Bmw K100

[HarleyCreation]

I just obtained a 1985 K100 BMW in MINT original condition and it is quite a motorcycle. If I were smart I'd wrap it up in shrink wrap and preserve it as is and not ride the wheels off it and not make any of my own obnoixious modifications to it.

However......

[AdminGuy]

Nice! I could use one of those.

[darrylri]

The motors are essentially bullet proof if you keep oil and water in them. They run 100s of thousands of miles on routine maintenance.

However, the transmission input shaft splines, on which rides the clutch, need occasional lubrication. If the clutch doesn't release easily or sticks in any fashion, it's time to do this job.

Good luck! Only 14 more years and it will be AMCA eligible!

[Earl]

Glad to see you've got super reliable transportation.

Now the next question is.......

Will you be making the trip to Davenport this year?

We're expecting the repro Pennington to be fired up, which I'm sure you'd like to witness. I'm wondering if that will be complete with a little bit of Pennington style crowd gathering,....

"Step right up folks and witness the transportation that will replace the horse,....."

And as the crowd gathers,....picture young Bill Harley and Arthur Davidson pushing forward to get a better view,.......

Then Pennington remarks in a W.C.Fields manner,...

"Stand back boys, ya bother me......"

I can hardly wait. !!!!

[HarleyCreation]

Glad to see you've got super reliable transportation.

Now the next question is.......

Will you be making the trip to Davenport this year?

We're expecting the repro Pennington to be fired up, which I'm sure you'd like to witness. I'm wondering if that will be complete with a little bit of Pennington style crowd gathering,....

"Step right up folks and witness the transportation that will replace the horse,....."

And as the crowd gathers,....picture young Bill Harley and Arthur Davidson pushing forward to get a better view,.......

Then Pennington remarks in a W.C.Fields manner,...

"Stand back boys, ya bother me......"

I can hardly wait. !!!!

Earl,

The spam guy brought this post back up. I never saw your post until now. I love the way you set the scene there: no one had ever thought about a gasoline-powered bicycle before, let alone see one, and then suddenly in 1895 Milwaukee there he was! Pennington and the Motor Cycle! He branded the American mind with his impossible device thereafter, including those two young lads named Harley and Davidson, at least they lived nearby!

The replica didn't make it to Davenport that year and now I understand it's in the Hershey museum now.

[40 Nuck]

Can you post a pic, HarleyCreation? Would like to see that K100.

[40 Nuck]

And Earl ... any pics of that Pennington?

[HarleyCreation]

K100 photos

Can you post a pic, HarleyCreation? Would like to see that K100.

40Nuck: To answer your other question to Earl, I think there is gonna be a photo of Pete's Pennington replica in the next issue of The Antique Motorcyle.

Here's a couple images of my K100. All I've done to it is replace the absurdly small and unhandy BMW cargo box with a larger Givi copy box. Sinces it's red & black it fits the bike very well. I wish this were the faired K100RT version. Of course I call it the Red Baron. I'm wondering: was the K100 the first motorcycle with fuel injection? I wonder if Darryl knows?

[darrylri]

I have read that the Kawasaki KZ1000G was the first bike to have EFI, starting in 1980. The K100 was introduced in 1983 -- we're going to have a special edition of the Vintage BMW Bulletin this fall to cover its 25th anniversary, and therefore the K bikes' official induction into the Vintage BMW club's 25 year rolling limit for "Classic" BMWs. This may shake up some of the membership!

Because (at least until very recently) BMW's models change rather slowly, they are rarely the first to bring out a new technology, although ABS technology on the K100 does come to mind, as well as hydraulically damped telescopic forks on the 1935 R12. (As BMW's current fork technologies -- the telelever and duolever -- haven't spread to the rest of the industry, perhaps they cannot be considered to be "firsts".)

But they usually have a number of leading edge items when they do come out and therefore are very modern. The 1938 R51, for example, had telescopic forks, foot change transmission, plunger rear suspension, and an OHV engine. None of those things were new with that model, but together made the bike very modern at that moment in time, and this bike was the basis for Ernst Henne's last land speed record, 173mph, which stood into the 50s.

[HarleyCreation]

Liking K100 more

Darylri,

That's interesting about the KZ1000G being a previous FI bike. I didn't know that, but just "hoping" the K100 was first.

I'm liking this K100 more and more. I had to take the ignition switch apart and clean it and at the same time I modified the battery tray to fit a garden tractor battery. That allowed the slightly oversized (longer) garden tractor battery to fit the tray. The stock top strap and long screws still work perfectly. Now, which ever battery I decide to put into this thing (stock BMW or other), I have a much wider range of options, including the nearly universally available and CHEAP garden tractor "U1" type. Although the K100 will need the "U1R" with opposite terminals. I'm also adding "wings" (air deflectors) to the stock BMW windscreen which ain't worth much.

This K100 also has unique German hose clamps on the radiator overflow tank tubes. What is the trick to get those off? My overflow tank hose is cracked and frayed at the clamp and I'd like to shorten it a little bit.

[darrylri]

I'm not familiar with the clamps. BMW has used several different types over the years. Lately they've been using a crimp type clamp that is not intended to be reused.

There are several dealers who have all of the digital fiches up. I use www.maxbmwmotorcycles.com.

It looks like these are one-time use crimp hose clamps. You can probably replace them with standard screw clamps. BMW uses the crimp clamps because they are much faster to install on the assembly line.

[HarleyCreation]

I'm not familiar with the clamps. BMW has used several different types over the years. Lately they've been using a crimp type clamp that is not intended to be reused.

There are several dealers who have all of the digital fiches up. I use www.maxbmwmotorcycles.com.

It looks like these are one-time use crimp hose clamps. You can probably replace them with standard screw clamps. BMW uses the crimp clamps because they are much faster to install on the assembly line.

Thanks darryl. I figured you'd know. These must be the crimp on type. I guess I'll have to cut them and use normal hose clamps. There goes my original bike for future judging purposes!

[darrylri]

Thanks darryl. I figured you'd know. These must be the crimp on type. I guess I'll have to cut them and use normal hose clamps. There goes my original bike for future judging purposes!

If you're really that worried about it, the clamps seem to be about $1.50 each. But of course, you'll also have to buy the special tool for crimping them closed.

[HarleyCreation]

I was mostly kidding about that. I'll go with the U.S. type clamps, plus I already filed on the battery tray and drilled a couple holes in the tailpiece to mount a larger Givi box copy. Now I'm cutting from an old snowmobile cowling fiberglass pieces to add as air deflectors to the stock BMW windscreen. I might make leg shields too. This is cold country. I wish this were an RS or RT model but it ain't.

However, this particular K100 really was a prime example of original stock unmessed with condition (until I got it). The sort of 1930s Knucklehead or BMW you'd like to find. I didn't take to it right away, but after working on it lately I've come to like it more. One thing I'm going to do is go over the wiring and make sure all the connections are clean and tight. I see that is recommended and I believe it with the tiny size wires, etc. this bike has, plus after my dirty switch problem.

[Barry Brown]

As far as I know The Munch was the first bike with fuel injection circa 1968 albeit mechanical "Kugelfischer" I believe, same company that supplied Mercedes?