OK, who knows Motorsports?

73huttl said:

Goal is to ride to the www.ridingintohistory.org event end of May in St. Augustine

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That looks like a pretty sweet event. I wouldn't mind entering my RS in a concourse show. I wonder how it'd do? I'd have to change the seat cover but that's about it.

Do they still have those motorcycle judging contests at the National Rally? I remember a couple of amazing restorations (especially at the Moodus rally) but I think I could enter mine as original.

he number

Hi all

This really a great thread. Last summer I acquired a 1978 R100RS (XXXX079) Motorsport from the original owner and after a lot of research and information gathered on this site and others I believe to be authentic. From what I understand approx. 200 Motorsports were imported and of those 50 were the R100RS baged S models. That would leave a total pf 150 of the R100RS Motorsports.
It would seem to me that after 38 years attrition alone could account for the loss of 50% of the original quantity which would leave around 75 authentic R100RS MS models. Does this seem to be a realistic accounting?

wsmercer said:

The nice thing about the blue Russell day long seat is it's mounted on the original pan. I have a blue cover and foam on order at bmw2valve. When it comes in, I plan on replacing the Russell and then I'll have 2 seats, one black, one original blue with original pan. The black seat is not original pan but period correct. I have two sets of body work for the R90S and the S/S cowl doesn't have a cover and pan... voilà.

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Off the subject of Motorsports, but that is one beautiful R90S.

QUICKDRAW said:

Hi all

This really a great thread. Last summer I acquired a 1978 R100RS (XXXX079) Motorsport from the original owner and after a lot of research and information gathered on this site and others I believe to be authentic. From what I understand approx. 200 Motorsports were imported and of those 50 were the R100RS baged S models. That would leave a total pf 150 of the R100RS Motorsports.
It would seem to me that after 38 years attrition alone could account for the loss of 50% of the original quantity which would leave around 75 authentic R100RS MS models. Does this seem to be a realistic accounting?

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Hard to know, but I personally know the locations of 5 RS Motorsports, including my old one. One in St. Louis, two in Alabama, one in Texas, one in New Mexico, and the last in Arizona. With the ones presented here, I guess you can account for another ten or so.

The numbers

Thanks for the reply Toold

If you can account for 6 adding mine would make a total of 7. Without being able to prove anything by documentation from the mother ship has anyone tried to accumulate a listing of 1978 motorsports still in service today i.e. serial number, state of residence and optional factory equipment?

QUICKDRAW said:

Thanks for the reply Toold

If you can account for 6 adding mine would make a total of 7. Without being able to prove anything by documentation from the mother ship has anyone tried to accumulate a listing of 1978 motorsports still in service today i.e. serial number, state of residence and optional factory equipment?

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The site that I mentioned did. You were encouraged to list your bike by sn, miles, location, and any history. Mine was there under the name Ronnie for one of the previous owners. However that site is apparently gone because I've had no luck finding it. A simple search for R100 Motorsport would pop it up. From my memory, I would guess there were about 30 bikes listed. The listing had both S and RS models.

Wayne

toooldtocare said:

Off the subject of Motorsports, but that is one beautiful R90S.

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Thank you, sir. I was fortunate to find an owner who had a full set of NOS DO to go along with the sale. I like the DO better so when I brought the bike home, I changed it over. I plan to get the SS re-striped with the gold pin stripe. The gold really pops on the SS background.

toooldtocare said:

The site that I mentioned did. You were encouraged to list your bike by sn, miles, location, and any history. Mine was there under the name Ronnie for one of the previous owners. However that site is apparently gone because I've had no luck finding it. A simple search for R100 Motorsport would pop it up. From my memory, I would guess there were about 30 bikes listed. The listing had both S and RS models.

Wayne

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I have not been able to find anything on the web authenticating Motorsport serial numbers. I will continue to dig...

Thanks wsmercer
Appreciate the help. BTW that's a beautiful R90S, I never should have sold my 76 Daytona Orange one.
One would think that given the German propensity for record keeping and the fact that BMW advertised the MS as "200 special edition models" that there would be more traceability for these.
Mine has a couple of anomalies, It was sold by Marin BMW to the original owner in 1978 (build date of 12/77) I'm the second owner. As sold it has a painted (white) and pinstriped rear fender, chrome grab handle, euro light switch and a kick starter (optional factory equipment) and the speedo is in mph. Beside the serial number it is also stamped CFO so it was always intended for the USA market. That's about where the trail ends.

QUICKDRAW said:

As sold it has a painted (white) and pinstriped rear fender, chrome grab handle, euro light switch and a kick starter (optional factory equipment) and the speedo is in mph. Beside the serial number it is also stamped CFO so it was always intended for the USA market. That's about where the trail ends.

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Thank you very much for the compliments on the R90S. It's a '76 also with 32K original miles, last 4 digits 1098, so only 162 more were imported into the US before ending the series (1260) and starting with the /7 series. It has all the /7 engine internal upgrades. I appreciate the compliment and I am thrilled and humbled to be care taker of such a great piece of moto history.

In his book "The BMW Boxer Twins 1970-1996 Bible", Falloon quotes the following factory numbers as those assigned to Motorsports: 6182001 to 6183592. That's about the best resource for numbers I can get. I don't have a copy of the book and I don't know where he got his data, but I do tend to trust Falloon's research. Mine is within that range and I've seen a few others that were for sale some time ago that fit within that range as well. There's one on Ebay for sale right now within that range. I've not seen a white, pinstriped rear fendered Motorsport or a chrome grab rail as an original item. I have an original brochure and the side covers are black and it has a black seat but I've only seen white side covers and blue seats on original Motorsports. All the material I read about these "SE" bikes indicates they came with left over parts from earlier models just so the factory could use up stock. Not surprising but perplexing when tracing originality. Hope that helps.

wheel replaced

smercer said:

I'm new to the forum and have a '78 R100RS Motorsport with 17,690 original miles. Didn't even get the wheel recall. It's a one owner bike that was last registered in 1987. It was mothballed in '92 until I purchased it December '15. It's all original except the Koni shocks and the black seat. The original seat should be blue and I have a blue seat cover on order from bmw2valve. I have the original seat pan with the first aid kit storage space in the front but the original owner had a Russell day saddle swapped. When I get the correct seat cover I plan on shipping it to Sargent to have them swap back to original. The vin# is 6183498. I've followed this thread and would be more than happy to share thoughts and ideas (and take close up pics of my bike if it's any help) if you're looking for specific info. Here's a couple of pics.

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I know this an old post but was wondering if you got your wheel replaced....I was at the BMWOA Missoula ralley in 1998 on my 80' r100rs when Bob from "Bob's BMW" came by and chatted for a while. He noticed that I had the original wheel and I should get it replaced. He took down vin and my name and address. In a few weeks I received a new wheel in the mail. I was not the original owner but did buy it from original owner in 1980. Anyway, just thought I would throw that in just to let you know it's never too late apparently.

22600 said:

I know this an old post but was wondering if you got your wheel replaced....I was at the BMWOA Missoula ralley in 1998 on my 80' r100rs when Bob from "Bob's BMW" came by and chatted for a while. He noticed that I had the original wheel and I should get it replaced. He took down vin and my name and address. In a few weeks I received a new wheel in the mail. I was not the original owner but did buy it from original owner in 1980. Anyway, just thought I would throw that in just to let you know it's never too late apparently.

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Thanks for the information and the feedback. I appreciate it! BTW, I love your avatar.

To answer your question, I did not get the wheels replaced as of yet. As my story started, I wasn't really looking for a low mileage MS... it kinda found me. So, I have a decision to make about how I plan to use the MS. Two parallel tracks of thought:
1. Do I keep it as a low mileage, all original example, ride it sparingly, and show it?... seems vain and a waste of a great bike. That's not me. But if I follow that train of thought there really isn't any reason or urgency concerning the recall.
2. Do I replace or enhance original imperfections, bring the MS up to more modern standards, do the wheel recall, go touring and just forget about originality... on the other hand, I have other two wheeler's I can use for touring purposes. I am in a season of life where the first option is more in line than the second.

In the grand scheme of life, decisions of this sort are rather trivial so I'm not loosing sleep over any of it, believe me. My motto is just get out there and enjoy the ride. That's what it's all about.

I appreciate the thought about replacement and, yes, the wheel recall can be completed any time during the life of the bike, regardless of the owner. I inquired about that from a well known collector before purchasing the MS. Thanks for the feedback.

smercer said:

[snip]
To answer your question, I did not get the wheels replaced as of yet. As my story started, I wasn't really looking for a low mileage MS... it kinda found me. So, I have a decision to make about how I plan to use the MS.
[snip]
In the grand scheme of life, decisions of this sort are rather trivial so I'm not loosing sleep over any of it, believe me. My motto is just get out there and enjoy the ride. That's what it's all about.
[snip]
.

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Not to over state this, but complying with this recall will save your, or someone else's, life one day. The danger is real, the effect of wheel failure at speed is as serious as a heart attack. If you don't ever plan to ride this bike put a red piece of duct tape on the rim with a note (DO NOT USE UNTIL REPLACED) to remind you never to ride it in it's current condition.

Best.
Brook Reams.

Smercer--I posted a query in the judging section of the Antique Motorcycle of America web page re how the replacement wheel might affect "originality". I got one response so far and the person felt that at the most, there might be a 1/4 point penalty were the bike to be submitted for judging.

Someday the supply of new wheels is going to dry up. Your lucky you can even get one now!

PAS said:

Someday the supply of new wheels is going to dry up. Your lucky you can even get one now!

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After contacting Bob's seems like I'm out of luck. See below. In a bit of a quandary now. I suggested they re-finish a gold snowflake to silver for originality... here's the response:

My email... So, I have an almost brand new R100RS with 18K miles in pristine condition in my possession as the second owner. The original owner did not address the recall. Hmmmmm. I can't go back and change that. I checked the manufacture date on the cross member of the wheel per the recall bulletin you sent and it's cast as 10/77. It's definitely original.

So, should I just ride it and not worry about it? Seems kind of risky, but then riding is inherently risky. Seriously, this is a safety issue that I would like taken care of for peace of mind sooner rather than later so I can ride the thing! Any documented failures or law suits? That'd be embarrassing! I've read all sorts of crazy things about this recall on the web. It would make sense BMW would address these older models on a case by case basis because they don't know how many more are out there, but they'll keep popping up from time to time. I'm thinking the easiest thing to do is have BMW blast a gold wheel and paint it silver to match original issue since there aren't any silver ones left (there's the case by case basis for you).

What do you think I should do?

Scott

Their response... Good afternoon Mr. Mercer
Here is BMWNA’s customer service number 1 800 831 - 1117
Give them a call, they may be able to shed some light on the NLA “19 Silver snowflake wheel campaign.

Thank you again,
Darryl Carmichael
PS. NLA = No Longer Available

I would appreciate a little more individual attention from BMW and Bob's dealership. This response is disappointing as it's passing the buck. Let the comments begin...

The snowflakes and recalls have been bandied about with different info from different parts of the country and BMW shops. Snowbum seems to echo what you're finding out at the top of his page, which he updated in October2016:

http://bmwmotorcycletech.info/19inchrecall.htm

Silver snowflakes NLA but gold ones are. I'd contact some of the good Airhead independent peoples such as Tom Cutter on eastern PA or maybe Ted Porter out in California. Seems to me there must be some local sources who could blast the gold and finish/paint the rim. Could it be possible in the short term to just paint over the gold? It might last a riding season or two.

smercer said:

I would appreciate a little more individual attention from BMW and Bob's dealership. This response is disappointing as it's passing the buck. Let the comments begin...

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Did you contact BMWNA as recommended by Bob's?
NA administrates the wheel recall, not individual dealers. How is Bob's giving you the contact info for those that can directly make a decision for you "passing the buck" (in an implied ineffective manner)?

bikerfish1100 said:

Did you contact BMWNA as recommended by Bob's?
NA administrates the wheel recall, not individual dealers. How is Bob's giving you the contact info for those that can directly make a decision for you "passing the buck" (in an implied ineffective manner)?

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Well... I realize the quote "the customer is always right" has it's share of misguided translations but I was hoping that when presented with the facts, Bob's might, with additional detail, assure me they would take care of this safety defect to my satisfaction. I was only looking for resolution by suggesting a case by case reconciliation and I can show very clearly this wheel, which is on the bike, does not have the necessary webbing additions required. This is a significant safety issue that would be in everyone's best interest to resolve fairly quickly. I didn't think it was overly ambitious to suggest someone, BMW or otherwise, strip and repaint a gold wheel. I'll just leave it at that. It just felt like it was convenient to send me over to BMWNA without taking a stab at helping me directly. I have to be careful here because someone from Bob's may be listening in... I mean no disrespect here and appreciate Bob's and BMW's reputation and I have received plenty of help and parts from them with no issues. As a matter of fact, I buy all my parts online from Bob's and they are good folks in my book.

So 35 or more years after the fact a dealership (Bob's) that wasn't even a dealership when that bike was sold is responsible for doing what? I once tried getting a replacement for the one-time-use mini-spare for my GM built Saturn and they were not available from GM. And that car was only about 15 years old, not 39 years old. Take whatever wheel they will give you and be happy would be my curmudgeonly advice.