Paging the BMWisti

So, K75 or K100?

Im currently planning to buy a touring bike this summerish and keep
coming back to the BMW as it will be within my price range ie looking
to spend about £1200 to £1500 tops and I know I certainly won't get a
Pan Euro for that.

So, for some reason I've had this hankering rekindled today and found
this on ebay and this looks like a beauty to my inexperienced eye.

So, what's the font's take on both these models and is there anything
in particular to watch for?

 

Donnie said:

SNIP

oops forgot the ebay number 250588843982

 

BMW Bikes/Outfits For Sale on the BMW Club forum

http://forum.bmw-club.org.uk/viewforum.php?f=84

K Series Tech Q+A
http://forum.bmw-club.org.uk/viewforum.php?f=14


He claims to have replaced the oil seals in the engine and yet doesn't
know that they all smoke when left on the sidestand ?

 

DozynSleepy said:

Cheers, however get the following when trying registering

You cannot register with this forum because
Reverse DNS (Hostname Lookup) Failed for your IP address:
Please contact your ISP to resolve this issue

 

look at the deaville

 

To point and laugh?

 

Steve said:

Beat me to it

 

First off, that eBay one looks suspiciously like a dressed-up naked
K100. Hard to be sure, but I *think* that's a Sprint pattern fairing and
not OE.

And it's in white. BMW didn't offer a white RS (or any other K) in that
model year in the UK. So my guess is that this is ex-Plod and has been
converted.

I'd avoid it.

You can get a decent coherent KRS in that price range, no worries. I
bought a very nice one, albeit without panniers, last year for £700-odd.
A pair of decent used panniers was another £200 or so.

The K75S is a tad slower, less torquey, smoother and handles better and
(IMHO) is actually a better bike unless you really want the extra
10-15mph of the 1000cc engine.

Decent K75s and K100s ar egetting scarcer these days, but Those Who Know
hunt them out because they remain incredibly reliable solid bike: rather
more reliable than the recent crop of new Beemers.

 

The Older Gentleman said:

I thought it could be ex plod but looked too clean, see this is the
stuff I have absolutely no clue about other than to ask on here.

I don't have the cash currently anyway, but thought this looks like a
bloody good one and thinking if i had the money now I would be looking
properly at this and thinking about winning it.
Part of why I guess I posted to see is it really as good as it looks.

easily within the budget I'd be planning.

Not bothered about top end to be honest, 90 ish is fine by me, as long
as it will pull approximately 30+ stone of rider and pillion [1]
without toooo much effort

Noted.

[1] She's a proper big northern bird my other half [2]
[2] Not that Im implying she's that big, 16 stone of that figures me

 

Steve Parry said:

<<snip lots of useful stuff>>

Ta, interesting re the ABS, I seem to remember a fair few posts on here
re the abs light but seems to be a trait on some of the later models
and relatively easy sorted anyway IIRC

 

Ah, right, thanks. I knew the screen was wrong. And the badges as well,
which I see you've also flagged up. That and the white paint spelled
'Ex-Plod' to me.

 

My ABS light started flashing, unbidden, once.

There's a reset that can be done with a bit of wire earthed to the frame
and poked into a connector, and I did that, and it's never given trouble
since.

My K is an 1100LT (see sig). It's an incredibly good touring bike, even
now, and I don't think the modern R and K tourers are necessarily much
better. A bit more sophisticated, probably better handling, but as a
mile-muncher the old K brick is still superb. And much,much, much more
relaible.

Then there's price. I just don't think a new K or R tourer is worth
another eight to ten grand over the £2000-2500 price of a good used
1100LT.

 

My first thought was "8V tarted up to look like a 16V".

 

and as we know at resale an ex plod bike is worth crumbs

 

Hog said:

So I believe, however, why?

I could make assumptions that they are ragged to **** or that they're
not cared for but is that true?

I know that there were changes made for plod, ie single seat / pannier
issues and holes drilled in unusual places but, are the all actually
shite?

 

Some are OK. The problem is that the electrics have usually been messed
with, pieces are missing, as stock Plod bikes they don't come with dual
seats or decent panniers....

Converting a Plod bike to standard is quite a lot of work. If one's been
properly done, then sure, it's a decent bike, but few are well
converted.

 

I wouldn't buy them new but if you can stomach the servicing bills, a
lot of people suggest that the porky K1200LT is a superb tourer and
possibly better than the 1100LT as a tourer (but not as a town bike) I
would say that the R1150RT is close to the K (although still twice the
money), the fairing is very good (1100LT has a slight edge still, but
it's slight since I stuck the tall screen on the RT) and I find the
seating position on the RT so much better thanks to the height-
adjustable seat.

 

The 1100LT is a lousy town bike. I took it to work the other day. Too
big, too heavy, and that was with the panniers removed.

My little 250 is a perfect city bike.

 

I have a close friend with an immaculate BMW K75S [1] who might be
willing to part with it, although it'd probably be at the top end of
your budget. Is it worth passing your email on to him and getting him
to send some details. It's located in Fleet, England.

Is that reply-to valid donegalpaul AT thepilgrimssc DOT co DOT uk ?

[1] He bought it at the same time I had my K75S but he's been working
abroad for a couple of years so it was garaged. Just put it back on the
road a couple of weeks ago. All I can remember is that it's silver, with
silver coloured panniers, stainless steel fasteners everywhere and
generally immaculate.[2]

[2] I'd have it off him but I may be joining Darsy in the land of the
unemployable soon.

 

Blimey, I'd be interested in that......