Hi,
Whilst I save up for a Ohlins or RAM shock for my K75C, to tide me over, any comments on 'std' shocks for a 2V K75.

I seem to recall reading the K75S may have had different (stiffer unit) as 'S' was more sporty than 'C' which was more set up for touring, and seem to recall 4-cylinder K's may have had different spring (well so said a 'Cycle' roadtest when 75 came out).

The one on my bike (a 75C) seems to be 45k miles and bottoming out, sometimes on really bumpy UK 'B' roads, and worried it maybe leaking fluid or about to, so assume damping gone/going...so I need something to keep me on the road whilst I amass enough pennies    for a 'new' replacement - so pondering a used item.

Whilst a used item may be risky in terms of longevity it may tide me over for a while. I am assuming a coil/sprung type as opposed to a NIVOMAT type (assume they are very rare - but sound interesting   ) - but do they differ between models for the 2V sort as per my thoughts above?



And on a BMW part site, using the following bike/year:- 10/1985 K569 K 75 C (0564,0574) Europe - Shock seems to have part number: 33531454833...

I assume there must be some differences as searching by part number alone, that number only throws up:


Part 33531454833 (Spring strut, rear) was found on the following vehicles:
K569: Details on K569
K569 K 75 84 (0561) N/A, Europe
K569 K 75 85 (0562,0571) N/A, Europe
K569 K 75 C (0564,0574) N/A, Europe
and not a load of other models...

Regards

Mark

Just buy a RAM shock. If you do a search you will find that loads of us on this site are running one and at that price you don't need to save for very long.

Mark,
The rear suspension spring wire diameter on K75's is 9mm, on K100's it's 9.86mm.

May help to identify a used unit.

Paul.

bikerboy wrote:Just buy a RAM shock. If you do a search you will find that loads of us on this site are running one and at that price you don't need to save for very long.

+1, can't recommend the RAM shock highly enough. When I sold my old 8v RS I kept the shock for my 16vRS. unfortunately it was too short for the 16v and I ended up trading it to Ringfad. currently saving for one for the 16v.

I just finished reading an article in the motorcycle trader here in oz and they did a review on an r80 that had been striped and made into a café racer, they sent the naked r80 to a suspension specialist who installed some wilburs front fork emulators and a rear wilburs monoshock, once sorted by this suspension dude the bike was so vastly different in onroad feel that it bears out what most people say. That after market quality suspension will transform your bike. Its all in the setup.

Obviously, you should buy a RAM shock or similar. But, of course it's the pennies!
The clue was in your first sentence.
Don't bother with a Nivomat. Anything still for sale will be knackered by now. Do not try to rebuild one! It even says on the side of them that it's dangerous to try to open one.
I was in the same position a couple of years ago. 
You're fed up pogoing about but can't justify the £300+ it would take to replace.
James Sherlock will sell you a new Bilstein damper unit for £112.80. An hour's work, including giving your spring a coat of paint, and you'll have an almost new standard rear shock.
Not perfect, but it'll keep you on the road.

Comberjohn wrote:Obviously, you should buy a RAM shock or similar. But, of course it's the pennies!
The clue was in your first sentence.
Don't bother with a Nivomat. Anything still for sale will be knackered by now. Do not try to rebuild one! It even says on the side of them that it's dangerous to try to open one.
I was in the same position a couple of years ago. 
You're fed up pogoing about but can't justify the £300+ it would take to replace.
James Sherlock will sell you a new Bilstein damper unit for £112.80. An hour's work, including giving your spring a coat of paint, and you'll have an almost new standard rear shock.
Not perfect, but it'll keep you on the road.

Thx for that, whilst I save for the RAM this may be an option for now (with my wife facing redundancy, the RAM has to wait for now- I cant justify the expense just yet, but I do need the bike otr...as it may become my only transport!)

Is it fairly easy to dismantle the orginal?

Mark

Hi Mark.
Very easy with basic tools. Comes with instructions.
You remove the tabs on the side of the old damper which the pre load adjuster collar rests on. Small cold chisel and big hammer. A bench vice is useful to hold it.
This allows the spring to be removed.
Grip the damper rod with vice grips and loosen the end of the unit by passing a screwdriver through the eye.
This is a good chance to give the spring a coat of paint.
You'll need to borrow a set of small spring compressors to put it back together. Someone will have a pair if you ask around. Compressing the spring allows you to screw the end back on to the new damper rod. Don't use the vice grips this time!
There are two flats on the rod for a spanner to hold it.
Use a touch of loctite on the threads.
Release the compressors and you have a new(ish) unit.

K75cster wrote:I just finished reading an article in the motorcycle trader here in oz and they did a review on an r80 that had been striped and made into a café racer, they sent the naked r80 to a suspension specialist who installed some wilburs front fork emulators and a rear wilburs monoshock, once sorted by this suspension dude the bike was so vastly different in onroad feel that it bears out what most people say. That after market quality suspension will transform your bike. Its all in the setup.

indeed keith

the twinclicker made a huge difference on gerty

but then again I was starting from a very low reference .....(buggerd shock that used to jam in the down position ) ...grin

Comberjohn wrote:Hi Mark.
Very easy with basic tools. Comes with instructions.
You remove the tabs on the side of the old damper which the pre load adjuster collar rests on. Small cold chisel and big hammer. A bench vice is useful to hold it.
This allows the spring to be removed.
Grip the damper rod with vice grips and loosen the end of the unit by passing a screwdriver through the eye.
This is a good chance to give the spring a coat of paint.
You'll need to borrow a set of small spring compressors to put it back together. Someone will have a pair if you ask around. Compressing the spring allows you to screw the end back on to the new damper rod. Don't use the vice grips this time!
There are two flats on the rod for a spanner to hold it.
Use a touch of loctite on the threads.
Release the compressors and you have a new(ish) unit.

Thx for that, much appreciated.

Mark

Managed to fit a replacement shock absorber.
A friend from work was in Europe, last week, and found a spare that was/is described as "tres bon" and it seems to work after a trial 15mile ride.
I was expecting a std shock, but it's turned out to be from a K RT/LT, a Nivomat I gather.
I was worried it might not work, but it does.
It doesn't bottom out on the 'b' roads near me, where the original does. It also seems to make the bike lower at standstill, so good for my short legs, and accompanies the low seat on the bike.
It seems to be very 'comfortable', a nicer ride than unit on the bike.
I'd say it seems to be set for comfort, not sporty riding, which suits the bike and the way I ride.
It cost me £65 GBP, so hopefully will tide me over for a while, as I save for a RAM unit (or replace the damper unit from the post above). So some options, for the old bike.
The Nivomat doesn't seem as knackered, and I find it can be rebuilt/refurbished by the current makers of the units, but that might not be as sensible as a RAM unit.
Mark