Buying 1983 R100RT

I own an 1988 R100GS, which I ride alomst dailey spring summer and fall. I am looking at a 1983 R100RT, which I don't know too much about. the thought of being behind the fairing up in the mountains sounds great. It is a former Canada Bike with 134,000 Klicks. It is in good shape and has been maintained farily. $2800 is the asking price and he seems to be firm. Any thoughts would be welcome.

Ask about the status of the valves and seats. The '81 to '84 models had metallurgy for the seats that didn't conduct heat into the head well. The result was transfer of heat back into the valve instead of the head. The result would be a tuliping of the valves, leading to eventual collapse. In 1985, BMW changed the seat metallurgy and got it right. With that many miles, either the valves/seats have already been changed, they need to be, or the person is extremely lucky. At any rate, top ends may be required starting at this mileage and beyond, no matter the year. Some have gotten more miles, much more miles, but in general, 80-100K miles is the average.

Search this forum for valve recession, valve face plastic deformation, etc. It's not a big deal and it's extremely fixable. Just be aware...

RTs provide great coverage in rough weather, wind excepted. Having a full fairing is a love-hate relationship. Personnally, I won't ride a naked bike. I prefer that the fairing take the wind beating instead of my body.

Good price, almost too low. Ask more about all of the maintenance.

Thanks, the owner reciently replaced the rings and valves, but I know he did not do the seats. he is adding lead at each tank. I can have new seats put in here in Flagstaff for around $150 as long as I pull the head. I know the price is good that is why I am asking about the known issues, i will take my chances with the unkown..

I am very intrested in what it is like owning a full faired bike, and with 65 hp what is it like touring with two up..

peterkenzler said:

Thanks, the owner reciently replaced the rings and valves, but I know he did not do the seats. he is adding lead at each tank. I can have new seats put in here in Flagstaff for around $150 as long as I pull the head. I know the price is good that is why I am asking about the known issues, i will take my chances with the unkown..

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Strange...should have done the seats at the same time...you're already in there, why not?? You're not going to find "real" lead in the US, only substitutes. Might work, but only for a while.

peterkenzler said:

I am very intrested in what it is like owning a full faired bike, and with 65 hp what is it like touring with two up..

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I've done a little touring two-up with my /7...had no problems. The RT is the flagship for touring; should not be an issue. The bike won't do 4 or 5-second miles but with the right gearing, it will effortless do 500 miles days at 65-70 mph.

Re-building the heads will cost about $600.00 so for both. If it hasn't been done, you might as well add that amount to the purchase price.
If you have electric vests, etc. they will put a pretty hard drain on the alternator. Probably won't be able to keep up with the load.

IIRC, the problem with the '80 through '84 heads is not lack of lead in the gas, so adding it won't help. I could very well be wrong, but Snowbum's article on it goes into great detail.

http://www.cdegroot.com/cgi-bin/mirror/pweb.jps.net/~snowbum/valves.htm

I think $2800 is a good price, if it's in good condition. Wish I'd gotten mine for that, but it had only 25k miles on it, so I guess I can't complain.

The fairing is much appreciated!
Have fun!

Once you get used to the idea that the fairing does not turn with the front wheel, you will love the RT fairing. I had a 79 RT years ago and bought my 81 R100rt 2 years ago from the states and brought it back to Canada. Paid close to the same for it $2750, but it needed a few small things - windshield cracked, rear shocks and some cosmetic stuff.

One thing I learned a long time ago with both the RS and RT fairings. If you feel like you are fighting it in a crosswind, STOP fighting it. The fairings were designed in a wind tunnel and they have a natural tendency to lean themselves into the wind. Once you learn to trust the bike, "to let it have it's head", you will find it much more comfortable to ride.

I regularly ride mine for 500-600 mile days without any problems. Prefer the stock seat as it fits my butt, but some people prefer more cushioning. We tour 2 up a lot and have never had any problems keeping to the speed limit (or slightly above).

As to electrics, yes, all airheads of that era have alternators that just do the job. I am replacing mine with an Enduralast one as I do a lot of night riding and need the extra lights. I have the optional Bosch driving and fog lights in place of the vents (which really did little venting). On the back country roads, with deer and whatnot jumping out at and around you, it is nice to be able to see them before they are 3 feet away. If going fast, at least you get to know what you just hit, or in some cases what just hit you.

The only thing I hate about my RT is changing the oil filter. That design is one of the dumbest things the BMW engineers came up with. With the Oil cooler on the bike, youhave to drop the exhaust to be able to remove the oil filter, and then you still have to wiggle the cover around a bunch to try and get it back in just right. If someone could come up with a remote filter of some sort, I would be first in line to buy one.

Right On

I own an 82 and an 84 and they are great bikes.

Look at the brake fluid, if it is the color of root beer that may be a good indication of the level of maintenance the rest of the bike has received. It should be pretty clear. The brake rotors get grooved, and they will still work pretty well, but that will be a replacement item down the road. The shocks and fork springs may have passed their useful life, no big deal, but more stuff.

The biggest bugs on my bikes were the charging systems. Tending to the terminals and connections as a maintenance item every couple of years (check that they are free of corrosion and make good contact) is a simple if time consuming task. I upgraded to higher output alternators on both, but still check the connections. The charging system is now happy to run driving lights and wear heated gear.

Oh yea, changing the oil filter is a royal pain in the ass with the thermostadt right next to the exhaust header.

All parts are readily available and the tips and advice will be more than you can ever hope for.

But riding the bikes is great. I toured on the 84 R100 (with s fairing) two up from LA to Portland and it never missed a beat. The other bike is an RS and the protection offered by that fairing adds 2 months to the riding season.

Keep us updated and post a picture.

Bob_M - What do you mean "The other bike is an RS and the protection offered by that fairing adds 2 months to the riding season." Up here in the "Great White North" the only time we don't ride is when we are sleeping with the Polar Bears or in the pub.
We ride year around with or without a fairing. But then, it just could be all that back bacon and maple syrup that keeps us warm.

Thank you all so much. Quite a bit of information and I am exicted. I was going to test it this week end but it looks like aquite a bit of snow, I may have to wait a week, it's killing me. I am very aware of the charging system my 88 GS has an ungraded charging system (Omega). In Fact nearly everything on my bike has been rebuilt and upgraed execpt the suspension. I was going to tackle that this year but as my wife has given permision to check out the RT the new shocks may have to wait.. Again thanks to all and any further information on the RT would be great.. I will post a picture of both bike once the RT is mine. I have decided to buy it, but my bride wants to ride on the back first..

shire2000 said:

The only thing I hate about my RT is changing the oil filter. That design is one of the dumbest things the BMW engineers came up with. With the Oil cooler on the bike, youhave to drop the exhaust to be able to remove the oil filter ...

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THe '83 will have a flattened section on the header to permit removing thermostat without having to remove the header.