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[QUOTE=SheRidesABeemer;681712]has your SO ridden a K75 yet? Does she have the inseam for it?It's a top heavy bike.[/QUOTE]
Ridden one? No. Sat on many? Yes. I've briefed her on the K75's ergos, its top heavy nature, and slightly different riding position than what she's used to. She's still game though so I keep looking.
[QUOTE=ljjohns;681710]Spanky:
Have you checked out the flea market? Currently, there are 10 K75's listed there (though none in Colorado). You'll get, I think, a better picture of what is out there and what folks are asking when you do.
Larry Johnson
El Paso, TX
"A bunch of BMW-K's"[/QUOTE]
Thanks for the reminder! You know, the flea market isn't connected to the forums so I rearely go there. I toured it for a while this morning and saw Ace's bike (nice but too far away) and a couple of other prospects.
A k75 is going to be a much different machine than her XJ700. I have an XJ550 Seca and my son has an XJ 700 Maxim. When I bought my K75 four years ago, I wasn't sure I had made a good decision. That seat is way up there when you have a 32" inseam. I slid the front forks and put a short shock on back and I can just flat foot it now, but it can still be tough to back it up on anything but a smooth, level surface. As I get older, that seat gets harder to swing a leg over. I will probably catch flack for this, but the Yamahas are an easier bike to ride. The clutch and shifting are smoother, the seating position is different, and they just feel more nimble [ they should since they are smaller machines]. Around town my 550 feels much better. But Dayum, on the road that K does feel good. So much smooth power and a very stable ride. An S model will be much different than her 700 with its lower , narrower handlebars. I have to have the upright position, so I have a C model that I changed the headlight on and installed a Plexifairing windshield. Makes for a nice, comfortable ride.
If possible, have her ride a K75[might be hard to find someone willing to loan one out]. That initial feeling of being top heavy and tall is always there, you just learn to live with it. Slow speed tipovers are not uncommon.
Just my 2 cents worth. All you Brick lovers, don't rag on me too much. I have my brick. I like it . I enjoy it, but BMW could have made the K75 better instead of just dropping it. A semi-cruiser type would have been nice. Just a little bit longer, seat and fuel tank lower, footpegs a little lower and further forward.
:bikes
[QUOTE=MWIECK;682018]A k75 is going to be a much different machine than her XJ700. I have an XJ550 Seca and my son has an XJ 700 Maxim. When I bought my K75 four years ago, I wasn't sure I had made a good decision. That seat is way up there when you have a 32" inseam. I slid the front forks and put a short shock on back and I can just flat foot it now, but it can still be tough to back it up on anything but a smooth, level surface. As I get older, that seat gets harder to swing a leg over. I will probably catch flack for this, but the Yamahas are an easier bike to ride. The clutch and shifting are smoother, the seating position is different, and they just feel more nimble [ they should since they are smaller machines]. Around town my 550 feels much better. But Dayum, on the road that K does feel good. So much smooth power and a very stable ride. An S model will be much different than her 700 with its lower , narrower handlebars. I have to have the upright position, so I have a C model that I changed the headlight on and installed a Plexifairing windshield. Makes for a nice, comfortable ride.
If possible, have her ride a K75[might be hard to find someone willing to loan one out]. That initial feeling of being top heavy and tall is always there, you just learn to live with it. Slow speed tipovers are not uncommon.
Just my 2 cents worth. All you Brick lovers, don't rag on me too much. I have my brick. I like it . I enjoy it, but BMW could have made the K75 better instead of just dropping it. A semi-cruiser type would have been nice. Just a little bit longer, seat and fuel tank lower, footpegs a little lower and further forward.
:bikes[/QUOTE]
I really, really, really appreciate this feedback. I've told my SO pretty much the same thing but after having ridden on the backs of my RT, my K1200RS, and K1200S she's completely in love with BMW's and nothing else will suffice. Trust me, I've tried to sway her to other manufacturer's but she won't have anything to do with them. Heck, she even turns up her nose at the F800ST (over my budget anyway)because it doesn't have shaft drive.
I'm with you regarding the Yamahas. The 550 was a little screamer and the XJ700 runs and shifts well, if it had a larger fuel tank we wouldn't be having this discussion.
She has sat on several K75's and even a K1100 and while she can't flat foot them she has the balls of her feet firmly on the ground and in control of the bike. Of course, once the bike gets under way everything changes and that's the problem - how to get her a test ride when the possibility of a standing still or low speed/parking lot tipover is a possibility?
This brings me to my current choices one of which is a very pristine '92 S model. This thing is immaculate and it would break both our hearts to see it smack the asphalt but what can you do? :banghead
I'm going to copy and paste your comments into an email so she can read and better understand someone else's point of view.
[QUOTE=spanky;682062]I really, really, really appreciate this feedback. I've told my SO pretty much the same thing but after having ridden on the backs of my RT, my K1200RS, and K1200S she's completely in love with BMW's and nothing else will suffice. Trust me, I've tried to sway her to other manufacturer's but she won't have anything to do with them. Heck, she even turns up her nose at the F800ST (over my budget anyway)because it doesn't have shaft drive.
I'm with you regarding the Yamahas. The 550 was a little screamer and the XJ700 runs and shifts well, if it had a larger fuel tank we wouldn't be having this discussion.
She has sat on several K75's and even a K1100 and while she can't flat foot them she has the balls of her feet firmly on the ground and in control of the bike. Of course, once the bike gets under way everything changes and that's the problem - how to get her a test ride when the possibility of a standing still or low speed/parking lot tipover is a possibility?
This brings me to my current choices one of which is a very pristine '92 S model. This thing is immaculate and it would break both our hearts to see it smack the asphalt but what can you do? :banghead
I'm going to copy and paste your comments into an email so she can read and better understand someone else's point of view.[/QUOTE]
K75 nomenclature can be confusing. There are of course the K75S and K75RT bikes that are easy. Then there are the K75/3 and others, etc.
My advice would be to try to find a low seat standard model. Then put any of several windshields on it depending on how much she wants/is used to.
The low seat will be an advantage, and in the event it gets dropped there is little plastic to get damaged.
At the moment our K75 fleet includes several, and we have had at least 4 others too, so we have quite a bit of experience with them.
At the moment:
1987 S
1991 S
1994 Low seat standard
1995 Low seat standard
1995 RTP
The K75 standard that was made from 1989-1995 came with a low seat, and a good chunk of them with ABS as well. It also has a disk rear brake and the beefier spline material. You might have her try that, I am not inseam-blessed and the low seat was actually too low for me.
[IMG]http://www.verrill.com/moto/bmwchron/k75.gif[/IMG]
The last year of the K75C, 1988, it was available as a special edition white with low seat, but those are quite rare. You'll want a bike with hard cases, and if you plan on running lots of lights and heated gear find a '93 to '95 with the upgraded electrics (you can check just by pulling off the right battery cover and peeking at the alternator - the good 50Amp one will have a label that says so.)
Another added few bonuses of the K75 standard are the more upright riding posture with the RT bars, and the wide variety of aftermarket windscreens that will bolt on to the naked front.
As for ABS, I *heartily* recommend it - there are really two camps on it, but for non-expert riders it really is a blessing.
[QUOTE=spanky;681818]Ridden one? No. Sat on many? Yes. I've briefed her on the K75's ergos, its top heavy nature, and slightly different riding position than what she's used to. She's still game though so I keep looking.[/QUOTE]
I can't count the number of people at rallies or other BMW gatherings who have asked to sit on my wife's K75. Most of them women but some inseam challenged men as well. Over the last couple years, we've considered replacing it with a newer motorcycle but she hasn't found anything she likes better than her K bike. I can't complain, it's been the most reliable bike we've ever owned.
[IMG]http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n163/flat_twin/100_0577.jpg[/IMG]
Spanky,
Saw your comment regarding my bike.
How far away is too far ?
It's been over 1 1/2 years since I entered a post to this thread and since I finally found a bike for the SO I thought I'd pop in with a pic and a story.
The fact is we never found a K75 we felt wouldn't set us back more $$ in maintenance after the sale on top of already inflated prices.
I kept looking for a reasonable alternative and found an option at a northern CO BMW dealer. We rode up to check out a nice Triumph Sprint but the SO thought its riding position was too aggressive. I looked around their lot and spied a nice R1100R sitting between some large BMW's.
I test rode it and loved it. She took it out and loved it. She can flat foot it in the lowest seating position, it came with factory luggage, and has been well maintained. The dealer gave me what I wanted for our trade, I paid him the rest on the spot and she rode this little beauty home:
[IMG]http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d61/rabalais/Debnbike003.jpg[/IMG]
[QUOTE=spanky;840633]It's been over 1 1/2 years since I entered a post to this thread and since I finally found a bike for the SO I thought I'd pop in with a pic and a story.
The fact is we never found a K75 we felt wouldn't set us back more $$ in maintenance after the sale on top of already inflated prices.
I kept looking for a reasonable alternative and found an option at a northern CO BMW dealer. We rode up to check out a nice Triumph Sprint but the SO thought its riding position was too aggressive. I looked around their lot and spied a nice R1100R sitting between some large BMW's.
I test rode it and loved it. She took it out and loved it. She can flat foot it in the lowest seating position, it came with factory luggage, and has been well maintained. The dealer gave me what I wanted for our trade, I paid him the rest on the spot and she rode this little beauty home:
[IMG]http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d61/rabalais/Debnbike003.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE]
That's funny. I mentioned our 4 K75s. But I also have an R1150R. If you'd asked about them ...
VERY pretty bike! I like the k75s, but there is something about that boxer twin..:bow:bow
[QUOTE=PGlaves;840653]That's funny. I mentioned our 4 K75s. But I also have an R1150R. If you'd asked about them ...[/QUOTE]
Paul,
I have a 1150RT and consider myself semi-knowledgeable about the boxers. I've always admired the roadster's and when I saw this one I was hoping it would work for my SO. It did and the rest is history. The funny thing is that I love riding it as much as she does because it seems so sporty in a way that's different than my
K1200S.
One thing about the R1100 that's surfaced is that it tends to hang up into a false neutral when shifting from 1st to 2nd unless the rider preloads the shifter. Perhaps I should post about that in the R bikes forum.
>>Mileage on the '87 COULD be suspect.<<
Possibly, but not necessarily. I bought a '92 K75 "Standard" last spring with a mere 9200 miles on the clock since new. (have records to prove) And yes, although it had few miles on it I had a complete spline lube job done. Since it had done more sitting than riding I thought it best. Now, I'll never have to do it again! :)