This has just arrived. 1997 (P-reg), 27000 miles, very clean and tidy all round.
and by the time resources and abilities permit, this should be the end result :
Its not a project as such since the bike really is already in outstanding condition - the previous owners (all within the same family) have pampered it - essential things like the K16V centrestand upgrade, grease nipples to the stands and the clutch operating arm have been fitted, while oils and filters have been changed at 3000 mile intervals and all electrical connections regularly cleaned and greased. Dad was an auto-electrician ... The all-important, don't-buy-unless spline lubes have been performed at 10000 mile intervals as well - documented AND photographed, no less.
So its a case of "completing" the bike to full Ultima specification.
For example, the handlebar auxiliary instrument pods have been removed since one of them came into contact with a fairing panel on full steering lock and the MOT chap was not amused. A little delving into history reveals that (1) the forks have been lowered in their mounts by half an inch at some point in the past - this allegedly "improves" the K75 handling ; and (2) the bike was dropped at some point as well since its lower RHS fairing has been repainted, very nicely, too. Taken together these suggest that the fairing alignment could still be out of whack, particularly if the fairing mounting spider (K75/100/1100 owners know what I mean here) or other mounting brackets are distorted as well. Let's see.
Good used parts have been found to complete the "project" and as always the credit card in whimpering - e.g. the oem 22L topbox and its fitting plate (check, check and double check its secure ), the bike-specific crashbars (although their mounting kit has to come from BMW since used items are unavailable and inadvisable- £££ of course) and the heated grips and switch (unusual - BMWs of that vintage normally had them as standard ?), so it should be straightforward enough. Let's see.
I'm not going to bother with fitting the oem stereocassette even if I could find one since it adds weight to an already top-heavy area, you lose a rather useful glovebox and I'm still not clear what will happen to AM/FM systems if and when digital radio takes off.
If its a keeper - as always my health issues rudely intrude at regular intervals here - then things like upgrading the suspension, doing the headlamp relay modification - maybe a ceramic H4 socket as well - and fitting an Autocom/GPS setup may well occur. I've heard very good things about the Realm Engineering "RAM" shocks and springs for the K75/100/1100 models along with uprated fork-seals and heavier fork oil which taken together considerably improves the handling - subjective as always since 75bhp lugging All That Weight is never going to set the pulses racing, let's face it.
The K75 engines really are bulletproof (in myth, legend AND fact) and the bike really is / was built to a standard rather than a price throughout. Often derided as boring bikes, in practice they are comfortable, ultra-reliable and remarkably economic to run and to keep running as well. Heavy, mind ...
Let's see ...
and by the time resources and abilities permit, this should be the end result :
Its not a project as such since the bike really is already in outstanding condition - the previous owners (all within the same family) have pampered it - essential things like the K16V centrestand upgrade, grease nipples to the stands and the clutch operating arm have been fitted, while oils and filters have been changed at 3000 mile intervals and all electrical connections regularly cleaned and greased. Dad was an auto-electrician ... The all-important, don't-buy-unless spline lubes have been performed at 10000 mile intervals as well - documented AND photographed, no less.
So its a case of "completing" the bike to full Ultima specification.
For example, the handlebar auxiliary instrument pods have been removed since one of them came into contact with a fairing panel on full steering lock and the MOT chap was not amused. A little delving into history reveals that (1) the forks have been lowered in their mounts by half an inch at some point in the past - this allegedly "improves" the K75 handling ; and (2) the bike was dropped at some point as well since its lower RHS fairing has been repainted, very nicely, too. Taken together these suggest that the fairing alignment could still be out of whack, particularly if the fairing mounting spider (K75/100/1100 owners know what I mean here) or other mounting brackets are distorted as well. Let's see.
Good used parts have been found to complete the "project" and as always the credit card in whimpering - e.g. the oem 22L topbox and its fitting plate (check, check and double check its secure ), the bike-specific crashbars (although their mounting kit has to come from BMW since used items are unavailable and inadvisable- £££ of course) and the heated grips and switch (unusual - BMWs of that vintage normally had them as standard ?), so it should be straightforward enough. Let's see.
I'm not going to bother with fitting the oem stereocassette even if I could find one since it adds weight to an already top-heavy area, you lose a rather useful glovebox and I'm still not clear what will happen to AM/FM systems if and when digital radio takes off.
If its a keeper - as always my health issues rudely intrude at regular intervals here - then things like upgrading the suspension, doing the headlamp relay modification - maybe a ceramic H4 socket as well - and fitting an Autocom/GPS setup may well occur. I've heard very good things about the Realm Engineering "RAM" shocks and springs for the K75/100/1100 models along with uprated fork-seals and heavier fork oil which taken together considerably improves the handling - subjective as always since 75bhp lugging All That Weight is never going to set the pulses racing, let's face it.
The K75 engines really are bulletproof (in myth, legend AND fact) and the bike really is / was built to a standard rather than a price throughout. Often derided as boring bikes, in practice they are comfortable, ultra-reliable and remarkably economic to run and to keep running as well. Heavy, mind ...
Let's see ...