So who rides a "K" bike....?

essjay

essjay

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It's taken a few years but I think it's finally dawned on me that the GS is not the most suitable road bike - ie. around Dublin and the occasional trip outside The Pale.

Thinking that I might sell the GS (only bought the current one in December) and get a road bike. Then either do up the XT600 Tenere or sell it and get a DRZ for any off roading etc.

So looking at the vast range of road bikes, I've been thinking about the "K" bikes. K75C, K100RS etc. What are they like around the city? As heavy and bulky as the GS?

Bikes I'm considering: Fazer 600, Hornet 600, Bandit, GT550, Z750 etc etc.
 
K1100RS

I have had a K1100RS for 14 years and the 1200GSA for 3 years. I prefer the K bike for motorway/fast A road riding and the GS for the twistier A's and B roads. I don't have to commute on either but if I had to I think I would prefer the GSA due to the height advantage and its much easier to chuck around. The K1100RS has to be ridden smoothly and doesn't like change of lines mid corner etc., wheras the GSA is much more forgiving.
 
Ive still got a lovely K1 languishing in the shed and coincidentally looking for a new owner. Not the best bike for Irish roads though.
 
K1200LT. Just the thing for my regular 200miles m'way bash, but not the most town friendly bike.
 
I currently have a 91 K100RS 16v and a 90 R100GS. Both bikes have the plus and minus points. In terms of which is the better city bike I would say without hesitation the GS.
The K has a bigger turning circle(not good), narrower bars(less leverage), lower bars( more weight on wrists, more strain on neck), lower seat height(less of a view along the road).
The two bikes are a similar weight, but the GS loses its weight quicker at low speed.
Saying that, I love the two of them for different reasons and don't wish to part with either.
 
gs v. k etc.

I currently have no gs and am looking for one.
I have an immaculate 94 k1100rs @40 k miles with lots of good stuff for sale,
alternatively I have a 96 k1100lt special edition, with everything and a recent big service bill from duffy's at around 30+/- k miles for sale,
and additionally I have a 2001 Suzuki DRZ 400 E just serviced new chain, sprockets, gel battery, front pads ,fluids etc.for sale
come have a look and lets talk.
otherwise glw search
 
.. and I have The Monks old K100 / had a '90 R100GS.
Without doubt the GS is more nimble.
However i'm suprised at how flickable the K is once moving.
Exceptionally smooth power delivery and light steering. Easier - as in less input needed to turn or accelerate if you see a gap you want to go for.

Mine is a right mongrel and stripped of as much weight as possible - apart from the daft (but i love it :green gri ) towbar. :eek

.... But if i could have kept the GS - i definitely would have. :thumb
 
I despatched a 1988 K100RT around London and nationwide for a couple of years, great bike. Very comfortable and once used to its size was fine around town. Serviced every second due date but changed oil/filter regularly. 166,000 miles on it before it got turned into a Jigsaw puzzle in a Hollywood style crash.

I think my GS is a better city bike though.
 
essjay said:
Bikes I'm considering: Fazer 600, Hornet 600, Bandit, GT550, Z750 etc etc.
Click to expand...

As an ex1200GS pilot who's owned 2 of the bikes on your list, I'll pitch my 2 cents here.

The Bandit is a brilliant bike, but it's for missions. I commuted mine for 4 years and it's deficiencies eventually got to me. The GT's are old hat now, but I put over 100k miles on my old GT750 before it finally threw in the towel. Not exactly frugal, and weight in town can make it a handful in close quarters combat with the traffic.

I'm currently running a '00 Deauville for my 30mile each way commute between rural bliss and Dublin shitty centre.

Deauville's are not without their faults, but are a hugely under rated bike. They'll commute, tour, and - within limits - scratch. Mine gets (ab)used for commuting and running around various city locations, plus the occasional run to/from our Cork office. It's more than capable of embarrassing sporty iron in tight turns with the right pilot (they need commitment) although pegs go down early compared to the Bandit. More to the point it'll run 300+ kilometers on a full tank, and it's easy on the insurance and consumables. They are something of an acquired taste, and most people will tell you they're slow, but they're nowhere near as slow as they feel plus they're all day comfortable at legal(ish) motorway speeds. Mine's about to roll over the clock (klms) and it's been blown over in gales, ridden through floods, fields, building sites and up roads that would bring a tear to the eye of the most ardent Landy fan. It's also done tens of thousands of city miles without complaint. I bought it as a workhorse in the same mould as my old GT750 and didn't expect to like it much if I'm honest, but they do grow on you.

If I was living in town, and didn't have to do long motorway stints every day, I'd probably be running a CB500 for more or less all the same reasons as above and relishing the flickability of what must be one of the best bikes Honda ever built. The power and acceleration of a middleweight with the sort of traffic carving abilities only a 125 can match. I've never got off it without a smile on my face.

Hope some of that helps.
 
Just look at the weight of a K. I used to ride a K75RT, and while they're built to last forever, they're like a tractor driven by a turbine. Not the best for Dublin traffic.
That said, the friend I sold it to reckons it to be his best 2up bike ever.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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