Made the deal yesterday evening and man I'm excited! It needs a little work here and there but nothing unusual for a bike that has been sitting for a while. I'm looking forward to the effort of getting it back on the road. Alan
Even if you hate the bike, that one's worth buying just so you can make a few bucks. Like the others said, if the odometer hasn't already gone around once before, 16,000 miles is like barely broken in. And if it's on it's second trip around, it's still a good deal if you have maintenance records available, in fact, maybe even better because the one big gotcha of that particular year is soft valve seats. If it's still running past 50,000 miles, it means the problem has been addressed. I don't know if there was a recall to fix those, or if people dealt with them under warrantee, might want to find out about it.
Actually, the problem was valve seats that were TOO hard and didn't transfer the heat from the valve to the head well enough. The BMW engineers were anticipating unleaded fuel and changed the seat material, and they didn't guess right. By the middle or late 80s they got it right. One solution is to run with a bit wider clearance during the heat of the summer - instead of .008 on the exhaust, got to .009 or .010. The intake isn't normally a problem so leave them at .004. Just pay attention to them and you'll see if they're losing their clearance. There's usually no big rush to get this done, but the sooner it's done the better chance there is of saving the exhaust valves. And they aint cheap, believe me. Read all about it from Snowbum - he's got a lot to say about this. Lots of background info there.
Well, I confess that when I first read your post I thought you were just winding us up with a yarn about one of those infamous "barn finds." The pix give credibility to the story. That's a very nice bike. Looks like there are some mods: aftermarket windscreen, paint, saddle. The center stand is knackered, so you may want to address that fairly early. Do take the comments about the valves closing up seriously. I do not agree that it is a gradual process. One year I road across country on my RS of that vintage and the exhaust valves lost ALL measureable lash before I reached the rally. Ignored, that would have distroyed the top end, at the very least. That can be costly. The RS is my favorite model Airhead. The fairing is a design marvel, giving the rider great protection without being a barn door on the front of the bike. If the bike suits you, I'm sure you'll want to upgrade the suspension and brakes. With careful mods, these old bikes are still excellent sport tourers. Congratulations on a real bargain. You're the envy of many!
I stand corrected. I do remember hearing that it had something to do with an attempt at preparing for unleaded fuel. I can attest that if the seats have been replaced, the replacements are amazingly stable. I bought my 1982 model in 1999, and after putting around 50,000 miles on it, I've only had to actually adjust the valves a couple of times. This one had been done at around 30,000 miles, and when I got it, it had about 70,000 on the clock. I check them regularly, and they're almost always within spec.
Sorry to dig up an old thread, but I have an opportunity to purchase one of these (45k miles). It's in very good shape and it's got bodywork from a Last Edition R100CS, but I would prefer to have a full faring for bad weather days. How hard is it to get a full faring for one of these? Also, how good of a daily driver do you think it would be for a guy that's 6'4" and 250lbs? I also have the option to get a 1995 K1100RS (25K miles) with a lot of extras from the same guy. I would only be buying one of them. Which would you guys suggest for DD for a guy my size and for trips with the petite wife? Thanks for helping out a noob.
I have had both and the K is much nicer bike. The R has character and style but the K has everything else in spades.
Alan, . . . You Bastard! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . You lucky Bastard. Nice find bud.
I'm assuming you meant BUY the k-bike. Thanks for the advice. I rode a brand new R1200GS and it pulled me fine. I didn't know how much power the older ones had.
The K11 will have plenty of oomph. The R100RS will tootle along but loaded will take a little longer to get there and responsiveness is down relative to the K11. At your height, with the R100RS bars, you may be a little cramped, but your helmet will be above the buffet zone from the screen!
If you decide on the RS you can find a fairing here. (not my auction) Whatever you do, it'll be a blast. I bought an RS two months ago. Still wrenching, but have put 12 miles on her. Very nice.
Hey, I'm one of the new guys, I'm a bit surprised no one has brought up the philosophical differences between the bikes. Will you only have one bike? (a regrettable situation). Do you like to wrench? Are you a patient sort? Do you value mechanical purity? - the RS. Do you need to get there ASAP? Would you rather ride than repair? Do you just want to get the job done, so get the most capable tool? - the K. I'm about your size: 6'3", 275 lbs. If it doesn't work properly, I might just snap it in half. I have an '81 RS and a K equivalent: a '91 FJ1200 and ride both regularly. I'm a trained wrench and love my airheads, but the FJ is the better tool. I'd say if you don't feel something for the old airheads, (and lets face it, technology has left them far behind in the rear view mirror), get the K. Especially two up. (and this from a guy with three airheads.)
Well, I appreciate old stuff, but right now the priority is getting there quickly and reliably. I guess I'll end up making an offer on the K. I can wrench. We've got 5 cars/truck and I do all the work myself. I've got an e28 535i for fun & track use, but I dd an e34 540/6. I guess this is the same situation. I've got (and will be selling) an '82 CB750 Nighthawk right now that I probably shouldn't have bought, but I really liked the "idea" and "feeling" of it. I feel like the R100RS would be a similar purchase, although it's in far better shape than my Honda. I'll end up with another bike at some point. It may be an airhead (don't think I'll be satisfied until I have one) or a new F800GS. Thanks for the advice. I've been reading on here for months and I knew you guys would help me make the correct decision.
To change an RS bike to an RT bike is a little more than the fairing. Of course you need that, complete, but don't forget the handlebar and because the handlebar is a bit longer, some of the cables or is it all of the cables have to be changed. The wiring from the switches on the handle bar are usually long enough. Extra wire is pushed into the headlight shell. If not long enough though you have to lengthen an awful lot of wires. The RS models are usually more Horse Power so they make nice RT bikes once you are done. I'm an Airhead guy but I think I should say that I agree, K bikes are less maintenance and less likely to break on the road.
