Odd enough to see a single K1 up for sale, but a St. Louis specialty motoring shop has two in the house. The Bahnstorming liter-bike was BMW’s comprehensive solution to the sport/touring question.
1990/1991 BMW K1’s for sale on eBay
As ever, BMW was anxious to make their own way with their new inline four, laid on its side to get the mass as low as possible. A new four-valve head helped the engine right to the 100 hp limit. A trellis frame arched over the engine and supported conventional forks and the new Paralever rear shaft drive. The wind-cheating seven piece fairing had available luggage fit to each opening, but held heat too much for some riders. All U.S. imports were ABS equipped.
Both these K1’s look excellent and sound well-maintained, each in one of the more sane color choices. The 1990 has just over 20,000 miles and the Staintune exhaust, while the -91’s asking price reflects its 70K miles, though it does come with the factory tank bag and luggage.
From the 1990’s eBay listing:
Same Owner for 16 Years
Special Aerodynamic Design
Sport Touring Package
1 of 613 imported to the U.S with the Blue and yellow paint scheme
Staintune Stainless Steel Performance Exhaust ($1200 option)
And about the 1991:
California bike, San Francisco Bay Area since new
1 of 670 K1s imported to the United States
Classic Black Metallic paint with orange decals
Factory Anti-lock Brakes
New rear tire, new ABS relay and new fork seals completed in May of 2017
Level 2 service was performed within the last 2,500 miles
Original tank bag with both rain covers, tool kit and original saddle bags with K1 rain covers
BMW moved its sport-touring meter sharply toward sport with the K1, though it was never caught up in race-inspired weight reduction or horsepower battles. Most early adopters are likely aging out of the hobby at this point, and though only a few thousand made it here over the five years of production, more will be showing up for sale. Very presentable and open to offers, one these K1’s might be the bookend to a collection or the ticket to the tour of a lifetime…
-donn
Ugly then. Ugly now.
The aerodynamics are amazing. The fairings, if memory serves me, tend to heat check around engine under certain conditions. Never heard anyone who has owned and toured one to ever say anything but positive remarks. Wonderful examples, thanks for included them on this site.
O don’t evwr recall seeing the black orange combo. I suspect it didn’t arrive from europe in that color. I have to say though it helps the ugly be a bit less so. I do fond it interesting from a tecno/novelty standpoint.
One of those bikes only a mother (or owner) could love. I get that BMW likes to go their own way, but dang, its almost as easy to build a good looking bike as it is a hideously ugly one, so I always wonder what people were thinking when something like this comes out. With htese K1s it actually seems like BMW went out of their way to uglify this bike: “William, is it ugly enough yet?” “Nein Hans, not there yet. Make the front fender much larger, and add small built-in saddlebags on it, just large enough for 3 packs of cigarettes each.”
I’m sure these bikes work well and all that, but I’d always feel like I’m riding a billboard that tells everyone I have zero sense of style.