Need Help Identifying Bike Color

Does anybody know the official color of my bike as pictured below? I'm wanting to restore it to its original color and not sure of the official color name. I'm somewhat color blind so that doesn't help, but I know the bike has been repainted (not a good job) and they tried to match the original color to my knowledge.

look for a sticker affixed to the fender, under the saddle. should be a 3 digit paint code.

seeing as the bike has been repainted, there is no reason whatsoever to try to match to that color- you have no idea if it is an/the original or not.
and as the bike is not a collectible model- who cares? paint it whatever color makes you happy.

knowing the year could also narrow things down for ya- most years only had limited choices of color, and only infrequently did they offer more than a single version of red per year/model.

It's either a '79 or '80 R100RT and that is NOT the original color. Not even close. It should have pinstripes on tank and front fender and bottom of seat frame.

If it was originally red at all it was likely as shown in the photo, i.e. a red smoke with gold pinstripes. This corresponds to color #553, Dark Red, which as noted could be the number on a sticker on rear fender visible when seat is open. Perhaps underside of seat frame (if it's under there) or battery sidecovers will reveal something like the original color

Yes, center valve cover studs did tend to strip out of these bikes.

Not so many painters are talented enough to duplicate a BMW "smoke" paint job, and of course the ultimate in BMW painting is performed by Holt BMW, Athens, OH. A complete "restoration" paint job in "smoke" will run more than the sale price of the bike.

BMW color!!

Bike should be Black with White pinstripping - BMW color!!!

85K100LT said:

Bike should be Black with White pinstripping - BMW color!!!

Click to expand...

onlly if "should" means "i like that color a lot", as opposed to "that is what was original for that year & model".

i wanna see the datsun ad on the reverse of that page.

I believe there were two reds

There was the smoke red and then there was what I think was a metallic red with no smoke effect or blending. I had a local painter match the colors and then do a spot on repaint of the smoke red and then got another local guy to do the hand pinstripe in gold. I think the pinstripe took longer than the paint job. Whole job was about $1,000. I got the rear fender and battery covers done too.

Thanks for the information guys. ...btw, I thought the German racing color is white; Italian - red; British - Green...so wouldn't white with black pin stripes be a better color? Just saying...

Traditionally Germany's racing colors were White or Silver (or bare metal). With red letters.

The Mercedes-Benz Auto Union cars of the 30's were polished aluminum. When M-
B and Audi (Auto Union) returned to racing in the 90s they used silver paint.

When new, my R75/5 was silver (Polaris) with blue stripes.

Silberpfeil (Silver Arrow)

Hi, Rapz,
The German racing color is white. And German race cars were painted white - up to a point. In the late '20's or 30's, the formula allowed for a maximum weight. When the Mercedes went to the tech inspection, it was found to be 1kg too heavy. Alfred Neubauer, the Rennleiter (team leader), determined the only thing "excess" on the car was the paint, which he ordered stripped off. This was done and the now silver cars passed tech inspection and, from that time, were silver.