1991 K75/2

[cayuse60]

As you can see this 1991 K75/2 has a one piece aluminum front fender (added by previuos owner) without a fork stabilizer and appears to have "sport" suspension making it a pre 8/1991 manufacturing date. (unable to read date of manufacture on the bike)

Are my conclusions correct with respect to the front suspension and manufacturing date, and can I run without the stabilizer?

TIA----tim

[mrich12000]

Set your to this post someone here will tell you how to find the year and more.:lurk

[jdiaz]

If you can read the last seven digits of the VIN, this site will tell you the build date:

http://www.bmw-z1.com/VIN/VINdecode-e.cgi

I don't know if you can run without the fork brace. The sport suspension bikes only have a damper rod in one leg, so there is probably a reason the engineers tied the legs together with such a beefy fork brace.

[PGlaves]

It sure looks like the original fender and brace were removed and this fender was installed. The bolts in the photo appear to be in the original holes in the fork sliders where the OEM brace mounted. It is not clear why somebody would do this modification - maybe crasg damage, maybe some personal sense of style.

I would prefer to have the brace back in place if it were my bike.

[Kayseventyfive]

I have had a fork brace improve forks that were not designed for one. I believe a fork brace can only be a positive design element. Since your forks were designed for a fork brace, I cannot imagine why the PO removed it.

BMWs are designed very, very well, and seldom benefit from tampering, least of all removal of a suspension part. We mere mortals are not qualified to second guess the Olympians at BMW. The fork brace not only assures uniform up and down movement, as mentioned jdiaz, it also provides torsional rigidity.

[Bobmws]

We mere mortals are not qualified to second guess the Olympians at BMW.

I have a tornado proof mobile home park for sale in Kansas, interested?
:stick

[cayuse60]

Thanks for all your responses: machine was built 01/1991.

Right now it would appear this aluminum fender is acting as the brace / stabilizer between the two forks. Given that only one of the forks dampens, a brace of some kind between them would seem necessary.
---tim

[jdiaz]

What does the rest of the bike look like? I'm curious to see what else the previous owner "manufactured." :laugh

[cayuse60]

What does the rest of the bike look like? I'm curious to see what else the previous owner "manufactured." :laugh

The radiator fan is not OEM...I'll have pictures once I've removed the radiator:rolleyes