My R60/7 had done 182,000 miles, just about everything was worn out and the engine rattled so noisily that it drowned out the stainless steel silencers' roar. Part of its demise was down to the ease of high speed cruising allowed by the excellent RS fairing I'd added some 50,000 miles previously. 100mph motorway saunters had become the norm.
I knew that whatever bike I bought it would have to accept the RS fairing. When I saw a 38000 mile K75 with a for sale sign in the town centre, I took the number down and made arrangements for a meeting that very night. The three cylinder Brick smoked heavily on start-up but soon cleared up, ticking over with a nice mechanical rustle and contented hum out of the oddly shaped silencer. Overall condition was very nice, befitting a mature one owner. The initial ride revealed a smooth engine and slick gearbox - well, I was used to a rumbustious old boxer on which correct engagement of gear had taken years of practice. Anyway, I was sufficiently impressed to hand over most of my life savings.
An interesting weekend followed in which the RS fairing was persuaded on to the front of the K. I knew it was possible because I'd seen pictures of such a bike in one of magazines. It was this knowledge that made me persevere, involving a fair bit of cutting, welding and clever bodging. I thought I'd finished, only to find that absolutely none of the wiring matched.
The K75 felt a bit top heavy compared with the boxer, but controls that worked several times smoother (it was like comparing an old coal fired steam train with a modern diesel) more than made up for that. The power characteristics were different, too, with the triple smoother at low revs where the old R60 tried to shake itself to bits, coming in with a liquid flow of torque between 3500 and 8000rpm. Cruising at 100mph on the K felt like 80mph on the boxer.
I rather missed the loud bark of the older bike, but the hum that turned into a wail at high revs on the triple, grew on me. The 120 degree crankshaft throw made for a soul stirring noise, even if it meant that a jackshaft with counterweights was needed to smooth out the vibes. Not the kind of purity of engineering design that ex-boxer owners like, and not entirely effective - as I grew used to the sophistication of the motor, and used more and more revs, it became apparent that there was quite a harsh buzz between 6500 and 8000rpm.
Unlike on the boxer, where engine vibes fade into the background after a while and don't result in bodily harm, on the triple sustained ton plus cruising would leave my hands all shook up. The shakes never got through to the alloy tank, but if I touched the motor with a foot it'd reveal the frenzy going down inside, but the vibes never did any damage, I never even had a bulb blow.
The RS fairing worked amazingly well with the K75. The only reason I can think that BMW don't offer it as an option is that it would mean a drastic reduction in boxer sales! I hadn't bothered with the lowers, but the upper half gave total body protection and with a higher screen sent even a 120mph breeze straight over my head. Pillions complained about turbulence but then that was their problem.
The fairing make slow speed steering very heavy, but the bike must've weighed well over 500lbs so that was expected. With the narrow bars there was a knack to producing the maximum leverage with the minimum of effort, but it was one I'd already perfected on the boxer; I'd also become used to the forward riding stance in town to the extent that I felt no twinges. As the fairing was cream white, with a few added flashes of red and blue, it also worked brilliantly as an imitator of a police bike, giving speeding cagers heart attacks in the fast lane. It was one way to get them to violently veer out of the way. Every time it rained I laughed my head off, such was the protection afforded.
I was a bit dubious about engine maintenance. The boxer had needed frequent doses but was as straightforward as an old sidevalve engine. The K75 had shims to change under its multitude of valves, a hugely complex fuel injection unit and electronic ignition, with its expensive black boxes and no way of bodging if it failed on the road. So far, some 9000 miles after buying the bike, I have yet to do anything more onerous than change the oil a few times and put in a new filter. At least the valves, like in the boxer, are readily accessible.
The K75 fitted me so well, that after a week I was all set for a quick blast over to Germany. Manoeuvring the BMW in the ferry proved the greatest hassle, as the slippery deck almost sent me sprawling. I was almost done for speeding in Belgium, as on a near deserted road it was ridiculously easy to cruise along at 110mph. I'd seen the police Porsche in my mirrors some way back and braked like a lunatic, most effective with the powerful twin discs out front. As the car roared past one of the Belgian plod shook his fist at me. Obviously all heart.
I ran the bike up to 135mph on the German autobahn, a record speed for me. The K's suspension had been upgraded by its first owner and the brick showed no signs of the tail wagging for which the boxer is all too famous. The down-draught effect of the fairing made the front end more secure the faster we went. Supreme comfort and speed, but almost ruined by a terrible thirst when the machine was run flat out, about 35mpg. The bike stuttered on to reserve and made it to the nearest service station with just vapour left in the tank. I was worried that the injectors might not self-bleed but after a bit of stuttering the motor cleared up okay.
The combination of UK plates on a German bike made the natives very friendly, with an excess of directions to the best in hotels and hostelries. I took a meandering route back home, the K revealing itself in the curves to be as every bit as susceptible to tying itself up in knots as the old boxer. They both needed to be set up on line in advance and gently accelerated out of corners, sharing a cantankerous shaft drive that would try to bounce the back tyre off the road if sudden changes in direction were required.
It was also very heavy going to flick it from side to side. At least the K75 didn't try to throw the chassis into terminal wobbles as did the boxer in its final days. It didn't take much effort to make the undercarriage take chunks of tarmac out of the road, having 500lbs of metal trying to twitch its way off the road was a bit of an eye-opener. Reminded me of the one time I'd got one of the R60's cylinder heads to touch down.
Despite the K75's faults, I can't say they detracted from the fun of riding, overcoming them was all part of the enjoyment, each ride leaving me with a sense of satisfaction. I could do a full eight hours worth of riding in a day without becoming too tired, the excellent riding position, firm but well shaped seat and full protection from the fairing all working to the machine's advantage. BMWs have a tireless nature that few other bikes are able to imitate.
The K was just as astute in the daily grind to work, the most significant quality being able to get away with wearing relatively lightweight clothing even in the depths of an English winter. My only real worry was when the Continental tyres were down to about 3mm, slides on damp roads waking me up quicker than a bucket of cold water thrown over my sleeping form. I much preferred the Metzelers I later fitted, which were about half worn after 6000 miles. Fuel in commuting mode was much nearer to 50 than 45mpg. I hadn't had to replace any other consumables.
In the depths of winter the K started as soon as I caressed the starter, ticked over reliably, although it always had its smoke haze for a few minutes. The old R60 used to take ages to come to life, threatening to flatten the battery, then taking about 15 minutes before it settled down into a reliable chuff-chuff. I've grown rather spoilt with the lack of hassle involved with running the K and have wads of spare time I used to expend maintaining the boxer, which is now rotting away at the back of the garage. For boxer owners the K75 is a serious bit of evolution and improvement that's well worth looking into.
A.F.W