Author Topic: New to me K75 in Big Bend  (Read 3974 times)

Offline kevinu

  • Motobrick Curious
  • Posts: 14
New to me K75 in Big Bend
« on: May 13, 2020, 04:12:35 PM »
I am new to motorcycles and to this forum.  I recently purchased a 1994 K75.  This bike has slightly more than 82,000 (I have this uncertainty because the odometer did not work when I purchased it).  This is my first ever motorcycle, but I have been riding mountain bikes aggressively for 40 years (I guess this hints at my age) and it has been a pretty easy transition.  I live in the Big Bend region of Texas and this is an awesome place to ride a motorcycle - and this is a great bike for this area.

So far, I have done all of my maintenance, including:
1. Oil change, rear drive spline lube
2. Fixed the odometer  - replaced some small gears in odometer, now it works
3. mounted/balanced new front and rear tires
4. changed transmission and final drive oil
5. started a search to determine cause of the fan not turning on: tested temperature sensor, tested temperature relay ... no luck on finding the solution to this problem - I will discuss this in a thread on this forum that already has this topic

I look forward to many miles on this bike ...
  • Alpine, Texas
  • 1994 K75

Offline herseyb

  • ^ Proficient Motobricker
  • Posts: 366
Re: New to me K75 in Big Bend
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2020, 04:22:29 PM »
What a beaut.  A red version of that model was my first moto too.

Looks like you are missing the rear luggage rack that goes over the cowling?  I replaced mine with a backrest/rack combo, but still have the OEM rack if you're interested.  it's got a funny shape but was robust.

 I riveted together a little aluminum angle iron extension that bolted too it and supported my backpacking pack (laying sideways) while strapping in.
  • Brooklyn
  • '93 K1100RS

Offline Laitch

  • Faster than a speeding pullet
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Re: New to me K75 in Big Bend
« Reply #2 on: May 13, 2020, 04:32:19 PM »
started a search to determine cause of the fan not turning on: tested temperature sensor, tested temperature relay ... no luck on finding the solution to this problem - I will discuss this in a thread on this forum that already has this topic
Welcome. It looks like a good purchase, especially if that's a Parabellum Scout fairing on it.

Just start a thread in the Motobrick Workshop about your moto's fan. It'll see plenty of action.
  • Along the Ridley in Vermont.
  • 1995 K75 89,000 miles
I wept because I had no radials until I met a man who had no splines.
https://tinyurl.com/RillRider

Offline kevinu

  • Motobrick Curious
  • Posts: 14
Re: New to me K75 in Big Bend
« Reply #3 on: May 13, 2020, 04:41:14 PM »
The original rear cowling shown in the picture did not have the rack and was slightly damaged.  I purchased a rear cowling from a K100 that had the rack and I modified it to fit this bike.  Being a river enthusiast, I have numerous drybags that will strap nicely to this.  I have also been considering an extension to support a pelican type box, so I'm interested in any advice about that.
  • Alpine, Texas
  • 1994 K75

Offline natalena

  • ^ SuperNatural Motobricker
  • Posts: 604
Re: New to me K75 in Big Bend
« Reply #4 on: May 13, 2020, 07:45:23 PM »
I had a post a while back on supporting a bike rack on the rear cowling rack (K75S), it was a long gutter extension.

Fender washers are useless, and ended up welding a cage for the cowl interior. It used up about 10% of the space, but made the structure strong enough to clamp the Cervelo to and zing down the road without worry. Good Luck.
  • MST
  • 1987 K75s #0919, '05 Sportster 1200C
We don't need no stinkin' moly.

Offline Laitch

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Re: New to me K75 in Big Bend
« Reply #5 on: May 13, 2020, 11:20:28 PM »
I had a post a while back on supporting a bike rack on the rear cowling rack (K75S), it was a long gutter extension.
This one?
  • Along the Ridley in Vermont.
  • 1995 K75 89,000 miles
I wept because I had no radials until I met a man who had no splines.
https://tinyurl.com/RillRider

Offline natalena

  • ^ SuperNatural Motobricker
  • Posts: 604
Re: New to me K75 in Big Bend
« Reply #6 on: May 14, 2020, 02:56:06 AM »
Hey Laitch, great to see you're burpin' and chirpin' again!

That was the early proof of concept, which worked fine with the interior support. The Reynolds Rack is the way to go though.
  • MST
  • 1987 K75s #0919, '05 Sportster 1200C
We don't need no stinkin' moly.
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Offline volador

  • ^ Quintessential Motobricker
  • Posts: 1165
  • NEEDS MORE CHROME
Re: New to me K75 in Big Bend
« Reply #7 on: May 14, 2020, 09:39:11 AM »
Gawd when you thought you saw it all

a fecking Brick bike hauler
  • NYC NY
  • 1991 K100RS 1993 K75S ABS
5 BOROUGHS SISYPHEAN SOCIETY  MAINTAINING THE OBSESSION

Offline volador

  • ^ Quintessential Motobricker
  • Posts: 1165
  • NEEDS MORE CHROME
Re: New to me K75 in Big Bend
« Reply #8 on: May 14, 2020, 11:07:45 AM »
Welcome very nice looking moto. Bike or moto 2-wheels is best. Good luck

You can add the last 7 digits of the VIN into the MaxBMW model search link.

Just bought a 2V

Just bought a 4V

Check parts compatibility with BMW MAX Microfiche, BOBS BMW, REAL OEM

https://shop.maxbmw.com/fiche/PartsFiche.aspx

https://shop.maxbmw.com/fiche/PartsSearch.aspx

https://parts.maxbmw.com/BMW___BmwMotorradK.html

https://www.bobsbmw.com/store/microfiche/BrowseSeries.aspx

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/select.do?kind=M&arch=1

https://www.ascycles.com/BMW-Motorcycle-Parts-Fiche

Cross reference parts like Bosch pn#'s, etc....  http://partsplusecat.com/
No spaces in the part number

Parts Vendors

https://www.beemerboneyard.com/

https://www.capitalcycle.com/

https://www.euromotoelectrics.com/

https://www.tills.de/

Headlight relay stuff if you chose to add one

https://www.motobrick.com/index.php?topic=268.0

http://www.motobrick.com/index.php/topic,4962.msg30932.html

http://culayer.com/product/matchbox-headlight-relay/

http://easternbeaver.com/Main/Wiring_Kits/H4_Kits/h4_kits.html  Eastern Beaver site is a great reference for electrical connectors,plugs, etc...

http://www.k100-forum.com/

http://www.kforum-tech.com/Tech-page.html

http://www.kforum-tech.com/electrical/EFI/bike-wont-start-EN.htm

http://www.kforum-tech.com/Downloads/electrical/diagrams/interactive_diagrams.htm

http://www.kbikeparts.com/classickbikes.com/ckb.tech/0.ckb.tech.files/k100tshoot/K100.Troubleshoot.Start.2018.pdf

http://kbikeparts.com/index.htm

http://www.kbikeparts.com/classickbikes.com/ckb.tech/ckb.new2k.htm

http://www.kbikeparts.com/classickbikes.com/ckb.tech/ckb.tech.toc.htm

http://www.eilenberger.net/K75S/IgnitionSwitch/

http://www.verrill.com/moto/moto.shtml

this site has a lot of good info and breakdown pictures in the tech and tech resources sections for K1100 alot of the parts are on K75 & K100

http://www.k11og.org/forum/index.php?sid=2df953dde5715fd9001fbe69edec5ad0

https://ibmwr.org/index.php/k-bike-tech-articles/

This site has all kinds of technical specifications on all the BMW models    http://www.bmbikes.co.uk/mechanicalpages/kseriesmechanical.htm

http://largiader.com

http://bmwk10075abs1fix.web.fc2.com/index.html  Toshi ABS site
  • NYC NY
  • 1991 K100RS 1993 K75S ABS
5 BOROUGHS SISYPHEAN SOCIETY  MAINTAINING THE OBSESSION

Offline BrickDad

  • ^ Motobrick Curious
  • Posts: 55
Re: New to me K75 in Big Bend
« Reply #9 on: May 17, 2020, 05:05:50 PM »
Hey - I love that part of the country, especially the Chisos mountain campground and the Santa Elena Canyon.  I 1st climbed into the Chisos Bowl back in the 1980s on my ol' R100CS... hell of a climb angle on that road!  I introduced my adult son to the Big Bend several years ago.

I have a 1995 K75 and they are great bikes.    Good purchase!

I recommend www.tills.de for a better-than-stock radiator fan.  You'll need it in the Big Bend in the Summer!  Also, I recommend you scout out "fuel radiator" threads on this site and also on www.K100-forum.com.  Often in hot weather, it's the pressurised hot fuel being pumped back into the aluminum-walled tank, and not the engine's radiator that starts to cook the rider.  Several people here in the States and also in Australia have adapted & fitted billet aluminum transmission radiators to their Ks to reduce or sometimes plain solve their hot fuel problem.
  • Arlington County, Virginia
  • 1995 K75T + Paralever, 1991 K100RS 4-valver + 1990 Flexit sidecar
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Offline kevinu

  • Motobrick Curious
  • Posts: 14
Re: New to me K75 in Big Bend
« Reply #10 on: May 20, 2020, 10:01:08 AM »
Big Bend National Park is still closed, so yesterday I rode the river road west of the park.  It was > 100 F in the early afternoon.  I have a manual fan switch that I left on for most of the ride and everything seemed to work fine.
  • Alpine, Texas
  • 1994 K75

Offline Laitch

  • Faster than a speeding pullet
  • Administrator
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Re: New to me K75 in Big Bend
« Reply #11 on: May 20, 2020, 10:07:03 AM »
  It was > 100 F in the early afternoon.
Thanks for the photos.

Did you ever determine that your fan would cycle on and off automatically? Running it all the time isn't necessarily a good practice.
  • Along the Ridley in Vermont.
  • 1995 K75 89,000 miles
I wept because I had no radials until I met a man who had no splines.
https://tinyurl.com/RillRider

Offline kevinu

  • Motobrick Curious
  • Posts: 14
Re: New to me K75 in Big Bend
« Reply #12 on: May 20, 2020, 10:18:51 AM »
Laitch:  I'm working on that - I think it does work properly, but I want to confirm.  A little difficult to explain, but my plan is to wire a voltage detector to it and ride at a temperature where it should come on (not hard to do here this time of year).  If it cycles on, I will see this as a voltage on the detector.  If this works, I will take the manual fan switch off and restore the wiring to original condition.

  • Alpine, Texas
  • 1994 K75

Offline Laitch

  • Faster than a speeding pullet
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Re: New to me K75 in Big Bend
« Reply #13 on: May 20, 2020, 10:32:41 AM »
I'm working on that - I think it does work properly, but I want to confirm.  A little difficult to explain . . .
It's also unnecessary; it should be obvious if the system is working, no thinking necessary.  :laughing4-giggles: If the fan doesn't cycle on and off after idling the engine for 15 minutes or so in the desert heat cooking your driveway, a new coolant temperature sensor is likely necessary, based on the results of your previous tests if you described them accurately.

Riding with the fan perpetually on doesn't allow the engine to operate at optimal temperature.
  • Along the Ridley in Vermont.
  • 1995 K75 89,000 miles
I wept because I had no radials until I met a man who had no splines.
https://tinyurl.com/RillRider

Offline volador

  • ^ Quintessential Motobricker
  • Posts: 1165
  • NEEDS MORE CHROME
  • NYC NY
  • 1991 K100RS 1993 K75S ABS
5 BOROUGHS SISYPHEAN SOCIETY  MAINTAINING THE OBSESSION
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Offline Rcgreaves

  • ^ SuperNatural Motobricker
  • Posts: 973
  • "I'd rather be flying, but this will do nicely"
Re: New to me K75 in Big Bend
« Reply #15 on: May 21, 2020, 11:50:35 AM »
Welcome!

So a K75 is your first bike?  How bout that.  If you had to start somewhere, you made an excellent choice. Even in mild temperature Wisconsin my radiator fan kicks on eventually at idle. 

  • Livingston in Southwest WI. USA-"With the good earth all around."
  • 94' K75S, 85' GL1200 Aspencade, 96' VFR750F, 01' GL1800. Restoring: 95' K1100RS, 83' R80RT NEW: Motorvation Formula II
Doing “better than I deserve"
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Offline Martin

  • ^ Quintessential Motobricker
  • Posts: 4437
Re: New to me K75 in Big Bend
« Reply #16 on: May 21, 2020, 04:06:37 PM »
A fan bypass switch is a worthwhile addition as it can be used to determine that the fan is functioning. And the fans are known seize up from lack of use so it can be used to cycle the fan and reduce the chance of seizing.
Regards Martin.
  • North Lakes Queensland Australia
  • 1992 K75s Hybrid, Lefaux, Vespa V twin.
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Offline stokester

  • ^ SuperNatural Motobricker
  • Posts: 802
Re: New to me K75 in Big Bend
« Reply #17 on: May 23, 2020, 07:30:26 PM »
I recommend www.tills.de for a better-than-stock radiator fan. 
112350
  • Yorktown Virginia
  • '94 K75S Dakar Yellow - '93 K75S Seiden Blau - '91 R100RT Bermuda Blue- '78 R100S Smoke Red

Offline The Mighty Gryphon

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  • Posts: 6617
Re: New to me K75 in Big Bend
« Reply #18 on: May 23, 2020, 11:23:49 PM »
Many brick owners have replaced fried Bosch fans with one made by Spal.  Last one I bought was $65 on eBay with free shipping.  Takes about an hour to to do the modifications for the installation. 

http://www.motobrick.com/index.php/topic,4313.0.html

Reply #18 is where the good stuff starts.
  • In my garage in Marilla, NY
  • '91K100RS White/Blue
Current:
'91 K100RS16V "Moby Brick Too"

Past:
'94 K75RT "Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS"
'92 K100RS16V "Moby Brick" (RIP, deceased in a vehicular assault)
'94 K75S Special Edition Dakar Yellow "Cheetos"
'89 K100RS Special Edition "Special Ed"

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