New member- should I buy this bike?

[Jinman]

Hi guys, new here. I've never owned a motorcycle, but now I've got an itch to get on one. Was big into quads growing up, cars, etc. Do lots of wrenching on various old and new Mercedes cars, etc, so I will be doing all maintenance myself. Bike will totally be a "weekend deal" - I have plenty of other forms of transportation for daily use.

Anyways- I found a 1986 BMW K75 locally. 54,xxx miles. I went and looked at it today. Seller seemed super nice and up front about everything, he and his wife both ride older BMW bikes, this one was for her, but she can't comfortably fit on it, so, up for sale it went.

We took it for a quick spin (~20 minutes) and I didn't notice anything strange other than some slightly squeaky brakes when applying them. Engine was started cold, no smoke, good looking oil level, idled out smooth. Shifted through all gears fine.

Tires look decent tread wise, but looked a bit old. Probably would replace.

Fairings- decent. Minor scuffs and scrapes.

Paint- good, no fading, but again, small scuffs and scrapes

No visible fluid leaks, no funny smells.

He purchased from the second owner I believe. The first (and possibly second) owner kept extensive logs on maintenance- parts used, when, where, fuel stops, etc. It seems like all the original books and such come with the bike.

I am going to ask tomorrow about the spline lube- has it been done to his knowledge. Should have asked today.

He's asking $2750, willing to negotiate.

Let's say he goes for $2250, would you guys consider it a good buy? I know, a nearly impossible question to answer via a short post typed up by a stranger online, with only a few pictures to include.

You all know much, much more than I, and may be able to notice a red flag in the photos that I've missed. Very possible considering that 3 weeks ago, I had no clue what a BMW K75 was.

Thanks in advance, I'm sure I've left some details out

[Jinman]

More pictures

[Chaos]

looks like a K75c with some nice extras, Rifle fairing, "S" bellypan, Corbin and a Comfort (?) seats, later style bags.  You might want to check the paperwork to see if the splines were lubed, (usually around 40K) but otherwise looks like a decent deal for 2700, even better if you can talk it down some.  Speedometers on early Ks tended to be flakey so mileage is always suspect.

[volador]

^^^ what 'C' said

K75 'C' with add on K75 'S' belly-pan
looks like after-market Rifle fairing
'RT' long-horn handlebars
on the moto looks like a OE comfort seat, a look at the seat pan will verify, manufactured by 'Fehrer'
on the grass Corbin Dual Touring or Corbin Canyon plank
Generation 3 integral cases with the locks facing out-ward
add-on fork boots, gators, gaiters, covers (whatever you chose to call them) and OE tank pads

looks like a aftermarket shock possibly a Wilbers but it is difficult to see/say clearly.
need to verify with the owner 'is that a after-market or original shocky

You need to check the inside of the petrol tank for any corrosion in the lowest lobes right & left especially under the fuel pump mounting.
A corroded fuel sender unit will be a tell- tale if the moto sat for long period of time.
A fuel pump rubber damper sits under that plastic white ring securing the fuel pump and clips in-to place in the petrol tank fuel pump mount
A disintegrated rubber damper will make a bloody mess inside the petrol tank.
The bottom of the fuel pump should have a plastic pre-filter screen which also can turn into a wonky plastic ...

Need to inspect the rubber bushings/stubs under the throttle-body for age/cracking under that 'BMW' fuel injector cover
General inspect/verify what rubber parts have been changed ie. the Crankcase breather hose, fuel hoses internal & external, what else am I missing...

Looks like a very clean moto. Do to the age (it is 34 yrs old) and rear drum brake model, I think you are spot on for $2250
Good luck with your quest




a mounted flapper valve on the filler cap will limit internal tank viewing. A goose neck type flashlight will be most useful.
Many owners remove the flapper valve to get like 0.5 litre more in the tank. The negative is petrol can begin to bubble the paint around the filler cap when sloshing around.



OE Fehrer seat pan

[The Mighty Gryphon]

54,000 miles isn't too bad.  If maintained, K75's can easily get to 200,000.  Look under the seat for a sticker that would be put there if the speedometer was changed under warranty. 

Depending on condition, the Corbin seat could be worth as much as $200. 

Spline lube is important, failure of the splines can be an expensive repair.  I have had 5 K bikes live in my garage, and all of them had brake squeak at low speeds.  A little anti-squeal on the back of the pads will help.

+1 on checking the tank.  Long term idleness with ethanol fuel in the tank dissolves rubber and allows water to collect and corrode the tank.  Tires more than 4-5 years old should be replaced, especially if there is any cracking in the rubber.  Check the rubber brake lines for cracking.  Hold the line tightly and apply the brakes, does it expand?  That may mean they need to be replaced.

C model bikes seem to be rare compared to the RT and S models, and usually command a higher price.  $2750 doesn't sound too bad, $2250 would be a good price IMO, especially if the bike already had the rear shock replaced and there are no other issues. 

[Laitch]

As has been observed, the rear shock doesn't look stock. It looks to me like a basic Progressive 416. The exhaust headers seem to have been painted which is something not seen often. It has a custom injector cover and the rear brake master cylinder reservoir is hidden under the battery cover which means it's a later model reservoir made of more durable material. The moto looks like it was appreciated by the previous owners who gave it these custom touches. I'd be surprised if the tank were not clean, too. That cap assembly is held on with only four screws. If the owner will remove it, take a look with a flashlight.

Bargaining points might be the tires and the fuel level sender. The tires are date-stamped so —as Gryph has indicated—f they're over five years old or have cracked sidewalls they should be replaced. If it has the old-style thermistor fuel level sender, that's a bargaining point. Those senders can be unreliable but they carry wiring to the fuel pump. If that sender fails entirely, cobbling something together will be necessary because replacements are rare in the marketplace. Look for a knob on the left underside of the tank with wires entering it  This moto's year of manufacture is on the cusp of when the thermistor sender was replaced by the float style.

[Jinman]

Thanks everyone! Already know a lot more to look at next time I check it out.

Bringing someone with me today that has owned a few BMW bikes. Will look closer at the rubbers and such, and the fuel tank. So if I find the knob on the left underside of the tank as described, does that mean it has the newer float style or the older sender?

The exhaust headers are not painted, but they sure do look like it in that picture.

Brake hoses looked excellent. No cracking or dryness

All of the instruments were working 100% when I checked it out, but I suppose that doesn't mean much since I only rode around for <1/2 hr. I have a few older Mercedes cars that love to stop counting miles every so often

[Chaos]

and the rear brake master cylinder reservoir is hidden under the battery cover which means it's a later model reservoir made of more durable material....

Laitch, you've not fully recovered yet, have you?  Mechanical drum, rear reservoir hidden not under battery cover but in future dimension.   

[Laitch]

Laitch, you've not fully recovered yet, have you?  Mechanical drum, rear reservoir hidden not under battery cover but in future dimension.   

It must have seemed for a moment like my '59 English Ford woody station wagon but now I'm uncertain if that even had brakes.    That would explain why I totaled it. After that, I got my draft notice.

I think the baby aspirin is killing me.

[Jinman]

Went and looked at it again today. Tank looks very clean, all hoses except this one look excellent. What is this, a crankcase vent hose? I'm taking a stab and saying it is given its location.

Shifter is slightly loose, but it shifts nicely up and down, clutch feels good.

Tires are 0507, so shot.

Going to try and use that, along with this badly cracked hose, plus the cosmetics to knock the price down a little

[K1300S]

Yes, crank case hose.  Common problem, cheap and simple fix.   Take $5 off the price for it....

[The Mighty Gryphon]

There should not be any noticeable slop in the shifter.  Looseness indicates a grub screw in the transmission is starting to loosen up.  You can ride it, but keep an eye on it.  When the free play gets to be more than an inch at the end it's time to get ready to tighten it up and put some Loctite on it. 

Doing the screw isn't that big of a job.  A decent wrench can do it in a day, or take a weekend and do the clutch o-ring, lube the clutch splines and check the entire drive train.

[Jinman]

Sweet, that hose looks very easy to change

Glad I mentioned that then on the shifter. It's about an inch. That can be another bartering point.

I sure will be checking splines and such if/when I get it. Changing all fluids, etc. Start at zero. I always feel better doing that with 30+ year old stuff.

[volador]

It must have seemed for a moment like my '59 English Ford woody station wagon but now I'm uncertain if that even had brakes.    That would explain why I totaled it. After that, I got my draft notice.

I think the baby aspirin is killing me.

Baby aspirin washed down with sour mash ... 

[The Mighty Gryphon]

The good news on that grub screw is that it doesn't require any parts, just some gasket goo to seal it back up when you're done. 

To give you an idea, I did the screw on my first K bike the first day I had it.  I started on it at 10 in the morning and took the bike out for a test ride at 5 that afternoon.  I did the splines, changed the transmission and final drive oil, greased the swingarm bearings, replaced the rear brake pads, and torqued & anti-seized everything that came apart. 

My only tip is to have a skinny magnet handy to pull the screw out of the transmission when you drop it.  I think I dropped mine three times before I got it started.

[milq]

Sent you a message.

[Jinman]

Went and made a final offer on the bike and they denied.

The hunt continues...

[Jinman]

Thanks again to all the help

[alabrew]

This - https://ibmwr.org/index.php/ibmwr-marketplace/show-ad/8993/1986-k75-c/brick-k-bikes-1983-2003-bikes-for-sale/ - isn't too far from you, in MS.
It has been listed several times, and slowly dropping in price. I'm torn on the paint job, kind of like it, kind of don't. Paint jobs aren't too much.

[The Mighty Gryphon]

I've been watching that paint job for over a year.  I am a fan of the Pichler fairing.  IMO it's one of, if not, the nicest looking fairing you can put on a K bike.  Without that psychedelic paint job that would be a really good looking bike.

[Laitch]

Without that psychedelic paint job that would be a really good looking bike.

It might not be paint. Parts of it look like vinyl graphics that are releasing. It could be just peeled off.

[Laitch]

Went and made a final offer on the bike and they denied.

A final offer? How many offers did you make? If you offered $2250 on the basis of its needing a pair of tires (≤$300), a $10.00 hose and a day's labor on a grub screw, you might have overreached for a discount.

There is always more out there for the patient hunter.

[The Mighty Gryphon]

It might not be paint. Parts of it look like vinyl graphics that are releasing. It could be just peeled off.

An afternoon with a hair dryer resulting in a Dakar Yeller Brick.

That would be pretty sweet if it was true.  You could be right, I don't know anyone who would spend the time required to mask that mess.

[Jinman]

Well.... It's mine!

[daveson]

Congrats, a brick with a round headlight, your off to a good start.

Go on then, be a devil, tell us how much you got it for.