Newby to Bricks - K75

[Grabcon]

I am new to the forum and BMW's and I would like some guidance. I am going to look at a 1991 K75 with 60k miles on the clock. I spoke with the owner and it seems that the bike has been maintained but I will hold my comments until I see it in person.

Since these are new to me what are the key things that I should look for when taking a peak at the bike. I am more interested in the mechanical and electrical aspects than the original features of the bike, but I will take any guidance. With 60k are there major maintenance items that are due and I should be concerned with?

What kind of price is reasonable for these bikes?

Thanks for the input in advance.

[branandfox]

Firstly, welcome to the family!
Everytime I try to even think about trading off my Brick I just snap right back into the right mindset; which is to love her till she falls apart! The price I would assume depends on a lot of things with the bricks:
Does the speedometer work properly? (the speedos Don't have a great lifespan, So ask about it and make sure it is actually "60K" miles.)
is it the original engine? Original transmission?
Rust?
condition of the seat?
What is included with the bike? IE: tank bags, rear BMW bags, Topcase?
has it been dropped?
( the above is a big deal to me, fairings are expensive and hard to find, especially a whole batch of the same color. and you can forget about buying from BMW. pretty pennys down the drain)
also the maintenance that I would look out for is:
Has the transmission and final drive oils been changed regularly?
Oil changes done regularly?
radiator and fan in good working order with fresh coolant?
SPLINE LUBE JOB DONE REGULARLY?
( this is a biggie, Dont want a shafted bike giving you the shaft haha)
also take into account the condition of the rubber. these bikes like to churn out heat, so check for dry rot or broken lines near the plenum.
Most of the maintenance on bricks is pretty straightforward.

I would compare the prices of the K75's on craigslist using http://www.searchtempest.com/ and see what you think is average/ appropriate. Every K is different, and has been maintained differently. Mine was a barn sitter, which Im currently modernizing/ restoring. Duck can tell you much more than I, as Im still learning the ways of the brick, but 60K shouldn't be too detrimental. Bobs BMW has a K100 from 85 with 275K+ Miles on it in the project bikes section.
Good luck on your purchase and keep us updated!

[Grabcon]

Thanks for the input. I have seen in several places that heat while riding is an issue. How hot do these get? I currently have a Honda ST1100 which also generates a bit amount of heat, but really only is bothersome when stopped or low speeds at 95 degree plus.

Are these K models unbarable or just inconvenient?

[argent brick]

Price? It depends upon where you live and the model of the bike. The touring and "S" versions do seem to hold their value a little better and many people think the "S" is the best bike out of the group. I have seen a K75 for $1400 and I know of people that think their plain K75 is a $4000 machine. You should be able to find a nice K75 for $2500-3000, but there are some great buys for much less. I know of one person that paid $2400 for his Standard  and a gal that shelled out $1900 for her K75S, a little more than half of the listed book value. I got what I wanted for $2750. The bike had the options I wanted and was even the year and color I was looking for.

I would recommend that you try every K75 that you can get you hands on. You will be amazed at how much difference a seat or handlebar change can make.  The first bike that I looked at was the touring model with the big fairing and standard seat. The bike had low miles and was in perfect shape. Thirty-six hundred dollars out the door. The seat was too tall and my knees hit the fairing. Not a good fit for me. I needed a low seat.

The K bike is known to last forever so it is my feeling that you really want to look at servicing records and what needs to be repaired or replaced more than the miles on the bike. Servicing the splines on the drive line is big deal, so I would ask about that. Also, the speedo can be problematic and costly to replace.

You should also know that the hard cases are not cheap and may be difficult find if they don't come with the bike. The smaller city cases and the OEM tank bag are next to impossible to come up with.

Hope this helps.

[frankenduck]

speedo can be problematic

Usually 86-88 and usually easy to fix.  Later speedos are much more reliable.

[Qdude]

Hello and good luck with your testing.
I just got my first BMW and have been very pleased so far.
I hope that potential buy works out to your benefit.