I always wanted a BMW, ever since the gorgeous R69S of the late sixties; I lusted after one of my own and even wrote to the factory and asked them if they could send me a crated bike to put together myself, but they never answered. Following the untimely demise of my much loved Honda CB750K1 in Germany (see UMG 20), l was left with the rigours of riding a CB900F2C.
Then it happened, out of the blue, on a bleak, cold November morning, wall to wall frost coupled with a nice covering of ice, came a phone call from a friend who only happens to run the local BMW agency, doesn't he? Would I like to try his personal machine which was up for sale? Minutes later I was outside the shop looking at the big, grey-green 1985 BMW K100RT. 9000 miles on the clock, full fairing, top box and £3500.
The owner told my wife and l to take it out for an hour or so to fully investigate it. We christened it Artie on the spot, clambered aboard and wobbled down the road. I was fully prepared for all the quirks I had heard of - clunky gearbox, poor rear suspension, awesome weight problem and so on. But as the lovely whispering motor purred underneath us, the torque inspired power made nonsense of the weight and no-one in his right mind squirts a shaftie out of corners, do they?
By the time we returned after the allotted hour, I was totally chuffed, I had a grin a mile wide and my better half agreed; we had to have it! Then came the let down, our hopes were dashed, another rascal had booked a test ride as well, and had first refusal. We were offered £1250 for the Honda in part exchange if that deal should fall through, which was OK as it had cost £950. We looked at others but they were either too expensive, too well travelled or too far away, so the Honda would have to stay, at least for a while.
Then two months later, a second chance, the bike was back at the dealers, two hundred more miles on the clock and £200 cheaper. It had apparently not fitted the owner's image. A deal was struck the next Sunday morning, he even opened especially for us. Back home, still on cloud nine we inspected Artie more closely. Slight corrosion on the wheels, fairing pockets full of cobwebs and dull paint, but two or three hours work with Pledge, Solvol and elbow grease got the gleam back. And it was ours!
During the next few weeks we tested the bike fully. After 18 years of Hondas, the watercooled, longitudinally arranged DOHC four was a revelation. Electronic fuel injection combined with electronic ignition, both controlled by a sneaky little computer under the saddle, give exhilarating acceleration. The roll-on from 60 to 100mph is especially interesting but it will pootle along at low speeds in fifth without any problems, thanks to an excess of low speed torque and snatch free shaft drive.
It is a rather heavy machine when throwing it around at low speeds, not surprising given the nearly 600lbs of mass, I suppose. Once 20mph or more is up most of the weight recedes and the bike had a well balanced feel. Given the luggage carrying capability and the full protection afforded by the fairing, it's something you soon learn to live with.
The bike is best suited to fast motorway work or wide A roads. The suspension is perhaps on the soft side if you spend most of your time imagining yourself as a racer, but the pay back is excellent long distance comfort. With that fairing up front you can sit there in perfect comfort with 100mph or more on the speedo for as long as the fuel lasts. Bumpy B roads are not so much fun, especially if you decide to change line or throttle off, but this six year old bike is still on its original suspension any similarly equipped Jap race replica would not fare very well. There's loads of kit available for upgrading the suspension, but it has not bothered me sufficiently to pay out the money.
Testers of the K100 have often complained of secondary vibes produced by the machine. My machine was not notably affected, perhaps it had been well run in (BMWs do take longer than other machines) or perhaps I have become so used to the secondary vibes produced by ageing across the frame Japanese fours that it no longer bothers me. It does feel better at 90mph than 70mph, doubtless a design ingredient inspired by the speed limit free autobahns of its home country.
The frame is a relatively simple tubular item that utilises the engine as a stressed member. It is a common item to the whole range and seems strong enough to avoid the horrors of speed wobbles. The wheels are cast alloy jobs which are fine until you manage to put a slight dent in one three days before you're due to take the bike on holiday and have to buy a new wheel for £240. Ouch. BMW parts are expensive but at this kind of mileage few should be required.
Another useful aspect of BMW design is the way the bike can be ridden safely in the wet. Some Japanese bikes are death traps, but the teutonic wonder managed to cut a swathe through the countryside even in the worst of British weather; the rider well protected behind the fairing, even his hands kept warm by the heated handlebars grips. This is one machine where you can arrive at the office in decent clothes.
Another aspect of the machine often complained of is the gearbox. If the action is not the smoothest in the world that is probably the result of the shaft drive Again, it all depends what you are used to - old Honda fours have pretty horrible gearboxes and the action of most Japanese bikes' gearboxes deteriorate as the chain wears out. If the action is not perfectly smooth, missed changes are rare. The gear indicator is useful as the motor is very quiet once above 50mph, only the strange whispering noise from the exhaust is present.
After Jap switchgear the Teutonic system takes some getting used to, especially the indicators and the horn, the latter's button awkwardly placed for quick operation - you're more likely to crash whilst searching around for the button then warn some idiot he’s in the way. At least the horn itself is a very loud two tone job. Added extras are silicone grease filled switches and a rear lamp warning light that glows if the bulb fails. Electronic speedo and tacho means no cables to replace whilst the digital clock and gear indicators are useful extras.
The overall feel of the machine is one of quality, even if it is down on ultimate speed and power, the machine almost convinces you by its evocation of function that it is better than anything else on the road. Genuine BMW panniers are expensive, so it's worth searching out a bike with them already fitted, but they are capacious, waterproof and make the most of the available space by fitting close to the chassis.
When detached, they neatly hide full face helmets when approaching B & B landladies who tend to suffer terminal shock when approached by leather clad vacationers. Locking fairing pockets hold oversuits, maps, etc, whilst the top box carries the inevitable hundred weight handbag (no, hers, you fool).
Although regularly given some welly when possible, the bike never gives less than 45mpg, and never uses a drop of oil between changes. I was just getting used to the euphoric state of BMW ownership when some prat decided to borrow daddy's car one wet, dark night then run straight into Artie to avoid an oncoming vehicle.
Had I found him then the result would not have been pleasant to watch. £2300's worth of damage, fairing, front forks, handlebars and silencer - and I still rode it home! J. S. Gedge of Hastings did the repairs and after a brief hassle with the prat’s insurance, within two months we were back on the road again.
The toolkit is comprehensive and stashed under the seat with the tubeless tyre repair kit, both standard equipment. Maintenance is minimal - a quick look at the oil level glass and coolant level -- the only thing to check are the valve clearances and these tend to stay within limits for very high mileages. It's a good, solid, dependable machine. Would we pay £7000 for a new one? No, but this one has character and will be lovingly looked after for many years to come Well, at least until a cheap Vincent or Brough comes along.
T Pemberton