BMW K bikes (Bricks)


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Tenox

Tenox
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I did not found any good place for this topic, so I decided to put it in here.

I have a plan B again for this season. I have that modified K100 as my only bike at the moment, but I would like to have a bike better suitable for longer trips too. Last season I owned a Honda 650cc Africa Twin for a few months, but I really dont like lubing and checking on chains so this time it is a vehicle with a shaft drive.

I have been thinking of a another brick - K100RS I think because my legs wont fit in RT (have not tested the LT though). But those Kawasaki GTR1000 models from round 1990 are in same price in here (about 2-3000e) than K100. 

So this might not be the right place to ask... But why should I prefer K100? Or should I?


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BMW K100RT Scrambler (86)
    

Corkboy

Corkboy
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I cant speak for the kawasaki, but at 6' Ifit the K1100LT rather nicely.  And it feels and sounds pretty much like a K100.


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Regards,

Corkboy '87 K100RS SE (The black one - one of the two bikes I'm sorry I sold)
             '87 K100RS 0140995 (Gone)
             '97 K1100LT 0188024 (Gone)
             '08 K1200GT Wedge - but still a K
             '08 Transalp 700
    

92KK 84WW Olaf

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I have done long trips on both RT and LT. I think it would be hard to find anything better than the K100. The RT and LT have the same fairing and yet I find the RT much more nimble and more lively. I am 5' 8". The K1100LT has the fairing moved forward and seems better suited to a taller rider. No problem doing 4-500 miles in a day on one.......


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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
    

duck

duck
Life time member
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The K1100LT does have the fairing moved forward a couple of inches. I'm 6-2 and (with highway pegs) have done a 1,200 mile day with ease. (Except for nasty rain for the last few hundred miles.)

I've also done a 1,200+ mile day on a K75RT but that was a rather nasty ride with lots of rain and snow.  Not a ride I'd want to do again.

My best on the K75RT was 2,461 miles (3,961 km) in a little over 36 hours.


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Current stable:
86 Custom K100 (standard fairing, K75 Belly pan, Ceramic chromed engine covers, paralever)
K75 Frankenbrick (Paralever, K11 front end, hybrid ABS, K1100RS fairing, radial tires)
86 K75C Turbo w/ paralever
94 K1100RS
93 K1100LT
91 K1
93 K75S (K11 front end)
91 K75S (K1 front end)
14 Yamaha WR250R
98 Taxi Cab K1200RS
14 K1600GT
http://www.ClassicKBikes.com
    

MikeP

MikeP
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The GTR1000 has a lovely engine but the rest of the bike's quality is poor. Wave a damp rag at it and it'll rust before your eyes.


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1992 K1
1993 K1100R (used to be an LT)
    

xpc316e

xpc316e
Gold member
Gold member
The fact that the K was available in many different forms, over such a long time, means that it is going to be easier to source used parts.  There is good interchangeability with BMW Ks, and specialist companies compete for our business when it comes to buying spares.  There is even BMW themselves offering spares for thirty year old bikes.  That is not going to be the same with Kawasaki GTR 1000s.


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VIN 0191428, 1991 K100LT, formerly owned by Lancashire Constabulary. This old warhorse is now 'out to grass' and living in retirement in Suffolk, where it will be showered with appropriate love and care.

VIN 6459609, 1992 K1100LT, another ex-Police machine, even though she now looks like she is a former fire engine.
    

jings

jings
active member
active member
the GTRs a heavy old beasts the engines a cracker there a bit prone to hydro locking theres no over flows on the carbs so thay tend to fill the cylinders with petrol doesn't do the con rods much good . also check for rust around the swinging arm / shocker region

    

Tenox

Tenox
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Life time member
Thanks for the answers. I'm 184cm which is I guess a little taller than 6" Had a testdrive with RT and with my long legs I had trouble with knees hitting the fairing. So it would really have to be RS model if K100.

K1100LT:s are a bit more expensive here (Ranging 3-4000e) and not so common as K100. I have been in that belief that parts for GTR are relatively easy to get, but maybe I was wrong.

The GTR is interesting mainly because I have been reading so much positive comments of its fairings. They seem to be very protective.

Well I keep on thinking. It snowed this morning so there is no rush to get a second bike..


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BMW K100RT Scrambler (86)
    

92KK 84WW Olaf

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Your climate is like ours and I think you will find the LT fairing much better, it will extend your season a few weeks at either end.

Corkboy swapped his K110RS for a K1100LT and would fill you in on that.


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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
    

rosskko

rosskko
VIP
VIP
Tenox wrote:Thanks for the answers. I'm 184cm which is I guess a little taller than 6" Had a testdrive with RT and with my long legs I had trouble with knees hitting the fairing. So it would really have to be RS model if K100.
Hey Tenox,

I am only about 5'9 5/16' and my knees were touching the fairing on my RT.
Swapped seats.
I got a comfort"? low seat and it pushes me back so I now have plenty of room.
I also have a comfort seat from a K1200 and it makes my knees hit the fairing.
Pretty sure the comfort seats have the same base? You need to replace the FI tray?

Maybe get one recovered to move you back a bit. Cheaper alternative if the bikes themselves are cheaper.

rossko


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1986 K100RT VIN 0093801K100RT with summer fairing for a northern visitor

Basic/2 6308802K100CJ  05/1988

K1100RS 0194321
    

92KK 84WW Olaf

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Life time member
Seat on my LT is a Comfort seat, best one I ever had. A cheap fix too...I never thought of it being a different seating position but now that you mention it you are correct because my knees are closer to the fairing on the RT.


__________________________________________________
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
    

Rick G

Rick G
admin
admin
The fairing on the K1100 is enough further forward to be a big improvement and worth while having but you can with some small amount of work move the fairing on a K100 LT forward and have a seat customized to move you back a bit and maybe move the bars back.
Nowadays there is not a comparison between the GTR1000 and a K100. The factory will not be making parts for them unless it is also a part for a newer model and as mike said they do have a rust problem.
The GTR is a good bike and every bit as able to do the distance as a K, I know some guys who have them but as soon as the switch blocks fail they are left trying to adapt something else to do the job.
The GTR engine has been around longer than the brick and is a good engine and drive train.
Before I bought my first brick I considered a GTR and that was over ten years ago and even then the parts stock for the GTR was starting to run low.
They are very comparable bikes but the K wins out for me because of the parts availability.


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"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
    

duck

duck
Life time member
Life time member
I'm 6-2 with a 34" in seam and the K1100LT was cramped for me if wearing winter gear and/or knee armor. I solved that by having my Russell Day Long seat built with the rider position roughly 1.75" inches back from where a stock seat would have me seated.



Last edited by duck on Tue Mar 04, 2014 4:11 pm; edited 1 time in total


__________________________________________________
Current stable:
86 Custom K100 (standard fairing, K75 Belly pan, Ceramic chromed engine covers, paralever)
K75 Frankenbrick (Paralever, K11 front end, hybrid ABS, K1100RS fairing, radial tires)
86 K75C Turbo w/ paralever
94 K1100RS
93 K1100LT
91 K1
93 K75S (K11 front end)
91 K75S (K1 front end)
14 Yamaha WR250R
98 Taxi Cab K1200RS
14 K1600GT
http://www.ClassicKBikes.com
    

Tenox

Tenox
Life time member
Life time member
That thing about spareparts is important. I must check how it is here in Finland on GTR. I know that K100 parts are easy enough to get. Only part that I have not been able to get so far is the bolt that attaches the rear shock to the drivetrain.

Thanks again.


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BMW K100RT Scrambler (86)
    

Kyle10

Kyle10
Life time member
Life time member
MCN's Kwak GTR1000 review
Looks kinda middling...

Biased? Of course. But find a rider who used to own a GTR1000 who rues the day they parted with it.
Do the same with an ex-K bike owner.

The regretful ex-K bike owner will be easier to find, I'll wager.

    

xpc316e

xpc316e
Gold member
Gold member
Hi Tenox,

I own a 1991 K100LT and a 1992 K1100LT.  I am 183cm tall, so fairly close to your height, and I must say that the 1100 has much better kneeroom than the 100.  I have done 400 mile days on the 100 with no bother, but I would now choose the other bike for longer journeys just because of the extra space for my knees.


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VIN 0191428, 1991 K100LT, formerly owned by Lancashire Constabulary. This old warhorse is now 'out to grass' and living in retirement in Suffolk, where it will be showered with appropriate love and care.

VIN 6459609, 1992 K1100LT, another ex-Police machine, even though she now looks like she is a former fire engine.
    

Tenox

Tenox
Life time member
Life time member
Parts: http://www.cmsnl.com/kawasaki-1986-a1-zg1000_model12620/partslist/

Looked quickly and it does not seem so bad.  Rolling Eyes


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BMW K100RT Scrambler (86)
    

Rick G

Rick G
admin
admin
The GTR1000 did have a very long production run, probably about 20 years and a lot of the parts were and are still available but as I found with my Z1300 Kawasaki will cease to make parts that are specific to them after they are 2 models old and that can be as short a time as 2 years. The parts availability for 30 year old models is what I like so much about the BMWs.
As far as the Japanese manufacturers are concerned be it car or bike they want you to buy a new model every 3-5 years.


__________________________________________________
"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
    

19Back to top Go down   Comparison between BMW K100 and Kawasaki GTR1000 Empty GTR Wed Mar 05, 2014 4:08 am

klompy the grey brick

klompy the grey brick
VIP
VIP
I had the first model GTR1000 number plate GTR100 in South Oz and it was an excellent tourer until you hit 200KMH and it becomes airborne ...very comfy lots of good luggage with a detuned across 4 ...a little buzzy but like the K100 ate the kilometres very easy.

Comparison between BMW K100 and Kawasaki GTR1000 Gtr10010


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KKlompy Comparison between BMW K100 and Kawasaki GTR1000 2854237993
"Grace" 1984 K100RS Silver VIN 0019026 Mitt eine Staintune Zorst.
"Olivia" 1997 K1100LT Dark Grey VIN WB1052600W0237453.









Chassis number0019026
Vehicle code0503
SeriesK589
ModelK 100 RS 83 (0502 ( 0503 )
Body typeK 100 RS 83 (0502
Catalog modelECE
Production date1984 / 07
Engine0513)

Comparison between BMW K100 and Kawasaki GTR1000 Au-log10


    

Tenox

Tenox
Life time member
Life time member
Testdrive done with GTR. If K100 is a brick what would we call GTR? My K100 felt like a RR bike after that war elefant.  Very Happy 

Engine was otherwise nice, but I did not like carburettors (may have been little off) and the engine sound was loud (pipes were not stock). Much more room than on stock K100RT and nice driving ergonomics other than the noise around the helmet. Which means that the windshield was not in good position for me.

I think I would rather have another K.. 290km driven today in +3 to +7 celcius. Nice!


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BMW K100RT Scrambler (86)
    

RT

RT
Life time member
Life time member
Who is that bloke with all that hair? I think your missus must have been playing around back then.


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2011 R1200RT
    

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