Just looked at a K75s project: Noob looking for educated input

[Chad C.]

Hi, I'm Chad.

I've been saving for a k75s for six months, and I looked at an interesting project yesterday. It's an '88 that the owner has put a lower mileage motor in that's said to only have 4k on it. He said that he did fine with the wrenching, but the electrics were beyond him and the bike has been sitting for about a year. The bike is a bit rough overall, but it's titled and complete with the original engine available for spares. The bike itself has 98k on its odometer.

I'm a reasonably handy guy with a fair understanding of mechanics & electricity. I've kept my 1987 V6 Alfa Romeo on the road for many years if that's any indication of my abilities and willingness to throw down... I've been without a bike for ten years, my last (and first one) one being a '71 CB750.


I really hesitate to take on a project like this, but I'm poor and the price is likely right. The guy wants a grand for it, and if I decide to make an offer, I'd offer $700 for it. I'm wondering if there's enough willing help here to walk me through the troubleshooting required to resurrect this bike. Also, if I should run screaming from such an idea, don't be shy about saying so...

I'll try to post some pics of it, or post a link to my Flickr account that has some on it when I have a few more minutes to do so.

I'm very sold on the K75s for my needs, but I know only the basics about their mechanicals. The collective thoughts of this forum are much appreciated, and I'll do my best to be worthy of them : )

[mystic red]

Lots of willing help here after you use the search button. Most everything is covered in the library. Good luck!

[Chad C.]

Thanks for the quick response. I totally hear ya on the Search feature, but results based on the scenario provided are less likely.

Here's a link to a few basic photos of the bike:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/thechadzone/shares/99d216

[mystic red]

It's going to need tires, paint, and at least one turn signal it looks like. Did he replace hoses and other rubber bits when he put the new engine in?

[Martin]

Looks like a clean K75S, which I believe is the best of the breed and the most desirable. First thing if you do buy it is to either buy or download a manual Clymer or Haynes. I would also change the oil and filter clean out the fuel tank replace the fuel filter before trying to start it. As stated by Mystic use the search button to find your problem, Bert Vogel has an excellent post on problem searching. Bricks do not like sitting and electrical problem tend to breed if the bike is not used. A lot of problems can be eliminated by cleaning electrical connectors with DeOxit or something similar. One of the main problems stem from the 4 pin connector to the fuel pump under the RH side of the tank, bad connection. The guys like pictures and sound recordings of any problems you encounter. Welcome to the world of the Brick from the land of OZ. If you really want to get in Johnnys good books post a picture of a Donkey.
Regards Martin.

[Chaos]

Lots of unknowns buying a non-runner, especially with a transplanted engine.  Most electrical problems seem to be with the connections, switches or fuel pump, pretty simple stuff.  But if it was simple I'd think he'd get it running and sell it for two or three times the asking price.  One common issue is trying to start with a low battery, can weld the starter solenoid shut, causing the starter to run until you disconnect the battery or whack the solenoid open.

and working on one of these after an Alfa should be a walk in the park!

[johnny]

lotts of runners out there for 1 to 2 thou...

look... even if he gave it you... your outta pocket is gonna be 3+k to getts it on the road.and it may still not be roadworthy enough for continous yeeeehaaaaaa...

too much whack there...

j o

[Laitch]

I really hesitate to take on a project like this, but I'm poor and the price is likely right.

You think you're poor now?

I don't know what kind of slide it took to file down the forward side of the camshaft cover like it looks in that picture, but it probably didn't do the internals any good either. The oil spot isn't comforting and neither is any description like ". . . that's said to only have . . .." Listen to johnny and save up your money. 

I'd rather walk barefoot to Eugene to help you resurrect a squirrel corpse you found in a vacant lot. At least I'd get some fresh air.

[Motorhobo]

This thread is probably not pertinent any more but I'll chime in anyway -- having extensive experience being poor, sometimes it's best to spend a little now and more when you have it than a lot now and less later -- and the less funds currently available the more that addage is true.

IMO using over-the-top scare rhetoric like 'You think you're poor now?' and talking about squirrels in Oregon is unhelpful and disproportionate. Most of the things that prevent a k-Bike from running take an investment in time and effort but not a big financial outlay. I didn't see any indication that the bike was a total loss or not worth $700. That little oil spot was nuthin' -- you'll find enough people on this site who think a little oil weepage doesn't mean diddly-squat for a K-Bike. The road rash on the camshaft cover doesn't mean jack either, unless you're of the mind that laying a bike on it's side automatically qualifies it as a total loss. I had road rash on both my covers -- nothing a little Bondo, sandpaper, and paint couldn't fix. Used parts are available online. A Kbike isn't a money pit like a boat -- once it runs it requires very little maintenance. Aesthetics -- that's another issue, but I think that wasn't what Chad was after here.

Personally, I think if Chad or anyone else wants to take a project Kbike on, he or she should be supported all the way. It's a win-win for Chad. Either he gets a bike that can be resurrected with a reasonable amount of $$ and effort, or he gets a pile of parts that he can share with the community, which is certainly better than the bike going to some fleabay scavenger who parts it out to the highest bidder without even a second glance.

If I were Chad or anyone else looking at a non-running Kbike, I'd recommend finding a battery and seeing how it responds to power. Just from that info alone a lot can be deduced about its resurrectability. As far as the aesthetics -- Chad is free to give a crap about that when he has some $$ or not -- either way, any running Kbike is better than one parted out.

I'm not sure where Johnny got the $1 - 3K number to get it on the road. I didn't see that at all in the pix. I also don't see a whole lot of low-mileage, good-condition Kbikes under $2000, anywhere. What I saw in Chad's pix was a K75 with 98k on the odometer (a baby!) and a guy who was willing to take it under his wing. More power to him! For $700 personally I'd have said: Go for it! Sounds like a project you can sink your teeth into. You can be guaranteed you won't be spending any money on service labor, 'cause all the info you need to get 'er back on the road can be found right here for $0.00.

My $0.02...

MH

[kennybobby]

Howdy Chad,

Welcome, and you can do it--we can help.

[Chaos]

I agree with Motorhobo.  Old K's need to get back on the road, why would the high priests here discourage such an undertaking?  If you're not anal about authenticity, plenty of parts can be improvised (ford fuel pump, generic blinkers, hardware from home depot) and does shiny paint really make the thing run better?  Mine is the least expensive per mile vehicle I've ever owned by a longshot.  And the guy had an Alfa for cripes sake, I've owned Giulias and Spyders that damn near made me suicidal!

[TrueAce]

That bike has been sitting around gathering dust, the wife's wrath, and worrying the Present Owner. Offer $500, don't blink, and take it home. Don't be overwhelmed with the totality of the project. Get a fresh battery, and work on getting the starter to crank. Get fresh fuel, and work from fuel pump to injectors to squirt. Figure out each wiring circuit as needed. Appearance, tires, and a bunch of other shit can wait. Be patient, research, ask one question at a time. Go for it, you will become more confident in your Brick knowledge as a reward, and end up with a running bike. Ain't Skeered!

[Motorhobo]

Looks like all the scary-talk spooked him away -- what a shame.

MH

[riots100]

This is how I got back into riding and motobricking.  I found a non-functioning k75 that hadn't been started for 6 years.  It only had 12K on the clock.  The owner wanted to get rid of it to free up space.  I paid $800 for whatever condition it was in.  Over the course of 5 months, I put in about $1500 and two months of nights getting it running.  It still needs paint, but it runs just a good as new.

I scrounged the needed parts from ebay, Amazon, beemerboneyard, Max BMW and cheap tools from Harbor Freight.  I used the search box here on Motobrick.com and Google was my friend.  What I couldn't find an answer to, I asked here and had (mostly) answered.  I also made a few discoveries that were added back into the general body of motobrick knowledge.

At $800 it was a no-brainer.  It was my buy in to start riding again after a long absence, and $1500 stretched out over 6 months wasn't so bad.  My one mistake was to pay full BMW price for a new fuel pump. (~$420) I could have reduced my overall cost if I was a little more patient in my research about the availability of lower cost fuel pumps and where to find them. (the other big cost was a new set of tires)

Now my brick isn't pristine, but it is very reliable and performs nothing short of what one would expect from a motobrick.

If I had to do it over again, I would not change a thing.  It was a project that remained within my skill set, with ample, free resources to answer any question, and the parts can be readily found for a good price if you are willing to look and negotiate.

The rest is just sweat equity.

[Motorhobo]

 My one mistake was to pay full BMW price for a new fuel pump. (~$420)

I made several mistakes like that in the first 8 years of bricking -- mostly large credit card payments to a dealer because motobrick.com didn't exist yet.

Thanks for your inspirational story -- hopefully it'll compel some folks to hold off on the negativity in the future and have more faith in the overall goodness of the Brick.

MH

[TrueAce]

Oh, MH, now you're gettin' sanctimonious on us! To toughen up new recruits, they have to be tested! Sure the easy way out is to buy a runner!!! Everybody can do that! We'uns gotta see first if this boy has got the grit to be a Bricker !

[Motorhobo]

Yeah -- sorry. But I think there are two ways to become a motobricker -- 1) be skilled 2) be poor. For me, it was #2. If you want to ride a great classic motorcycle you have to learn how it works. For me, picking up the wrench on my k75 was a life changing experience. Having no mechanical experience beforehand, I can say I've learned more about shit in general working on my bike than pretty much anything else I've undertaken in my life including 'higher education'. So forgive me if I'm a little overboard on the verbiage...
MH