Looking at K75s: need advice

[Canuman]

Originally Posted by A. T. T-W

As for the spline lube. I cannot get my head around the fetish for spline lube here. There's no reason to believe that the original grease has deteriorated with such a low mileage. It won't have evaporated. Optimol is a paste, it's very thick and once the surfaces of the splines are coated and mated, it's no more prone to evaporating or otherwise disappearing than it is in the tube it comes in.

I don't have a fetish for spline lube, but I can tell you it's very nice to have it done by the PO with receipts to prove it.

As a point of comparison on price, I was casually tracking a bike that was listed here about a month ago. Good shape, moderate farkles, including a new rear shock, the Corbin and heated grips, and had been ridden recently. It started at $3500 asking, and finally went out the door for over a grand less. Somewhere in the 30k miles range, but that isn't an issue with this engine.

I'm just saying that there are bikes with no issues to be had for this price or less.

If I was buying one with stock suspension, I'd also factor in the cost of a new rear shock and new front springs. Neither were anything to write home about from the factory.

[nedodjija]

I had one exact like it. Same color, same year. Great bike. I got it for 2 grand and sold it for 3. It was in perfect shape, so that might tell you how much the bike is worth. The one I had had 26k on the odo. I sold it to make more room in the garage and buy a bike that would not feel so similar to my dl650. Good luck

[A. T. T-W]

Originally Posted by Canuman

I don't have a fetish for spline lube, but I can tell you it's very nice to have it done by the PO with receipts to prove it.

If it was showing a lot more miles, if it looked as though it's regularly been used to ford rivers or had spent its life in a particularly hot environment, I'd agree that it might be nice but 16,000 miles?

Sorry but there's a tendency for people to over-emphasise the need to check the splines. At times it's almost as though there's a desire to scare prospective owners off buying.

On the missing parts, the two small black filler pieces that sit under the lower, rear edges of the fairing are AWOL too.

[Canuman]

Originally Posted by nedodjija

I had one exact like it. Same color, same year. Great bike. I got it for 2 grand and sold it for 3. It was in perfect shape, so that might tell you how much the bike is worth. The one I had had 26k on the odo. I sold it to make more room in the garage and buy a bike that would not feel so similar to my dl650. Good luck

I had a 650 Strom and the K75 in the stable at the same time. I decided to keep the K75. As much as I liked the WeeStrom; it's manners in a strong cross-wind scared me at times. However, the Wee had quite a lot over the K in several departments:

1. The transmission on the Wee was one the best I'd ever ridden. Silky and precise, and six gears are very nice. The K75 trans was better than the airheads I've owned, but still isn't the pinnacle of refinement.

2. The Wee had better suspension.

3. The DL650 makes you a cornering expert, instantly.

Why did I keep the K75? It's built like a flippin' tank, handles well in the wind, and doesn't tempt me to take it too far off-road. I knew I was going to get in trouble in the woods with the Wee at some point. My Wee was equipped with all the goods -- bash plate, tank guards, and all. It was fantastic on gravel, but would soon give a warning if taken too far into the woods. It made the KLR seem light in the crud.

A good K75 will take you pretty far, particularly if skinned up with a mild dual-sport tire. Just wait for the right one.

I wouldn't discount the standard K75 models at all, if I were you. The "S" bars are not as comfy as some of the other offerings in the long haul. This is basically a standard, not a sport bike.

[dmac57]

Originally Posted by A. T. T-W

Sorry but there's a tendency for people to over-emphasise the need to check the splines. .

The cost of refurbishing any of the splines, or buying a replacement drive shaft or tranny makes it hard to over emphasize. Exposed to air, grease degrades, surfaces become exposed and prone to corrosion. Not saying that it has happened to this particular unit, but if there's no evidence of having been serviced, that's 20 year old grease. If you recall, BMW couldn't make their mind up what to use for a good while, so who's to say the flavor of the day in 1992 is what is "standard of care" today? The bike may be fine, but that's the first thing I'd do if I bought it, and I'd factor that cost into any offer I made.

YMMV, but better safe than surprised.

[H96669]

Originally Posted by A. T. T-W

I recently purchased an '86 75S that had been stood for some time. It too was wayward at higher speeds, it was the fluidbloc. It had seized to the steering stem and then been freed by wrenching the bars resulting in the two grub screws cutting through the damper's outer shell. The new part has an aluminium outer now.

Steering bearings are cheap and easy to replace and if it's the fluidbloc damper, that too is cheap and even easier to replace than the bearings. Good points to reduce the asking price.

As for the spline lube. I cannot get my head around the fetish for spline lube here. There's no reason to believe that the original grease has deteriorated with such a low mileage. It won't have evaporated. Optimol is a paste, it's very thick and once the surfaces of the splines are coated and mated, it's no more prone to evaporating or otherwise disappearing than it is in the tube it comes in.

If you are separating the splines for any reason, fine, clean them and re-lube but otherwise don't bother.

The ABS issue is likely to be the battery. Re-setting it is easy once a decent battery is installed.

I can't comment on the asking price (different market) but the things that you mention shouldn't devalue it too much.

NO Optimol back in 1986, just the old BMW Red Jelly.Pretty sure it was Texaco No.5. Nothing really wrong with it as long as you lube regularly.

Now when did I buy that tube from BMW....must have been around 90-91, by then the K100RS needed a clutch and O-ring.

[A. T. T-W]

Originally Posted by H96669

NO Optimol back in 1986, just the old BMW Red Jelly.Pretty sure it was Texaco No.5. Nothing really wrong with it as long as you lube regularly.

The bike the OP is looking at is a 1992. BMW's own workshop manual for that period refers to Optimol paste.

[dmac57]

Originally Posted by A. T. T-W

The bike the OP is looking at is a 1992. BMW's own workshop manual for that period refers to Optimol paste.

We're not going to convince you, are we?

[A. T. T-W]

Originally Posted by dmac57

We're not going to convince you, are we?

Nope. I've owned BMW's for long enough to know that it's good practice to clean and re-lube the splines as and when there's a need to dismantle the things and hung around here long enough to know that "lube the splines man" is the stock cry whenever someone pipes-up that they're buying one.

Here's a photo of a 1989 build K1 that I've just put a new clutch O-Ring into. It's a shot of the shaft as it was stripped (the telltale paint daubs on the Paralever pivots showed that it had never been apart since assembly):





Plenty of what looks like Castrol Optimol still there.

Plenty on the FD splines too:



Twenty-three years and the original lube hasn't evaporated.

[Canuman]

Originally Posted by A. T. T-W

Nope. I've owned BMW's for long enough to know that it's good practice to clean and re-lube the splines as and when there's a need to dismantle the things and hung around here long enough to know that "lube the splines man" is the stock cry whenever someone pipes-up that they're buying one.

Here's a photo of a 1989 build K1 that I've just put a new clutch O-Ring into. It's a shot of the shaft as it was stripped (the telltale paint daubs on the Paralever pivots showed that it had never been apart since assembly):





Plenty of what looks like Castrol Optimol still there.

Plenty on the FD splines too:



Twenty-three years and the original lube hasn't evaporated.

Let's not go scare-mongering. For a mild-mannered standard touring machine, the K75 is about as reliable a bike that can be had on a summer's day. They are a road hammer. In my experience, shaft drive is the way to go on pavement. However, if the OP wants a good 'un, he needs to know all potential issues. I don't think he should buy the bike he posted. There's too many questions surrounding it. For example, where did the lowers go? They don't just evaporate. In my opinion, this bike has taken a hit, and the current owner is trying to cover up the damage. A broken bike with low miles is still broken.

[hammick]

I'm not going to buy the bike. Now that I know there is additional body work missing I wouldn't even pay $2,500

I now have my eye on an '89 R100rs with 35k miles for around $2,500 and it's has all its parts.

Thanks for all the info.

[KungPaoDog]

If the guy will take $2500 buy it and ride it like you stole it. Even for $3,000 that's still a lot of bike. Anything you buy for $3000 will need something. It's old and getting older, so beat him with that stick.

I've got around 135,000 miles on my K75. I put a new clutch in it this spring since the pressure plate killed itself. I figured I'd replace the clutch plate while I was in there, but the date stamp was 1985, and it still had 30% wear left on it

I haven't had it since new, but in the 5 years I've owned it it has needed a new battery (fuck the over priced BMW gel cell crap, 18 months on that battery. 3.5 years on a cheap-o from batteries plus)

Sure it leaks a little oil, but not enough to need any between oil changes. Yeah, the odometer is busted. But it starts every morning in any weather cuz EFI is teh awesomez, and it was just as fun as any other bike when I was in Golden Gate Canyon last month. Probably even better than a few bikes I saw while I was grinning like a fool under my helmet.

My bike isn't the best at anything, and may not be the prettiest. But it's paid for, and starts/stops/goes when I say so. I drool over new bikes as much as anyone here, and I'm sure some day my K75 will die like any other machine is fated to do. But I just can't find something in my price range that makes me think it will do the job of moving me around on 2 wheels better (read--> as cheaply) than my K75 that I happen to have.

See? I made it all the way to the end without even mentioning spline lube

Edit: the head shake may or may not be a huge problem to fix, but probably isn't normal.

[Arctic Orange]

There is not enough good words to describe my '88 K75s. Owned it since 2000. Bought it showing 11,400 miles now has 58,500. It's probley has done more gravel than many GS's or dual sports, the belly pan is just fine, short of sand blasting by the dirt and gravel. It now tugs a Velorex hack around, I like luxery camping. All of my other rides are gone but the K75 will always stay! Have done several final drive spline lubes and plan to replace the clutch next year just because it should have an inspection after so many dusty, muddy miles. have only replaced the main fairing support twice due to rough roads. Most dependable motorcycle I've owned in 45 years of riding. I would wonder where the belly pan and fairing trim went tho. Just go low on an offer considering the handling issue, which seems an easy bearing/damper fix.

[johns]

I've had a K75S (1987) from 2008 to 2011. Bought it with 93000km and dit 20000km in the first two years.


Negative
I hated the handlebar.
Buffeting, more while 2-up riding
Boring engine but still a nice sound when past 6k rpm's

Positive
Reliable engine (the flip side of boring maybe :) )
riding position on longer/faster rides.
Didn't really matter if I was riding solo or 2-up with camping gear (just had to slow down a bit more on speedbumps)
Did't use oil
Valve adjustment is simple, with the right tools.

Still, it was a then over 20y/o motorcycle. Coolant hose started leaking on my first real trip. Rear brakefluid container cracked.
More serieus: probably a fuel line started leaking between the end of 2010 and 9/11 in 2011. After repairing a leaking oil/water pump seal it caught on fire a short time after starting it for the first time. so it's gone now :/

Like the XJ900F a lot better btw, better bars, better fairing, somewhat more power.

[Josephvman]

I wouldn't skip that K75S if you could get it for $3k or less. As stated, anything you buy is going to need some stuff, and unless you have recent receipts from a dealer or reputable shop I would plan on doing a full service, spline lube, steering head bearings, and tires (if old or worn) on anything you buy. Belly pans aren't hard to find used, and a lot of guys just took them off because they were kind of vulnerable to damage anyway.

I would probably put a fresh battery in the bike and see if that cures the ABS light issue before you commit to it, as that's the only thing you've mentioned that I'd really worry about.

My K75S is one of the few bikes I've owned that I really regret ever getting rid of. Slow by today's standards, but incredibly well-built, electric motor smooth, comfortable, and classic good looks.