BMW K75S ABS Dual Sport reviews

I've owned my k75 over 10 years. Ridden it trans-continental a couple times. It is an extremely comfortable bike for long distance, all day rides. Very smooth. Power is all any sane person could want. Only issue has been the fuel pump went out, stranding me. But what do you expect from a fuel pump that is 25 years old? Other than that, it has been a great bike. Show less

I bought the motorcycle from the original owner in Colorado with 40 K on the odometer. This so far has been the best BMW I have ever owned I have owned five of them, I love traveling on this bike, it is one with road at 75 mph, all weather. With new Michelins , the grip is amazing. Reliable and quick with a heavy load rides so stable. I have added a Sargent seat, ohlin shocks, exhaust, ilium foot rest, and bar backs. Such a wonderful motorcycle. I’m very attached to the bike. Show less

The 2001 BMW R1150 GS is a fabulous motorcycle. A beast of a motorcycle. Well engineered and tough it will take you where miles are afraid to tred! The R1150 GS has power to spare. Surprising lower and performance. My last motorcycle was a 2003 Harley Davidson 883 Sportster. I was impressed with the power of that Harley but this 1150 BMW puts it to shame. The BMW is smooth yet robust. The 6-speed gearing has a wide range. I especially like third gear! A handful of throttle feels like you are blasting off to the moon! At age 67 I only rode my BMW mildly off road on my own farm and then only over improved dry pastures! Mine has just over 31,450 miles at the time of this review! My bike was fully serviced and ready to ride anywhere when I purchased it second hand. The tires were just 1 year old with just 1,000 miles on them. I am 67 years old and recently purchased this BMW motorcycle in September 2021, however it is too tall for me to ride comfortably and safely. I have a 30" inseam but riders need longer legs to safely handle this motorcycle. I thought about lowering the suspension but these GS BMW's are too nice to alter. So I purchased a second BMW R1200C Pheonix last week which suits my stride much better. I do not need two BMW motorcycles so I am reluncticly parting with my GS. This is what Cycle World Magazine had to say about the BMW R1150 GS: BMW R1150GS - BEST USED BIKES Exemplifying the very essence of a two-wheel Swiss army knife. Cycle World July 22, 2015 YEARS SOLD: 2000–2004 MSRPNEW: $14,190 ('00) to $14,500 ('04) BLUE BOOK RETAIL VALUE: $4,885 ('00) to $6,500 ('04)BASIC SPECS: The R1150GS is powered by an 1,130cc air-/oil-cooled, four-stroke opposed twin featuring four valves per cylinder, electronic fuel injection, and shaft drive. The 1150 introduced a six-speed gearbox, while later models came equipped with dual spark plug heads and servo-assisted combined ABS brakes. The GS weighs 582 pounds WET with its 5.5-gallon fuel tank topped up and produced 74 hp and 68 pound-feet of torque at the rear wheel on the Cycle World dyno. The "Showa" suspension offers 7.9 inches of rough road-smoothing travel, while the adjustable saddle height (33.1 to 33.8 inches) accommodates a range of riders. WHY IT'S DESIRABLE: Few bikes have proven to be as versatile as the GS BMW Beemer family, with the 1150 exemplifying the very essence of a two-wheel Swiss army knife. It's a road-hardened touring mount and heavyweight dual-sport all wrapped in one. "I went places and saw things on the GS that I never would have on another bike," Mark Hoyer remarked back in the days before he was editor-in-chief. "It truly makes molehills out of mountains." All that, plus the reputation of durability and reliability rivaling that of an anvil easily warrant the price of purchase. THE COMPETITION: Long-travel twins gained prominence in the early 2000s with the introduction of the KTM 950 Adventure and 1,000cc Ducati Multistrada. Undoubtedly, this trend was helped along by the BMW R1150GS, which was honored as the Best Sport-Touring Bike of 2000 by Cycle World in our Ten Best issue. Show less

I bought a 2000 R1100RT with 84k miles on the clock in July. I was not sure about changing from a cruiser to a sport touring bike. All summer long, when I went to the barn, I kept grabbing the RT. I put over 6k miles on this bike over the past three months, including a canyon carving expedition into the Smokies in August. It's easy to ride, comfortable and quick. Just trying to figure out why I waited so long to trade in my cruiser for a sport touring bike. Show less

I bought my R1100RT brand new in Oct., 2000. i rode her daily back and forth on Los Angeles freeways for a year. I put 31,000 on her during first year. She handled very well in rough traffic: stops on a dime and has the ability to power you out of tight spots like a rocket if need be. I rode her recreationally over the next couple of years, and due to knee surgery, I had to park her in my garage over the 2003-2004 time period. Occasional starts during 2005 ended with a dead battery, and her sitting quietly in my garage until the spring of 2012 (yes 7 years). I FINALLY put a new battery in her and she started up with a chug, until I put fresh gas in her. She rode like a champ and I had her serviced within a week. I've put almost 800 miles on her in the first two weeks of bringing her back to life and she hasn't missed a beat. I was thinking about trading her in for a new R1200RT, but after riding her and enjoying the looks of onlookers, I don't think I could ever get rid of her. This is one great machine built by one great company. If you have one; keep it. Show less

I bought this in April 2008 with 18,000 on it, as a 40 mile each way commuter, and with the Corbin seat and BMW bags already on it. I love it right from the start. It has massive torque, gobs of acceleration and is fast enough for me (I haven't had it flat out, but I've had an indicated 120 mph out of it without trying hard). I found it a little too buzzy for comfort around 4500 rpm. The Manic Salamander bar end weights (18.5 ounces instead of the stock 9.5 ounces) completely cured that. I found it very windy over 70 mph; Parabellum windshield, adjusted as high as it can go cured that. My other add-ons were for personal preference, not necessity. The bike is as reliable as a stone, comfortable all day, a joy to drive and magic through the twisties. At first I felt like I wasn't getting much feedback from the front suspension, then I realized it just was not having any problems, so there was nothing for it to tell me. It just goes around bends on any surface at any speed I've asked of it without fuss. Show less

I started riding again and recently bought a 2005 R1100S. It's a great bike for short rides. I started to do 300+ miles per day and got too sore after the ride. It could just be I'm not as young as I used to be. This past fall I purchased a used RS and 500-mile days are now followed by dinner and dancing with my wife. This bike has it all; looks, speed, handling and all day comfort. Switched to city lids and carry just enough for a quick change of clothes and snacks. If I had to choose just one bike, the R1100S would have to go. Show less

I purchased my '04 RT in January of '07 with 34,173 miles. As of this writing, I have put 10,000 miles on the bike in 10 months. Riding includes to and from work, to a 5,000 mile trip out west (Nevada) and back. This bike does everything I ask of it - from the power delivery, to the comfort, to the cornering capabilities, to the ease of maintenance. I enjoy this bike, and certainly don't mind riding to work in the rain. The weather protection is decent, and the Metzler tires that it's equipped with really grip the road well, even when wet. And speaking of wet, the heated hand grips are worth their weight in gold. The storage capacity is good, and I keep the necessary gear loaded, just in case Mother Nature decides to add a challenge to the ride. I don't regret purchasing a bike with 34,000+ miles. Show less

I bought the R1100R about two years ago. (My other 'ride' is a '71 BSA B50.) The BMW is, by far, the nicest bike that I have ever ridden or owned. I tend to service the bike myself since I'm basically a cheapskate and because the bike is fairly easy to service. Other than a minor surging problem (that was taken care of by the previous owner through the installation of a custom 'chip')changing the fluids is simple enough. I noticed a squeak in the rear brake at the end of a 280 mile run this past weekend. Today I pulled the rear caliper and found that I need a set of pads. So, I got shade more than 13,000 miles on the rears. The fronts still look like new. I've also installed Speed Bleeders on the bike and they really help when the annual 'bleeding' comes up. Otherwise, the braking is superb. At 240 LBS and 6ft 3in I'm a pretty big character. When I add my much smaller wife to the equation along with full hardcases we're quite a package. Even so, the bike has absolutely no problem with us. When I'm alone very few other bikes can touch me. (I've got a friend who's a veteran MX'r. He tells me that he figures that every LB costs you 7 HP. The way the BMW pulls, I figure that I could weigh as much as a small cow and it wouldn't even protest!) Now and then an arrogant Harley guy sort of looks down his nose at the BMW. Harley isn't half the bike. (I can hear myself think on the BMW - the Harley guy can't.) The bike consistently gives me 40 - 45 mpg. It handles precisely at any speed. My only 'gripe' is the distance from the seat to the footpegs - I could use another couple of inches. Last year I installed a peg 'lowering' kit and it helped but if I could raise the seat height a bit beyond it's 'high' position it'd be better. (I've got a sciatic problem and I find that I've got to get off of the bike periodically in order to stretch out.) All-in-all the R1100R is an absolutely superb machine. I'd recommend it happily to all! Show less

I primarily commute on the bike but also get out for longer runs occasionally when I can. Never thought I'd be wishing for a longer commute but once you get on this bike you don't want to get off it. That is of course until your butt starts screaming at you. At 5'9", I have the seat at its lowest setting. This leads to the famous BMW slide toward the gas tank and makes longer trips less than ideal. On a bike where everything is so incredibly well thought out, it amazes me that the saddle (central to a decent riding experience) can be so bad. Even on short trips I find myself continually squirming and repositioning myself in the saddle. Sure I can buy an aftermarket saddle for $500 - $600 but when you spend the kind of money that you do for this bike, I don't think I should have to. Only other gripe is that I occasionally get some funky feedback from the handlebars for no apparent reason. This tends to happen at lower speeds or when taking tight corners but it's never been a major issue and overall the stability of the bike is incredible. When I first started to ride it I was a bit overawed by the size and weight but no matter how hard I push it into corners it never budges and I've never felt anything other than in complete control. It's also amazing how a huge bike can shrink the longer you have it. When I look at it now it doesn't seem in any way large compared to when I bought it. I've heard and read some complaints about the servo assist brakes but personally I have no problem with them. When you ride a bike anything that will help you stop quicker while maintaining control can only be a good thing. Despite the above moaning, I absolutely love my RT. I fell in love with the styling the first time I saw it and was completely smitten after I finally got to test ride it. Everything about the bike inspires confidence, and the reliability is second to none. I've ridden it almost every day since I drove it off the showroom floor and have not had a single issue. Scheduled services have been done despite the feeling that she would keep running without them. On longer trips this reliability along with a 6 gallon tank means you can just sit back and enjoy with no worries about leaking fluids, bits falling off or how long to the next gas station. No bike is perfect and everybody is looking for something different. This is not a sports bike but will keep up with most of them if asked to, it's not an all out tourer in the ilk of a Wing or an LT but it'll take you from one end of the continent to the other no problem, and it's not a cruiser but will allow you to cruise all day (and with fewer gas breaks) with a little help in the saddle department. My RT is not perfect but she is like an old friend now, completely reliable, confidence inspiring and always fun to hang out with. Show less