85 K100RT

[frogy]

I have been in the background (lurking) since I found your site.Its a great site by the way (sucking up).
I have been planning to purchase an older K and turn it into a "Naked" with the help of my kids (dontcha just love child labor).I am looking at an 85K100RT with only 15000 miles.Yes I know, not enough miles for a bike that age but the speedo does work and it has been riden every year but not far each time.I know I will have to replace the vacuume hoses and other rubber what-nots.My big worry is the 85 model year.If I have read correct,this year is different from all others (85-90).The engine had more power but 86 and up have different parts and cannot be interchanged with the 85.
Please correct me if I am wrong.I am going to sell all the fairing parts,tragkorbs,and topcase to fund this project and I want to make sure if there are problems down the road with the engine,trans.,and body work will I have to purchase used parts only from other 1985 model K100 ? :dunno
I plan on purchasing the bike this weekend.
Thanks in advance
Craig

[frankenduck]

There aren't that many changes:

Seat
Tail Cowl
Gas tank
Fuel level sender
Instrument cluster
Peg plates (but newer ones bolt right up if need be)
One shaft in the engine
16 splines on the drive shaft/final drive but if that's ever an issue then a 20 spline drive shaft and final drive will bolt right up

The rest of the bike is the same with oodles of interchangeable parts with later models. The engine management and electrical system are the same (except the 85 wiring harness doesn't have a plug for fuel and temp gauges but that shouldn't matter on a naked bike)

Personally, I wouldn't make it a deciding factor, especially if the target bike only has 15k.

There's more than a few 85 owners here who I'm sure will share their experiences with owning an 85.

[frogy]

Thanks for the FAST response.I had read about the diff. trans splines,and as for the single shaft  :neener: I kinda figured.Since I will be stripping off all the wind deflecting plastic I assume I will not have the heated fuel/gas tank problem.
Thank again and keep the thoughts comin.

[Red]

I'm a newbee to my K bike ('85 K100RS) ... I have had my bike now about two years. I have tried to rebuild/refurbish just about everything on this bike that was needed at the time. I followed the suggestions, recommendations and direction provided by Frakenduck and others from this site. The only item that I did buy new (so far) was the new (upgrade) water/oil pump for this '85 engine, (I started with 22K+ miles on this engine). Apparently the original type water/oil pump has a nut holding the impeller on and that will corrode and fall off, (and which it did fall off) ... the newer upgraded water/oil pump has a bolt holding the impeller on and I bought that one and installed it as a replacement when my original water/oil pump failed. My next project will most likely be upgrading my 32amp alternator to a 50 amp. Best of luck on your project. 

Red  (aka: Bill)