thinking about buying a k75rt

[9842]

Have been looking to buy a r100 or80 rt and they seem high priced and not to many to choose from.
What do you guys think of a K75rt
Whats good, bad, and to look out for when buying,
34 year airhead owner thinking about a K bike
Thanks
Brian

[basketcase]

I've owned three K bikes: a 1987 K100RT, a '95 K75RT, and finally a '95 K1100LT.

Next, like all such purchases it depends somewhat on the bike and the maintenance history.

Mechanical condition and all other things being equal, if I were going to buy any of the three again it would be the K75.

[roncooper]

The good things are that they are smooth, handle well and are dependable. The downside is they put a lot of heat on your legs in the summer. I have done some mods to mine and the heat issue is much better.

If the driveshaft splines haven't had regular lubes with Moly grease(not BMW),there is a good chance they are worn badly.

I bought mine in Feb. 07 as a neglected project with the idea of getting it running and selling it. 30,000 miles later it is my favored solo bike.

[scootrp125x]

Great bike, too hot! Might be okay if you live in a cool climate. Good luck.

Check out this thread:http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/showthread.php?t=6280

[mark from maine]

I have a 91 K75RT that I purchased ten or eleven years ago with 42K on the clock. It now has 87K. The good is that it has been the best running motorcycle that I have ever owned. Very smooth running engine. If you are an experienced do it your selfer the K75 is fairly simple to work on. BMW did a good job of making the components accessable. Such as starter, alternater,water pump, spark plugs. Valves can be adjusted using a couple of inexpensive tools with out having to remove the cams or much else. Still, thankfully adjustment is not needed often.

Rear wheel removal is a piece of cake.

Fuel mileage is always 45 plus MPG. Usually nearer 50 MPG. I have always used regular grade fuel.

I have a 32 inch inseam and I touch the ground with both feet with a Corbin touring saddle.

I get five years out of a battery. And I do not take very good care of it!

Previous BMWs have been a K75S, R100 GSPD, 78 R80(that I miss in a nostalgic sort of way), and a 59 R60.

The bad? I have a 32 inch inseam and there is barely enough room for my knees behind the fairing.
The bike is a bit top heavy but manageable.

Bad: Splines need to be greased periodically.
Good: Cheap if you learn to do it yourself.

There is a bit of wind buffeting around the helmet. I installed the electric adjustable windshield and there is still buffeting. If I lean forward and down just a little the buffeting will almost go away. I do use barbacks as I prefer the upright seating pasition but in doing so I may have contributed to the wind bufffetting.

The heat behind the full fairing on a warm day is unbearable. What ever the air temp is add five degrees to that when going down the road sitting behind the fairing. But wonderful in cool temps and or rain. The electric windshield was a great improvment but not enough for the hot days. I removed the lower fairing a few years ago and now I can ride in the summer almost comfortably. More room for my knees now too.

I have replaced the final drive and driveshaft. The water pump leaked and my pocket book weeped.

I have serviced the starter once. Cost $0.

Installed new rear master cylinder, pads, and rotor, rebuilt Rear caliper. Front brakes have only had fluid changes. Previous owner must have replaced pads.

Have had the forks apart to replace seals and a couple of small parts.

This winter I plan to grease or replace steering stem bearings, replace clutch and throttle cable (preventative). Two tires, battery, new rear shock. Check, adjust valves. Grease clutch splines. Inspect rubber parts and replace as neccessary. And hopefully I will be good for several more years of reliable riding. (only put a few thousand miles on each year.)

Not the most powerful of bikes but for the last five years has hauled two of us. Combined weight of riders = 310#.
Tires last ten to twenty thousand miles.

The greatest accessory for my K75 has been this forum. The collective and generous knowledge that exsist here never ceases to put a smile on my face. My bike has only been to the dealer once in ten years. I took it in the first year for a vlave adjustment. I attend class here most mornings while waking up with a cup of decaf Tea. (Slow process for me, both the waking up and the learning.) Your teaching and my willingness to learn has saved me thousands of dollars.

Your dedicated pupil,:heart
Mark from Maine

[Motor31]

I had one for about 14 years. I liked it and rode it without problems for many years. The heat was not an issue to me as I grew up and lived most of my life in Arizona. The heat on the K bike wasn't as bad as my old R100 was on my ankles.

There are a couple things to consider. The bike is almost bullet proof and IMO far more reliable than even the newer R1100 R1150's are. The weak spots are the drive splines (lube every 30k and drive on), the fuel pump (expensive if you buy a BMW pump at over $325) they do not like gasahol mixes and neither does the rubber fuel lines inside the tank. The electronics are expensive if you have a failure like the air sensor ($635 part only).

Those issues were why I finally traded my K75RT. I miss the bike as it was a fun ride unless you were 2 up, then it required planning and higher revs to manage a pass. Even with it's foibles I was far more confident about riding it long distances than my current R1150RT.

[zoridog]

The K75RT is a great bike.

The K100RT has been my 3 season tourer for 3 years and I have no plans on replacing it. I will NOT ride it in the summer ... even the gas tank gets hot. Once you get the bike in top shape, it will run a few hundred thousand miles. I met a guy at the MOA rally with over 700,000 miles on his K75. He bought it new and did his own maintenance. Paul Glaves put over 350K on his before a minivan flattened it out.

Airheads were made for summer riding.

[osbornk]

I had a 92 K75RT that replaced a K100RT. I bought a 86 R80RT 11 years ago as a companion to the K75RT. I didn't have a problem with heat on the K75 like I did with the K100. The problem I had with the K75 was the seat height. I have a 29" inseam and I was tippy toe with a Russell seat with the top heavy bike. Even with my 29" inseam, my knees came very close to the fairing lowers. The K75RT does EVERYTHING better than my R80RT. However, when it came time to sell one, I kept the R80RT and sold the K bike to a friend. After 8 years, the dependable and very smooth K75RT didn't grab my soul like the old airhead does. I think I chose to keep the R80RT because I had wanted a black airhead since a friend had one in college in 1970.

If you want a dependable, smooth and comfortable bike, it's hard to beat a K75RT.

Ken

[RUDYJO]

I bought a 1992 K75RT in april, my 1st bike in over 25 years. The heat has not
been a problem, It did seem top heavy for about 200 miles, now I don't notice
the weight of it. Iv'e changed the fuel filter, air filter, had the tank off, changed
the fork oil, lubed the rear splines, changed the spark plugs, everything has been
easy to get to and easy to do. I would recommend getting one. Make sure you
get either the haynes or Clymers book for it. Check out www.ibmwr.com and
check the K bikes section for mantinance ideas.

[PGlaves]

I know lots of folks that have toured three season (snow excepted) on K75RTs and love the bike. It can be warm when it is hot. But not bad really.

I do prefer my K75RT in fall winter and spring and my R1150R or even F650 when it is downright hot, but compared to heat off Airhead cylinders on the feet, Oilhead cylinders on the feet, a Honda ST1300, or even a K1100LT (very popular bike) the K75RT isn't bad at all.

[9842]

Hi
Thanks for the replys you guys.
I plan on buying the bike and things you guys mentioned are the same way i think. I do not plan on riding it in the summer so heat will not be a problem. I have 3 air heads for that. Last sunday I took a ride on my 73 toaster and froze my ass off. I want a full faring bike for fall, winter,spring riding. The owner says the maintence is up to date including the splines so I am looking forward to entering the K bike world.thanks for the info
Brian
9842

[PGlaves]

Hi
Thanks for the replys you guys.
I plan on buying the bike and things you guys mentioned are the same way i think. I do not plan on riding it in the summer so heat will not be a problem. I have 3 air heads for that. Last sunday I took a ride on my 73 toaster and froze my ass off. I want a full faring bike for fall, winter,spring riding. The owner says the maintence is up to date including the splines so I am looking forward to entering the K bike world.thanks for the info
Brian
9842

It will be perfect for that.

Lube the rear sline on the driveshaft next time you have the wheel off - tire change. Just remove the caliper and final drive. 6 Bolts 15 extra minutes. Peace of mind.