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| CefaluJoined: 20 Oct 2010Posts: 3 |  Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 3:11 pm Post subject: Decisions!! K75, K100, K1100 |  | | Damn! I like em all and I can't decide! I currently own a Vespa (Dont laugh!!!) which I bought brand new four years ago. I have been using it for commuting and travel within San Francisco pretty much daily. I have driven it on the freeway, but only do so as a last resort. But I have gotten a serious bug for something bigger, and the K75/K100/K1100 bikes seem to be the ticket for me. I would like a bike I can use for overnight trips with the wife to Napa, Big Sur etc., so saddlebags and storage is a must. I have located a 1996 K1100 RS for $4,000 with a little over 20,000 miles. The price seems fair provided it all checks out. But I also really like the K75s and the K100, which seem a little smaller and have less power, but possibly easier to operate. But I don't understand why the K1100's seem so cheap relative to the K75s and K100? I see nice unmolested low mile K75/100's go for around $3,000 and the K1100 is just $1,000 more. Is there an explanation? Since I already own a Vespa that I drive the crap out of around SF, I probably won't start a collection of K bikes to suit different driving environments, so for now, it's just one K bike. Although the though has been creeping into my head to sell the Vespa and use a K75 for solo driving around the city and a K1100 for trips outside the city. Can anyone see a reason that a K1100 GS wouldn't suit my circumstances? | |
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Flying DuckPsyKotic Waterfowl Joined: 27 Jan 2005Posts: 10101Location: Bumf***, WA | | Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 3:54 pm Post subject: | | | I've owned them all. If you're going to be riding 2-up then you want to get a K100RS4V or a K1100RS. If for nothing else, the brakes. The brakes on K75s/K100s are adequate but when you really need to stop you'll want a 4 valve K bike. That's why I built myself a K75 with a 4 valve front end. And I only ride 1-up. Then there's the power and the radial tires._________________93 LT (x2) 94 RS 86-97 K75F(K75/100/1100 Frankenbrick) 86 K75C w/paralever, hi perf cams,TURBO! 91 & 92 K75Ss 91 K1 86 custom K100 14 WR250R IBA #17739 (SS1K, BBG, 50CC) Buy parts HERE | |
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TedSite Admin Joined: 03 Apr 2003Posts: 1117Location: Further | | Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 4:37 pm Post subject: | | I've owned both, and for different reasons. I bought my K75S, my first BMW, right out of grad school because I wanted to explore and I wanted a sporty, bulletproof bike with integrated bags and fuel injection. I owned it for three years and put about 50k on it, riding it from Canada to Florida and all points in-between. It did everything I wanted it to do but I wanted ABS brakes, wanted more grunt and power, and wanted a better suspension. Enter the K11RS, it did all that and more (especially the 70mph roll-on WOWOW, see ya later!) at the expense of being a bit heavier and a bit less nimble. I am not a racer boy and don't pretend to be - the extra power was awesome (especially passing trucks uphill or doing extended highway riding in the left lane) and to be honest outside of duckwalking the bike in parking lots I never really noticed the extra weight and outside of Deal's Gap never really noticed the loos of nimbleness - if anything the K11 liked to pick a good line and would confidently stick to it like it was on rails. I put about 45k on that K11, and then I wrecked it and was off bikes for a while. I wanted to start back with the newer, smaller, and more nimble bikes and looked for a nice F650GS. After test-riding a few and walking away with numb hands after only 10 minutes I gave up and just started looking for a K75 again. A K75RT that fit literally every "look for" I have in my "How to Buy a Used K-Bike" showed up at lunch one day with friends and I couldn't say no. No kidding, the owner had every single receipt from 4.5k to 49k, all services done on time and at a dealer. I put about 7k on it this year and couldn't be happier. Except cruising at 70mph where I keep looking for the next gear, and of course passing trucks up hill. I am very happy with the K75RT but if someone were to say I would never own another K11RS they would surely be a liar  _________________ Ted KOG#1 | |
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| CefaluJoined: 20 Oct 2010Posts: 3 | | Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 6:02 pm Post subject: | | | Thanks for the comments, but I don't really understand why the K11's seem so undervalued relative to the K75/K100's. I feel like I am looking at something that's too good to be true, so I am leery. The K11's seem like a lot of bike for the buck by comparison to the K75/100's. Usually when you see this kind of pricing disparity between newer and older models it's because there are bad reliability or design issues at play like the post 123 series MBZ diesels, which turned out to have less than robust engines. I am just hoping there is nothing like that at play here with the K11's. i don't want to Ted, I went all through your website, and you have done a remarkable job. I have owned and wrenched on many Alfas, Porsches, BMW's and Mercedes and I have not seen anyone's website that is as comprehensive as yours. Thanks, and great job. sorry about your K11 being wrecked, glad to hear you made it back. | |
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| Flying DuckPsyKotic WaterfowlJoined: 27 Jan 2005Posts: 10101Location: Bumf***, WA | | Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 6:10 pm Post subject: | | | There's nothing wrong with K1100s. If you look around you'll see that early K1200RSs are going for $5k - and that's from dealers who took them as trade-ins. Over the past few years K75s have actually gone up a bit because they have quite a following. If I could only keep one of my Ks it would be the K1100RS. K1100s are one of the last beemers where an owner can do all of the maintenance._________________93 LT (x2) 94 RS 86-97 K75F(K75/100/1100 Frankenbrick) 86 K75C w/paralever, hi perf cams,TURBO! 91 & 92 K75Ss 91 K1 86 custom K100 14 WR250R IBA #17739 (SS1K, BBG, 50CC) Buy parts HERE | |
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| TedSite AdminJoined: 03 Apr 2003Posts: 1117Location: Further | | Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 7:08 pm Post subject: | | | Good question about the disparity in price. If I had to guess why the K75 bikes sell for similar prices I would guess it has something to do with there being kind of a floor for these bikes of around $3,000. Generally you won't find the K75 or K100 bikes below that, usually between $3k and $4k (often regardless of condition!) The K11 bikes generally go between $3.5k and $5k, and again as mentioned, the K12RS and LT bikes are now depressed with the arrivals of the new style K12 and K13 bikes to the $4.5 to $6.5k range._________________ Ted KOG#1 | |
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| ackgsJoined: 07 Aug 2010Posts: 15Location: S.E. Mass | | Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 7:24 pm Post subject: | | | I'm kind of hot to get a K1100RS but I am not going get rid of the S to do it. Need to get rid of the GS. I would agree that the K1100 prices are very tempting. I am suprised by the low prices of K bikes newer than the K1100s but I live too far from a BMW dealer to be tempted. I would agree with duck in that the K 1100 is one of the last real user servicable BMW. My '99 GS is not too large a problem but I seem to have NO desire to wrench on it with the exception of a couple of things. So that one has always gone to a dealer. | |
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| ljjohnsFlying Brick RiderJoined: 21 Oct 2006Posts: 263Location: El Paso | | Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 9:10 pm Post subject: | | | FWIW: I've been playing around the K-bike series for a while. When I could afford it, I started out with a K11LT, jumped to a K12LT, then found a K75RT, and now I have the K12 and the K75 and two K11's, one in Washington and one here; I also have another K11 as a "lab bike." The K11 seems to be the most flexible and adaptable; I hate hauling the K12 out unless I'm going to do a multi-day ride; the K75 is great for the local riding I do. But somehow the K11 seems to fit right in the Goldilocks middle. Larry_________________1993 K1100LT (Washington) 1995 K1100LTSE 1996 K1100LTSE (parts) 2003 K1200LTC 1991 K75RT | |
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GeoffFlying Brick Rider Joined: 08 Feb 2007Posts: 551Location: Illinois | | Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2010 2:04 pm Post subject: | | | I believe the disparity in price is because they are more K11s available than K75s._________________2000 R1100RT 2008 H-D Electra Glide Ultra Classic | |
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| Flying DuckPsyKotic WaterfowlJoined: 27 Jan 2005Posts: 10101Location: Bumf***, WA | | Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2010 2:31 pm Post subject: | | | Geoff wrote: | | I believe the disparity in price is because they are more K11s available than K75s. |
It's just one data point but I see more K75s and K100s on the local Craig's List than I do K1100s. Total production numbers: K75: 74,885 K100: 84,909 K100RS4V: 12,666 K1: 6,921 K1100: 34,936_________________93 LT (x2) 94 RS 86-97 K75F(K75/100/1100 Frankenbrick) 86 K75C w/paralever, hi perf cams,TURBO! 91 & 92 K75Ss 91 K1 86 custom K100 14 WR250R IBA #17739 (SS1K, BBG, 50CC) Buy parts HERE | |
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Bob TMad Brick Rider Joined: 11 Oct 2010Posts: 120Location: Carol Stream, IL | | Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2010 2:53 pm Post subject: | | | Flying Duck wrote: | | Geoff wrote: | | I believe the disparity in price is because they are more K11s available than K75s. |
It's just one data point but I see more K75s and K100s on the local Craig's List than I do K1100s. |
Chicago CL and eBay also... I was keeping my eyes open for an 1100RS for most of the year..._________________Bob T. '96 K1100RS '95 K1100RS - Totaled '01 Triumph TT600 '83 Suzuki GS1100E | |
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| CefaluJoined: 20 Oct 2010Posts: 3 | | Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2010 4:45 pm Post subject: | | | Here in the SF Bay Area, there usually seems to be for sale some nice K75's , some junky K75/K100's, lots of reasonably priced nice K11's and K12's. So I guess it's a regional thing. CA has great weather so we have a pretty good selection of bikes here. I guess that's lucky for me. I do like the nimbleness of the K75/100's, but I think the K11's are a great all around bike and value. That is provided the K11's are comparable in reliability to the older K's. Which seems to be the case. | |
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| tibbeFlying Brick RiderJoined: 14 Jul 2003Posts: 190Location: Lulea Sweden | | Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 9:41 am Post subject: | | Hi You where looking for a K??GS, make a google seach for K75GS and you will find both running bikes and instructions how to make your own. IMHO the K11 94- has a some significant improvments compared to pre 94 as ABS II better fork and final drive. The K11LT are top heavy but has a good handling even at low speed and the engine are a joy with a lot of lowrew torque. Learned the trick at realy low speed handling to use 1'st gear, break the engine under idle and if I needed to rise it let get of the break and it will rew up to idel and rise the bike. Have acc from 25mph in 5'th gear, first with only a litle gas and by 1000rpm full gas no problem. You can ride an LT on gravel with the wide bar and flat torque but the top heavy bike needs planning of path and the suspension has limited stroke. It's a "challange" in deep sand  | |
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| merlin geikieFlying Brick RiderJoined: 26 Dec 2008Posts: 343Location: Lismore far north coast nsw australia | | Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 10:23 am Post subject: Howdy Tibbe | | Tibbe writes; | Quote: | | It's a "challange" in deep sand |
Yeah I bet.... How would you rate the 94LT versus the 97RS (or equivalent) as a general allround machine? Have you got snow yet? All the very best | |
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| Flying DuckPsyKotic WaterfowlJoined: 27 Jan 2005Posts: 10101Location: Bumf***, WA | | Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 9:51 pm Post subject: | | | They're both top heavy sport touring bikes that suck in stuff like gravel and sand. I've got both ABS I and ABS II. I prefer the ABS and wish I had a 93 RS instead of a 94. The ABS II gives more "false positives" (lets the rear brake go when it shouldn't) and ABS I makes spline lubes much easier. What is supposedly better about later final drives? I met a guy with 218k and still going strong on a 93 LT - original FD, no issues._________________93 LT (x2) 94 RS 86-97 K75F(K75/100/1100 Frankenbrick) 86 K75C w/paralever, hi perf cams,TURBO! 91 & 92 K75Ss 91 K1 86 custom K100 14 WR250R IBA #17739 (SS1K, BBG, 50CC) Buy parts HERE | |
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| tibbeFlying Brick RiderJoined: 14 Jul 2003Posts: 190Location: Lulea Sweden | | Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 3:00 am Post subject: Re: Howdy Tibbe | | | merlin geikie wrote: | Tibbe writes; | Quote: | | It's a "challange" in deep sand |
Yeah I bet.... How would you rate the 94LT versus the 97RS (or equivalent) as a general allround machine? Have you got snow yet? All the very best |
IMHO as I'm doing a lot of touring I prefere the LT and on gravel it has the disadvantage to be top heavy. On the pro the LT has wider bar than the RS giving better control in low very speed specially in sand but the width of the bar doesn't matter that much on gravel at medium and up speed as you control the bike with bodyweight. I have a R100RS -76 that I rode for 120kmls on varius roads, it's feels manuvreble than the LT on gravel as it's lighter but on the other hand it has limited break capacity and therefore I hold down the speed. Has a Krausser 4V engine with mikuni 41 flatslide on that bike giviing a flat and sufficently power to have fun with We had snow last week, now it's gone but it's a bit to chilly to ride, below zero in night and sometimes above freezing point at day. More time for skating and later snowmobile and skiing ( prefere downhill ) | |
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