BMW K100 and 75S
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K series BMW's just cannot be matched for the quality of materials and build - the Rolls Royce Silver Ghost of motorcycles. These bikes are part of my collection of predominately 80's machines that "ran out of time" well before thay had any serious use. Vehicle life is pretty much a function of limited road time in Japan. These machines were just parked in a dark corner for want of anything better to do with them, when vehicle reg requirements became so demanding that they were taken off the roads.... Universaly the grease
in the steering head dries out with the BM's after a long time off the
road. What remains looks like solidified candle wax, requiring dropping
the forks to clean and re lube. I conclude that BMW used crap lubricants
as I don't have this problem with any other make ? Fuel pumps and fuel associated rubber often fail to make the distance, The fuel pumps are mounted in the aluminium tanks and are located by a hard plastic ring that fits round the pump body. It has a couple of spring tabs locating the assembly in the tank. Removal (in theory) is just a matter of pushing the tabs in and the pump assembly comes free of the tank. In practice an anti vibration rubber sleeve or sock that slips between the body of the pump and the hard plastic locating sleeve often can perish ..welding the pump body to the tank. The pump innards can suffer the same fate..seizing the pump. I have a complete pump with mountings and filters for the K75 on its way from the US now and will order another set shortly A lot of progress has been made in recent time on 3 or 4 of my bikes. Very soon I will have dedicated pages with detailed photos on each of the bikes as they are completed. Valuable Information : If you own a BMW K100RS...here is a helpful link for replacing the glass in the mirror pods http://www.motobrick.com/index.php?topic=1164.0 |
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K75S 10,000Kms Full toolkit and handbook, unmarked bike The K75S is the brilliant BM - no vibration,lean and powerful with K1 high performance engine specs. Totally underrated in its day. BMW did not go out of their way to make a lot of noise about its existence. I need to replace the fuel pump mounting rubber and regrease the headstem bearings on this example.I'll probably register and use this. 18/2/12 FLASH - new pump and all fittings on its way..
I have to replace the fuel pump suspension before I try running this one. |
K100RS Mk1 14,000Kms A very early build , constructed in the first months of the introduction of the K, prior to big volume US production..BREMBO forks, tools still wrapped in brown paper.... barely used. Showing off Hans Muths ( Suzuki Katana) beautiful "razor edge" styling in it purest. Early K's do have something about them. I have rebuilt the forks, legs were rechromed and ground, new seals etc and have generally spent quite a bit of time on this K. loved every minute of working on it. |
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K100RS MK11 32,000Kms
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K100RS MK11 3,000Kms Complete tool kit etc, has to be contender for the least travelled K on the planet. The inside of the fuel tank has seen better days and it will need a fuel pump before it runs again. Have changed coolant and oil and hope to swap the tank with the 32K and run it. |
All BMW's have their complete tool kits
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Yamaha XJ750D 9,000Kms Fuel injected/shaft drive/digital dash/ radio/ trip computer etc, Sounds like 1984 to me.. Based on Turbo XJ. Japan only, Top of the pile, hardly used Obvious Craig Vetter based design, These Yamaha air cooled, twin cam fours are a very good motor and FI adds 10% more HP Has just had a starter relay replaced, and a new Airtex E8445 Injection Pump .Picked up a pair of brand spankers front indicater lenses courtesy of Ebay and the local dealer..All things are possible. |
Honda VFR 400R 5,000Kms VFR 400 was created to shut down the Suzuki RG.
Japan only... developed 62Hp and real torque. To put this in perspective,the BSA 650 Lightning was tuned to the point of exploding to knock out 49hp. These cost more than the VFR 750's and should be considered as a Japanese motorcycle icon
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NV 750 4,000Kms Honda shaft drive cruiser, haven't touched it yet.. bit of an enigma |
CBR 750 14,000Kms
I go back to the dark ages, and in 1975 I purchased new a 750F1 Honda
I loved it dearly... It was still starting happily on the original battery..10 years later. So this is my soft spot, a CBR750... It produces twice the hp of my old F1. It's going to take some serious attention to get it running again but this is a really fine Honda product.
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SRX 600 Yamaha
A few of the first models were sold new in Australia, but most people probably have never seen one -
Above : my mildly customised SRX400...
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I have never ridden a classic british singles. I won't count my BSA C11 250.. like most BSA's my 1954 model was actually a 1920's design.. A lot of BSA products relied on good basic engineering put in place by the then chief engineer Val Page in the dark ages of the 1930's. (BSA management liked using 30 or 40 year old designs ) About the same time my C11 was new (1954) BSA engineering department quietly created an amazingly sophisticated twin cam single of about 350cc that would run all day at 100MPH. The BSA board canned it when they found out... they thought the very old fashioned C11 model was just dandy. The engineers were rewarded by almost getting the sack and in a short 15 years later BSA were finished. Things were not much better at any of the other large UK motorcycle manufacturers back then. On reflection the hay days of the pommy bikes was probably in the 1930's when there were many independant manufactures. Later amalgamations of Ariel, BSA, Triumph, the AMC group and several well recorded meglomaniacs and chest beaters that came to power with it all...halted real progress in design diversity, and kept the best engineers and designs below the surface locked in the dungeons, never to be seen. Triumph 2nd level engineers
had the trident completed ready to go into production in 1964. BSA
flogged the A65 for its entire 10 year production life with a
catastrophic weakness of the main bearing that could result in total
engine destruction.... should have been revised entirely by year 2...
The damage done to their reputation and sales !! What were they
thinking ?
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THE performance BSA single cylinder machine was the 500 Gold Star. They developed 40hp at 7,000 rpm in their later editions. Yamaha claim 40 hp for the SRX600 at a much lower 5,700rpm. The Yamaha has an extra 100cc capacity and a 4 valve head and a balance shaft over the Gold Star BSA, but unlike the BSA you won't need $22,000 to buy one. |
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One of the better all round big singles was the Velocette Thruxton 500, which could be purchased new in Australia right up to 1971. Wish I had bought a few. Some useless knowledge for my fans...Velocette like Triumph, was founded and run by Germans, and in the case of Velo they were there ( with a name change) right up to the end..no wonder they were so good then. Well, I wonder how the SRX compares with something classic and reverred like the Velo ? I don't think the SRX look as good.. Probably weigh a lot less though and I guess the SRX probably go a bit harder than a standard 500cc Velo. SRX's have a reputation as being very strong in the engine dept and taking a good hiding with no problem. Please have a look at the link below "40 years in a shed restoring AJs motorcycles" to see the devotion singles attract. |
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A fellow SRX collector drops by........ |
Parts available : for BMW K1, K100RS and RT
- 2x gearboxes both include driveshaft, both in excellent condition...both Low Kms with pics of the donor bikes
- Very Rare 16 valve BMW K1 long motor (no throttle bodies) 11:1 CR, lightened rods etc. This should bolt straight into a K100 frame and transmission or could be used for Cooper S twin cam conversion. Actual engine pictured below and located in Adelaide
- Fairing for K100RT with excellent pewter grey paint
- Output Shaft hardly used and in good condition
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BMW K1 actual engine pictured below $680 ono
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K100RS Gear Box and Driveshaft $340
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4 Valve Gear Box and Driveshaft 1993. V Low kms $410 ono Pictured below |
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Gear Box Donor K100RS |
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BMW K100 Output Shaft $60 |
Been on the shelf a while, but low k's and tight.
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