Brought new K75C home today........

[Bokobob]

Hello, Bob here...new on forum....I'm going to look at a 1986 K75C later today....it has 70k miles.
Looks pretty good on Craigslist...corbin seat and ncie windshield and saddlebags...Question:  is there anything in particular that is problematical with this particular year K75? 

I am an experienced biker and am 5'9" tall, weigh 177 and inseam is 29 or maybe 30 on a good day..

I am aware of the need to keep splines lubed, that it is common for speedo to crap out, and so on but am thinking as this was fairly early of the life cycle of this generation of the K75 there might have been some "nasty" gremlins which may have gotten fixed later...

Thank you for any comments....

Bob

[K75RT Keith]

No real nasty gremlins in early K75's   Biggest things to look for are bubbling pain on the edges of the tank (corrosion due to water but reasonably east to fix) and deteriorating fuel lines and hoses. 
This link might be useful to you  http://www.motobrick.com/index.php?topic=666.msg2009#msg2009

I've listed a few things to look at, ask about or to use for negotiating a better deal.

Check the crankcase ventilation hose it's Z shaped and located on back side of the motor neat the end of the fuel rail for cracks usually near the clamps. 
Check the water/oil pump for leaks and ask if it has been rebuilt/replaced and when. 
Open the tank and remove the 4 Phillips head screws for the flapper and lift it out to inspect the pump, and tank interior.  There are rubber hoses to and from the filter that can break down and a sleeve on the fuel pump that breaks down over time.  run you fingers across it. If they come back black it needs to be replaced.  The tank should appear clean and an aluminum silvery color.  If it has a yellowish hue, there is/was some water in the tank and you have some corrosion.  As I said earlier look at the seams near the lowest points of the tank for bubbled paint. 

[Bokobob]

Thank you for the substantial amount of info about what to look for on a used K75, as well as for the link to even more info....that is very helpful...I'll be thorough in my lookover of the bike..

I don't know where the oil pump and water pump are, aside from "part of the engine"....I'll do my best..


Again thanks,

Bob

[mystic red]

Be advised we have not yet found a car tire fitment for the K75...

[K75RT Keith]

If looking at the front of the motor, lower left side is where the pump is. Look for a radiator hose

[Bokobob]

Well, I typed a long message but it went away.  I'll try again...
Thank you for very helpful comments..
I saw and rode the bike..I like it a lot....Again, it is an 86 K75C...nice corbin seat and windshield and OEM bags and luggage rack..
70K miles..
Bike has been sitting all winter....He put in a new battery today..
New back tire still has nubs on the tread...front tire has good life remaining.
Oil was evident on most of the outside bottom of the engine...it was caked on and dirty...The spot in garage where he had bike stored, however, had no oil droppings on the floor and it did not appear to have fresh oil leakage on the bottom of the engine case..

Seller was frank to admit that he did no maintenance since 2008 except spark plugs...he did not even change the oil..
He also said he put very, very few miles on it, but did not remember how many....original owner took it on two "around the USA trips" in the late eighties, US rt 1 for the most part...)

I did not figure out where the fuel pump and water pump  were located....

the inside of the gas tank was very clean and not at all rusty..there were no rust bubbles on the bottom seams of the tank...

Clutch takes ahold very quickly upon releasing it...Runs through gears very nicely...very, very smooth engine...ran it up to 80 briefly once warmed up and felt it was very responsive...no lugging in 5th or 4th gear at lower speeds.....Smelled like burnt oil upon returning to seller's home.....Quite pungent smelling...It soon dissipated, owever......This is a worry...I felt it was definitely and oil smell, not burning coolant......Did not check the oil level..might have been low.  He is asking $2995...Said he would take $2500.....I called the dealer just now and the cost to grease both splines and to adjust the valves would run about $750....I can do the oil change myself..

I solicit your comments, cautions, suggestions and any other comments you may wish to make..

Thank you very much.

Bob in North Carolina...

[Bokobob]

In case anyone wants to see the ad for the bike, here it is:

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/mcy/4417280300.html

best,

Bob in North Carolina..

[Motorhobo]

You can do the spline lube yourself and save big bucks -- everything you need to know you can find here on this forum. Or find a local independent wrench who knows older K bikes to do it. It's really hit or miss with dealers and these older Ks because they don't train the younger generation of service personnel on the older bikes and the older guys who did know them are long gone. If you go to the dealer you run the risk of them freaking you out by giving you an estimate for every little thing that might or might not be wrong with it no matter how minor it is. And at $90/hr shop time plus all OEM parts you'll be freaking out big time...

Didn't the 86 K75 have a different final drive to accommodate the drum rear brake? That might be an issue in finding used parts...but correct me if I'm wrong on that.

Very important -- reach in behind the radiator and see if you can turn the radiator fan. It should spin freely. If it doesn't or makes a clicking sound on rotation you're looking at a new fan, OEM cost $259 plus labor. They fail at around 70k miles. Fan motor can be obtained for $90 but dealer won't do the work on non-OEM replacement. That is a beautiful bike but get prepared to get some blue gloves and do some work...or you will be getting a bill at some point. Not to scare you but it's just the way it is.

I got a 94K75 last summer for $2000. Original price was $3k. I walked away at $2500 and he called me back three weeks later and offered it to me for $2k. Included Parabellum Sport, OEM City cases and big GIVI top case. Unless you fell in love with it you might consider walking, telling him you don't want to offend him by lowballing him but just can't pay the $750 just to get the bike up to where it should be maintenance-wise on top of the blue book he's asking. Blue book for that bike in excellent condition with all maintenance records should be close to $2750. He might be happy to find any buyer at all...not everyone is going to go to York SC to look at a 30 yr old MC. That was a huge issue for the guy I got my last K from...he lived 2 hours from Scranton PA and the pool of prospective buyers out in the boonies is not huge...especially for 30yr old BMWs. Of course, there's the risk that someone else might buy it...but I think Ny interested party will have do be willing to do some wrenching, which cuts down the buyer pool even more.

[mystic red]

Also, sounds like the tires are old. Tread does not matter. Not recommended to run moto tires over 4 years old. Check the date stamped in the DOT section on the sidewall.
Could give you more bargaining power.

[Bokobob]

Thank you for advice on cooling fan, tire age, and other points....
Rear tire was just installed as in this year or even month...nubs on the road portion of the tread still there....front is older...would have to check the numbers but guessing they are at least 6 years old..

The seller is a very nice guy and turns out his dad and I were schoolmates, although his dad was younger...We both lived in the same town in Ohio....

I might take the focus off price as I don't want to bargain for anything this old unless I know more about what needs to be done....
I'll have a frank talk with him that I want the bike but must know more about what needs to be done to get it into fully good running order relative to its age....

[wmax351]

It looks like a solid bike to me. A bit of oil smell shouldn't be a big deal, especially if it was sitting. It may be overfilled, I couldn't quite see in the CL picture, but I think it was to the top of the oil window. And the old oil will smell, it's degraded a bit, and will offgas.


I'd get it, and plan a weekend of maintenance. 2500 seems like a good deal. I'd change the oil and filter first with some cheapish non-synthetic (whatever brand name oil is on sale at autozone, etc) or Rotella T diesel, and put a couple hundred miles on it. Then do the spline lube, which is easily done with hardly any tools besides what comes on the bike, at most a basic mechanic's set. You'll need a sawhorse and some Guard Dog Moly grease. If it was a later model K75, I'd say you didn't need the input shaft lube, since it still (down)shifts well, but the earlier K's didn't have the hardened splines.

[Bokobob]

Again, my thanks for the good and helpful comments...I ended up buying a different K75C...this one was much cheaper and seemed to have been better kept....
I rode it for a little while and it is plenty smooth and pretty much handled liek the one I looked at yesterday...I pick it up Monday...

Here's a link..I asked the seller to please leave the ad up for a few days so I could let friends and family know about it with the descriptions.

http://hickory.craigslist.org/mcy/4423549669.html

It does have a salvage title, but it was properly repaired...the bike was declared a total loss and then a shop replaced a crushed bag, polished the marred exhaust pipe, etc.....It may be repainted but looks very good.....I will add a windshield and also the touring style handlebars that come with it...for the price I thought I could hardly go wrong..

All regards.
Bob

[mystic red]

That's a nice pickup. Welcome to the fraternity. :clap:

[mr_10brook]

Almost half the price. Less than half the miles. Appears to be in great condition.

You made a great deal.

Congratulations!

[wmax351]

Looks like a good bike! Should provide many years of enjoyment.

[Bokobob]

Many thanks to all of your for your good comments and warm welcome...I have a ride to go get the bike tomorrow.  It is about 50 miles distant....
I'll ride it home.....Don't have a way or the inclination to trailer it..

I'll be posting as time goes along...

Grace + Peace,

Bob

[Bokobob]

Ok, it is Monday after Easter and I brought my new-to-me 87 BMW K75C home today..50 miles from home.....ran it  mostly on a freeway so was easy riding....I got used to the finger and thumb buttons by the time I got home.....I will be swapping out the sport type bars for the touring style bars which also came with it very soon.  I dont' like to lean forward that much.......Seat is a corbin and very comfortable....I like the fact that it does not lug in 4th and 5th gear until I got really slowed down....smoothness is nice of course..I learned to not downshift into 2nd or 1st gear above 5 mph....
I'll be buying a windshield pronto...any suggestions?  Want to go aftermarket....I like a full windshield...\

That's about it.
Grace + Peace,

Bob