Lowering a K75S

[lorazepam]

I have a friend who is inseam challenged, and looking at buying a 1993 K75S. The bike looks to be in great shape, sounds good, and started up cold right away, no choke needed.

The only problem is she can only hold the bike up while on extreme tiptoe, and this is not acceptable for her, and it looked dangerous to me.

What are the most common ways to get that bike lowered, and what azre the odds of finding what would be needed to do the job. Thanks in advance gang.

I have checked thre archives using the search feature, and found nothing of help.

[reedr4]

Here is an article by Rob L., BMW Guru, recently passed. :cry

http://skylands.ibmwr.org/tom/tech/k-lowering.html

Good luck.

[deilenberger]

Originally posted by lorazepam
I have a friend who is inseam challenged, and looking at buying a 1993 K75S. The bike looks to be in great shape, sounds good, and started up cold right away, no choke needed.

The only problem is she can only hold the bike up while on extreme tiptoe, and this is not acceptable for her, and it looked dangerous to me.

What are the most common ways to get that bike lowered, and what azre the odds of finding what would be needed to do the job. Thanks in advance gang.

I have checked thre archives using the search feature, and found nothing of help.

Ahem... your friend is just normal height, unlike all the weird tall people..

OK - how to lower it? LOTS of ways.. some more costly than others.

1. Short shock in rear ($200 used to $800 new)

Short shocks are available from Progressive, Works Performance and WIlbers. Progressive starts with a $200 steel bodied one for around $250 or so, but you can frequently find these, or a Works short shock used for less than $200 on either Ebay autos or the IBMWR marketplace.

2. Move front fork tubes up in the triple clamp (free)

It costs nothing to move the fork tubes up.. you just need a big allen wrench.

The short shock can give you 1" or more at the rear, moving the fork tubes up (you can move them about 1/3") gives you about 1/2" in the front (due to the angle of the forks.

3. New tires - same width and diameter, but an 80 series instead of the 90 series spec'd for the bike If you happen to need tires - this is VERY cost effective. Bridgestone makes BT45's in an 80 series that works just fine on the K bike. AVOID K491's - these are very TALL tires.

You gain about 1/2" with the lower tires.

4. Narrower seat. It's not so much the height of the seat (although lowering it will hep at the expense of riding comfort), it's also the width of the "nose" of the seat.

Since you slide forwards a bit when you come to a stop, this area can be made lower and narrower so your friends legs are more vertical effectively making them longer.

You can gain about 1/2" of effective height this way (and perhaps a female more since they have a wider pelvic structure.)

5. Taller boots. Most motorcycle boots have very thing soles.

Hiking and construction boots usually have fairly thick soles, and can add 1/2-3/4" to a normal height person.

6. BMW did make a "low seat" model of the K75, which used a rather ugly (sorry folks who have'm) seat that sat down lower into the frame. It couldn't go too far down since the framerails are on either side.

It also had a rather ugly rubber thingie that goes up around the tank and down into the area that is covered normally by the sidecovers.

I couldn't do a low seat conversion on a K75S.. I think it would ugly up the best looking K that BMW made - but that's just me probably. I think you don't gain as much height as it looks since the front still is fairly wide to clear the fame tubes - but I believe 2" was BMW's claim.

The low seats are frequently seen for sale or swap on both Ebay and IBMW Marketplace. If you decide to go this route - make SURE you get everything, which includes (from memory)

o - seat
o - ugly rubber thing
o - mount for ugly rubber thing on the tank - used self stick
o - new computer housing/tray which doesn't have a document storage section in it
o - a rather complex sort of latching arrangement.. this seat doesn't pivot up - it has to be totally removed to access anything under it

HTH,

[lorazepam]

Thanks Don. As usual you have the answer, and it is an enjoyable read. I look forward to your posts, and how you solve the various problems folks have.

If we ever meet and you don't smack me around for some of my posts, I will buy you a beer.

[deilenberger]

Originally posted by lorazepam
Thanks Don. As usual you have the answer, and it is an enjoyable read. I look forward to your posts, and how you solve the various problems folks have.

If we ever meet and you don't smack me around for some of my posts, I will buy you a beer.

No problem.. I've been known to drink a beer or two. The dark beer at the RA rally was particularly tasty, and a few people made it there who thought they owed me one, which made it even tastier since I like to meet people I've chatted with via email.

Very few people look like they write! The first time I met Bob Higdon - many years ago in Internet time - he told me I post much taller than I am.. I'm sure he meant that as a compliment. :D

Best,

[bobinillinois]

I have a Works short shock and a Corbin low seat on my 1994 K75RT and it makes a huge difference. I agree with everything Don said (including the observation that the low seat version is not as attractive as the stock set up) - the shock gives you about an inch and the low seat another 2 inches. For me it was the difference between being on the tips of my tip toes versus almost being able to flat foot it.

One thing to consider is that if you lower the bike I believe that it makes it more difficult to lift the bike onto the center stand. Perhaps someone can confirm this since my experience is only with the lowered bike, but that is what I read and my sense is that it is so.

Bob

[deilenberger]

Originally posted by bobinillinois
I have a Works short shock and a Corbin low seat on my 1994 K75RT and it makes a huge difference. I agree with everything Don said (including the observation that the low seat version is not as attractive as the stock set up) - the shock gives you about an inch and the low seat another 2 inches. For me it was the difference between being on the tips of my tip toes versus almost being able to flat foot it.

One thing to consider is that if you lower the bike I believe that it makes it more difficult to lift the bike onto the center stand. Perhaps someone can confirm this since my experience is only with the lowered bike, but that is what I read and my sense is that it is so.

Bob

Bob - you're certainly correct in it making the bike harder to get on the centerstand. If you think on it - you'll see why.. since the bike normally has the rear tire just touching the ground or a tiny bit off the ground without the short shock - the tire is now at least 1" off the ground.

That means you have to do a dead-lift of about 200lbs (figuring the bike at ~500lbs, and a 60/40 weight distribution) of 1".

Fix is:

1. Don't use the centerstand. I actually never use it except in my garage or if I'm servicing it. I use the sidestand at rallies, at work, etc.

The trick to avoid the smoking on startup - when you come to a stop and turn the engine off - lean it a bit to the right for about 15 seconds, enough time for the oil in the cylinders to drain back into the crank. Works about 95% of the time - and thanks to Geoff Adams for the hint!

2. In the garage - have a small ramp, maybe 15-24" long that you can put under the back wheel and then drive the bike up on it. I made one for my bike of two pieces of 3/4" plywood. Nothing fancy, just one piece is longer than the other.

When I pull into the garage, I stop just a bit behind where I want the bike parked (leaving the engine running) and kick the ramp in front of the rear wheel. I then hop back on and pull the bike up on the ramp. It makes it easy then to put it on the centerstand. Once its up - I just kick the ramp out from under the rear wheel.

I do this since the early K bike stands are prone to failure anyway - and the extra lift and force on one with a shorter shock is just going to make this worse.

Best,