Just picked up an '85 K100LT!!!

[jeff_15209]

Hi y'all! My name is Jeff and I'm new to this forum. I own a '90 Ducati, a '72 Honda, and a '62 BSA and just added an '85 K100LT to the garage! I brought her home today in Pittsburgh in 45 degree weather with rain. On the 20 mile ride home, she handled fantastic on a mix of backroads, divided highway, and interstate. The heated handgrips were awesome! I'll post up some pics tomorrow after giving her a bath. Looking forward to learning what I can around here.

[Gilly]

You've come to the RIGHT place, welcome.
There is also a good BMW K bike group on Yahoo I would recommend for technical questions esp on the earlier ones like yours:
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/kbmw/

[SheRidesABeemer]

Welcome! Now where are the pics so we can ooh and ahhh ;)

[deilenberger]

Hi Jeff..

What you actually bought was a FYK100RT - or Finest Year K100RT. There wasn't an LT until around '88 or so.. the LT had a standard tail-trunk and the luggage was paint matched to the fairing. It also had a foo-foo seat on some years (in funky colors..)

Someplace on the K-tech pages on http://www.ibmwr.org - there is a listing of all the variations of K-bricks for years '83-93 or so.. worth reading so you know what people are talking about.

Welcome to K world! :clap

[BuddingGeezer]

The K100LT 1st year was 1986 I owned a '87.


http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/bmw/BMW_K100LT%2086.htm

Ralph Sims

[jeff_15209]

Hmmmm........ok, I see what y'all are talking about. Looks like I misspoke about the LT. It's an RT. Says so right there on the fairing. It was late and I was all atwitter with having the Beemer in my garage!
So, here are some pics:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2691/4027386293_91b92e960c.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2777/4027385699_ea1186ebab.jpg

[jeff_15209]

Hi Jeff..

What you actually bought was a FYK100RT - or Finest Year K100RT. There wasn't an LT until around '88 or so.. the LT had a standard tail-trunk and the luggage was paint matched to the fairing. It also had a foo-foo seat on some years (in funky colors..)

Someplace on the K-tech pages on http://www.ibmwr.org - there is a listing of all the variations of K-bricks for years '83-93 or so.. worth reading so you know what people are talking about.

Welcome to K world! :clap

Ha! I have one of those foo-foo seats in a weird reddish/purplish color in my garage. The previous owner gave that to me too.

[zoridog]

Nice one!

Those K100RTs are made for riding this time of year! Put on all your gear and ride till the salt trucks come. Who am I kidding ... nothing can hurt a K ... including salt.

Enjoy the Zen of all winter riding!

[deilenberger]

Indeed - the FYK100RT is probably the best heated bike you can get.. and also great in downpours if you keep moving. Wonderful winter bike (and that's all I'm gonna say.. :) )

[jeff_15209]

I found out how great she is in a downpour on Saturday on the way home from the previous owner's home. It was about a 40 mile ride in a steady rain. The temp was about 40 degrees. I was fairly dry when I got home! The only rain that had gotten on me was runoff from my helmet. I was amazed! I was also loving the heated handgrips!

I bought her to ride deep in to the winter and it looks like that's going to work out pretty well!

[jeff_15209]

Here's a question.........when I'm riding down gravel roads, is it normal to feel like I'm riding along with Ewan and Charlie and wondering if we're going to make the ferry in Botswana?

Or is it just me?

[chuck_donahue]

Nice one!

Put on all your gear and ride till the salt trucks come. Who am I kidding ... nothing can hurt a K ... including salt.

Enjoy the Zen of all winter riding!

I bought a parts bike, a 91 k100lt, it must have been driven on nothing but salt roads, the motor has 1/4 inch of corrosion, everything that was painted was fine, i.e. the trans, bell housing, swing arm, rear end. But the motor was not painted and looks like $#!@.

Enjoy your old new bike. I have an 85 k100rs, I have only ridden a couple newer K100’s and they don’t compare to the 85. Quicker, faster, smoother.

Do you know when the splines were last lubed? (This is one of the week points on the 84, 85, and only 84, 85, drive shaft, and rear end will wok in the 85, ….I think. If you don’t know …. You should do it. It is not hard, just time consuming, But it is a good way to get to know your bike.

[jeff_15209]

I bought a parts bike, a 91 k100lt, it must have been driven on nothing but salt roads, the motor has 1/4 inch of corrosion, everything that was painted was fine, i.e. the trans, bell housing, swing arm, rear end. But the motor was not painted and looks like $#!@.

Enjoy your old new bike. I have an 85 k100rs, I have only ridden a couple newer K100’s and they don’t compare to the 85. Quicker, faster, smoother.

Do you know when the splines were last lubed? (This is one of the week points on the 84, 85, and only 84, 85, drive shaft, and rear end will wok in the 85, ….I think. If you don’t know …. You should do it. It is not hard, just time consuming, But it is a good way to get to know your bike.

The previous owner had them lubed last fall. He also had the coolant system flushed then too. As far as the splines go, what is the protocol with those? How often do they need lubed?

I don't think the PO rode the bike too much (maybe 1k over the past year).

[Tinboatcapt]

Here's a question.........when I'm riding down gravel roads, is it normal to feel like I'm riding along with Ewan and Charlie and wondering if we're going to make the ferry in Botswana?

Or is it just me?

Relax and "let er buck". Except in the deepest, loose gravel my
k's" have been good on the gravel/dirt roads. They are a bit heavy for agressive riding on unimproved surfaces, but better than average.

I had about 55K miles on the '86 RT and now about 20K on the '87/'90 LT. (Long story).
Jim

[jeff_15209]

Relax and "let er buck". Except in the deepest, loose gravel my
k's" have been good on the gravel/dirt roads. They are a bit heavy for agressive riding on unimproved surfaces, but better than average.

I had about 55K miles on the '86 RT and now about 20K on the '87/'90 LT. (Long story).
Jim

Oh, shoot. I guess what I was trying to say didn't translate to the computer screen. No, I don't have any complaints about the ride. I guess I was just trying to be stupid and suggest that I was playing make-believe and now that I'm on a BMW, I feel like Charley and Ewan and I'm on a big adventure even if I'm just running down to the gas station. Sorry about that!

It is odd though. I've been commuting on bikes that are built low and don't have a fairing. Now, on the K100, I feel so much higher. It's also funny to see her sitting in the lot I park in. There are about 40 or 50 other bikes crowded under an overpass between two buildings. My Beemer sits up so much higher than the assorted sportbikes and cruisers under there! I've got to take a pic tomorrow.

[Acejones]

Forget about Charley and Ewan. If they didn't have 20-30 support people ahead of and behind them with about a zillion dollars worth of equipment...............

[jobee58]

As far as the splines go, what is the protocol with those? How often do they need lubed?

I believe Paul G (highly experienced and venerated tech guy on this here site) recommends every 20K miles for the shaft splines and every 40K for the clutch input splines.

[36654]

Jeff,

How many miles are on the bike? It looks new. I would suggest that you check-out the classifieds for a used replacement seat. Those stock seats weren't very good IMHO.

Have fun

[jeff_15209]

Jeff,

How many miles are on the bike? It looks new. I would suggest that you check-out the classifieds for a used replacement seat. Those stock seats weren't very good IMHO.

Have fun


Well, there's about 60k on her. It seems like the maintenence has been kept up on and the maintenence book has the stamps in it to prove it! And so far, after 200 miles, I don't have any complaiints about the seat yet. The previous owner did give me a Corbin seat that was on for a little while but I'm ok so far. I can see where the seat would be an issue though.

[jeff_15209]

Forget about Charley and Ewan. If they didn't have 20-30 support people ahead of and behind them with about a zillion dollars worth of equipment...............


WHAT???? I thought it was just two guys off on an adventure! And I also believe those guys from OCC can put together a bike in about an hour too! ha ha ha!!!!


(although the argument can be made that the quality of the OCC bikes would indicate that they ARE put together in about an hour.)