The bike is spoken for, thanks for the interest.
This is a unique bike.
If you're knowledgeable about the K75, you may know that the K75RS was a model BMW never made, but should have.
The RS trim falls somewhere between an S and an RT. It is a stiffer fairing than the S with better coverage (some find the S fairing flimsy) but not as old-man-huge as the fairing on the RT (sorry, RT riders). The bars are S bars, with a more sporty (yet still very comfortable) riding position. Some folks put the higher bars from the C model on to get the "master Yoda" riding position; I never found this to be necessary.
This bike started life as a K75 Standard. It was ridden on a couple cross-country tours in the 90s accumulating 25k miles, then stored in a heated garage till last year at which time I acquired it. I spent the summer and all winter overhauling it from stem to stern to bring it back to full life from storage.
Before I even pushed the starter button I removed and the fuel pump and carefully cleaned the tank of all the ethanol-melted rubber residue. The fuel pump, filter, and vibration damper had been replaced the prior year (at a BMW dealer, with genuine BMW parts) in preparation for sale, so they did not require replacement.
After changing the oil and carefully cleaning the fuel system, I set the choke and touched the starter and the bike purred to life as if it had run yesterday.
Although the bike rode flawlessly, I was not pleased with airflow management for sustained speed. An aftermarket windscreen caused too much buffeting, and naked there was simply too much pressure on the rider's chest above 60 MPH.
The K75S with the quarter fairing, while an excellent machine in it's own right, has a fairing that is 1) flexy and 2) just a tad small for a touring bike (though lots of folks do tour the wheels off of these). Likewise, the K75RT is perhaps just a bit too much coverage and I never loved it's looks.
Enter the RS.
I procured a K100RS donor bike. A test ride proved that 1) the K100 is buzzier than a nest of hornets in a turboprop and 2) the RS fairing was exactly what I wanted. Wind management was excellent, without buffeting, while enough air reaches the rider to ensure comfort on warmer days. Therefore, the RS trim on the turbine-smooth K75 would be a match made in heaven. Time to convert the K75 into a K75RS, and obtain motorcycling nirvana.
Almost all of the swap of K100RS bodywork onto the K75 is plug-and-play. The only custom adaptation that proved necessary was to graft a small portion of the wiring from the RS onto the K75, mainly due to the RS donor being an older bike.
This conversion has been done before, at least 3 times that I am aware of. The most well documented example is this one:
http://www.motorcycletours.com/k75rs.htm. Typically, the cost of this conversion is quite prohibitive, as one must replace practically every exterior part on the bike (including the fuel tank). This typically runs $2000-$3000 in parts alone (even with used parts), which doesn't include the initial cost of the bike. Probably why you don't see more of these. I was fortunate enough to acquire the donor bike complete, which included nearly all necessary parts for the conversion.
The outcome is everything I could have hoped for; an ultra-smooth, dead-reliable K75 touring bike with excellent wind management and all-day comfort. I've done a 750 mile day on this bike with ease.
Besides the conversion, I also addressed all maintenance needs. Though the bike had had excellent service (at dealers, with records) it had also been sitting for quite some time, so this was a good time to go through everything and make sure it was up to snuff. Here's a partial list of the items addressed:
- Oil & filter (should go without saying, but...)
- Replaced spark plugs
- Checked air filter (it was fine, though I do have a spare on hand)
- Change transmission oil (Mobil 1)
- Change final drive oil (Mobil 1)
- Check valve clearances (one intake valve at the tight end of spec, shimmed back to spec)
- Cleaned and lubed final drive splines
- Cleaned and lubed clutch splines with Honda Moly 60 (this one is no joke - the transmission has to be removed to accomplish it. Fortunately, it's a once-every-40k job so this will NOT need to be addressed again for quite some time. The splines are in excellent shape, I have pics somewhere)
- Changed fork oil (Honda 7wt)
Additionally, there were some small issues to be fixed. Most not really a big deal; I tend to be picky about my vehicles.
- Trip odometer reset was sticky, replaced the rollers with those from the K100. Works perfectly now.
- Speedometer/tach faceplates were warped (common on these, unfortunately). Replaced with used-but-flat faceplates.
- Load-shedding relay engaged while running (this cuts out the headlight/dash lights to shunt power to the starter). This is typically caused by either a bad load-shedding relay, or by buildup of crud on the starter armature. I believe in this case it was the latter, probably from sitting. I cleaned the armature and replaced the load shedding relay for good measure. No longer an issue.
- Replaced right-side fork seal with new BMW seal
- Replaced vacuum caps on throttle bodies
- Synced throttle bodies (I did this with a homemade gauge, I've got a professional gauge coming to make it even better)
- Replaced valve cover seals with new BMW parts (good idea while checking valves)
- Replaced the wind deflector (little black piece at top of windshield) on the RS fairing with a brand-new one (the original was missing)
Aside from the standard maintenance stuff, the bike also has some very desirable upgrades:
- Factory BMW heated grips (these work fantastically well, on both high and low). Really nice for those chilly mornings, but I also rode across eastern CO in February in summer gloves, and my hands were toasty. The RS fairing mirrors do a nice job of creating little pockets of still air for your hands, between that and the heated grips it's really quite lovely.
- Upgraded 50-amp alternator. Older K-bikes came with a 32-amp, by upgrading to the 50 you gain the ability to run virtually all the heated gear and auxiliary lighting you could want with no fear of running down your battery. I also replaced both of the sealed bearings in the 50-amp before installation.
- Ram progressive fork springs. These both smooth out the ride and reduce fork dive under braking. Also, the forks are the S forks which are arguably the best that came on the K75.
- Works Performance rear shock. Really settles the rear end. I had a rebuilt by Works this spring, it's ready for years of service.
- EBC front brake rotors & EBC HH pads. The stock rotors were warped, and these are a really nice upgrade. Brand new last summer, about 3k miles on them now. Bike stops better than any bike from the early 90s has a right to. Rear pads are also EBC.
- Fork boots. Nothing fancy here, but after I replaced the one fork seal (a dried bug had squeezed through it) I decided it was a worthwhile investment to protect the fork tubes from rocks and debris. Looks really nice too, IMO.
- Corbin seat. The stock BMW seats are apparently torture devices. This corbin has some of the vinyl worn away, but the cover isn't actually torn and the foam is intact. I had an Airhawk over it, so never really noticed, but I suppose you could re-cover it at some point to make it pretty.
- BMW bar risers (up-and-back). These move the bars to what I feel is the perfect position for long-distance comfort in a slightly-forward stance.
- RAM mount on handlebars. Works with the RAM system of accessories for mounting a phone or GPS.
- Auxiliary brake / tail light with flasher. This is an LED brake/tail light, mounted to the rear fender below the license plate. It is wired to the brake light with a flasher safety relay. When the brake light is first lit, the LED light will flash 3 times fast, then 3 times slow, then go to steady on. I have it wired strictly for brake (it doesn't light up as a tail light) for better contrast when it flashes. It's an excellent attention-getter in traffic. The factory rear brake light functions as normal, without the flashing. I did rig up the wiring such that it can also function as a tail light by simply switching two spade terminals in the brake housing. I've had a setup like this on all of my bikes, it's a really nice way to go.
- Stainless brake lines (front). Firms up the brakes even more.
The only remaining upgrade that I would do if I were keeping it would be a set of aux driving lights, both for lighting and traffic visibility. With that 50-amp alternator, you can run just about whatever you want in this regard.
A word about the mileage. The bike has just shy of 29k miles (may go up, I'm still riding it). I bought it with 24.5k. This is insanely low for a K75, it is getting very hard to find them like this. These bikes are the most reliable BMW ever produced. There are many examples currently on the road with well over 100k on them, and of course there's Paul Glaves (Google him) who had one with well over 300k before it was taken out by a van. Aside from things like lubing the splines every 40k and maybe wheel bearings around 90k, these just don't wear out. They also do not have the final drive problems that plague later BMWs.
What it will need in the future:
- Tires. The tires are old, and starting to cup. You can probably squeeze a couple thousand out of them, but with new ones being so inexpensive it's really better to just replace them. I can do the change if you provide new ones.
- Coolant flush. Cheap and easy, haven't gotten around to it.
- Paint. The K75 which makes up the core of the bike is a low-mile bike, but the K100 donor had 67k and it shows in scratches and rock chips on the fairing. It was also painted at some point, and not professionally - you can see some drips if you look close, and the paint around the filler cap is damaged by gasoline. From 10 feet back it looks great, but up close you can see imperfections. The tank itself is perfect, dent free and no corrosion. A good professional paint job would be in order, IF you care about such things. It's far from ugly as-is though.
- New roundels. OK, so this is nitpicky, but the roundels are worn and a new set would just make the bike look fantastic.
Bottom line - this is a fantastic bike, set up right and ready to tour. I would ride it to either coast or Alaska tomorrow, without hesitation. BMWs can be fiddly and expensive to own; this one isn't. It's reliable as a hammer and dirt cheap to maintain. I'm asking what it's worth, given the rare nature of the RS conversion, the excellent mechanical condition, the fact that all major maintenance is up to date, the fully upgraded suspension, brakes, and alternator and so on, and the hundred+ hours I have put into it. You will not find another like it.
Why I'm selling: I've always wanted a boxer, and I'm looking to pick up an R1100RT. My wife and I have several long tours planned this summer, and the larger bike makes more sense. The K75RS is not an unreasonable 2-up mount, mind you, and it does make sufficient (though not mindblowing) power but I think the 1100 will be better for our purposes.
I will take $3900. Will consider trades for an RS or RT boxer 1100 or 1150, with or without cash on one side or the other.
Delivery can be arranged - possibly a state or two away), otherwise come to Bozeman and ride it home. I can pick you up at the Bozeman or Billings airport for a fly-and-ride.
And now, the pics:
