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1994 R1100RS Project bike.

Well that may be, but I wasn't about to go buy a new final drive or ring gear and pinion. Besides, at 412,000 miles that final drive is still original with original bearings. They don't all fail.

Paul, I believe Big Red was the bike Voni was riding at the time years ago at a Branson Blitz when you told me you'd had the jugs off at something like 275,000 miles and the pistons and rings were still in factory spec, and you could still see the hone marks in the cylinders. Did I get most of that correct?
 
Paul, I believe Big Red was the bike Voni was riding at the time years ago at a Branson Blitz when you told me you'd had the jugs off at something like 275,000 miles and the pistons and rings were still in factory spec, and you could still see the hone marks in the cylinders. Did I get most of that correct?

Yes. The early R1100RS bikes are among the best BMW ever built.

All 1200 and 1250 owners take note: To remove the "plastic" on an R1100RS requires on each side a quarter turn each on 4 Dzuz fasteners plus 2 Phillips head capscrews.

Three way adjustable seat in seconds. Handlebars with both angular and fore-aft adjustment. Adjustable windshield.

Great longevity.
 
Yes. The early R1100RS bikes are among the best BMW ever built.

All 1200 and 1250 owners take note: To remove the "plastic" on an R1100RS requires on each side a quarter turn each on 4 Dzuz fasteners plus 2 Phillips head capscrews.

Three way adjustable seat in seconds. Handlebars with both angular and fore-aft adjustment. Adjustable windshield.

Great longevity.

I'm not going to argue that BMW didn't achieve cost savings by deleting the adjustable seat and handle bars on the Wethead RS vs the Oilhead RS. But, from a riding stand point, the wethead engine is a return to the smoothness of the triple K-bike. I wouldn't go back.
 
I'm not going to argue that BMW didn't achieve cost savings by deleting the adjustable seat and handle bars on the Wethead RS vs the Oilhead RS. But, from a riding stand point, the wethead engine is a return to the smoothness of the triple K-bike. I wouldn't go back.

I've not ridden a Wethead, yet, but after years of riding K-bikes, including a K1200RS and two K75s in the fleet which all have essentially no vibration, I found the vibration from the R1100s and R1150s I've ridden very off-putting. Hard to go back home sometimes.
 
I'm not going to argue that BMW didn't achieve cost savings by deleting the adjustable seat and handle bars on the Wethead RS vs the Oilhead RS. But, from a riding stand point, the wethead engine is a return to the smoothness of the triple K-bike. I wouldn't go back.

I am not arguing engines. I am bemoaning design elegance. Nineteen or twenty nine screws of three lengths to hold on the plastic is not elegant design - it is an intern designed kludge. That is only the tip of the iceberg, so to speak.
 
I've not ridden a Wethead, yet, but after years of riding K-bikes, including a K1200RS and two K75s in the fleet which all have essentially no vibration, I found the vibration from the R1100s and R1150s I've ridden very off-putting. Hard to go back home sometimes.

That aspect of the R1100RS really annoyed me for many years. But, I did like the increased power and evolved suspension. My shop fit some K100 part to the O2 sensor loop (I think) which eliminated the surge, but the vibration was always there, no matter how many times I balanced the throttle bodies.

Between the days I traded-in the K75 and purchased the R1200RS, I never had a clear view in my mirrors
 
That aspect of the R1100RS really annoyed me for many years. But, I did like the increased power and evolved suspension. My shop fit some K100 part to the O2 sensor loop (I think) which eliminated the surge, but the vibration was always there, no matter how many times I balanced the throttle bodies.

Between the days I traded-in the K75 and purchased the R1200RS, I never had a clear view in my mirrors

I bought a 2003 K1200RS new and only briefly looked at the R1150RS before deciding on the K12. I love my R75/5 and other Airheads, but the R1100 and R1150 vibration is in a whole other league for me. The K1200RS has buckets more power (about a .5lb better power to weight ratio vs. the R1150RS) and was even smoother than my K75s. It's a keeper for me, at least until I wear it out. :ha
 
That aspect of the R1100RS really annoyed me for many years. But, I did like the increased power and evolved suspension. My shop fit some K100 part to the O2 sensor loop (I think) which eliminated the surge, but the vibration was always there, no matter how many times I balanced the throttle bodies.

Between the days I traded-in the K75 and purchased the R1200RS, I never had a clear view in my mirrors

I've owned and extensively ridden a 1982 K75C, a 1986 K75S, a 1994 R1100RS, a 199 R1100GS, two R1200GS and one R1200ST (all 2005 models) and now a new 2015 R1200GS. IMHO, they are all very good bikes, with many incremental improvements. None of mine had any significant vibration, though I know some do. My Wethead is a fantastic bike, and maybe just slightly less smooth than my previous R1200GS with 128K miles on it. As for reliability, my R1100RS had a stud pull on the case, and a coil go bad stranding me, but otherwise good. My R1100GS had a final drive big bearing go at the Lima Rally (a great ADVRider brought me a spare and tools!). None of my R1200 bikes ever had a major issue until the 128K mile GS lost its final drive.

The point of all this, I liked them all, for the ride and the times, and ad Voni says the sMiles!

Jim :brow
 
Swapped out the fuel filter and sock on my 1994 R1100RS. Kit from www.beemerboneyard.com .










Cleaned a ton of mold off the bottom of the tank:



Sanded the rim of the fuel plate to smooth off the corrosion, then used the BBY O-ring kit to install it in the tank.



Once all together I installed it and tried to start the bike. No go, no fuel at the injectors. I checked the pump and it was flowing at key turn-on, but nothing when cranking.

This is generally the HES, so off it came. Damn spiders are everywhere on this bike.
The pins were clean, and it all looks OK, but now I need to test it.







Jim :brow
 
@GS Addict pointed out that my HES wiring looked melted. Sure enough it is:




So, I decided to polish the paint since I couldn't start the bike:






No wax yet, I need to spot polish more, and the main fairing.

Jim :brow
 
It does. This will be my first rebuild that I do not have to paint. Nice.

Jim :brow

PS HES heading your way! :)

I'm going to download your pics and stick them on the wall next to my bike. Just so it knows how lucky it is to be in a nice dry garage.......
 
I'm going to download your pics and stick them on the wall next to my bike. Just so it knows how lucky it is to be in a nice dry garage.......

I have to say, a shop with space is nice.

That said, this is one nasty bike to christen it with! :banghead

Jim :brow
 
R1100rs

Whoever designed the faring fasteners that Paul spoke so highly of :) must have also designed that so useful rear luggage rack that might be 2 inches wide and the optional rack that you can’t see on the white bike bigger but slopes down about 30 or 40 degrees

8A41DBF5-F678-43B5-BCA0-4FB9335EB815.jpeg
 
Whoever designed the faring fasteners that Paul spoke so highly of :) must have also designed that so useful rear luggage rack that might be 2 inches wide and the optional rack that you can’t see on the white bike bigger but slopes down about 30 or 40 degrees

View attachment 77881

The larger "rack" was not designed to be a rack. It is a quick mount for the factory top case.
 
3dnPXs.jpg

The Marakesh RED paint on the R11RS is the most durable paint I've ever seen!

And I do know a thing or two about RED!

Voni
sMiling
 
Good thread and good job on the RS. Kinda got me to thinking. I've gotta '94 R1100RS somewhere back in the garage. Got up and went on a search for mission and found it. Unloaded all the junk on it and lo and behold, there it was. The tag read June 2011 and the OD read 55, 550 miles. Nice find in my own garage. Wow, only 25 yards
To this find. This thread just might get me motivated for a resurection. Thx. :dance:thumb
 
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