RT bits on a RS?

[TarmacSurfer]

Greetings all - I recently picked up a "new" '85 k100RS which I'm greatly enjoying (been riding about 15 years, this is my first BMW though). I'm a chronic tinkerer with bikes and cars (and just about everything else!) and I'm thinking I'd like to set up this bike to be more "tour" with a side of "sport" where right now it seems to be more "sport" with side of "tour".  I'm considering the slightly taller RT windscreen, Corbin seat and RT saddlebags / tragkorbs and top case as well as adding heated grips.  A few (perhaps ignorant) questions that I didn't see in my search results:

1. Is it safe to assume that the various flavors of k75 / k100 are basically interchangeable parts-wise? It would make sense for the factory to be set up this way and have various option packages essentially bolt-on but it's worth asking...

2. What's involved with converting the RS "mini" screen to the taller RT one? Seems to me the panel in front of the cluster needs to get swapped out as well as the screen itself, plus the screen itself. Anything else?

3. Are the saddlebags adaptable between models? They seem to have the same mountings but again, figure it's worth asking before spending money on something that "might" fit.

Thanks all!

[johnny]

greetings tarmacsurfer...

welcome to the world famous motobrick.com...

be advised that the 85 and older are very diferent than the 86 and newer...

just say no to corbin... id be looking for a russell daylong seat... 85 and older as the 86 and newer wont fit...

getts you the iconic 22 liter top box on there and some gen3 system cases on there and a multivario tank bag on there...

doo your doo dillergence cause not all are interchangerable...

you need that bolt on parabellim rs windscreen like jumpin jimmy b has on his fine rs...

http://parabellum.com/K100RS-K1100RS-Windshield-System-P6.aspx

j o

 

[The Mighty Gryphon]

TarmacSurfDude,  To help you in your doo dillergence I would suggest that you get familiar with the parts fiche lieberry at Max BMW.  By checking for identical part numbers it is possible to tell if a particular part is used across several models and model years.  There are many parts that are interchangeable between the K100, K75  and the K1100 so don't limit your searches to just the K100.

Here is the fiche for your brick as a starting point  Click on "Change Model" to see parts lists for other bikes.

http://www.maxbmwmotorcycles.com/fiche/DiagramsMain.aspx?vid=51752&rnd=07012015

Open it in one window and then open the fiche for another model in a separate window.  Then you can compare part numbers.

As far as a seat, there is none better than the Russell Day Long.  It makes riding like lounging in a Laz-E-Boy.  Next best is the comfort seat that you will often see on the LT and RT models.  I would avoid the Corbin.  They look real pretty, but the one I had was worse than the stock bench seat.  It was excruciating after only a half hour. 

+1 on the Parabellum shield.  I have one of them on my RT and for it's size it does a nice job.  The one for the RS looks like it was original equipment, and I am pretty sure it will give you good protection.

Saddlebags, or tragkorbs as they are more often referred to should be interchangeable between all the K bikes.  As Johnny said, the Gen 3 cases are the best as the locks face outward, and they seem to be a tad larger than the earlier models.  Also, look at the 22l top case and a tank bag.  I would use the fiches to confirm that the mounting bars are the same for all models.  I do know that Gen 2 and Gen 3 are interchangeable between 90's k75 and K100 models.  The 22l top case is also interchangeable.  There are ways to modify the locks so they are all keyed the same as your ignition.  Look in the lieberry here for the thread on keying alike.

Beyond seat, shield and tragkorbs the only other mods I would add is a manual fan switch, LED driving/conspicuity lights, and a bunch of ScotchLite reflective material on the back end.  Depending on how much you want to get off the beaten path you may or may not want to add a GPS as well. 

eBay is an excellent source for the stuff you need as is Craig's list.  There are search engines that will search all of the Craig's list entries in North America.  It's how I found My Russell seat.  Do a Google for "all of Craig's List".  You might want to post photos of your bike here as well as where you are located.  It will help the members help you.

[rbm]

TarmacSurfDude,  To help you in your doo dillergence I would suggest that you get familiar with the parts fiche lieberry at Max BMW.  By checking for identical part numbers it is possible to tell if a particular part is used across several models and model years.  There are many parts that are interchangeable between the K100, K75  and the K1100 so don't limit your searches to just the K100. ...   Open it in one window and then open the fiche for another model in a separate window.  Then you can compare part numbers.

Another way to compare parts interchangeability is to use the part number search feature of RealOEM.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/select

If you know the part number, type it into the search box provided and the part detail result page will show each BMW model across the range that uses that particular part number.  Clicking on one of the results will bring you to that model's part diagram.  You can get to the same place by looking up your bike and finding the part diagrams for it.  Locate the correct part and clicking on it's link will bring you to the part detail page which shows where that part is used across the entire BMW model range.

[TarmacSurfer]

Great stuff here - thanks fellas. That parabellum windscreen looks pretty slick, I'm thinking that might be the first upgrade.  The Russell Day Long seats look unbelievable - super nice but also extremely expensive (and I don't see the k75 / k100 as listed "stock" offerings meaning I'll probably get whacked for a "custom" premium too...)  Still, probably worth it long term.  I figure I'll swap the bars to RT type to adopt a more upright riding posture also (the slightly-forward posture is natural coming from my venerable Suzuki Katana sport cruiser but I want to be comfortable for 100+ mile trips, the slight forward leaning position does get annoying after an hour or so).

I don't understand the recommendation to add a manual fan switch - what does that accomplish? Does the standard fan not come on often enough / do these bikes tend to run hot? I've not read (to date) that being a concern but if it is, good to know.  Max BMW is fairly close by and I can always head over there for odds and ends (the microfiche resource is great BTW!), I just find them to fall into the "too expensive to rely on for everything" camp.

There's some great stuff on this site - thanks for the replies and good advice. Now I need to dig into the splines while this horrid weather passes!

[F14CRAZY]

For some people Corbin seats work and for others they don't. My bike had one and it didn't work for me...felt like straddling a 6'' pipe after an hour. My thighs would be sore after being off the bike for a couple weeks. I picked up a used Russell from Mike (mw074) and that solved all my problems. I think he still has them (or at least one) available so you might try shooting him a private message.

In my opinion the fan switch isn't totally necessary but the K fans usually go bad from a lack of use. Having a manual switch makes it easy to kick it on once in a while. I've sat in traffic on hot summer days and with a working fan they don't have an issue staying cool. With a bad fan things can get bad. Otherwise you can reach up under there and spin the fan once in a while or let the bike idle long enough and it'll kick on.

[johnny]

rt and lt bars on a rs dont work in this motobrickers opinion... the rs is supposed to be lean forward... just needs to dial in the bars and the master yoda riding position before abandoning the rs concept...

f you wanna sit up straight you need to stop with this moto and getts you a rt or lt...

[TarmacSurfer]

Interesting... Different frame geometry then? Maybe it's not that big of a deal - I do like the RS and can probably live with the slight forward lean (trade off for better handling in the curves). Maybe it's a non-issue - I have to take the bike on a good long trip and see if it's an issue I guess! :)

[K1300S]

Frame is same.  I think johnny's point is that the rs is supposed to be a sports car.  Don't try to make it an suv.  If you want an suv, get an suv..

[F14CRAZY]

Frame is same.  I think johnny's point is that the rs is supposed to be a sports car.  Don't try to make it an suv.  If you want an suv, get an suv..

Why not?

[TarmacSurfer]

Makes sense - I just want it to serve a bit better as a tourer / long-distance cruiser / commuter than a "sport cruiser" like I've been riding.  Most of the reviews I read prior to buying the RS indicated that these bikes serve well in that capacity so maybe I'm overstating the need for a more upright posture without giving the RS a chance to really prove itself as an all-purpose bike.  I think a few more jaunts out on it will be the judge but a roughly one-hour ride last week left me feeling a lot less in the forearms and shoulder than the bike I've been on up to now.  For now I'll focus on the splines, windscreen, heated grips and maybe seat (if I can convince myself to cough up a few hundred for that), and saddlebags / top case.  With all that sorted out I bet it takes me just about anywhere I want to go, but time will tell...

[Laitch]

I'm uncertain that you picked up on johnny's "master yoda" reference, TarmacSurfer, so here's a link to it.

[F14CRAZY]

Well you body does have to get used to the bike and riding position

[The Mighty Gryphon]

I have found that the ergonomics of the K bikes is near perfect for me(I haven't had the opportunity to ride any of the other BMW models).  I am 6' and have some back issues yet can do up to 10-12 hours a day on my bricks(RT, RS and S models).   

If you have the base model bench seat, I would say that is the biggest impediment to long distance use of your bike.  The LT or RT comfort seat is an easy upgrade as they use the same mountings as the standard seat.  I had a seat made by Corbin for BMW on my S model and it was horrible.  Replaced with an K1100LT seat, and life is wonderful now. 

The Russell seat will come up from time to time on eBay and Craig's list.  What I would do is get a good RT or LT seat on eBay first.  They are out there in pretty good numbers and can be had for well under $200.  I would ride with that seat while keeping a close watch on eBay and Craig's List for a Russell.  Use one of the Craig's List search engines that searches all of North America.  I found mine on a Baltimore listing for $150 + $20 for shipping.  They are out there for reasonable money.  You just have to be diligent and patient(took me about a year to get mine).   Heck, you may just find that the comfort seat is all you need.

I can't say if it's really necessary, but it's nice to be able to turn on the fan as soon as you hit a traffic jam on a hot day and know that the engine will stay pretty close to normal operating temperature while you inch along rather than having the temperature cycle between 220 and 185 F.

I have the 16" Parabellum on my RT and like it a lot.  It does throw a little turbulence at the top of my helmet, but I wear ear plugs, and the trade off is that the screen is easy to look over which is very nice at night.