I think I want a BMW

[GS1150Pilot]

Having completed a 900 mile trip on the big GS, I found myself thinking of bikes I'd like to tour on. I don't want something massive or ponderous, and I've always had a soft spot for the R100RS, but I also very much like the K75. I imagine a few of you have owned one or the other of these. Any anecdotal touring info you might have?

 

[Baatfam]

The best bike I've ever owned for long distance and twisties, was my K1100RS....I've had two of them and want another. Great bikes that love to run all day at 85mph...

 

[GS1150Pilot]

I like those, but I want something easy(ish) to work on. The 1100 is more complex than the two lesser Beemers I keep looking at, no? Also heavier than my GS, I think?

 

[Mark1]

I had a K1 for a few years and it was beautiful as a day long machine with a sporty side. I haven't tried any of the "R"s but the K75 was an even smoother engine than the 1000. The bike that suprised me the most was an '87 Concours that I owned after the BMW. Big tank, shaft drive, 6 speed, great bags and was a more than competant performer. Only real problem was the buzzing.

 

[GS1150Pilot]

I've ridden a Connie. I don't mind them at all. I just want to try der German schtuff.

 

[Hayabuser]

The best bike I've ever owned for long distance and twisties, was my K1100RS....I've had two of them and want another. Great bikes that love to run all day at 85mph...

Great taste in jackets!

 

[tkent02]

My K75 had the smoothest engine I've ever run. On any vehicle. You simply could not feel by vibration that it was running, not at any RPM.

Heavy for a 750 and kind of slow, but a very nice ride. The K100 was not as smooth, but smooth enough. A lot heavier, a little more powerful, also a nice road cruiser.

Next would be the R100RS, have ridden a few but never owned one. Nice bikes in a Rappacoo kind of a way.

 

[GS1150Pilot]

I really do like the K75. It seems to deserve the reputation it has for being a nearly perfect all rounder.

 

[Ecklund]

I really do like the K75. It seems to deserve the reputation it has for being a nearly perfect all rounder.

I see those ex-police bikes, R1150/1200, for what seems like reasonable prices.

Like you I've always thought a BMW would be a good bike. Most look like they are built for a normal sized human and many have the kind of riding position that I would like.

My buddy in CO rode a K75. Liked it but was about as slow as his sportster over the passes. He was hit from behind on I25 on the K75. He survived but the bike was gone. He bought an R1150RS. He and the riding group kind of agreed that the RS was a bit odd even though is had excellent tech and engineering.

Personal taste I guess.

 

[Brendan W]

Having completed a 900 mile trip on the big GS, I found myself thinking of bikes I'd like to tour on. I don't want something massive or ponderous, and I've always had a soft spot for the R100RS, but I also very much like the K75. I imagine a few of you have owned one or the other of these. Any anecdotal touring info you might have?

So the old girl gives you a 900 miler and you're thinking about ditching her. She should slap you
We started touring on a CB200. Nothing ambitious, Paris. Moved on the a Z650 and ended up in Spain and so on. Always soft luggage, travelling light. Then came the R100RT. Fantastic machine that was always going faster than you thought. Nature intervened and kids started arriving and we never did actually do the Grand Tour thing on the R. How many times in life you get the perfect rig for something just as you're getting out. Now we're back with the GS touring with soft luggage.

P.S. Talk to Trevor. The BM owns you.

 

[Ecklund]

So the old girl gives you a 900 miler and you're thinking about ditching her. She should slap you
We started touring on a CB200. Nothing ambitious, Paris. Moved on the a Z650 and ended up in Spain and so on. Always soft luggage, travelling light. Then came the R100RT. Fantastic machine that was always going faster than you thought. Nature intervened and kids started arriving and we never did actually do the Grand Tour thing on the R. How many times in life you get the perfect rig for something just as you're getting out. Now we're back with the GS touring with soft luggage.

P.S. Talk to Trevor. The BM owns you.

Almost sounds like a conversation with a non-motorcycle person...

Why do you need more than one bike when you can only ride one at a time? I want to reply that the same might be said for the number of shoes a person might have, but I also know the gain from such a statement would be far outweighed but the discord it would cause.

Buying a Beemer/other bike isn't exactly ditching the old girl. One of those air cooled standard/naked R100 bikes would be a great addition to most garages.

 

[Brendan W]

Guess I'm just a one woman type
I do expect her to do everything though.

 

[GS1150Pilot]

So the old girl gives you a 900 miler and you're thinking about ditching her. She should slap you
We started touring on a CB200. Nothing ambitious, Paris. Moved on the a Z650 and ended up in Spain and so on. Always soft luggage, travelling light. Then came the R100RT. Fantastic machine that was always going faster than you thought. Nature intervened and kids started arriving and we never did actually do the Grand Tour thing on the R. How many times in life you get the perfect rig for something just as you're getting out. Now we're back with the GS touring with soft luggage.

P.S. Talk to Trevor. The BM owns you.

LOL, who said I was giving the 1150 up? Heh. I want to build it into a firebreather, to play at the local dragstrip on test and tune nights and surprise riders of modern stuff here and there.

 

[Baatfam]

I like those, but I want something easy(ish) to work on. The 1100 is more complex than the two lesser Beemers I keep looking at, no? Also heavier than my GS, I think?

K1100RS is really no different to work on than the K75s, just add another cylinder. In some ways they are easier than the GSes, in some ways more difficult.

The K75s are suppose to be smoother than the 100s or 1100s, because of the triple, but I've never ridden one. K1100RS weighs in at around 590lbs, with a full tank, while the K75s are around 500lbs. They are both rather tall bikes, so I don't know if that would be an issue.

You can find all the specs of the K series here: http://www.motobrick.com/index.php?topic=310.0

As for the R bikes, I had a R1100S for about a year and never really loved it. Beautiful bike, but didn't like the motor and hated the telelever suspension.

As in all cases, if you can, try before you buy....Good luck, I am sure you'll find something you like.

 

[GS1150Pilot]

I have been toying with the notion of getting a touring bike since I used to ride from Phoenix to San Francisco a couple times a year to visit a girl I thought I would marry. The girl ended up moving back to Australia after her dissertation, but the bug to own a rig for longer hauls in more comfort with less fiddling (the bike I get has to be shaft drive, for instance, and I'll admit that the FI of the K75 is appealing as well) stuck with me. In 1987, my brother and I visited the BMW dealership in Tucson and saw the K75S. We thought it was about the most beautiful bike going. I still think it's sharp. It doesn't overwhelm, but seems right in most every aspect, a bit like James Bond's suits. My love for the R100 grew out of a mature love for BMW's boxers. I quite like the early 90's version of that bike too.

I think I am a three bike man. I want a tourer, I love the 1150, which is all about muscle to me, and I want a smallish enduro/dual sport (I have begun eyeing DR350s).

 

[Ecklund]

Man that all sounds so familiar. ( i mean the bike choice part, not he unrequited love part... )

Except a dual sport in the 600cc range would be my preference.

A set of extra supermoto wheels and tires for the dual sport bikes looks interesting too.

 

[GS1150Pilot]

Yeah, I hear you on the dual sport, but a member here got me thinking about how much fun a smaller bike is offroad. I was hell bent on a KLR or an XL650 for a long time, but a built DR350 (sleeved out to 450 or 480) would be a hoot, and I think a perfect mount for some moto-camping. I live close to a national park as well as some fantastic wilderness areas.

 

[Ecklund]

Yeah, I hear you on the dual sport, but a member here got me thinking about how much fun a smaller bike is offroad. I was hell bent on a KLR or an XL650 for a long time, but a built DR350 (sleeved out to 450 or 480) would be a hoot, and I think a perfect mount for some moto-camping. I live close to a national park as well as some fantastic wilderness areas.

I saw a gig as an AUSA in Yuma. I'm sure there are some great places to trail ride in AZ.

Who could say no to a hot rod mid size dual sport. I had an XR250R for years and it was a great trail bike.

 

[GS1150Pilot]

I should add that I like buying older bikes. It is fun to run machines that not everyone has, hence the joy of the 1150. I think a K75 and a DR350/440 would be affordable and charming additions to my small stable.

 

[trevor]

http://victoria.craigslist.ca/mcy/5071308012.html

http://victoria.craigslist.ca/mcy/5064443868.html