1996 R850R purchase advice and GS upgrade options

Good day,

I am a long time forum member but have rarely posted answers or questions but I am not looking at a very nice 96 R850R with under 20,000 miles, equipped with the spoked wheels. I an an old (getting older) enduro guy and I love my F650GS Dakar but I am looking for something more comfortable for long leisurely road trips and two up riding and the R850 always intrigued me even though it was not a success in the US market.

The only common complaints I have read are weight (500lbs) and poor instumentation. This one does have a tach but no clock. Are there other common issues with the US R850s? Major mechanical flaws?

Second, I have a fantasy of converting it to a GS, since I encountered the R850GS abroad and quite enjoyed riding it. I have seen references to this process but I would love first hand advice from anyone who has attempted or completed a conversion.

Thank you. Be well, ride safely
RK

My very first BMW was a R850R Olympic special from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. In 1998 I rode it from Alabama to the MOA rally in Missoula Montana and back. My wife was on her F650CS. I had it loaded down with camping gear and it had plenty of power. The main reason for the 850 engine was that in Europe there was (or may still be) restrictions on engine sizes for different insurance classes. But my previous experience was on British bikes so I thought it was a real machine!! The only mod I made was footpeg lowering since I have a 34 inch inseam. Any how it was a real smooth running bike with plenty of power.

Good evening,

Thanks. I quite like the Altanta olympic silver and black color scheme and would prefer that to the red but with the tach and the spoke wheels, I think on balance this a nice possibility. I'm inspecting it tomorrow.
Did you ever have any trouble with yours? Is it still in your garage?
T
hanks again.
Be well, ride safely.

No I never had any problems with mine. I rode it for several years and eventually traded up to a GS so I could tow a Bunkhouse camper. I have had dozen different BMWs since that first one. Got into airheads and GSs and LTs etc. Now retired and settle for having just one R1200RT. Turning 80 has slowed things down just a little.

I Scrambled an 850R

One good feature on the R 850 is the low gearing in the final drive makes it a nice bike woods bike. I put GS wheels, front rear suspension, handle bars, foot pegs and both center and side stands on mine. I also fabricated new headlight brackets and got rid of that mess on the triple clamp, I had to because I used a GS top clamp.

jdubick said:

No I never had any problems with mine. I rode it for several years and eventually traded up to a GS so I could tow a Bunkhouse camper. I have had dozen different BMWs since that first one. Got into airheads and GSs and LTs etc. Now retired and settle for having just one R1200RT. Turning 80 has slowed things down just a little.

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Good morning,

Wow, still riding at 80! Congratulations. That means, with any luck, I have 25 years of good road days ahead of me.

Thanks, RK

69zeff65 said:

One good feature on the R 850 is the low gearing in the final drive makes it a nice bike woods bike. I put GS wheels, front rear suspension, handle bars, foot pegs and both center and side stands on mine. I also fabricated new headlight brackets and got rid of that mess on the triple clamp, I had to because I used a GS top clamp.

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Good morning,

Thanks for the advice. It might be simpler to transplant an 850 engine into an 1100 but less fun and personal. I was not aware of the final drive difference. The 850 also has only 5 speeds and th 1100 six I believe.

I will keep you posted if I attempt the conversion. Heading out to inspect the cycle today. If it is as solid as it appears, I will probably purchase.

Thanks again for the advice.

RK.

miseenscene said:

The 850 also has only 5 speeds and th 1100 six I believe.

RK.

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Nope!

The 1100 and 850 have 5 speed transmissions

It is pretty easy to convert an 850 R to a more off road version especially when you already have spoke wheels,

Parts needed
A shorter GS rear trailing arm for the final drive
A GS fork bridge
Taller GS style shocks front and rear
A taller or modified center and side stand

If you want to get carried away and don't mind spending more time and money you can go further with.
A GS top clamp or conversion top camp and GS handle bars
With a GS top clamp you would need to fabricate or use GS parts to mount the headlight and instruments to a GS front end
GS gas tank and seat combination
If you change the gas tank to GS you will have to get a GS oil cooler and fabricate brackets to mount it
GS rear fender and tail light
GS foot pegs and brackets
If you do this you will need the shifter and foot brake assemblies along with a longer rear brake hose

I may have missed a minor item or two as its been a few years since I did mine. I got carried away and got all the parts (except the front beak) to do a full conversion to an 850GS. I have since adopted a n 1100 GS in need of a complete clean up and maintenance front to back. If I can find a snap shot of the Scrambled R 850R I'll post it, its behind a few other bikes in my shop.

You can almost see it

Its on the on the right side between the R 90/6 and the HP-2 Enduro.

Good day,

Thank you for the GS conversion information, advice and parts list. I did purchase the R850R yesterday so I will take some time to acquaint myself with the standard before I make an modifications.

Happy holidays! Be well, ride safely.
RK

miseenscene said:

Good day,

Thank you for the GS conversion information, advice and parts list. I did purchase the R850R yesterday so I will take some time to acquaint myself with the standard before I make an modifications.

Happy holidays! Be well, ride safely.
RK

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Unless you really need long travel suspension for romps and jumps, just put good 50-50 tires on it and go have fun on gravel and dirt roads. I did that with my R1150R.

Great advise from P.Glaves

There is a balance between small simple modifications and major changes that I just miss. You have a great bike so go slow with your modifications and don't be concerned about backing up a step or two. Enjoy the adventure.

GS conversion?

If you ask me, converting this bike to a GS would require more than most riders want to do. I'm 67 and wouldn't consider it. (And I've been a pretty good backyard mechanic.) If you want a GS, buy one. What you have is a very nice bike for the street and that is more than OK.

Good evening,

Thank you all for the advice. I do plan to familiarize myself the R850R fro several months, possibly a year, before I do any modifications. I just had a such a nice experience on the r850gs in Europe but perhaps is was the environment as much as the cycle.

I was lucky to find one with under 20,000 miles and well maintained so perhaps I'll respect that at look for a true project prospect for conversion endeavors.

Take care. Be well, ride safely.
RK

I did a lot of the GS mods to my 1100R this past summer so my two cents: I loved the bike before but I like it even more now. The shorter rear torque arm effectively shortens the wheelbase and raises the rear end; I like the taller stance and it seems to dive into corners a bit quicker now. I left the stock tank and headlight setup, installed the GS bars and used a dash bezel from a 1150R so it maintains some of the classic standard look that I like about the R. One thing I will say is that you can probably find a used 1100 or 1150GS for less money than you're going to spend between the cost of this bike and buying all the bits and bobs you'll need, and as someone said above if you just want to cruise some dirt and gravel roads a set of tires will go a long way. That said, I'm happy with how mine turned out and don't regret doing it.

As far as major mechanical flaws I don't know about the 850 vs the 1100 but I suspect that any issues you will want to deal with are pretty minor, inexpensive and pretty easy to fix preemptively. I'm thinking of things like the vapor canister, the left side timing tensioner come to mind. Oh and whether or not you do the GS conversion, if you plan on doing any off road riding, do yourself a favor and research the "hard parts kit" to reinforce the transmission mounting points to the subframe. Ask me how I know....