New guy with K-100 questions...

[Joe_Chindemi]

Hi all. new guy here, looking for some help/information.

Looking into buying an '85 BMW K-100 , this bike has 55,000 miles , and i was wondering what things i should look for(if anything) with a bike with this kind of mileage? Not being familiar with these bikes, especially the 1985 version, is there anything in particular. I'm not talking brakes, tires, etc. but maybe serious problems, final drives, clutches, trans, that type of thing. I'm not looking for this bike for cross country riding , just some local,(but sometimes all day) riding .

Any help/suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

thanks

Joe.

[BigGalloot]

At 55K the bike has barely been broken in yet. I have 123K on my K100RS and haven't experienced anything except normal consumables (oil, gas, tires, batteries, brake linings, etc.)

 

I suppose that it is the owners who HAVE experienced problems that you want to hear from.

 

Have you tried; http://www.flyingbrick.de/GB/home__gb_.html ?

[BigGalloot]

My Bad!!!!

 

I meant this site; http://www.flyingbrick.de/GB/used_bikes.html

[keithb]

Hi Joe

Welcome to the board. Congrats on your new bike. My first BMW was a 93 K1100RS. Still love that bike. I have a buddy with an 85 K100 and it has over 300K miles on it. And yes you read that correctly- over 300K miles. The only real problem he has had is with the speedometer. He is on his 3rd speedometer at this point. Other than that it is pretty much bulletproof according to him. Enjoy your new bike and again welcome to the board. I would recommend you spend some time at the K11 owners group website to learn more about your bike.

[GrafSpee]

Pretty solid design, but not as smooth as the K75. Inquire about the the rear-end/transmission service, the spline lubing in particular. It should be done about once a year or 10-12k miles for maximum longevity. With 55k in 22 years, it hasn't been ridden much, so you might have some up-front costs to get it cleaned up and de-gunked from sitting around. At least it's FI so you won't have carb issues haha

[Sidmariner]

Suggest you post your question on the www.k11og.org website and stand by for an onslaught of responses. It's a great site specifically for "Flying Brick" owners.

 

I've got an '86 K100RS and love it. It is a hot bike, both in performance and heat signature, but a huge amount of fun to ride. One early magazine review called it a "Guided Missile". My experience riding mine across the US backs up the impression.

 

I have about the same mileage as the bike you are considering and have had zero issues with maintenance or problems, but check with the experts in the K11 OG. They will give you great advice.

[Joe_Chindemi]

My main use for this bike would be just running around town , the twisty roads around here and some of the improved dirt roads. The thing i am concerned most with , is the ability of the bike to really run in the twistys . Am i looking at the right bike for this. I'm not talking crotch rocket handling , just something better than some of the cruiser type bikes. I am currenty riding an '02 GL1800 . It is good on the paved roads , but a 950 lb. bike on some of the dirt roads, is a little much. (note , i am not talking off roading , just out in the country improved dirt roads.)

Also not that convienent for short trips around town.

again ., thanks in advance .

Joe.

[Dennis Andress]

The 85s were a real odd ball. Sure, many people will claim they were the best of the early bricks but there were a lot of parts redesigned in 86.

• The seat, tail piece and tank are unique to 85 models.
  
• The 85 fuel quantity sensor was a stick that measured the fuel level by temperature. The fuel was supposed to be cooler than the surrounding air so the level could be determined by where the cool part started. Only, the fuel recirculates past the radiator and gets very hot. The system didn't work very well.
  
• The instruments cluster trap moisture and corrode resulting in an intermittent speedo.
  

 

There are lots of other things, mostly rubber items, that should be checked. With moderate use and regular maintenance the engine and transmissions can last well over 200,000 miles.