Fork rebuild parts for R100/7

vintagethumper

New member

• Aug 14, 2019

• #1

Hi all,

Returning to the MOA group because I picked up a low miles '78 R100 in need of TLC. I'll be starting with the front and working my way back. At the moment, I'm looking for good places to buy things like steering head bearings, fork seals and for gaiters. And the manual I bought for the bike recommends 5w fork oil. Do you agree with this?

Thanks

 

20774

Liaison

Staff member

• Aug 14, 2019

• #2

Welcome to the forum! What part of the country do you live in? Maybe there's someone near you.

If you wanted to get exactly what you need, a great person to contact would be Tom Cutter at Rubber Chicken Racing Garage (east Pennsylvania):

http://rubberchickenracinggarage.com/

Call and tell him your VIN and he'll get you just what you need.

Ted Porter on the west coast the Beemer Shop probably can do the same thing.

As for a dealer, I've heard that Rusty at Max BMW (Connecticut store??) knows his BMWs and can be sure you get the right stuff. I think you get M&Ms with your order from them.

As for fork oil weight, that's something of a personal choice. Too thin and the front end dives. Too thick and the front end is way too stiff. Ask the people you talk to for their suggestion. I think you should shoot for something like 7.5wt to start with.

 

vintagethumper

New member

• Aug 14, 2019

• #3

Thanks for the welcome and info. I'm a west coaster.

 

ccolwell

Member

• Aug 15, 2019

• #4

+2 on 7.5 wt. Look closely at the lower steering head bearing race. I recommend not changing it unless necessary as it's both hard to remove and then to seat properly.

 

B

barbeemer16

New member

• Aug 15, 2019

• #5

I did my forks last year on my 1980 r100rt. I got parts at different place , google what you need and year and model of bike,some stuff I got from England, motoworks.co.uk,which sometimes is cheaper then in US and faster shipping.They have some parts I couldnt find in US.

 

pauls1150

MOA #24991, south of Los Angeles

• Aug 15, 2019

• #6

Hi Cali - if that means you're in California, we have a LOT of dealers, plus after-market outfits... https://www.bmwmoa.org/general/custom.asp?page=statedata

And now that you're a member, the Anonymous Book that you'll be receiving soon has a lot of those after-market places.

 

vintagethumper

New member

• Aug 15, 2019

• #7

All great info. Looks like I've landed in the right place!

 

C

chunk

New member

• Aug 16, 2019

• #8

Since you are on the west coast, give Ted Porter @ the Beemer Shop a call. Great place for airhead parts, service, and info. They are in Scotts Valley, close to San Jose, Ca. cheers.

 

Anyname

Active member

• Aug 16, 2019

• #9

If you're going to pull the forks apart, consider getting Racetech springs and Cartridge Emulators. They are a significant upgrade at a reasonable price.

 

vintagethumper

New member

• Aug 16, 2019

• #10

Anyname said:

If you're going to pull the forks apart, consider getting Racetech springs and Cartridge Emulators. They are a significant upgrade at a reasonable price.

Click to expand...

That's a good idea. I installed them in a set of vintage Betor forks a while ago. I seem to remember they required the shorter springs, as sold by Race Tech. Is that true for the BMW installation? And speaking of that, has anyone posted a how-to for doing this?

 

20774

Liaison

Staff member

• Aug 16, 2019

• #11

Anyname should know! Here are his posts on Racetech installs:

https://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthrea...dge-emulators-on-an-Airhead-with-Brembo-forks

Here's a different thread:

https://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?42105-Gold-Valve-Emulator

 

vintagethumper

New member

• Sep 2, 2019

• #12

Fork oil level?

I'm just about finished with the install of Gold Valves, new springs and spacers. I'll start with 15w and see how it behaves. I looked though the installation instructions at the end of the links, but didn't see anything about fork oil level. Is it still the BMW recommended amount? Ideally, I'd like to know a measurement from top of fork tube to top of fork oil.

 

20774

Liaison

Staff member

• Sep 2, 2019

• #13

My Haynes says 50mm above the damper piston.

Also listed in my '78 R100/7 rider's manual it says:

"allowing the fork to extend fully...check that the oil level is not more than 437 mm (17.2 in) below the flat face of the hexagon on the upper spring mounting."

 

vintagethumper

New member

• Sep 21, 2019

• #14

Installed a set of Gold Valves with .85 springs and 15w oil filled to 160mm from the top. Also bolted on a set of 13.5 " Progressive 12-1203B shocks with their 90/130 springs. I've used this basic setup on a few vintage bikes, and must say it turned out as good as or better than any of the others I've done. The ride is firm enough for a bit of sporty riding, yet pliant enough to absorb most of the road irregularities.