Genealogy of the BMW R100 Mono Classic
The BMW R100 was introduced in 1976 (as a R100/7) and continued in various guises until production stopped in 1984. In 1992 BMW released the paralever equipped R100R (R meaning Roaster) followed shortly after by the R100R Classic and R100R Mystic.
Between 1990-1992 there we several versions of the R100 (monolever) produced that are not formally recognized by BMW, at least not from here: https://www.bmw-motorrad.com.au/en/expe ... chive.html
There are numerous reports on the Internet (many emanating from this excellent site: http://bmbikes.co.uk/specpages/r100mono.htm) that discuss the R100 Mono Classic from around 1991-92. The Vin number range for the USA marketed version of this bike was 6419001-6419181, and according to BMW of North America (service info # 2608), 180 units were sold in North America between 1991-92
However, there are also several reports of the R100 Mono Classic also being sighted in Japan. After trawling through many non-English language Websites, I stumbled upon this very interesting Russian site: http://motobay.su/brands/13/models/2541 ... us_all=all (Note: this website is not always up)
This Website shows historical sales during 1990-92 from several motorcycle Auction sites across Japan that reference a R80CJ and a R100CJ (C for Classic, J for Japan). This website is incredibly useful because it’s the only publicly accessible resource (that I know of) that shows actual photos and Vin/chassis numbers of so many R100CJ bikes all in one place.
The question therefore becomes, is the R100CJ the Japanese version of the R100 Mono Classic? Indeed, could BMW have released an even rarer R100 Monolever Classic in Japan prior to the 180 units being released into North America?
I actually own an BMW Image that was manufacturing in September of 1990, and initially sold to a customer in Japan during August of 1992. The Vin/Chassis number that is factory stamped onto the bike reads 0121***R100CJ (*** used to hide the actual numbers). I have made contact with Andreas Harz from BMW Classic Group in Germany, and he confirmed the following from the official BMW factory records.
“I checked your chassis no. in our IT-system, it’s a R 80 type with a special equipment package. Your bike is a R 80 “Special Edition Japan R 100” which means it was based on a Type R80, but they created a special edition for Japan with 980 cc engine……...”
Further analysis of the 1990-92 R100CJ Bikes on the Motobay.su website shows three sets of non-sequential Vin/Chassis numbers which appear to all come from the R80 Mono number range shown here http://bmbikes.co.uk/chassispages/engin ... s800P2.htm
• 6449459R80CJ – 6449636R80CJ, (Rego year 1990), these bikes had a 980cc engine, were marketed as an R100CJ* – Classic/Japan, and were based on the “Type R80” – here is one example: http://motobay.su/lots/321110. Note: 13 unique bikes with this serial number range appear to have passed through Japanese auction sales, and would have been manufactured during 1st half of 1990
• 0121109R80CJ – 0121636R80CJ, (Rego year 1990), these bikes also had a 980cc engine, were marketed as an R100CJ* – Classic Japan, and were based on the “Type R80” – here is one example: http://motobay.su/lots/417500. Two bikes with this serial number range appear to have passed through Japanese auction sales, and would have been manufactured during 2nd half of 1990
• 0121381R100CJ – 0121935R100CJ, (Rego year 1991-92) these bikes also had a 980cc engine, were marketed as an R100CJ* – Classic Japan, and were based on the “Type R80” – here is one example: http://motobay.su/lots/398221. Note: 10 bikes with this serial number range appear to have passed through Japanese auction sales, and would have been manufactured during 2nd half of 1990 and early 1991.
If I were to hazard a guess, I suspect that around 1989/90 BMW identified a market for a Retro/Classic version of the R100 for the Japanese and USA markets. Given that manufacture of the (naked) R100 had officially ended in 1984, BMW probably did not want to record a new production run, so they just made a “special version” of the R80 with an 980cc engine, and marketed in Japan as a R100CJ* for a 1-2 years using the standard Vin/Chassis numbers from the R80 Mono number range.
That “experiment” must have gone reasonable well, and given the R100R Paralever was not being released until 1992, and the new R1100R would not be released until 1994, BMW may then have decided to produce another 180 units of the R100 Monolever Classic, but this time for the North America with unique sequential Vin/Chassis numbers, i.e. 6419001-6419181.
What I find curious is that a Google search finds zero results for “R100CJ” and yet there must have been something like 20-40 units of this bike sold in Japan with either R80CJ or R100CJ included within the Vin/Chassis numbers, and therefore included on owner (and auction) documents.
Of course all this is pure speculation, but I hope this post will trigger some debate, comments and maybe alternative theories, specifically for how a handful of BMW R100CJ Monolever 980cc bikes made their way to Japan between 1990-91!
I’m interested in hearing from other owners of either a USA R100 Mono Classic (not the R100R Paralever), or owners of the R100CJ…and yes, I know R100CJ is not an officially recognised model, but it’s stamped on my bike, so would be good to heard from other owners.
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*Since I wrote this post I’ve discovered that the R100CJ was actually marketed officially in Japan as a R100 Trad (Trad = Traditional). Seperate follow on post here: https://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthrea...R100CJ)-and-the-1991-92-BMW-R100-Mono-Classic
The BMW R100 was introduced in 1976 (as a R100/7) and continued in various guises until production stopped in 1984. In 1992 BMW released the paralever equipped R100R (R meaning Roaster) followed shortly after by the R100R Classic and R100R Mystic.
Between 1990-1992 there we several versions of the R100 (monolever) produced that are not formally recognized by BMW, at least not from here: https://www.bmw-motorrad.com.au/en/expe ... chive.html
There are numerous reports on the Internet (many emanating from this excellent site: http://bmbikes.co.uk/specpages/r100mono.htm) that discuss the R100 Mono Classic from around 1991-92. The Vin number range for the USA marketed version of this bike was 6419001-6419181, and according to BMW of North America (service info # 2608), 180 units were sold in North America between 1991-92
However, there are also several reports of the R100 Mono Classic also being sighted in Japan. After trawling through many non-English language Websites, I stumbled upon this very interesting Russian site: http://motobay.su/brands/13/models/2541 ... us_all=all (Note: this website is not always up)
This Website shows historical sales during 1990-92 from several motorcycle Auction sites across Japan that reference a R80CJ and a R100CJ (C for Classic, J for Japan). This website is incredibly useful because it’s the only publicly accessible resource (that I know of) that shows actual photos and Vin/chassis numbers of so many R100CJ bikes all in one place.
The question therefore becomes, is the R100CJ the Japanese version of the R100 Mono Classic? Indeed, could BMW have released an even rarer R100 Monolever Classic in Japan prior to the 180 units being released into North America?
I actually own an BMW Image that was manufacturing in September of 1990, and initially sold to a customer in Japan during August of 1992. The Vin/Chassis number that is factory stamped onto the bike reads 0121***R100CJ (*** used to hide the actual numbers). I have made contact with Andreas Harz from BMW Classic Group in Germany, and he confirmed the following from the official BMW factory records.
“I checked your chassis no. in our IT-system, it’s a R 80 type with a special equipment package. Your bike is a R 80 “Special Edition Japan R 100” which means it was based on a Type R80, but they created a special edition for Japan with 980 cc engine……...”
Further analysis of the 1990-92 R100CJ Bikes on the Motobay.su website shows three sets of non-sequential Vin/Chassis numbers which appear to all come from the R80 Mono number range shown here http://bmbikes.co.uk/chassispages/engin ... s800P2.htm
• 6449459R80CJ – 6449636R80CJ, (Rego year 1990), these bikes had a 980cc engine, were marketed as an R100CJ* – Classic/Japan, and were based on the “Type R80” – here is one example: http://motobay.su/lots/321110. Note: 13 unique bikes with this serial number range appear to have passed through Japanese auction sales, and would have been manufactured during 1st half of 1990
• 0121109R80CJ – 0121636R80CJ, (Rego year 1990), these bikes also had a 980cc engine, were marketed as an R100CJ* – Classic Japan, and were based on the “Type R80” – here is one example: http://motobay.su/lots/417500. Two bikes with this serial number range appear to have passed through Japanese auction sales, and would have been manufactured during 2nd half of 1990
• 0121381R100CJ – 0121935R100CJ, (Rego year 1991-92) these bikes also had a 980cc engine, were marketed as an R100CJ* – Classic Japan, and were based on the “Type R80” – here is one example: http://motobay.su/lots/398221. Note: 10 bikes with this serial number range appear to have passed through Japanese auction sales, and would have been manufactured during 2nd half of 1990 and early 1991.
If I were to hazard a guess, I suspect that around 1989/90 BMW identified a market for a Retro/Classic version of the R100 for the Japanese and USA markets. Given that manufacture of the (naked) R100 had officially ended in 1984, BMW probably did not want to record a new production run, so they just made a “special version” of the R80 with an 980cc engine, and marketed in Japan as a R100CJ* for a 1-2 years using the standard Vin/Chassis numbers from the R80 Mono number range.
That “experiment” must have gone reasonable well, and given the R100R Paralever was not being released until 1992, and the new R1100R would not be released until 1994, BMW may then have decided to produce another 180 units of the R100 Monolever Classic, but this time for the North America with unique sequential Vin/Chassis numbers, i.e. 6419001-6419181.
What I find curious is that a Google search finds zero results for “R100CJ” and yet there must have been something like 20-40 units of this bike sold in Japan with either R80CJ or R100CJ included within the Vin/Chassis numbers, and therefore included on owner (and auction) documents.
Of course all this is pure speculation, but I hope this post will trigger some debate, comments and maybe alternative theories, specifically for how a handful of BMW R100CJ Monolever 980cc bikes made their way to Japan between 1990-91!
I’m interested in hearing from other owners of either a USA R100 Mono Classic (not the R100R Paralever), or owners of the R100CJ…and yes, I know R100CJ is not an officially recognised model, but it’s stamped on my bike, so would be good to heard from other owners.
======
*Since I wrote this post I’ve discovered that the R100CJ was actually marketed officially in Japan as a R100 Trad (Trad = Traditional). Seperate follow on post here: https://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthrea...R100CJ)-and-the-1991-92-BMW-R100-Mono-Classic
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