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1995 R100RT(The last of the airheads)

jgr451

New member
I have really gone over and redone this bike ,it is a US model,I removed the EGR plumbing.I do find engine power and braking at the rear wheel(drum) anemic. Double discs up front are pretty good.

I had a 1984( traded it,sigh) and I seem to recall it was much more powerful in the engine and braking compartments.

This is a lovely looking motorcycle,am I expecting too much in terms of performance?I can get him up to 85 mph,but it seems to be a struggle.

What say you?
 
I have a 91 RT that is factory stock. It runs great with plenty of power. I never tried to see how fast it would go, but it goes up to 80 mph quickly.
 
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The '88 to '95 American R100's were basically R80's with with 1000 cc pistons and cylinders with mild compression and the smaller 32mm Bing carbs. Fairly well matched up, but nothing to write home about. Get what you can out of the bike and enjoy as is. Then again you can spend some bucks, get higher compression pistons and cylinders, 40mm Bings, redo the heads to have bigger valves, then you'll probably be up to maybe 65 hp and the bike should be a little more peppy and still be a nice rideable touring machine.
 
My 92 RS zips right past 85 with ease. Maybe the RT fairing affect this? Even the rs fairing is like a wall when you let off the throttle. Or perhaps your engine is unhappy about something?
 
I have an 88 R100 RT and it goes to 85 with no trouble at all. The rear braking being somewhat anemic--well I can't argue with you there. I think it's time to take a second look at things.
 
My now sold 95 R100RT would hit 115 riding double, but not much more. It replaced a R100RS (also mono-shock) and felt like it had the same power, noting to brag about. But, it was better riding two up than my 86 R80RT that I owned earlier.

Wayne
 
The '88 to '95 American R100's were basically R80's with with 1000 cc pistons and cylinders with mild compression and the smaller 32mm Bing carbs. Fairly well matched up, but nothing to write home about. Get what you can out of the bike and enjoy as is. Then again you can spend some bucks, get higher compression pistons and cylinders, 40mm Bings, redo the heads to have bigger valves, then you'll probably be up to maybe 65 hp and the bike should be a little more peppy and still be a nice rideable touring machine.

Yes, BMW was having trouble giving away K-bikes in this era, and the R100s were detuned quite a bit so as not to compete. They even put foam handgrips on them, as if motorcycles besides Ks needed them too. Of course it's also true that the big valve heads of previous R100s were not reliable. It all came together to make the GS the BMW of choice.

And, the not-sold-in-USA R80 GS Basic of 1996 was the true last of the Airheads.
 
I did quite a few BMW airheads in the 90's and early 2000's. From around 1979 to the mid eighties a lot of the valves and seats were mismatched. These included small valve and large valve heads. I'd open the heads up and valve seats would be totally worn away and the valve stem almost perfect shape, then disassemble the next one and find the exact opposite. Then the next set would have even wear on both seats and stem. I think BMW was mixing the valve and seats from different venders and the customers getting different different results, good and bad. Add the confusion of the EPA mandates with the airpulse injection plumbing, having combustion happening at the exhaust port, from unspent fuel mixture. Just guessing on some of this, I wasn't a BMW engine designer. Just a tech who had to give an explanation to a lot of unhappy customers. Anyway, quite a few of those unhappy customers got a 100,000 miles on the life of those heads before their first head rework and many are still running the heads I rebuilt for them. JGR, do you know how many miles you have on those heads. A fresh head job, just done to stock spec's can really perk up a bike. Good luck with your bike. I hope to add a monolever R100 to my collection and I'm going to do those same upgrades to that bike, that I recommmended for your bike. :thumb
 
My 85 R80 gets up to 110mph not, km, bone stock, was riding with my friend who has a 2013 S1000RR U.S> spec it is a euro spec with slightly higher compression though but none the less it does scoot for its age.
 
Look at carbs?

My 1995 RT100 Classic has no problem at all getting up to 95mph. I have not tried to go faster. You might want to check whether you have a problem with the 32 mm Bings - maybe do rebuilds?

Don
 
I have seen an indicated 100mph (probably 95mph given what I know about how the speedometer over reads compares to the speed indicated when I have my GPS plugged in) on my '94 R100RT from time to time without much fuss from bike or rider. My '93 R100R will get there as well. Its gearing means it is turning more revs, but is happy. Hanging on, even with the lower Mystic bars I have fitted, is another story for the rider.
 
I removed the EGR plumbing.

It's not exhaust gas recirculation of course, as EGR systems recirculate exhaust gasses back to the combustion chamber.

I've called it air injestion all these years, but thanks to the 12/13 issue of Motorcycle Consumer News I finally know the official term and acronym:

A Secondary Air Injection (SAI) system is designed to introduce oxygen into the exhaust stream, downstream of the exhaust valve, to facilitate more complete consumption of hydrocarbons before they exit the muffler.

There's no performance gained in removing this system, although on Airheads is does heat things up a lot.
 
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