Greetings all!
My name is Michael and five days ago I purchased this very well maintained 1985 K100RS. Bike has (only) 82,000 miles. It's been dropped on both sides. Damage on right side was sort of repaired (not really) including replacing the right side mirror pod. Left side was recent and will be my winter project when there is 4 feet of snow out. There is still plenty of Summer left to enjoy it so I those things will wait for now. I have been reading as much as I can consume here the last several days and the knowledge base here is truly incredible! I look forward to the fun on the road, in my shop and here with you all.    

Been reading how much y'all like pictures so I waited a few days to register and post until I could deliver.

Let me know what you think.
The good...











The Bad... (right side)








The Bad... (the left side)





A Few More...





Needless to say I'm stoked! I have only owned 2 stroke motorcycles until now, nothing larger than 500cc and this will be a learning curve for sure.
Thanks for all the great information I've read already and in advance for the knowledge to come...

mtndv8

Hi Michael and welcome. 
I've only been a K owner for a few months myself, and have found the collective wisdom of this site to be really helpful in working on my '85 RT. 
The people on this forum I've met in person have been great as well. Looking forward to seeing them again and others as the weather gets warmer here downunder. 
For a bike nearly 30 years old, it would be surprising if it didn't have some fall over damage, and mine is probably a bit worse than yours when you look closely. Currently working on a few parts of that now, but not sure where to get the right paint colour from. 
The important thing for me is being able to ride it, and the improvements to both function and appearance will come in time. 
Regards and enjoy!
Bill

Welcome aboard Michael. She looks like a nice old lady . 
I bought mine back in April and have been gradually bringing everything back up to scratch. While most things are pretty sound it had been a little neglected for about 5 years or more.
My fairing is pretty much on its last legs so that will be going next year when I begin my modest modifications. ATM I'm enjoying the fairing's relative protection as I also use mine to commute, and garbing up for a little light rain can be a hassle.

As you can see from my sig I've only had relatively smaller bikes in the past too. I did a lot of touring on my little Ducati but the K represents for me, a return to biking after nearly 30years. I have to say that I have found that the K does like to be ridden hard. It was built to take it and imo the engine and machine in general operate much better and more smoothly when you give it a bit of stick. Doesn't mean you have to tear-arse around all the time though. Lol

Ride safe

Cheers

Welcome too.

And as you will see, a K is more like to fall over than dropped. Most will have done that at some point but they are easily repaired. They usually like a mate too.

indian036 wrote:Hi Michael and welcome. 
I've only been a K owner for a few months myself, and have found the collective wisdom of this site to be really helpful in working on my '85 RT. 
The people on this forum I've met in person have been great as well. Looking forward to seeing them again and others as the weather gets warmer here downunder. 
For a bike nearly 30 years old, it would be surprising if it didn't have some fall over damage, and mine is probably a bit worse than yours when you look closely. Currently working on a few parts of that now, but not sure where to get the right paint colour from. 
The important thing for me is being able to ride it, and the improvements to both function and appearance will come in time. 
Regards and enjoy!
Bill

Greetings Bill and Thanks!

I'm learning that I am probably not unique in the fact I happened along an example of a well kept "parts spare" that a lifetime BMW owner had received in/with another K-bike/sidecar purchase that was just too nice to part out.

He spent the time in the begining of this Summer (early June here in Central Idaho) getting the valves correctly clearanced, and lubing the splines and basically ensuring it would be good to go for a new owner before putting it up for sale at a Bike shop in Boise for $2900. It sat there all Summer until this last week with no interest.

When he first mentioned it to me at work one day I really wasn't in the market for a large cc bike as all I really wanted was a daily commuter for the scant 4 miles I drive to work everyday. The more he talked and the more I heard I became very interested. The bike still has all the OEM extras like the tool kit, extra keys and cubby covers, etc. I even has fairly new tires. Metzelers, ME 880 Marathon front and Lacertec rear.

As an experience composites tech I knew the cracked fairing(s), mismatched mirror and paint scrathes were just cosmetic, and an easy fix for me. He offered to retrieve the bike from Boise for me so I could give it a good check.

Once I saw the bike in person I had to have it! So I offered him what I thought was a fair price, taking the 82k miles into consideration. Surprisingly he accepted it and, well here I am...

Thanks for your reply and I hope you get yours ready in time for your summer!

mtndv8

My RT came in a funny way too.

It belonged to another member on the forum who had some problems getting it sorted. So lots of posts etc etc and he got it going.

Some months later I was needing another K and found one on our local version of Craigslist/eBay/Gumtree. So I sent an email which immediately came back with a recognition of the help that had been offered about a year earlier. Of course that told me certain jobs had been attended to so we arranged a meet up. It looked good enough for the asking price, took the bike out, it handled crap but was definitely good and so I rode it home. I had transferred my insurance before hand in case I did the deal. New tyres, a lot of fiddly tasks with the bike in bits on the terrace for a few days in lovely sunshine and it turned out fine. It came with a spares RS!

Most Ks in our part of the world will not be perfect because we can ride all year and wont put a bike off road for the winter to make it look like new.

Welcome to the forum.  This definitely is the place to hang out if you need encouragement or tech support.
Your bike looks like the one that caught my eye for sale at Big Twin here in Boise.  I came in for parts one day and was amazed to see it, as it at first glance is a dead ringer for my own.  So, it comes as no surprise that I liked it!
I came to K-bikes from a long history of riding the old airheads.  I wasnt' sure I was prepared to bond with it initially, as the weight can be intimidating at times.  Now, I love the bike out on our largely empty highways!  Mind you, I plan my maneuvers in parking lots and in the garage with care.

Kaptain Holister wrote:Welcome aboard Michael. She looks like a nice old lady . 
I bought mine back in April and have been gradually bringing everything back up to scratch. While most things are pretty sound it had been a little neglected for about 5 years or more.
My fairing is pretty much on its last legs so that will be going next year when I begin my modest modifications. ATM I'm enjoying the fairing's relative protection as I also use mine to commute, and garbing up for a little light rain can be a hassle.

As you can see from my sig I've only had relatively smaller bikes in the past too. I did a lot of touring on my little Ducati but the K represents for me, a return to biking after nearly 30years. I have to say that I have found that the K does like to be ridden hard. It was built to take it and imo the engine and machine in general operate much better and more smoothly when you give it a bit of stick. Doesn't mean you have to tear-arse around all the time though. Lol

Ride safe

Cheers

Greetings Kaptain! I think I found love, don't tell my wife...! lol!

I raced a Kawasaki H1 500 2-stroke triple back in the early 80's, (and a multitude of single or twin cylinder dirt bikes before that...) this beast is as far from that as you can get!

As it has been over 30 years for me too, I think I'll take my time getting comfortable with it. The hardest part for me is the weight, it feels top heavy and has a really narrow balance point. I think the seat height has a lot to do with that feeling. I'm 5'10" and it feels a little tall. It will be a bit before I'm tear-arseing around but I do look forward to it


mtndv8

I am 5' 8" and I know some who are less.....

As you say, you must plan your manoeuvres and watch where you out your feet. But apart from that a great bike.

brickrider wrote:Welcome to the forum.  This definitely is the place to hang out if you need encouragement or tech support.
You bike looks like the one that caught my eye for sale at Big Twin here in Boise.  I came in for parts one day and was amazed to see it, as it at first glance is a dead ringer for my own.  So, it comes as no surprise that I liked it!
I came to K-bikes from a long history of riding the old airheads.  I wasnt' sure I was prepared to bond with it initially, as the weight can be intimidating at times.  Now, I love the bike out on our largely empty highways!  Mind you, I plan my maneuvers in parking lots and in the garage with care.

Thank you sir!
Appreciate the local response as I had figured there would be very few Idahoans on this hugely International Forum!

Yes, I do believe that was the place the PO mentioned he had it on consignment. So considering you've seen her in person would there be anything else you noticed about this bike that would be helpful or worth mentioning? The PO (he's actually named Gerhardt) is a long time BMW MOA member and a work colleague and he has made himself available to help me with anything I have questions about but he only owned it a short time and put very few miles on it so his knowledgeof it's actuall history is limited to what he was told and the service history documentation that he received and passed to me.

One of the things he mentioned was that the PO before him told him the bike had a "progressive suspension" mod added to it at some point. I haven't had time to research what that means, entails and/or how to verify it. Would you know where I would find information on that and what the purpose is? I read here somewhere in the hundreds of threads I've been to that it helps combat nose dive under braking?

Anyway, Fall is threatening an early arrival here this year but if you find yourself up McCall way anytime I'm available for coffee or a pint. Shoot me a pm or just stop by the USFS Large Airtanker Base on the West Ramp of the McCall Airport.

Aloha,
Michael

Hi
I like your garage a corvette and a K .

What do I drive today? Hmmmm.
Anything you need to know about a K is here.
ejoy the K

92KK K100LT 193214 wrote:My RT came in a funny way too.

It belonged to another member on the forum who had some problems getting it sorted. So lots of posts etc etc and he got it going.

Some months later I was needing another K and found one on our local version of Craigslist/eBay/Gumtree. So I sent an email which immediately came back with a recognition of the help that had been offered about a year earlier. Of course that told me certain jobs had been attended to so we arranged a meet up. It looked good enough for the asking price, took the bike out, it handled crap but was definitely good and so I rode it home. I had transferred my insurance before hand in case I did the deal. New tyres, a lot of fiddly tasks with the bike in bits on the terrace for a few days in lovely sunshine and it turned out fine. It came with a spares RS!

Most Ks in our part of the world will not be perfect because we can ride all year and wont put a bike off road for the winter to make it look like new.

92KK K100LT 193214 wrote:I am 5' 8" and I know some who are less.....

As you say, you must plan your manoeuvres and watch where you out your feet. But apart from that a great bike.

Thanks for your responses bradda!

Had a little initiation to that "plan your moves" doctrine yesterday...
Was backing it into the spot (in the above pictures) where it will live in my Vette-cave (...going to have to re-think that name now.) and as I was walking it back my left foot slipped on one of the carpet remnants. Wasn't much of a slip and I caught it pretty quickly, but it scared the heck out of me as the bike "felt" like it was going over far too easily.
 
I guess I got taller and stronger at the thought of this beauty falling into my other beauty...

Aloha!
Michael

10-ring wrote:Hi
I like your garage a corvette and a K .

What do I drive today? Hmmmm.
Anything you need to know about a K is here.
ejoy the K

Thank you very much sir!

That was indeed the agonizing choice I had this morning... 

...it's sprinkling lightly now at work and the bike was the right choice!!

Aloha,
Michael

welcome aboard

for the most part looks great

I guess in time those little scratches wil be fixed up again

enjoy the k

charlie99 wrote:welcome aboard

for the most part looks great

I guess in time those little scratches wil be fixed up again

enjoy the k

Thank you!

I will be addressing those this winter. I need to find a good dependable paint shop but plan on doing the repairs myself.
I have considerable experience with composite construction/repair and am considering re-molding some of the fairing pieces in carbon fiber. 

Michael

Hi again, Michael.

I also have the height problem, and was hesitant/unsteady when stopped or very slow. Had to pick it up a couple of times!
2 things have made a tremendous difference - a local craftsman rebuilt my seat to be a bit lower and also better shaped and more comfortable. Looks a bit like the photos I have seen of some Corbin seats. The other one was a new short model RAM rear shock from England. Between the two of them, I now feel pretty secure in the stop/slow situation. Even so, like others, planning stops and parking position with weight in mind is still important.
Other brands of rear shock (including Ikon here in Oz) do short versions, but the RAM is well regarded by the people on this forum. My previous Ikon was fine except for the height.

I also like the K's room mate.  

Cheers,
Bill

PS
Renaming the Vette cave is only a letter away.  Vette Kave.  

Bill

mtndv8 wrote:Greetings Kaptain! I think I found love, don't tell my wife...! lol!

I think, more importantly... don't you tell your wife.   Its an easy machine to fall for... enjoy the afair mate!

mtndv8 wrote:As it has been over 30 years for me too, I think I'll take my time getting comfortable with it. The hardest part for me is the weight, it feels top heavy and has a really narrow balance point. I think the seat height has a lot to do with that feeling. I'm 5'10" and it feels a little tall. It will be a bit before I'm tear-arseing around but I do look forward to it

The truth is…  you'll have a greater chance of a 'fall-over' than dropping the bike on the roadway at speed, especially while you are getting to know her charms . The biggest problem is dealing with the weight while 'dead stick' manouvering. Even though the bike was designed with a low c of g, I think novice beasty bike riders feel that teeter point much more because they're not used to handling the bigger ladies, and especially as the K generally has an upright riding possie. Backing your lovely into or out of a parking position is when its most likely to go over. The trick is to keep the steering straight while backing and do your turning when inching forward. Turning while backing is fraught with danger as it's easy for the front wheel to slip out if the bike gets a bit of a lean. If you feel it start to go?? Apply front brakes and try to straighten up the steering. Sometimes we like to get a hand hold somewhere else (like her hips ) with one hand to try to pull her backwards…  don't. If you're in a situation where you can't manouver your girl with both hands on her loverly spongey… grips  then you haven't put enough thought into getting her into position.

I learnt my lesson the hard way. A few weeks after I picked my girl up, I was backing out of a mates driveway and turned as I got to the road. Over she went. Had crash bars on fortunately. However one of the more embarrasing things was that I had great difficulty in picking her back up (6' / 72kg).  I went home cursing myself and after analysing what had happened I decided to do 2 things.

1. Don't turn while backing.
   
2. Work out. ... no, really. This also helps with your stamina on a long haul too. I'm 58 and I've now got a 6pack for the first time in my life yaaay
   

Another thing to remember is that it is safer and easier to turn your bike under power. Learning to do a very tight turn (feet up) on this K-beast is somewhat intimidating at first but very useful, and at times, necessary skill which will result in fewer 3 point turns and reduced need for backing hence fewer fall-overs.
Another thing that will help... get rid of those scraps of carpet. They are just a hazzard.

Re the Vette cave  I was going to suggest just 'The Kave'. The Vette will likely become neglected. lol

Ride safe
Cheers

Very wise counsel indeed!  Take it to heart.
I would like to add another suggestion.  Pay attention to what you're doing when you put the bike on the center stand. BMW has a somewhat checkered past as far as designing those, and the Ks have had a number of different designs over the years.  When you prepare to pull the bike up, first pull down the stand with your right foot. Make certain both of the center stand's feet are contacting the ground (thus assuring the bike is truly vertical), then bring your weight down on the stand's leg as you roll her back. Do make use of that fold out handle aside the frame tube.  If you are not careful in this maneuver the bike will rock when you pull it back. Not only will this be unsettling to you because you may fear it'll topple over, it will in time probably cause the center stand to fail due to the bike's full weight coming to bear momentarily on only one leg of the stand.
The reference to Progressive Suspension almost certainly means the fork springs have been replaced with progressively wound after market items.  That's a popular mod, although I'm uncertain of its value.
There have been a number of changes introduced to the model as the years passed, some for reliability, some for comfort and others for performance.  There is a complete list of service bulletins somewhere on the www which is interesting reading.  Personally, the changes I made to my bike that I most like are the custom seat, new rear suspension unit and the K1100RS handlebars, which are a tad wider than those fitted to the 1985 model.
The ride up to McCall is a nice one.  When next I head up there I'll try to meet up with you.
Enjoy the K experience.

Kaptain Holister wrote:

mtndv8 wrote:Greetings Kaptain! I think I found love, don't tell my wife...! lol!

I think, more importantly... don't you tell your wife.   Its an easy machine to fall for... enjoy the afair mate!

mtndv8 wrote:As it has been over 30 years for me too, I think I'll take my time getting comfortable with it. The hardest part for me is the weight, it feels top heavy and has a really narrow balance point. I think the seat height has a lot to do with that feeling. I'm 5'10" and it feels a little tall. It will be a bit before I'm tear-arseing around but I do look forward to it

The truth is…  you'll have a greater chance of a 'fall-over' than dropping the bike on the roadway at speed, especially while you are getting to know her charms . The biggest problem is dealing with the weight while 'dead stick' manouvering. Even though the bike was designed with a low c of g, I think novice beasty bike riders feel that teeter point much more because they're not used to handling the bigger ladies, and especially as the K generally has an upright riding possie. Backing your lovely into or out of a parking position is when its most likely to go over. The trick is to keep the steering straight while backing and do your turning when inching forward. Turning while backing is fraught with danger as it's easy for the front wheel to slip out if the bike gets a bit of a lean. If you feel it start to go?? Apply front brakes and try to straighten up the steering. Sometimes we like to get a hand hold somewhere else (like her hips ) with one hand to try to pull her backwards…  don't. If you're in a situation where you can't manouver your girl with both hands on her loverly spongey… grips  then you haven't put enough thought into getting her into position.

I learnt my lesson the hard way. A few weeks after I picked my girl up, I was backing out of a mates driveway and turned as I got to the road. Over she went. Had crash bars on fortunately. However one of the more embarrasing things was that I had great difficulty in picking her back up (6' / 72kg).  I went home cursing myself and after analysing what had happened I decided to do 2 things.

1. Don't turn while backing.
   
2. Work out. ... no, really. This also helps with your stamina on a long haul too. I'm 58 and I've now got a 6pack for the first time in my life yaaay
   

Another thing to remember is that it is safer and easier to turn your bike under power. Learning to do a very tight turn (feet up) on this K-beast is somewhat intimidating at first but very useful, and at times, necessary skill which will result in fewer 3 point turns and reduced need for backing hence fewer fall-overs.
Another thing that will help... get rid of those scraps of carpet. They are just a hazzard.

Re the Vette cave  I was going to suggest just 'The Kave'. The Vette will likely become neglected. lol

Ride safe
Cheers

It's Official:  Now called the "VetteKave". Thank You!

...until I get a matching K75. Then it will be the "The Kave the Vette gets to live in"...

I'll post pictures of the shop again after I rearrange the shelving to better fit both for their winter hibernation.

Thanks again Kaptain for the great advice!
I actually fight Wildfire for a living and still maintain my field quals and arduous fitness level rating. But honestly it's been more a matter of getting used to the weight. She's a big girl, no dought but I'm getting quite fond of how nimble she gets when given a chance to run... Riding position is near perfect for the twisties (might like a little more rearset to the footpegs) and the torque curve is downright fun, any gear! Smooth inputs and throttle changes are rewarded and I might add addictive. I love it, I've rediscovered the joy of carving a smooth (and at times fast!) line. My awareness to the entire environment around me and not just the immediate road in front of me has reawakened. That dog who likes to chase cars, the ranchers and their atv's, livestock, wildlife, BUGS, etc...
 

It's all good!!
mtndv8

brickrider wrote:Very wise counsel indeed!  Take it to heart.
I would like to add another suggestion.  Pay attention to what you're doing when you put the bike on the center stand. BMW has a somewhat checkered past as far as designing those, and the Ks have had a number of different designs over the years.  When you prepare to pull the bike up, first pull down the stand with your right foot. Make certain both of the center stand's feet are contacting the ground (thus assuring the bike is truly vertical), then bring your weight down on the stand's leg as you roll her back. Do make use of that fold out handle aside the frame tube.  If you are not careful in this maneuver the bike will rock when you pull it back. Not only will this be unsettling to you because you may fear it'll topple over, it will in time probably cause the center stand to fail due to the bike's full weight coming to bear momentarily on only one leg of the stand.
The reference to Progressive Suspension almost certainly means the fork springs have been replaced with progressively wound after market items.  That's a popular mod, although I'm uncertain of its value.
There have been a number of changes introduced to the model as the years passed, some for reliability, some for comfort and others for performance.  There is a complete list of service bulletins somewhere on the www which is interesting reading.  Personally, the changes I made to my bike that I most like are the custom seat, new rear suspension unit and the K1100RS handlebars, which are a tad wider than those fitted to the 1985 model.
The ride up to McCall is a nice one.  When next I head up there I'll try to meet up with you.
Enjoy the K experience.

Thanks Brickrider! Appreciate the input! I do the steps as you describe and often say a mental thank you!

Hope to meet up one day soon.

Regards
mtndv8

When stopping or when selecting a parking space be aware of any small gravel or sand where you will be putting your feet, especially where you will be pushing the bike backwards out of a parking spot.  Even a mere dusting can be disastrous.  You needn't know how I learned this.

welcome NTNDV8, lovely bike, same colour as my RT of 84 year, it has wire foot protector not cast near the rear foot peg. the RS are a bit higher geared I think via the rear bevel box.
have fun, you have a gem.
rick
K Iwi land