BMW K75 - cafe racer project?
Discussion
I think I've got an obsession with buying bikes, since the ZXR400 has sold there is space in the garage.
I've been offered an Ex-police + 1 owner 1995 BMW K75 with 55k miles for a very cheap price.
Fuel injected, shaft driven, non abs.
Now it's been dry stored in a heated garage for 10 years without being started.Been to have a look and it's very clean, no rust externally. The brakes aren't seized either so it can be wheeled around. It was used as a daily before being stored.
This bike gives me the perfect base to make a cafe racer.
It's not officially for sale but the image above would be my inspiration, am I potentially entering in to loads of problems if it hasn't been started for 10 years?
I'd obviously drain fuel, oil, change plugs and put some oil into the bores to "loosen" things up.
Interested to hear your thoughts on this and any pre start things I should do/check.
I've been offered an Ex-police + 1 owner 1995 BMW K75 with 55k miles for a very cheap price.
Fuel injected, shaft driven, non abs.
Now it's been dry stored in a heated garage for 10 years without being started.Been to have a look and it's very clean, no rust externally. The brakes aren't seized either so it can be wheeled around. It was used as a daily before being stored.
This bike gives me the perfect base to make a cafe racer.
It's not officially for sale but the image above would be my inspiration, am I potentially entering in to loads of problems if it hasn't been started for 10 years?
I'd obviously drain fuel, oil, change plugs and put some oil into the bores to "loosen" things up.
Interested to hear your thoughts on this and any pre start things I should do/check.
Mr2Mike said:
Jonjo91 said:
This bike gives me the perfect base to make a cafe racer.
A 240kg shaft driven plod-mobile isn't the first bike to spring to mind as the ideal base for a cafe racer.I probably know more than most about both brining K bikes back from the dead and turning them into the most unlikely cafe racer.
Mine was bought as something to do, I fancied a project and stumbled accross a rough K100RT. It turned out to be very rough, and I ended up changing a lot more parts and chasing a lot more problems than I expected. The electrics can be complicated and akward.
Mine went down the cafe racer route partly because it fell over in the garage (off the bike ramp) and crushed half the plastics, partly because the rear of the frame thats stupidly exposed above the back wheel was worryingly corroded, and partly because i quite fancied doing it.
The bike in the pics could be done in a couple of weeks depending mainly on what you have to start with. I would make sure that it all works properly before you do anything else.
After standing injectors tend to gum up, wiring connectors can loosen off with age and cause all sorts of weird problems, and the earth connectors to the frame under the tank will need stripping and cleaning.
I would pull the plugs, oil the bores and turn it over a few times. But these are pretty tough units and the engine is likely to be less of a pain than what's connected to it.
It'll never be fast. If you put clip on bars onto it you may find the steering fairly heavy, and I'm considering low renthals so I can chuck it about a bit more.
So. The bike in the pictures.
Take off all of the plastics. trim approx 8" out of the rear of the frame, some people brace the remaining frame with a welded bar accross the suspension point.
Buy an aftermarket seat unit, Vonzeti make a base that's bolt on and seat units to fit. Mine has one but it's quite high and not comfortable.
I fitted a Koso digital speedo because I wanted a rev counter as well as speed (analouge looks nicer), to get a neatrual light and for it to start without the clutch being pulled in you need a series of relays but I just live without it. Fuel gauge/light is different from other bikes, I just live without it.
That's pretty much it. Of all the bikes I've had this one gets by far the most positive attention, and people asking what it is.
I can't link pics as I'm at work but if you go to leportphotographic.co.uk and look under the bikes section mine is in there. Mine will probably never be finished, but it's working well, MOT'd and going for a good run when I get off the oil rig. It is known as startyoub
h for a reason.
Mine was bought as something to do, I fancied a project and stumbled accross a rough K100RT. It turned out to be very rough, and I ended up changing a lot more parts and chasing a lot more problems than I expected. The electrics can be complicated and akward.
Mine went down the cafe racer route partly because it fell over in the garage (off the bike ramp) and crushed half the plastics, partly because the rear of the frame thats stupidly exposed above the back wheel was worryingly corroded, and partly because i quite fancied doing it.
The bike in the pics could be done in a couple of weeks depending mainly on what you have to start with. I would make sure that it all works properly before you do anything else.
After standing injectors tend to gum up, wiring connectors can loosen off with age and cause all sorts of weird problems, and the earth connectors to the frame under the tank will need stripping and cleaning.
I would pull the plugs, oil the bores and turn it over a few times. But these are pretty tough units and the engine is likely to be less of a pain than what's connected to it.
It'll never be fast. If you put clip on bars onto it you may find the steering fairly heavy, and I'm considering low renthals so I can chuck it about a bit more.
So. The bike in the pictures.
Take off all of the plastics. trim approx 8" out of the rear of the frame, some people brace the remaining frame with a welded bar accross the suspension point.
Buy an aftermarket seat unit, Vonzeti make a base that's bolt on and seat units to fit. Mine has one but it's quite high and not comfortable.
I fitted a Koso digital speedo because I wanted a rev counter as well as speed (analouge looks nicer), to get a neatrual light and for it to start without the clutch being pulled in you need a series of relays but I just live without it. Fuel gauge/light is different from other bikes, I just live without it.
That's pretty much it. Of all the bikes I've had this one gets by far the most positive attention, and people asking what it is.
I can't link pics as I'm at work but if you go to leportphotographic.co.uk and look under the bikes section mine is in there. Mine will probably never be finished, but it's working well, MOT'd and going for a good run when I get off the oil rig. It is known as startyoub
h for a reason.Edited by Speed addicted on Monday 1st June 06:54
MotorsportTom said:
Don't do it. If you're going to get one that's already partly shagged so chopping it up isn't so bad.
55k is low mileage from what I've seen so get it bought as a hack/commuter.
Alternatively I will, how much is not much?
No need for another hack/commuter 55k is low mileage from what I've seen so get it bought as a hack/commuter.
Alternatively I will, how much is not much?
Change from £400
Speed addicted said:
I probably know more than most about both brining K bikes back from the dead and turning them into the most unlikely cafe racer.
Mine was bought as something to do, I fancied a project and stumbled accross a rough K100RT. It turned out to be very rough, and I ended up changing a lot more parts and chasing a lot more problems than I expected. The electrics can be complicated and akward.
Mine went down the cafe racer route partly because it fell over in the garage (off the bike ramp) and crushed half the plastics, partly because the rear of the frame thats stupidly exposed above the back wheel was worryingly corroded, and partly because i quite fancied doing it.
The bike in the pics could be done in a couple of weeks depending mainly on what you have to start with. I would make sure that it all works properly before you do anything else.
After standing injectors tend to gum up, wiring connectors can loosen off with age and cause all sorts of weird problems, and the earth connectors to the frame under the tank will need stripping and cleaning.
I would pull the plugs, oil the bores and turn it over a few times. But these are pretty tough units and the engine is likely to be less of a pain than what's connected to it.
It'll never be fast. If you put clip on bars onto it you may find the steering fairly heavy, and I'm considering low renthals so I can chuck it about a bit more.
So. The bike in the pictures.
Take off all of the plastics. trim approx 8" out of the rear of the frame, some people brace the remaining frame with a welded bar accross the suspension point.
Buy an aftermarket seat unit, Vonzeti make a base that's bolt on and seat units to fit. Mine has one but it's quite high and not comfortable.
I fitted a Koso digital speedo because I wanted a rev counter as well as speed (analouge looks nicer), to get a neatrual light and for it to start without the clutch being pulled in you need a series of relays but I just live without it. Fuel gauge/light is different from other bikes, I just live without it.
That's pretty much it. Of all the bikes I've had this one gets by far the most positive attention, and people asking what it is.
I can't link pics as I'm at work but if you go to leportphotographic.co.uk and look under the bikes section mine is in there. Mine will probably never be finished, but it's working well, MOT'd and going for a good run when I get off the oil rig. It is known as startyoubh for a reason.
This is good to know - sound advice. I didn't think it would take too much to get it something like the above. Mine was bought as something to do, I fancied a project and stumbled accross a rough K100RT. It turned out to be very rough, and I ended up changing a lot more parts and chasing a lot more problems than I expected. The electrics can be complicated and akward.
Mine went down the cafe racer route partly because it fell over in the garage (off the bike ramp) and crushed half the plastics, partly because the rear of the frame thats stupidly exposed above the back wheel was worryingly corroded, and partly because i quite fancied doing it.
The bike in the pics could be done in a couple of weeks depending mainly on what you have to start with. I would make sure that it all works properly before you do anything else.
After standing injectors tend to gum up, wiring connectors can loosen off with age and cause all sorts of weird problems, and the earth connectors to the frame under the tank will need stripping and cleaning.
I would pull the plugs, oil the bores and turn it over a few times. But these are pretty tough units and the engine is likely to be less of a pain than what's connected to it.
It'll never be fast. If you put clip on bars onto it you may find the steering fairly heavy, and I'm considering low renthals so I can chuck it about a bit more.
So. The bike in the pictures.
Take off all of the plastics. trim approx 8" out of the rear of the frame, some people brace the remaining frame with a welded bar accross the suspension point.
Buy an aftermarket seat unit, Vonzeti make a base that's bolt on and seat units to fit. Mine has one but it's quite high and not comfortable.
I fitted a Koso digital speedo because I wanted a rev counter as well as speed (analouge looks nicer), to get a neatrual light and for it to start without the clutch being pulled in you need a series of relays but I just live without it. Fuel gauge/light is different from other bikes, I just live without it.
That's pretty much it. Of all the bikes I've had this one gets by far the most positive attention, and people asking what it is.
I can't link pics as I'm at work but if you go to leportphotographic.co.uk and look under the bikes section mine is in there. Mine will probably never be finished, but it's working well, MOT'd and going for a good run when I get off the oil rig. It is known as startyoub
h for a reason.Edited by Speed addicted on Monday 1st June 06:54
Once the track bike project is finished I will most likely pick the K75 up and start that. Finding time to do all this around work is the hard bit!
MotorsportTom said:
Then let me have it! Don't make it a cafe
That is foooking cheap for one of those!
It's mine, all mine! That is foooking cheap for one of those!
Here is said bike. Feels like I'd be in a wind free bubble when I sat on it.
Still has the grease filled throttle mechanism to prevent snap back when letting go, I'm told that was plod spec?
Jonjo91 said:
MotorsportTom said:
Then let me have it! Don't make it a cafe
That is foooking cheap for one of those!
It's mine, all mine! That is foooking cheap for one of those!
Here is said bike. Feels like I'd be in a wind free bubble when I sat on it.
Still has the grease filled throttle mechanism to prevent snap back when letting go, I'm told that was plod spec?
gareth_r said:
Speed addicted said:
...useful stuff...
and, if my about to be recommissioned K is anything to go by, modern petrol turns the in-tank fuel pipes to black gunge.Edited by gareth_r on Monday 1st June 16:59
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