Hi,I'm new here but not to motorcycles.Been riding 49 years now and yesterday one of my friends gave me a present,a 1988 BMW K100. So here I am with no understanding of this motorcycle trying to learn about it.My main ride is a 1975 Moto Guzzi and then there are my Yamaha 2 stroke twin road bikes from the 60's   & 70's that I use around town .I'm also doing a fix up of a 1972  BMW R60/5 which I'd like to use for shorter trips. The K100 is in nice shape .It has 12,000 miles on it but hasn't been run in 10 years.He had it all serviced by a BMW dealer in '04 then parked it because it just wasn't his kind of bike or something. Anyway,now it's in my garage and I'm wanting to start prepping it to run again.It has a full tank of old gas I have to drain and I want to change all the other fluids as well. Any information on bringing this gem back to life would be very welcome. Thanks,my name is Ed and on here I go as yamaguzzi

1965 Yamaha YDS3
1966 Yamaha YM1
1969 Yamaha DS6C
1971 Yamaha R5B
1972 BMW R60/5
1975 Moto Guzzi 850-T
1988 BMW K100
and then there are the projects and the parts bikes !

Welcome to the forum.

We're a very visual identifying group, so a picture or two would be much appreciated.

That's very low mileage for an '88, and the lack of riding can lead to certain problems. I find my bike does better when its a daily driver (summers only). Anyway, you've come to the right place.

Enjoy the ride!

G'day and welcome. This is a very good place to get informed about the Mighty K. The first thing to do to the bike as far as maintenance goes is to drain and refill the fluids to spec. As you well know age takes its toll as well as mileage. If these bikes have issues they are quite identifiable and relatively easy to fix. The forum will provide you with all manner of downloads and diagrammes to peruse as you return the K100 to road worthiness.

Welcome to the forum

You seem to have the right approach so all I can really add is to meticulously clean the fuel system and any electrical connectors and most of the problems will be behind you.

Welcome Ed,

I wish I had friends like yours!

That's quite a collection you have there - the addition of a K100 should not disappoint. As AJ said, they do like to be ridden and it sounds like yours has been neglected on that front by previous owners.

You will find all manner of useful stuff on this forum to help you bring her back to life and deal with the one or two niggling problems that you may encounter on the way. Rick G and TWB hit the main nail on the head with the fluids and the electrical connectors....but don't forget to get some new tires on her too. The K's handling is notoriously bad on old, hard rubber (many posts on this subject) - if your bike has been standing for the last 10 years, then no matter how good the tread looks, the tires will be past their use by date.

I look forward to seeing her come back to life.

Welcome from here too.

You have good friends, so if you ever feel like pating it forward or need to make room I will give the R5 a good home!! You are spoiled for choce but I would have loved the Guzzi too.

The K will suit you well going by your other rides. Yes, quite a few things to do to bring a K back to life. Tyres already mentioned, if the bike was under cover inside it should be quite good but grease on splines will need looking at, dries out from lack of use. All the way in. Fuel system will need cleaning through, clean injectors and new O rings. Polish the fork stanchions so there are no rust spots to ruin the seals, but even better to change them as they harden. Head bearing grease can also dry out.

The K is really good for travels and long trips. Everyone is very helpful and willing to share information. There is good banter too.

Don't be afraid to ask questions, someone will answer.

Do pop up some photos. Everyone loves them.

welcome aboard

if you haven't found it yet  the "portal page"  has a few links we have all found useful

try here for volumes, quantities and some helpful advice

http://www.verrill.com/moto/newkbike.shtml   entitled "so you just bought a k100 now what ?"

Thank You all for your welcome to this group.I am looking forward to making this bike into a runner like my other bikes and using it. I am very much into long distance riding.Here are a couple photos of the K100 and one or two of my Moto Guzzi on one of it's frequent outings I'll post photos of my others in other posts . As you can see, traveling is going to be the fate of this K100

The K should come up well with some TLC. Sure is a good present.
The Guzzi in its natural environment, touring.

In August 88KE asked me to pick up some leathers for his son as the vendor lived near me.

Vendor had a shed full of Guzzis.........T3, Le Mans, Californian, some singles.

Seems like some nice camping trips there.....

But, as you are about to find, the K is really the berries for very long trips.

Welcome to the forum.  Are you looking for Mirrors for your RS?  I have a decent set in the same color if you are interested.

I can send photos if you want.

Cheers.

YES!!! Another one to come and stand in the Guzzi corner! Howdo!

YES! YES!

Who cares about the stooped K100 when you have a Guzzi as nice as that!

Jeez, did I just type that?

Welcome Ed.

DeoxIT (please note the spelling you lot ).
Buy some. Use it. DeoxIT D-Series. You can buy it in a little bottle. Not quite nectar of the Gods, but it's up there.
Use it on anything that remotely looks like an electrical connection. Pull the connectors apart, swish the DeoxIT (please note the spelling you lot ) around. Simple.

blaKey wrote:YES! YES!

Who cares about the stooped K100 when you have a Guzzi as nice as that!

Jeez, did I just type that?

Welcome Ed.

DeoxIT (please note the spelling you lot ).
Buy some. Use it. DeoxIT D-Series. You can buy it in a little bottle. Not quite nectar of the Gods, but it's up there.
Use it on anything that remotely looks like an electrical connection. Pull the connectors apart, swish the DeoxIT (please note the spelling you lot ) around. Simple.

D-e-o-x-I-T.... yep, got it

WelcoKome Ed

I have to admit I love the Guzzi....but I still think for these long rides we do the K is the berries. I would have gone for a Guzzi, but it was down to finances and the K is hard to beat.

Thanks for all the likes on my MG. It has been a real good bike to me in the 7 years I have had it. It's been all over North America and no doubt will continue to travel to some really cool places.The K will be a nice addition and come in very handy when I move out to Arizona in a year or two.Water cooled in the desert in the summer is a very good thing as well as greater travel speed to cover those longer distances out there. I have the mirrors , I found them yesterday tucked away in one of the hard bags .I never heard about this Deoxit stuff before and will look for it in the parts store or get it online if I can't get it at the store.With 6 bikes "on the road" I am constantly keeping up with electrical connections and all sorts of other stuff. My 2 strokes get used this time of year and in spring too. They love that cool dense air .What I need to know is what tires are best on these bikes for overall riding in all weather conditions. I run Avons (RoadRiders) on the MG and the R5  but they wear out kind of fast . I'm on my second rear tire on the MG this season and I only rode it 8000 miles or so. I'd like to get something that is good in rain and curves but last longer.The others just get the retro looking Cheng Shins due to their very limited use.

I use the K all year and its cooler here with more rain.

Bridgestone Battlax 45 front 100/90/18 and 130/90/17 rear and very happy with them. I use them in extremes of wet weather and vey happy with wet weather performance and the life. The fact they don't last is entirely due to using the bike a lot and not early wear. However others on the forum use different tyres and are happy too. The one thing I would say is if you are riding all year is get recommendations from those who do likewise because lots of tyres are good in the dry but some are less good in the cool wet road conditions.

yamaguzzi wrote:I never heard about this Deoxit stuff before and will look for it in the parts store or get it online if I can't get it at the store.

YG, 
You can find Deoxit at Radio Shack or order it online or utilize alternatives which are likely local (HD, WM, NAPA, etc.). 
Such as:
- CRC QD Contact Cleaner, Lectra Clean, 2-26
- WD-40® Specialist™ Electrical Contact Cleaner Spray
- Permatex 82588 Electrical Contact Cleaner

Welcome to the forum and be sure to throw pictures up as you resurrect your RS, as restoring a K bike vicariously is a cherished pastime here.

I'll add my welcome too.  You are indeed a lucky man to have friends such as yours.  A K100RS for free?  Can it get any better than that?
Your K-bike's stable mates are an interesting lot as well.  The YDS3 takes me back a few decades.  That bike was able to give my old 1963 Honda Superhawk a run for the money.  Your pix of the Guzzi on tour sure gave me a laugh.  I see you're not one of those minimalist-tour types!
It's good to have you with us. When you come out west, perhaps our paths will cross somewhere down the road.

yamaguzzi wrote:....
What I need to know is what tires are best on these bikes for overall riding in all weather conditions. I run Avons (RoadRiders) on the MG and the R5  but they wear out kind of fast . I'm on my second rear tire on the MG this season and I only rode it 8000 miles or so. I'd like to get something that is good in rain and curves but last longer.The others just get the retro looking Cheng Shins due to their very limited use.

Ed, if that's 8000mi on 2 sets of tyres, you're either a ratbag on the road with a very heavy hand or you may have incorrect tyre pressures. Would be interesting to know what that load you travel with weighs and if it impacts on your tyre pressures and wear. Sounds like you're the sort of rider who'll use all the tread when riding, but if the tyres are wearing out prematurely pressures could be a little out or you may be using engine braking too much when down shifting. In traffic I try to use the front brake as much as possible to spread the wear. I've heard that shaft drives are a little harder on tyres as there's no buffering you get with chain or belt.
Just a thought.

As Olaf says, BT45s are a great tyre for the K.  There are some great Threads on Treads on the forum but here's a very good recent discussion.
https://www.k100-forum.com/t7457p50-choice-of-tyres-tires#104786

Cheers mate! Happy riding :joker:

It's 8000 miles on the first rear tire that I put on back in May.I just put the second one on this afternoon so it has ZERO miles on it but that will change real fast

9K/8K for a RoadRider is what I get on both my K and my Guzzis. I think that's good mileage for the grip they give in comparison to Bridgestone BT45s (8 K front, 6.5K rear, same grip) and Metzler Lazer(??) (same grip but only 5K for both front and rear!!!!) You wouldn't catch me within spitting distance of Cheng Shins - YokoTeflon is what we used to call any Chinese tyre. Definately non-stick in the wet - and we get plenty of that over here!

That's also rubbish about shaft drives. Most modern shaft-drive bikes have a shock-absorber in the gearbox to absorb the shock of take-up and over-run and frequently a cushdrive in the rear wheel too.  Oddly enough, your 850-T has a shock absorber in the gearbox but no cushdrive which gives the rear drive a real hard time. The later 850-T3s did get a cushdrive and a modified swingarm to go with it - but then I guess you know all that anyway .

yamaguzzi wrote:It's 8000 miles on the first rear tire that I put on back in May.I just put the second one on this afternoon so it has ZERO miles on it but that will change real fast

that's not too bad then