sand.. I'm looking forward to learning about K's and how to maintain them. I intentionally picked one that needed a little work in order to learn. This K lived for a long time near the ocean and barnacle type corrosion in the alloy parts is the most prevalent cosmetic blemish on the bike. I live near the ocean but will garage the bike in the space vacated by my vw. I'm expecting 25 years of vw maintenance skills will transfer over to bikes. I love the elegance and simplicity and ingenuity I see in the deisgn of old VW's and am already beginning to appreciate it
up close in the K's.

I picked this forum out of many I see online because it seems to be specifically oriented towards the K and not R's, RS's etc. While I like those bikes too, I own a K now. After anonymously trolling it seems like this forum is frequented by a group of guys
who are like-minded and work on their K's. I don't like forums where people just talk about their bikes, or argue over tires and
motor oil. I want hands on knowledge and experience in the crowd I choose to run with.

I plan to ride my K for business and pleasure.. I hope to get it to the point where it's a reliable commuter during the week and a dependable ride for getaways on the weekends. Parking for cars is very tight where I work, so a motorcycle makes a certain sense. It's also nice to commute on something that gets better mpg than a car.

44,xxx on the odometer. I'm assuming those miles are original. I am the 4th owner the bike has had. I have ownership but no
maintenance records going back 2 owners. The paper trail stops at the last independent dealer who sold it back in 2000. Not too concerned about it. I am quite experienced with keeping old things running and have the tools. Fixed my own cars and other
machines all my life anyway.

Looking forward to an interesting forum and lots of good miles ahead. I'll be trolling the for sale board in the future for some
little odds and ends that need replacing on the bike. Also plan to repaint it. It's dark metallic gray (or is that black?) and I'de
like to return the thing to a shiny pretty version of its original color.

I hail from and live in northern San Diego county in southern California

    

2Back to top Go down   new member introduction Empty Re: new member introduction Sun Dec 30, 2012 9:20 pm

krambo

krambo
Life time member
Life time member
Welcome to the forums, just in time for a whole new year. Enjoy your new ride Wink


__________________________________________________
1984 BMW K100RT, 1993 BMW K1100LTIC,1982 Kawasaki KZ1100 Spectre
"Aut viam inveniam aut faciam." new member introduction Uk-bmw12
http://www.its-personal.net
    

3Back to top Go down   new member introduction Empty Re: new member introduction Sun Dec 30, 2012 9:29 pm

JimK

JimK
Gold member
Gold member
Welcome to the mob.
Good fun crowd.


__________________________________________________
'89 k100 rs se
    

4Back to top Go down   new member introduction Empty Re: new member introduction Sun Dec 30, 2012 9:39 pm

Inge K.

Inge K.
VIP
VIP
That's was a really great introduction....... Very Happy .
Sounds like you intend to, and is able to maintain your new ride.
Welcome to the madhouse, okr.....we ain't got any exit doors.


__________________________________________________
Inge K.
K100RS -86. (first owner), K1100LTSE -94.
    

5Back to top Go down   new member introduction Empty Re: new member introduction Sun Dec 30, 2012 10:27 pm

tio Jaimito

tio Jaimito
Silver member
Silver member
Great another US K! Well you've come THE best place to get support for your K. I joined two weeks ago, and there have been plenty of fireworks and good advice around here. Welcome to the this forum. I have been reading for days on this forum. Great stuff. I have a similar story, I have the same sand falling thru my hourglass. I hope I can go down to ride with you some time.

UJ

http://www.nachicagonorth.com
    

6Back to top Go down   new member introduction Empty Only thing I keep asking Sun Dec 30, 2012 10:34 pm

okr

okr
active member
active member
Is why I didn't do this sooner? Must be a 2012 thing. Turning 40 makes you stop and take a long
hard look at the hourglass. It's a joyful thing, not grim. But you do realize that you have more
days behind you than you got in front of you, so there's no sense putting anything off for some
tomorrow that might not be there.

I hunted around various forums related to bmw bikes, and this one seemed to be most similar to me and
the kid of riding I intend to do, as well as having some very good info on the care and maintenance of K's. Part
of the fun is knowing your machine inside and out.

Stuck with one kind of car for 25 years, I think I'll give a good chunk of the next 25 to the K..

    

7Back to top Go down   new member introduction Empty Re: new member introduction Sun Dec 30, 2012 10:44 pm

charlie99

charlie99
VIP
VIP
welcome okr ......

the learning curve isnt real steep on these old girls ...if you have some mechanical nouse ...but like everybody the efi system requires some getting used to ...electrical experience is a good skill to have in such cases .

hope you enjoy the whole experience ...and love your riding ...cheers


__________________________________________________
cheezy grin whilst riding, kinda bloke ....oh the joy !!!! ...... ( brick aviator )

'86 K100 RT..#0090401 ..."Gerty" ( Gertrude Von Clickandshift ) --------O%O
'86 k100 rs.. #######..  "Fred " (f(rame) red ) ( Fredrick leichtundschnell ) - -
bits and pieces from many kind friends across the k100 world ...with many thanks ..
1987 k100rs ########   "Red"  - (red sports rs TWB style )
1989 K100rt #009637   "Black Betty"  (naked rt ala Nigel , now sporting an rs main fairing )
    

8Back to top Go down   new member introduction Empty Re: new member introduction Sun Dec 30, 2012 10:58 pm

Rick G

Rick G
admin
admin
Greetings okr welcome to the forum.
There is a mountain of knollege here but someone usually comes up with a new bucket of rocks to make the mountain higher.


__________________________________________________
"Man sacrifices his health in order to make money.
Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.
And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived."   Dalai Lama


Bikes 1999 K1100 LT with a Big Block 1200
    

9Back to top Go down   new member introduction Empty Re: new member introduction Sun Dec 30, 2012 11:11 pm

K-BIKE

avatar
Life time member
Life time member
Hi okr,
Great to have you with us and I am positive that 25 years of self maintenance will translate into an easy trip fixing a K. First thing to do is give it a major service with all fluids and filters changed sticking with standard BMW parts and fluid recommendations, that way you know that everything is as was intended and the rear drive and gearbox etc has not had some bozo add mouse milk or some other exotic additive to it. During the time you have the plastic off get some Caig DeoxIT G5 and S5 you can find caig on the net and a local dealer, then treat every electrical connector on the bike to the two stage G5 followed by S5 that way every contact will be as close to as new as they can be. Excellent choice of model and year because it was towards the end of the run and all the improvements going had been fitted by the time you got yours.
Regards,
K-BIKE

    

10Back to top Go down   new member introduction Empty Re: new member introduction Sun Dec 30, 2012 11:31 pm

Two Wheels Better

Two Wheels Better
Moderator
Moderator
Welcome to the forum and thanks for the details of your experiences and ideas about maintenance and learning. This forum is inhabited by a really genuine mob who seems to be of similar mind and for the most part maintain a keen interest in other K bike riders and their bikes. I'd say that there is an overall 'politeness' to the manner of the folks here. Can't think of a time that I've seen anyone get 'flamed' as is often the case in other anonymous forums. Many of us have actually become mates and we Aussies and some of the Irish blokes too meet up regularly for group rides.

When you get a chance to add a picture to your profile, how about also inserting the year and model info of your bike there too, that way if you've a question we all have a better idea which era bike you're asking about?

Cheers.


__________________________________________________
"A long ride is the answer to a question you will soon forget!" ~ Anonymous
1977 R75/7-100, '93 K11/K12 Big Block, '93 K1100RS, '95 R100 Mystic, '96 K1100RS, 2 x '98 K1200RS, '06 K1200R & '09 K1300GT
    

11Back to top Go down   new member introduction Empty Shakedown time Mon Dec 31, 2012 1:27 am

okr

okr
active member
active member
K-BIKE wrote:Hi okr,
Great to have you with us and I am positive that 25 years of self maintenance will translate into an easy trip fixing a K. First thing to do is give it a major service with all fluids and filters changed sticking with standard BMW parts and fluid recommendations, that way you know that everything is as was intended and the rear drive and gearbox etc has not had some bozo add mouse milk or some other exotic additive to it. During the time you have the plastic off get some Caig DeoxIT G5 and S5 you can find caig on the net and a local dealer, then treat every electrical connector on the bike to the two stage G5 followed by S5 that way every contact will be as close to as new as they can be. Excellent choice of model and year because it was towards the end of the run and all the improvements going had been fitted by the time you got yours.
Regards,
K-BIKE

I am in the middle of all those things. Changed all the oils, haven't gotten to the brake fluid or coolant yet. I'm also waiting on
new fork seals to arrive. Moly grease for the splines is on the way too. Until then I won't be riding much. What rides I have made have been short ones to warm it up and make sure the fan comes on, the bike doesn't overheat, and to check that there are no glaring mechanical issues. So far, so good. Biggest issues so far seem to be cosmetic in nature and simple lack of use, which won't be a problem for too much longer. I do wish the factory tool kit was still with the bike, but apprently it's more normal than not for them to go missing over time and across multiple owners. Nice part is I can just buy another. I have all the tools (metric allen sockets etc.), just not in the compact roll the factory provides. I'de like to have that for long trips, but all in good time. The choice of year was random chance, although things have a strange way of working out for the best.
My decision was really more driven by a sense that It was just time for me to jump in and do this, but as I have been reading up on the subject I am glad I got the era/model/generation K-bike that I did for exactly the reasons K-BIKE mentions.. If the bike turned out to be a bad year I was just planning to learn what I could and carry it forward to the next bike. Yes, I have a feeling I will own another someday. Losing one car leaves space for 2 bikes in the garage, after all.

Looking forward to the adventure..

    

12Back to top Go down   new member introduction Empty Re: new member introduction Mon Dec 31, 2012 3:09 am

Rick G

Rick G
admin
admin
Oh No now you have gone and done it, you have been infected with the Kpox virus, there is no cure and the only to keep it under control is to get more and more K bikes till the other half threatens you and then you have to sneak them in and hide them.


__________________________________________________
"Man sacrifices his health in order to make money.
Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.
And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived."   Dalai Lama


Bikes 1999 K1100 LT with a Big Block 1200
    

13Back to top Go down   new member introduction Empty Re: new member introduction Mon Dec 31, 2012 5:03 am

92KK 84WW Olaf

avatar
Life time member
Life time member
Welcome and Happy New Year too.

The forum is great for technical know how but as you will see we Irish guys do meet up from time to time. It all started last summer and to be honest it is a great social side. We just had a nice meet up on last Saturday and managed yet again to find a nice sunny day.

K bikes are an addiction after all.......


__________________________________________________
1992 K100LT 0193214 Bertha Blue 101,000 miles
1984 K100RT 0022575 Brutus Baja Red 578 bought 36,000 now 89,150 miles
1997 K1100LT 0188024 Wotan Mystic Red 689 58,645 now 106,950 miles Deceased.
1983 K100RS 0011157 Fricka 606 Alaska Blue 29,495 miles Damn K Pox Its a Bat outta Hell Now 58,200 miles. 
1996 K1100LT 0233004 Lohengrin Mystic Red 38,000 miles currently 51,800 miles.
1983 K100RS 0004449 Odette R100 colours 58,000 miles. Sprint fairing now 63,390 miles

Past:
1968 Yamaha 80 YG1
1971 Yamaha 125 YAS-1
1968 Honda 125 SS
1970 Honda CD 175
1973 Honda CB500-4
Honda CX 500
    

14Back to top Go down   new member introduction Empty Re: new member introduction Mon Dec 31, 2012 5:25 am

BIG D

BIG D
Life time member
Life time member
Cool

Hi and welcome to the forum and a happy new year, a great forum and fantastic folk and some a lot over 40 Very Happy so just fit right in and upwards and onwards.



BIG D

    

15Back to top Go down   new member introduction Empty new member introduction Mon Dec 31, 2012 7:13 am

RT

RT
Life time member
Life time member
Welcome okr
I too, when I turn 40 will probably start looking at the hour glass of time.(no snickering from the peanut gallery chaps).
I can assure you that your first decent ride will have you hooked, despite your tender years.
Enjoy mate
RT


__________________________________________________
2011 R1200RT
    

16Back to top Go down   new member introduction Empty Re: new member introduction Mon Dec 31, 2012 5:43 pm

brickrider

brickrider
Life time member
Life time member
Welcome to a great site. I think many of us share your sentiments and probably a good amount of your experiences too. You'll find here all the info you'll likely need in order to bring your new/old bike up to your standards.
I was thinking that, as a long time owner of a VW, you've missed a step in the technological march. You need an old BMW Airhead to transition to the K-bike Wink
There really does seem to be a lot of DNA in common with those machines. As a rider of the Airheads for decades, the acquisition of my 1985 K100RS last year seems like a giant leap into the future!
Being that you're a resident of the S.D. area, you've a lot of nice back roads to enjoy with your K-bike. Lucky man.!
Welcome once again.

    

okr

okr
active member
active member
I know them well, from inside a car. Experiencing them on a bike will be something different entirely. There are some beautiful back country & desert roads in southern CA. Spring is particularly beautiful in the desert after the winter storms
blow through and the desert briefly blooms. San Diego county is one of the most geographically and climatically diverse areas on earth- you can go from ocean to subtropical scrub to alpine forest to desert, all in a few hours.

My plan had been to find an airhead, but decent airheads have become pretty rare. Last time I was seriously considering this was in the early 1990's, when used 70's era airheads in good condition were pretty common. Not so anymore. I notice the choices are marginal, and most guys want 3x what it's worth and they need a lot of work. There seem to be two extremes for sale: show room quality restoration projects that are half complete in some guy's garage, and borderline junkers. I'm happy with a K for now. Their interesting design intrigues me as much as the airhead's do, and it gets me in the game. I haven't lost my interest in airheads, and if the right one were to cross my path I would go for it. In my months of K hunting
I came across a few short wheelbase airheads that were reasonable fix-it projects and would have made nice bikes, but would prefer a long wheelbase R that could hold the later (70's) luggage.

    

18Back to top Go down   new member introduction Empty Re: new member introduction Mon Dec 31, 2012 9:27 pm

TacKler

TacKler
Life time member
Life time member
I've got to say that the sentiments echoed above are the reason I decided to join the forum as well. I am also a member of an R forum which is similar to this and as long as I log out laughing I know I will be checking again the next day.

Now, must get off my backside and join one of the runs will the fellahs.

Cheers, Dave.


__________________________________________________
Red 1991 K75S
    

19Back to top Go down   new member introduction Empty Re: new member introduction Mon Dec 31, 2012 10:19 pm

Two Wheels Better

Two Wheels Better
Moderator
Moderator
Tackler wrote:...Now, must get off my backside and join one of the runs will the fellahs. Cheers, Dave.

Yeah, Dave, you outta get together with our men Blakey, Charlie, Bert2 (CafeRacer), and the others who live not far from Brissy like Alby and RickG, Saxon and the rest of the NSW contingent too. They're a good lot and will go out of their way to help a mate and are ever ready for a ride to everywhere and nowhere, sometimes just for a squiz around the place. But that's the way it is with this mob; always a lending hand and a cheery smile.

I'm out of the country for a while and I can tell you I miss those bastards (OZ term of endearment, for the rest of you), and can't wait to get back and fire up my red K and take a burble on those familiar roads round the SE Queensland region with those who have become good mates and an integral part of my life since joining and then rejoining this forum several years back.



Last edited by Two Wheels Better on Tue Jan 01, 2013 12:20 pm; edited 1 time in total


__________________________________________________
"A long ride is the answer to a question you will soon forget!" ~ Anonymous
1977 R75/7-100, '93 K11/K12 Big Block, '93 K1100RS, '95 R100 Mystic, '96 K1100RS, 2 x '98 K1200RS, '06 K1200R & '09 K1300GT
    

20Back to top Go down   new member introduction Empty Re: new member introduction Mon Dec 31, 2012 10:33 pm

Crazy Frog

Crazy Frog
admin
admin
okr wrote:I picked this forum out of many I see online because it seems to be specifically oriented towards the K and not R's, RS's etc. While I like those bikes too, I own a K now. After anonymously trolling it seems like this forum is frequented by a group of guys who are like-minded and work on their K's. I don't like forums where people just talk about their bikes, or argue over tires and
motor oil. I want hands on knowledge and experience in the crowd I choose to run with.

OKR,

You just came to the right place. We deliver what we advertise: Friendship, technical advise and help.
We specialize in Ks but certainly will never put down a R owner (or any other type or brand).
We are not only proud of our bikes, but we are really proud of the way that we created this community and how it helps new owners like you.
Thanks for your great introduction and welcome to our site.

We will wait before asking you what type of tires you use on your bike. Very Happy


CF


__________________________________________________
new member introduction Frog15new member introduction Logo2101986 k75, 1985 K100rt, 1985 K100rt/EML GT2 sidecar, 1999 K1200lt/Hannigan Astro Sport sidecar.
    

21Back to top Go down   new member introduction Empty Re: new member introduction Tue Jan 01, 2013 4:40 am

TacKler

TacKler
Life time member
Life time member
Thanx TWB,



Been a bit busy with other commitments over the Xmas break and went out for a quick run today. Back at work Wednesday, as I am saving my hols to mid-Feb when I shall be visiting over your way. Vegas and then skiing in Tahoe. Rest of the time in AZ with some pre-organised stuff and a few friends in southern AZ. A mate at Redmond, OR has just checked in and wants to catch up. Nothing definite but if the planets align I see it is about 400km from there to Seattle.



So TWB is your K getting lonely back down here? Maybe we could mow the grass for you?



Hey OKR, I hope we are not hijacking your thread.



Cheers, Dave.


__________________________________________________
Red 1991 K75S
    

22Back to top Go down   new member introduction Empty Re: new member introduction Tue Jan 01, 2013 6:35 pm

88

88
Life time member
Life time member
Welcome OKR, great intro. I can empathize with you feelings on the missing tool roll. After acquiring my K and reading that the c spanner doubled up as a dip stick I set about an Ebay watch until I won one at the right price. You can of course make one simply enough and a forum google search will lead you to the measurements. Enjoy the K and stay safe.

88KE


__________________________________________________
new member introduction Ir-log1188....May contain nuts!new member introduction Ir-log11

"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page." - St. Augustine from 1600 years ago & still true!

K1 - 1989 - AKA Titan (unique K1/K1100RS hybrid by Andreas Esterhammer)
K1100RS - 1995. AKA Rudolf Von Schmurf (in a million bits)
K100RS - 1991 AKA Ronnie. Cafe racer project bike
K75RTP - 1994
K75C - 1991 AKA Jim Beam. In boxes. 
K1100LT 1992 - AKA Big Red (gone)
K100LT - 1988 - AKA the Bullion brick. Should never have sold it.
    

23Back to top Go down   new member introduction Empty Re: new member introduction Tue Jan 01, 2013 6:40 pm

Inge K.

Inge K.
VIP
VIP
88KE wrote:reading that the c spanner doubled up as a dip stick You can of course make one simply enough and a forum google search will lead you to the measurements. 88KE

new member introduction C-nakk10


__________________________________________________
Inge K.
K100RS -86. (first owner), K1100LTSE -94.
    

24Back to top Go down   new member introduction Empty Re: new member introduction Tue Jan 01, 2013 10:41 pm

brickrider

brickrider
Life time member
Life time member
Here's a twist on that oft-heard story about the tools going missing. When I checked out and later bought my K100RS, the owner had a lot of trouble answering what I considered basic questions about the bike. He said there were no tools, but when I had the bike home and began exploring, there they were, and looking for all the world like they hadn't been touched since they left the factory.
Amazing! Very Happy

    

25Back to top Go down   new member introduction Empty Re: new member introduction Tue Jan 01, 2013 10:54 pm

Rjtrucker

avatar
Silver member
Silver member
I have some old tool rolls and some spare tools from the bikes I have parted out. If you are looking for a tool to fill out your roll let me know what you need. The rolls I have are not in great shape but I am sure anyone with a sewing machine could copy and remake one from an old one.


__________________________________________________
Ron S
NJ USA
74 R90/6 cafe project
93 K11LT
85 K100RS
85 K100RS turbo project.
And a load of K100 projects and parts.
    

26Back to top Go down   new member introduction Empty I wasn't so lucky Wed Jan 02, 2013 4:07 am

okr

okr
active member
active member
brickrider wrote:Here's a twist on that oft-heard story about the tools going missing. When I checked out and later bought my K100RS, the owner had a lot of trouble answering what I considered basic questions about the bike. He said there were no tools, but when I had the bike home and began exploring, there they were, and looking for all the world like they hadn't been touched since they left the factory.
Amazing! Very Happy

I have had that experience before too with other things.. The suspense was palpable after I spend 30 mins figuring out how
to unlatch the seat (yes, twist the key then PUSH the button...geez), then looked at the plastic cover plate to the rear compartment.. an Indiana Jones moment. Unfortunately for me, this time, the golden idol wasn't in the temple of doom.
The original user's manual was there though.. and some worthless old registration papers. No sign of the toolkit.

    

Sponsored content


    

View previous topic View next topic Back to top  Message [Page 1 of 1]

Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum