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R80

roamingbeemer

roamingbeemer
I am working overseas in Hong Kong and I am looking at getting a bike here. In the US I have an R1200GSA and a s1000RR but a very nice R80 is available here in Hong Kong.

I do not have my garage and tools here and I am wondering how much routine maintenance is needed to keep the carbs in balance etc. It has been maintained by a shop the last few years at least and it looks clean. My big question is will I need to take it to the shop all the time looking at the average R80?? Thanks for any advice.
 
If you are brave enough to ride in Hong Kong the R80 will weave and bob with the best of them. If it has been maintained they are very reliable machines. Without any other info like mileage or general condition or availability of maintenance records it is not really possible to answer with any great accuracy.
 
The carbs are fairly simple devices. They will run in most states of repair, sometimes better than others. But they can be kept in reasonable running order with simple tools, provided you don't also have "ham fist" to work with. :stick
 
The tool kit on the bike should be sufficient for any general maintenance issues. If it runs well now, you should not have to adjust the carburetors unless for some reason you want to take them off the bike or somebody tampers with them. Check the oil and keep it in the middle of the marks, air up the tires and ride it. There is always the possibility of a rotor failure,or a bad relay in the electricals, but that stuff happens regardless of your maintenance schedule. If it works now, it most likely will continue to work for some time to come, How are the seals? Rear main and pushrods can weep for a long time before you are forced to deal with them. The oil pressure sender unit on the left side of the block may also develop a rapid leak in a short amount of time. If the bike sat unused for any length of time the seals can dry out and get hard causing it to weep oil after some use.







1982 R100cs 1992R100RT
 
Thank you for the replies. The bike has been sitting but my cursory inspection showed a well maintained bike not used extensively. It started and ran well but dry seals could reel their head suddenly I guess. I need to do further inspection and these replies gives me some things to look at.

Riding in Hong Kong is not nearly as bad as many will imagine. I live on Lantau Island and the biggest risk is hitting wild Cattle and Water Buffalo grazing on the side of the road. Not much different than riding in Colorado which is where my other bikes are. Of course I can take the highway into the city which would be lots of fun but in a risky way. I will post a pic on this thread if I get the bike. A Triumph t-100 caf? racer is also available and both look good. Buying a new bike here is just too expensive, a new F-700 is over 16,000 dollars. The R80 is 8000 dollars.

Thanks again
 
My son and I put almost 100,000 miles on an R80RT in Canada, coast to coast as often as we could. I think the only time we hit trouble was a flat rear tire in the middle of Butt-F___ nowhere. Cost us an extra couple days but it was fun. In my opinion, the R80, in any version is absolutely the best BMW ever built. I've owned a bunch from thumpers to oilheads but my R80RT remains my favorite. The damn thing ran on one hole for as long as you allowed it. It's so tough and strong it makes newer Beemers look metro-sexual. Go for it.
 
well I did not get the R80. It was imported to Hong Kong from Japan and has been a collectors items since early 80s (no one knew the exact year). Just slightly over 3000 km. It was just too expensive for trashing it around Hong Kong and I found a scratched up solid running Kawasaki KLE500 for very little money. No one will want to steal this one.

I go home for two weeks at the end of July to ride my GSA and the S1000.
 
Sounds like a good decision. Although I am in favor of riding old iron, there are certain environments where a nice show quality bike is simply not practical. Commuting in and around congestion can get scratches in the paint. Enjoy the ride you have.:wave
 
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