Color of Valve covers?

S

SCBuckeye

New member

• Mar 9, 2013

• #1

Does anyone know for sure when the airheads went to Black painted Valve covers?

I have seen them with both unpainted natural aluminum, and later with black and brushed aluminum ribs due to fact that the ribs are raised.

 

Darryl Cainey

Sir Darby

• Mar 9, 2013

• #2

I am sure the black ones started in 1977 with the /7 models.

But some of the later bikes had silver ones also.

 

jdubick

jdubeemer

• Mar 9, 2013

• #3

I have a 1978 R100/7 with the original valve covers and they are not painted.

 

beemeruss

Member

• Mar 9, 2013

• #4

Hierarchy

I have 2 '78's.The R80/7 has unpainted ones and the R100RS has matte black paint with shiny ribs.Perhaps this denotes rank?
Russ

 

J

James.A

Guest

• Mar 9, 2013

• #5

The blacked out, ribbed aluminum highlights are RS and RT features starting in the late 70's.

 

jdubick

jdubeemer

• Mar 9, 2013

• #6

Well I just dug out the original 1978 BMW sales brochure for the R100RS, R100S, R100/7 and R80/7. All four are in one picture and the RS and S have black valve covers and the R100/7 and the R80/7 have unpainted valve covers. I have a fall 1978 BMW motorcycle journal with a cover picture of an RT with painted covers. I have a winter 78-79 BMW motorcycle journal with a R65 on the cover with unpainted covers. So as someone replied it depends on "Rank" if you got paint.

 

20774

Liaison

Staff member

• Mar 9, 2013

• #7

A lot of 1978-1980 brochures here:

http://www.omnilex.com/public/bmw78/

Even later ones here:

http://www.beemergarage.com/sales_brochures.html

Also, you can see a lot of pictures at Phil Hawksley's site.

 

lkchris

Active member

• Mar 10, 2013

• #8

Black valve covers were for R100 engines only. But not for the '77-'78 low compression/small carbs versions, i.e. R100/7. R100 engines arrived in 1977.

Although there's lots of nostalgia for the older, peanut style valve covers, the /7 ribbed versions are much stronger. And, unlike the peanut versions, the ribbed versions come in two part numbers, i.e. left and right.

 

B

bikerfish1100

New member

• Mar 10, 2013

• #9

Kent is correct on this one. Additionally, the newer black ones, being heavier, mask valve clatter better.

 

PeoriaMac

New member

• Mar 11, 2013

• #10

My 78 R100/7 "special" came with the black valve covers. It also got bag mounts --but not bags --and dealer-installed Luftmeister fairing. It was
probably a way to move out some R100/7's from the end of the year inventory. Mac