Looking for help in purchasing my first K-bike!!!

[k.fernandes44]

Hey guys and gals, new to the forum. 
I've been looking for a K1100 for a while now (about 10 months) and finally found one on FB marketplace the other day that fit the bill. It is located in TN and I am in SC.
I was able to get all the details and would like to move forward and purchase the bike. Pay remotely and have it shipped here via a provider on UShip or the like.
However... the gentleman selling it is unwilling to use any form of payment platform (paypal, etc.) to receive payment. Instead he would like me to wire him the money via Western Union.
I know I know, huge red flag. But I think it's possible this is one of those scenarios where he just doesn't trust anything other than cash.
Couple other sketchy things along with some positives:
Red flags:
Took the bike on trade (looks like he sells/flips quite a few vehicles on FBM)

Bike is unregistered currently

He has personally only ridden it a couple hundred miles

Green flags:

FB member since 2012
Plenty of other successfully sold items on FB Marketplace (as far as I can tell)
Provided plenty of pics of the bike, title, as well as service records from a couple years ago

Title in hand (according to pics)

Clear but not very informative Carfax report

Only 19K miles on the bike so not a lot that could be wrong with it mechanically

I was curious if anyone has navigated a situation like this and how I should proceed/options I could provide? I'm very hesitant to wire funds without any form of buyer protection.

Options I'm open to:
If anyone lives in the Nashville area and would be willing to take a look at the bike and pick it up at time of payment. I could then have it shipped from them to here.  
If anyone will be making a trip from TN to/through SC in the near future and has room on their trailer I'm happy to pay for the transportation.

If you know of anyone with a '94-'95 K1100 for sale in SC drop a link. I may have just missed them in my search.

Any advice is appreciated. I think it's a pretty decent find so I'm trying to figure out a way to make it work rather than writing it off.  

Bike pics attached

 

 

Edited October 31, 2022 by k.fernandes44
Attached pics of bike

[Lowndes]

I dont know anything about the FB thing, I've bought bikes on CL tho.  Have a K1200RS but that's irrelevent here.  If it were me and I was def interested, I'd drive to Nashville and be prepared to trailer/truck it back and take cash.  Nothing like face to face, even tho he is a flipper.  

 

It's a really nice ride, beautiful mountains, traveled up there many times, Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Asheville, Greenville.  Whichever route you take, avoid Atlanta if at all possible.  I live here (Atl) and go up there for fun rides.  Depending on where in SC you are maybe an overnight or a long day.  Going to Waynesville with a BMW group this weekend.  

 

Tell him, look, you want to be safe and he wants to be safe, and you are def interested and will drive up there with the cash if he will meet you at a mutually agreeable safe place, police station, etc.  If he waffles you have your answer.

[MikeB60]

1 hour ago, k.fernandes44 said:

Only 19K miles on the bike so not a lot that could be wrong with it mechanically

Actually there is a ton of potential issues with a 27 year old motorcycle, the miles are somewhat irrelevant. I would definitely want to check it out closely before purchase.

[TEWKS]

What’s his price? It’s been pieced together for some reason, bags and top case…. 

[k.fernandes44]

27 minutes ago, MikeB60 said:

Actually there is a ton of potential issues with a 27 year old motorcycle, the miles are somewhat irrelevant. I would definitely want to check it out closely before purchase.

The work receipt he sent a pic of includes most of the things one would need to address on a bike that has been sitting for a while. But you are right... sitting vehicles can deteriorate quite a bit. I'm willing to put in some work on it but just don't want to have to do a full block teardown.

 

[k.fernandes44]

29 minutes ago, TEWKS said:

What’s his price? It’s been pieced together for some reason, bags and top case…. 

$3500

[k.fernandes44]

1 hour ago, Lowndes said:

I dont know anything about the FB thing, I've bought bikes on CL tho.  Have a K1200RS but that's irrelevent here.  If it were me and I was def interested, I'd drive to Nashville and be prepared to trailer/truck it back and take cash.  Nothing like face to face, even tho he is a flipper.  

 

It's a really nice ride, beautiful mountains, traveled up there many times, Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Asheville, Greenville.  Whichever route you take, avoid Atlanta if at all possible.  I live here (Atl) and go up there for fun rides.  Depending on where in SC you are maybe an overnight or a long day.  Going to Waynesville with a BMW group this weekend.  

 

Tell him, look, you want to be safe and he wants to be safe, and you are def interested and will drive up there with the cash if he will meet you at a mutually agreeable safe place, police station, etc.  If he waffles you have your answer.

I've considered it but it's like a 20 hour round trip drive.
I'd need to rent a bike trailer and the Uhaul ones are supposedly only good up to about 55-60mph. Not something I wanna be flying down the highway @80 with a 600lb bike on.
Between gas and time it would take I'd much rather spend the $400-$500 to get it shipped here.
I was just up in Asheville/Waynesville this past weekend. Y'all are gonna have a great time on the parkway, the colors are super vibrant this time of year and the weather is perfect. 

[Lowndes]

20 minutes ago, MikeB60 said:

Actually there is a ton of potential issues with a 27 year old motorcycle, the miles are somewhat irrelevant. I would definitely want to check it out closely before purchase.

 

"Potential" is the key word here.  BMW knew water cooled was the future and the early K bikes were the future of the brand.  They have proven to be well engineered and built, but with the usual idiosyncrasies and ailments, but they are well sorted by now.  I would say the tires and flexible "rubber" hydraulic lines (brakes and clutch) are a definite REPLACEMENT and ASAP.  The battery, then the oils, then the fuel tank internals, unless of course they've been done recently.  You may need to change the plugs if it had run some old gas, maybe the injectors.  I'd do the Techron thing anyway, won't hurt and it DOES work.  Don't use any synthetic oils, engine, trans, or FD.  The old seals seem to have a hard time holding it all in.  

 

OK.  The work date is 03-19.  Battery may be OK.  4.5 year old tires look ok but gotta go.  Rubber brake and clutch lines gotta go NOW.  The OEM shocks are ok for the first 35-40K but THAT is ANY bike.

 

I like my K.  Handles great and runs like a turpentine cat.

[szurszewski]

15 minutes ago, k.fernandes44 said:

The work receipt he sent a pic of includes most of the things one would need to address on a bike that has been sitting for a while.

Uhhh - do you mean the receipt in that pic? The one that appears to have a work date of 03/26/19….? Like, in the 90s that work was done?

 

If you’re really crazy about this bike you really aren’t that far away. You could fly to Nashville  and rent a U-Haul not much more than you’d pay to ship the bike, or if you have something that can pull a small trailer - or a friend who has such a vehicle - you could drive out and get it on a weekend pretty easily. Either option protects you and the seller from financial fraud AND gives you the option to back out. 

[szurszewski]

2 minutes ago, Lowndes said:

OK.  The work date is 03-19.

Ah -that makes more sense. But still a lot of that is moot even if it was three years ago (and not twenty three!). 

[Lowndes]

5 minutes ago, k.fernandes44 said:

I've considered it but it's like a 20 hour round trip drive.
I'd need to rent a bike trailer and the Uhaul ones are supposedly only good up to about 55-60mph. Not something I wanna be flying down the highway @80 with a 600lb bike on.
Between gas and time it would take I'd much rather spend the $400-$500 to get it shipped here.
I was just up in Asheville/Waynesville this past weekend. Y'all are gonna have a great time on the parkway, the colors are super vibrant this time of year and the weather is perfect. 

 

You must be in Charleston or you drive the speed suggestion.  

 

The colors are mostly gone along with the peepers but the roads are still there.  Great drive with or without a bike.  Hey, it's an ADVENTURE.  TAKE it.

[k.fernandes44]

Just now, Lowndes said:

 

You must be in Charleston or you drive the speed suggestion.  

 

The colors are mostly gone along with the peepers but the roads are still there.  Great drive with or without a bike.  Hey, it's an ADVENTURE.  TAKE it.

I am in Charleston. Good guess!

[TEWKS]

6 minutes ago, k.fernandes44 said:

$3500

A bit high IMO. 
 

Newer, less money, a little more mileage 
 

[k.fernandes44]

10 minutes ago, Lowndes said:

 

"Potential" is the key word here.  BMW knew water cooled was the future and the early K bikes were the future of the brand.  They have proven to be well engineered and built, but with the usual idiosyncrasies and ailments, but they are well sorted by now.  I would say the tires and flexible "rubber" hydraulic lines (brakes and clutch) are a definite REPLACEMENT and ASAP.  The battery, then the oils, then the fuel tank internals, unless of course they've been done recently.  You may need to change the plugs if it had run some old gas, maybe the injectors.  I'd do the Techron thing anyway, won't hurt and it DOES work.  Don't use any synthetic oils, engine, trans, or FD.  The old seals seem to have a hard time holding it all in.  

 

OK.  The work date is 03-19.  Battery may be OK.  4.5 year old tires look ok but gotta go.  Rubber brake and clutch lines gotta go NOW.  The OEM shocks are ok for the first 35-40K but THAT is ANY bike.

 

I like my K.  Handles great and runs like a turpentine cat.

I plan on stripping the whole thing down and making a scrambler out of it.
So forks, tires, wheels, hoses, oil, fluids, brakes, etc. will all be replaced. Not too worried about those.
I was mainly looking for a low miles bike that I could trust all the internals would be good for another 50K.
Finding one with intact fairings that I can potentially sell to make some money back was just a plus.

[k.fernandes44]

5 minutes ago, TEWKS said:

A bit high IMO. 
 

Newer, less money, a little more mileage 
 

I'm specifically looking for a K1100 <'95 (flying brick) as I plan on turning it into a scrambler

[Lowndes]

Just now, k.fernandes44 said:

I'm specifically looking for a K1100 <'95 (flying brick) as I plan on turning it into a scrambler

 

NOOOOOOOOO!!!

[TEWKS]

Yeah, too much start money for such a project. 

[k.fernandes44]

7 minutes ago, TEWKS said:

Yeah, too much start money for such a project. 

Too much for this particular bike? Or it would be wise to find one with a few more miles/slightly worse shape to use for such a project?

[Lowndes]

"Flying BRICK"??  Sound like a scrambler??  

 

Sounds like making a dune buggy out of a Greyhound Buss.  Well, not exactly, but same direction.

[k.fernandes44]

12 minutes ago, Lowndes said:

"Flying BRICK"??  Sound like a scrambler??  

 

Sounds like making a dune buggy out of a Greyhound Buss.  Well, not exactly, but same direction.

I wouldn't say true scrambler, but I've always preferred a more upright riding stance (R100GS, R1200GS, KTM 990smr) so I'm going for something between a cafe racer and a scrambler... stripped down look, 80/20 tires, and just enough handle bar rise that I don't feel like I'm on a sport bike. I'm on the street probably 98% of the time.

[MikeB60]

I had a K1100LT.  Brutal hot in the summer, I think a scrambler would be cool. I like this one

[TEWKS]

34 minutes ago, k.fernandes44 said:

Too much for this particular bike? Or it would be wise to find one with a few more miles/slightly worse shape to use for such a project?

Yes.  Ok, this one has a lot more miles but if it’s going to be a Frankenstein bike it’s where you want to start.

[roadscholar]

Scroll down thru this page, might give you some ideas or other options. 

 

https://www.cycletrader.com/BMW/motorcycles-for-sale?keyword=bmw k bike&make=BMW|2315626&zip=32223&radius=10000&sort=price%3Aasc

 

I've had 5 or 6 early K bikes including a couple KII00LT's, they're great bikes. Don't know if you've ridden one they have a noticeable buzz at most RPM's but seems the faster you go the less you worry about it. Had a non running KII00RS that had sat a few years and sold it to a German car mechanic cheap. Said he was going to do what you're thinking, I cringed that he would ruin such a classic but when I saw it finished had to admit it was pretty cool. Looked similar to this when he was done. It's about the engine and is pretty badass looking when exposed, basically it's a pint size first generation M3 motor (turned 90*) which is nothing to sneeze at :)

 

 

 

Don't have any advice on the transaction, you just have to go with your comfort zone, everyone's different. If it were me though and didn't have a trailer (have several) I'd rent a round trip U-Haul van or pickup (20./day) and go get it. Better yet see if he'd meet you halfway, I've done that several times with a 90% success rate, Not only does it save you time, it's more of a commitment for the seller to deliver what he says. If he won't you'll at least get to see and ride it and maybe negotiate a bit, to me that's worth some extra time and hassle and could potentially save you from a costly mistake. 

 

Edit, disregard the cycle trader link above, it somehow changed since yesterday, just do a search on it for K bikes, starting with least expensive, there were quite a few nationwide.

[szurszewski]

11 hours ago, roadscholar said:

I'd rent a round trip U-Haul van or pickup (20./day)

 

 

I thought about suggesting this as well, but with a 1000 miles to drive, that would be a lot more than shipping as Uhaul’s per-mile rates even for the small stuff are now up over a buck a mile for “local” rentals. With that and gas - the per day cost is incidental really - the OP would probably be at $1500 for the rental. …which is why he needs a friend like you: one that has several trailers ;)

 

 

Edit to add: Apparently I am wrong - I swear my last local van rental (2020, so maybe a premium while everyone was moving?) was $1.20 per mile. Looking the Uhaul site with Charleston as pickup/drop off, it’s only $0.79 per mile. So, two days of van and a thousand miles is probably just under $1k - another couple hundred for gas maybe?

[roadscholar]

24 minutes ago, szurszewski said:

 

 

I thought about suggesting this as well, but with a 1000 miles to drive, that would be a lot more than shipping as Uhaul’s per-mile rates even for the small stuff are now up over a buck a mile for “local” rentals. With that and gas - the per day cost is incidental really - the OP would probably be at $1500 for the rental. …which is why he needs a friend like you: one that has several trailers ;)

 

 

Edit to add: Apparently I am wrong - I swear my last local van rental (2020, so maybe a premium while everyone was moving?) was $1.20 per mile. Looking the Uhaul site with Charleston as pickup/drop off, it’s only $0.79 per mile. So, two days of van and a thousand miles is probably just under $1k - another couple hundred for gas maybe?

 

Yeah didn’t consider the per mile charge, I just see the little ads on the back of their trucks driving around, did kinda seem too good to be true : ) Plenty of people rent those little trailers though and they aren’t going 65mph..

[9Mary7]

26 minutes ago, roadscholar said:

aren’t going 65mph

I refuse to say how fast one can tow a properly loaded trailer.......

[TEWKS]

3 minutes ago, 9Mary7 said:

I refuse to say how fast one can tow a properly loaded trailer.......

I can tow one at 6.2 miles per gallon running a 3.5L EcoBoost. 

[roadscholar]

I've got a custom built trailer originally made for a different purpose but I had it modified for bikes, the guy spent a fortune so he could tow an extra set of wheels and tires to the track behind his Boxster. Some years later I dated his ex-wife and she gave it to me, at 90 it's steady as a rock, I call it the FI trailer.. she got the Porsche too : )  

[Rougarou]

2 hours ago, 9Mary7 said:

I refuse to say how fast one can tow a properly loaded trailer.......

 

In the wife's '02 superduty, we'd hit in the 90's yanking 12k lbs (toyhauler with jeep inside) behind us on some flat areas, of course, it was getting gallons per mile at those speeds.

[MikeB60]

It's not always how fast you can pull it but how fast can you stop it.  Trailer tires are an issue as well.  Safety brief over have a good weekend!

[Rougarou]

14 hours ago, MikeB60 said:

It's not always how fast you can pull it but how fast can you stop it.  Trailer tires are an issue as well.  Safety brief over have a good weekend!

 

It stopped well enough.  Going through Atlanta one time, I had to jam the brakes up pretty good,.....won't concerned about hitting what was in front of me, I was concerned that the Jeep would pop loose and ruin the kitchen in the toy hauler,.......that woulda definitely ended that trip.  The toyhauler wasn't exactly made for 4k lb vehicles being strapped down,...it was more made for motorcycles and ATVs.