I think I need another motorcycle

[No. 5]

My first sreetbike was the 2006 Electra. After the break in, it only needed me to ride it. I saw the Moto Guzzi V7 classic posted here last year, and since my wife hasn't gotten a raise, I obtained a old beaten up Honda CX500. Replaced the clutch, fork seals, wheel bearings, waterpump seal, rebuilt the carbs, and mounted new tires. All this on a 30 year old bike with only 11,000 miles. anyway...I learned the hard way that a barn find belongs in the barn. Don't know if I'll do the dents, paint and chrome.  That's done.  What next? I would really like an old airhead BMW. I would like to go two up, so R90 or R100 I guess. Parts available? Very difficult to work on? I really only know the two bikes I have, So I am looking for suggestions and advice from all the great people here.

Thanks, Steve

[1Blackwolf1]

  As with anything/everything mechanical bought used it depends on how it was treated before you take ownership of it.  A used Beemer generally may be cared for better than most..but take it on a case by case basis.  Don't overlook a good used Goldwing just to find a Beemer.  I had a Wing that went well past 75,000 w/o any mechanical issues.  And you can generaaly find a lot of repair parts still available here in the states.  I had an R-65 years back..decent reliability but repair parts were pricey..even in Germany where I was stationed.

  Don't get me wrong, old Beems are nice, but have a major problem here and it's going to get REAL expensive.  WIll.

[Ice]

"Variety is the spice of life" 

[single]

Yeah,anything German can get expensive in a hurry.BUT,when you are done,it will likely be a long time before anything else is needed.My last r75/5 had 65,000 miles,was wonderful.It did have excessive play in final drive somewhere.It would stay with my friend's Wing.I paid 600$ for it.

[1Blackwolf1]

   Sort of like my lat Gold Wing, $800.00 and ran it forever.  Did do a repaint it was a pathugly yellow/black 2 tone job.  Sold at just 75,000 miles running like a Timex watch.  Will.

[No. 5]

I don't think I want a 700 lb bike. I Trailer the bike to where I want to ride. Hours of freeway riding is not for me. But I am open to new ideas. How difficult are Goldwings to work on? I've found early eighties GL1100's are in my price range.

[1Blackwolf1]

  Not a hard bike at all to work on, but remember they are Timex watch tough.  I replaced the normal maintenance items only over 50,000 miles I logged on it, had right at 25,000 when I picked it up.  So you really shouldn't need to do a whole lot of work on it.  Right now my RE dealer has 3 Wings priced from around 1600-2300 hundred all decent machines.  If you can find an Aspencade so much the better.  They are well balanced so they aren't really that bad for riding.  Will.

[LJRead]

I get a little confused over the nomenclature of bikes (this model or that) but I think it is the K-75 BMW (the one that Scotty is restoring) that looks to be a good bet for what you want.  It isn't overdone like some of the later, bigger bikes, and is apparently very reliable. With its three cylinders it is also very smooth running.  I thought to bring one here, but then was told by the owner I was to buy from that it was overkill for my small island, but if I were there with the longer journeys available, I would look into a used one of those.  They were being made up until about '93 then it was found that BMW could make more profit from a larger version so it was dropped.  Still seem to be some good ones available on the used, but nearly new, market.

[UncleErnie]

/5, /6 /7 Beemers have the best ergos ever.  Period.  Best seat- either solo or 2-up.  Your passenger will love you.
Parts are plentiful, but not especially cheap.  Batteries are out of the world, but everyone keeps a tender on them (and check the fluid regularly.  Drive splines need to be greased every 25K.  Under very hard riding, one notices a little frame flex, but most people don';t ride them that hard.  They get lousy gas mileage for a motorcycle- maybe 40-45mpg.   They usually need better shocks, but most original shocks such anyway.  Progressive fork springs help.  Very easy tune-ups- the valves are right out in the open.
There is TONS of support;  BMWRA, BMWMOA are pay clubs that sponsor huge rallys.  The airheads, and advrider (Old School) are all about these bikes.

Some people have a hard time getting used to the initial jerk to one side when you hit the throttle.  I never noticed.  My very first bike was an R26, and I've had one ever since.

[Savoy]

The Goldwings have been around since 1976 and are a good machine. Lots of high mileage wheels out there for sale by the original owners. Seems they hold their price well.
Every year they got heavier what with all the plastic bolted on. Vetter fairings are nice in the rain but raise the CG. Brain bucket boxes also add too much weight up high.   Caveat: If the alternator fails the entire engine must be removed from the frame for repair and/or replacement.  I'd think parts, either new or used would be easier to come by and less expensive than either the Beemer or Guzzi.  ??

[HRAB]

The K75 Beemer is the 3 cylinder brother to the two K100 4 cylinder bikes I have owned.The K75 is reported to be smoother (less "Buzzy) than the K100. Parts for the two K100's were easy to find, but as pointed out, Expensive. (B=Bring, M=More, W=Wallets.) However, the word "reliable" is an understatement. the first: an 86 K100RT had 48K on it and I added 55K more before selling it to a friend who just rode it 4100 miles with me.  Most of the money I put into that one was simply making up for previous owners neglect.

The second was an insurance total I bought for a song with 24K on the clock. It needed some parts (frame and a title for 150.00 USD and saddle bags (600.00 USD) and some TLC on the top box and rear turn signal lights. I have 10K on that one and it runs like a swiss watch.

The Germans design those things to be transportation, not entertainment. For fun in the twisties, I prefer the beemer to the ST1100. For the four lane slab the Honda is more comfortable.


I have been eying up a 75/5 with 25K miles on it but it is hard to pull the trigger when the S.O. thinks two is enough Motorcycles.
Jim

[ace.cafe]

On my BMW R65, the issue with the drive splines was wicked.
I HAD to do it every year, no matter how little mileage that I put on the bike, or I had trouble. Sometimes I ended up doing it twice a year. If it didn't do it that often, the splines on the clutch disc went bad, and would strand me on the roadside, and need a flatbed to get it home.

I owned that bike for about 5 years, and had the tranny out more often than I changed spark plugs.
I got pretty good at it after awhile.

Of course, it was E-start only, and the thing would never start.
Everything that I had to buy for it cost a nut and a half too.

Finally got rid of the piece of trash.
I will NEVER EVER buy another BMW.
Any bike that I can't keep running, with a lifetime of being a mechanic and owner of all different kinds of  European machinery, must really really suck.
My "supposedly unreliable" exotic Ducati, Laverda, and Benelli motorcycles, with all the "bad rap" about how "unreliable" they are, were paragons of  reliability, compared to that stinking Beemer.
My Bullet is 1000% more reliable than that Beemer.

[1Blackwolf1]

  And my '75 Wing with over 75,000 on the clock only needed a battery in an emergency once.  And I was at a Wal-Mart when it died.  Both driver and passenger had ample room to move /relax.  Think I heard of one, maybe two alternators going bad in beaucoup bucket loads of miles.  But like I say it's just my 2 pence.  Basically a Cadillac on 2 wheels with the reliability of a wind-up Timex watch.  Will.