K100 questions

[spacemonkey]

Hey there,
I'm looking at getting a touring bike and quite like the BMW's but am wondering if you folks have any tips on any particular things/problems to look for when looking at old K100's?

And yes I have tried using the search button but didn't find quite what I was looking for so how about it, got any tips for me.


Also I know there's a few Fj fan's on here, anything to look out for when inspecting an old FJ?

Thanks Heaps

[cs363]

Hey there,
I'm looking at getting a touring bike and quite like the BMW's but am wondering if you folks have any tips on any particular things/problems to look for when looking at old K100's?

And yes I have tried using the search button but didn't find quite what I was looking for so how about it, got any tips for me.


Also I know there's a few Fj fan's on here, anything to look out for when inspecting an old FJ?

Thanks Heaps

I used to sell them when they were new, great bikes for covering big mileage in comfort. Unfortunately about the only good tip I can remember is not to leave them sitting on the sidestand too much as it tends to make them smoke!
These might be helpful:
http://will.mylanders.com/mc/notes/read.pl?file=84
http://www.motorcycle.co.uk/Articles...-K-Series.aspx

The other thing is if you are buying in the Wellington area, call in and see Mike Dobson at Motorrad, he is the BMW guru in NZ and would probably know the bike if it's local.

FJ owners seem to swear by their bikes and I can't say I've ever heard anything bad about them apart from derogatory comments made by sportsbike riders (but you'll get that with the K100 too...)

failing any further advice on here, spend some time on google and also see if you can find some model/brand specific forums - they'll have the info you are looking for.

Good luck with whatever you end up buying!

[Ixion]

I have the K75 not the K100 , but they are very similar.

The first (and really, the only) question to ask is "How long since the splines were lubed ?" . If the response is "huh ?" or, anything that equates to 'more than 30000 km ago', walk away. More than 20000km ago, allow an extra $500 to have it done immediately.

Other than that , they are pretty bulletproof, superb for eating up mile after mile in comfort.

Early models had some problems with water entering the instrument cluster and causing water in the instrument cluster problems.

[FJRider]

Hey there,
I'm looking at getting a touring bike and quite like the BMW's but am wondering if you folks have any tips on any particular things/problems to look for when looking at old K100's?

And yes I have tried using the search button but didn't find quite what I was looking for so how about it, got any tips for me.


Also I know there's a few Fj fan's on here, anything to look out for when inspecting an old FJ?

Thanks Heaps

What ever you look at... The million miles/km's its/they have done is the first thing to look for... plenty of good K100's and FJ's out there with low milage.... AGE (as always) is underated...

[spacemonkey]

I used to sell them when they were new, great bikes for covering big mileage in comfort. Unfortunately about the only good tip I can remember is not to leave them sitting on the sidestand too much as it tends to make them smoke!
These might be helpful:
http://will.mylanders.com/mc/notes/read.pl?file=84
http://www.motorcycle.co.uk/Articles...-K-Series.aspx

The other thing is if you are buying in the Wellington area, call in and see Mike Dobson at Motorrad, he is the BMW guru in NZ and would probably know the bike if it's local.

Ah Cheers for that
That 2nd link was a goldmine of stuff to look for.


Ixon, does it usually cost that much to lube them???
How often is it needed?

[Ixion]

Ah Cheers for that
That 2nd link was a goldmine of stuff to look for.


Ixon, does it usually cost that much to lube them???
How often is it needed?

Dunno how much really, I've only ever done my own, so it only costs me maybe $10 for lube (NO ! Using some from the bedroom is NOT a cheap option). I guess it would prolly cost that from a bike shop. Simple enough but it takes a while.

As to how often. How long is a piece of string. I gues sthe answer is 100k before they strip! Received wisdom says about 30000km, once a year sort of number. Or, before a major trip. No real specific interval. BMW have vacillated between "They never need doing" to "every 10000 km" to "every 100000 km" . I don't really think 40 or 50 000 k would be a big deal, just that if the owner doesn't come back with a quick answer, it's likely they haven't been done since forever.

[spacemonkey]

heh ok thanks for that.

[YellowDog]

They are excellent touring bikes. The advice over mileage is always good. But like any vehicle, you can be lucky and get a good one or unlucky and get a bad one.

I would only consider an older BMW if it had been maintained by a BMW garage. BMW would then be able to give you the full history of the bike and also tell you if it was a dog or a lemon.

[cs363]

Not sure if it's your cup of tea but this would be an interesting purchase:
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-208255126.htm

As they only produced less than 7000 of them (as far as I know) and given how radical the bike was at time of release, something like this could well become collectible. Of course you'd probably need to hold onto it for a while and not do too many km's!

[FJRider]

FJ owners seem to swear by their bikes and I can't say I've ever heard anything bad about them apart from derogatory comments made by sportsbike riders (but you'll get that with the K100 too...)



Good luck with whatever you end up buying!

Owning an FJ... means never having to swear...

Derogatory comments are made by those that have never ridden one...

[cs363]

Owning an FJ... means never having to swear...

Derogatory comments are made by those that have never ridden one...

Never say never.... but let's hope not mate!

Regarding derogatory comments, agreed - those that make those comments in all seriousness (as opposed to a friendly wind-up) would never ride eminently sensible bikes like the FJ, K series, RF900 and so on as they don't fit the image they have of themselves. Of course I'm guessing that image would differ somewhat in our eyes...

Luckily I can take the piss out out of almost everything seeing as I've ridden or owned most of them!

[FJRider]

Never say never.... but let's hope not mate!

those that make those comments in all seriousness (as opposed to a friendly wind-up) would never ride eminently sensible bikes like the FJ, K series, RF900 and so on as they don't fit the image they have of themselves. Of course I'm guessing that image would differ somewhat in our eyes...

Riding an FJ is not about image... more ... lifestyle...

Luckily I can take the piss out out of almost everything seeing as I've ridden or owned most of them!

already noted.... lol

[cs363]

Riding an FJ is not about image... more ... lifestyle...

Couldn't agree more

[geoffm]

I had a K100RS-16v for years, and would probably have it still if it wasn't for Mr Chen's car door...
fantastic long distance blasters, down on power against the comeptition but very forgiving and easy to ride. They can go quite fast in the right hands, despite being so heavy.
IMO, the 16v or K1100 is better than the early ones - wider rims, marginally more power and better brakes.
Look on www.ibmwor.org for some info.

Known problems are the clutch splines if they have never been lubed, and the exhaust headers crack at the collector in their od age.

They are really easy to work on. They don't need to go to the BMW agents for work - any good independent mechanic can work on them.
Parts are expensive - get them from the UK or Germany, where you can land them for 2/3 the price of NZ, and in less time...

[Dodgyiti]

Both the FJ and K100 are great bikes for the money right now.
There was a nice K100RS on TradeMe for 5 grand no reserve that no one bid on, wait and it will be relisted and it had less that 50,000 on it.
I took my K100RS from 45,000km to 127,000 with no issues.
Try and get one with the bags as well, they are great for carrying stuff and clip on and off real easy.
BMW as mentioned have expensive parts and that is the only real draw back, but saying that, they are so reliable that unless you crash it you really need not worry too much.

My FJ shat 1st gear at 70,000kms and I was told it was a fairly common thing. It cost a bundle to fix. Other than that it was a really fantastic bike with so much power in any situation. So much power that I didn't need first gear for the 4 weeks it took me to save up and get it fixed!

Oh yeah, I nearly forgot. Don't cane the BMW past 240km for too long. The electronic speedo shits its self.... now that will set you back some big $$$