bmw k series

I see a lot of k100 and k75s around cheaply(~2000$). I know the bmw's are pretty damn heavy around 550lbs or so and that a clutch job is a pain but does anyone here have any experience dealing with the beemers or bimmers I don't know/care which it is.

I'm just curious because I know the punky buellster isn't going to last forever and I like bmw bikes because they seem to go forever without tons of maintanence. Other than the weight and the mileage I think a bummer could suit me well. I'm just curious what you folks think about the k-class.

I've had a bunch of K series bikes including a low-mileage K100RS 16V that I bought crash damaged and rebuilt, 110k K75S and a ~50k K1100LT. They have a couple of breed-specific problem areas that can cost major money but those are easily sorted if the bike has been looked after well. Gearbox input shaft being the main one, you have to occasionally lube it with a special lube otherwise it'll wear. Repairing the damage will mean a gearbox strip down and that's either a lot of work or expensive or both. On the pre-paralever bikes you also want to grease the driveshaft splines on a regular basis (yearly IIRC), but that's not a massive job. Oh, and for $DEITY sake change the fuel filter - a lot of people forget that (it's in the tank and a bit of a PITA to get at). The K1100 had a fuel filter that had done about 50k. It didn't let that much fuel through anymore. ABS is good to have and generally robust, but people manage to break it because they can't be bothered to change the fluid. The four pot Brembos on the later ones can seize if the bike is layed up for a long time. You can get rebuild kits, at least over here, but they're not cheap if you need a replacement caliper.

Other than that, a K that's been looked after properly will go on for mega miles. Service intervals are 6k which is great if you ride a lot (I do), consumables aren't that pricey and a lot of the work can be done by a competent DIYer. The only reasons I have my BMWs (I've currently got an R1150RT that I bought with 25k on the clock in Nov 07 that's now showing 61k) serviced by a pro is that they're a commuter/business tool for me and as a freelance programmer no show = no money, so they have to work.

K series are very well balanced so you don't really notice the weight unless you chuck them into the scenery. They manage the same feat as the Honda ST1100 - as soon as they're rolling, the weight disappears.

For long term ownership and all weather riding, my choice would be the K1100LT. It's got superb weather protection, with the above caveats the drive train is bullet proof and they can easily cross a continent or two before breakfast without breaking a sweat. Well, once you put a better seat on.

If you want something more sporty, the RSs are a good choice, as is the K75S. The latter is probably the smoothest engine of them all (they've got a balancer shaft, the fours don't) but they're using the same amount of fuel as the bigger ones, they're just a little less powerful. You probably won't notice in normal road riding though.

None of these are sports bikes though, they're sports tourers at best and built for people who like to go from A to B, preferably via C and D, where A and B are a few hundred miles away.

Oh, and the golden rule of BMW buying - never buy one without at least side bags.

Great post Tim.

K bikes don't do squat for me personally, but they're very solid bikes. If they suit your taste, you'll get along well with them. Get one with good service records, do the services on time, all the time, and it'll live longer than you.

Beemers, by the way.

Well, talk to me about the differences between the K and the R's

That opposed twin boxer seems indestructible.. is the inline 4 as good?

Thanks for the info folks. They do seem more akin to a long hauler than a sports bike. I was just curious about them, I know a bmw motorcycle rider is the guy you see suited up going through the rain storm and carrying on and the fact those bikes can do 100k miles before a rebuild is a potent reason to get one. It sounds like people figure the shaft drive was less maintanence than a chain so they didn't do any maintanence and killed the gearbox if I am inferring correctly from Tim.

Thanks again folks!

If you're only getting 100k before a rebuild, someone didn't look after it properly . There are several in the US that have done 250k+ on the original engine IIRC. Seriously, it's usually the finish and the ancillaries that give up the ghost rather than the rest of the bike, or it's been run low on oil. They all do use oil (partially because the cylinders are horizontal) and some people forget to top them up regularly, with predictable consequences.

The input shaft problem is partially lack of use, partially lack of maintenance. The grease on the clutch splines dries out if the bike isn't used regularly and then the clutch can damage the splines. This can result in a complete loss of drive (had this happen). Trouble is that it's a major hassle to regrease as the whole bike is built around the engine/gearbox unit. K series and the R1100 and later don't have a frame per se, the frame is just a little scaffolding bolted on top of the engine and box. It is repairable, but you have to open the box to change the input shaft. Cost me about GBP700 to have that done a couple of years ago and that's at specialist prices, not main dealer. Main dealer is YouDontWannaKnow money.

@Grtechguy, the inline 3s (K75) and 4s (K100/K1100/K1200) are potentially more robust than the twins, certainly not less. With Rs, you have to distinguish the old 2V "airhead" (basically the stuff designed and built from the 30s to about 1990) and the later 4V "oilheads". The 2V is good for about 60k before a top end rebuild, can be rebuild more or less at the side of the road in Patagonia if necessary and is a very simple and robust bike. Not fast, but capable of high average speeds compared to their contemporaries.

The 4V are much more sophisticated (EFI, ABS, Telelever suspension) and very long lived if looked after, but harder/more expensive to rebuild if that's necessary. Finish can be an issue on the 4V even during the warranty period - I certainly had parts changed on the R1150GS I had a while ago - and you need to try and keep on top of it. Older 1150s are a little better in that department but to a certain extent you'll have to live with it.

Over here, good K1100LTs are proving harder and harder to find. The bike couriers have used up most of the cheap ones and people who have a good 'un keep is because there isn't anything obvious to replace it - the R1150RT which I've got replaced a K1100LT for me, but it's a very different bike. The K1200LT is massive in comparison to the K1100LT so that's not really a replacement.

One thing I forgot to mention, I'd stay away from the K75RT. Lots of folks love them but that fairing is heavy and IMHO they don't have the grunt to push that one along.

Thank you for all the info Tim. I'm sure that just like the benz the BMW need periodic maintanence "or else." I don't have any money right now but I would really like to find a bike to just ride and do periodic maintanence to. The only thing about the k class is they are rather a large bike verse the punky buellster, but they also look much more comfortable.

Thank you again for all the information Tim, my name is Daryn I think benzbaron sound kind of pretensive.

Something to consider, Daryn: I don't fit well on the fully-faired early K bikes. I'm only 6'2" and a little long of leg, but my knees hit the fairing pretty solidly. I'm sure it's something that could be worked around with different seats and such, but if you're taller, it's just something to keep in mind.

The other thing about fully faired Beemers: they have more tiny screws holding on the bodywork than you could ever imagine. As stout as the later bikes are, for any routine maintenance aside from an oil change and valve adjustment, you basically have to strip the bike. (And on the main fairing panels, there are 3 different lengths. The mark of a good BMW tech is one that puts them back in their rightful places.)

I'm only 5'9" so that probably isn't an issue. I'll just have to save and wait, winter is coming up pretty soon and just like a convertable you buy a bike when it is the wettest and nastiest weather outside and people realize the heating bill is 300$ and they don't have any work.

Thanks for the information Alex, I bet lots of people have put the fairing back on incorrectly using the wrong screws and all that. It is probably part of the fun to figure out what the previous owner did.

How appropriate...I was just digging for info on the K series myself. I'd want a K75. I like the look of the earlier ones without the stylistic fenders and so on. Plus, they are closer to my meager price range. I'd use it for leisurely touring and road trips. No commuting. The only other bike that I like and could afford is a 650GS, which is a totally different animal. I'd prefer something that is good in the curves but not a peg-scraper. Power needs only be adequate for me and some stuff in the panniers. I think the older airheads are quaint but probably not quite right for what I'd want one for.

Thoughts?

As a long time rider of BMW motorcycles who worked at 2 BMW dealers in a technical capacity, I still cannot understand the amount of attention paid to the lubrication of the clutch splines. I can see a reason for keeping the hub splines lubed (which drive the rear wheel, for those who don't speak BMW) as it's easy to reach.

Name a BMW car, or for that matter ~any~ car which as a scheduled service item requires the removal of the transmission to apply lubricant to the transmission input shaft splines.

On my 45,000 mile old 1983 R100 CS I applied a dab of Lubriplate molybdenum disulfide to the splines when I replaced the original, viciously abused clutch at 40k miles. The input shaft and friction disc splines looked perfect and weren't serviced during my ownership.

Just sayin'

K bikes are decent appliances for the convenience of mobility, but there are much better units to acheive that end.

A honda VFR 750 can be cheap and lasts forever. While soul-less it at least handles reasonably well and probably has 17" wheels. Want a big bike? Honda ST1100. I'm not a Honda fanboy by any stretch, or even a fan of utilitarian motorbikes; I have a couple sizes of KTM supermotos, a scooter and an RD400. But if I ever needed to ride A LOT...it's where I'd look.

Honduhs, BTDT. Nice bikes and all, but truly give me a feeling of "meh". I've been suitably impressed with both the styling and engineering of the Sacred Roundel in both cars and bikes and figure, why not, let's just get everything one brand. Fewer logo'd swag items to buy.

In reply to motomoron:

I don't know what and why BMW changed with the input shaft on the K series compared to the airheads, but clutch spline wear on these is an issue, even though it isn't an issue on an airhead. I've got the GBP700/$1200 repair bill to prove it and it's not as uncommon as people would like it to be. Also, please note that I didn't say it was a requirement to put some grease on there as part of a service. I used the word "occasionally". My understanding of the issue is that the clutch was fitted 'dry' at the factory and on bikes that don't see that much use, rust forms on the clutch input shaft that accelerates the wear. Daryn asked for buying information and it's something you have to be aware of. Just like you have to be aware of clutches on oilheads only lasting around 35k.

Regarding Hondas, I've had a VFR750 and an ST1100. Both are very competent bikes and I'd think that they score roughly similar to BMW K-series in the appliance stakes . Actually, if you ride a lot - like I do - you might find that a bike that only need servicing every three months/6000 miles like the BMW instead of two months/4k is a little kinder to your wallet. And yes, these are the average servicing intervals on my current DD. IMHO it's about what you like and what you want to use it for. I wouldn't subject my Italian classic bikes to this sort of commuting.

ddavidv, K-series go around corners OK, they're not sporty handling but they're not afraid of corners either. If you can get a K75S, that's the one I'd go for, preferably with working ABS. IMHO it's the best allrounder K75. I would budget for a good touring seat though as the BMW stock item leaves a bit to be desired comfort-wise.

For anyone interested, here is a video explaining the K series shaft spline issues and how to go about lubrication. Same guy also has a 3 part how-to, but this does a good job of explaining the basics. K75 spline wear