Another possible Oilhead purchase. R1100RS Your thoughts?

[jagarra]

I also have this model which I really enjoy riding, have done every reliability mod ever mentioned. Maintenance is easy, compared to the 1150, the brakes are easier to do your annual flush, there is a ton of used parts on e-bay for these models which makes finding some expensive dealer spares more cost effective. With the Afxid installed, I always run over 50 MPG. The only issue I can see in the future is the 18" rear tire, now I you are good with not using a Michelin Pilot 2, then you are Okay in that respect. I picked up a 17" wheel to give me more tire flexibility. It's a good all around daily rider, lighter than the RT, easy to get to everything without the lowers to worry about.

[tangoalpha]

I also have this model which I really enjoy riding, have done every reliability mod ever mentioned. Maintenance is easy, compared to the 1150, the brakes are easier to do your annual flush, there is a ton of used parts on e-bay for these models which makes finding some expensive dealer spares more cost effective. With the Afxid installed, I always run over 50 MPG. The only issue I can see in the future is the 18" rear tire, now I you are good with not using a Michelin Pilot 2, then you are Okay in that respect. I picked up a 17" wheel to give me more tire flexibility. It's a good all around daily rider, lighter than the RT, easy to get to everything without the lowers to worry about.

Thanks for that. You bring up a great point about the annual brake flush. My RT is due again for the annual flush and I’m dreading it. Such a PITA! I for one do enjoy having whizzy brakes. They stop with authority and are great for where I live where hills are plentiful. That said, I still loathe doing the annual flush.

How many miles do you have on your RS currently?


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[BC1100S]

Yes, but the R1100RS is one of the nicest models BMW ever built...

Yes, its a nice bike but its no R1100S (Pacific Blue).

[bluehole]

You may want to invest in a set of telescopic rear view mirrors...to keep an eye on those blue S Bikes.

[BC1100S]

You may want to invest in a set of telescopic rear view mirrors...to keep an eye on those blue S Bikes.

Still jealous after all these years, eh?

[tangoalpha]

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Well...I took a 45 minute ride up the coast this afternoon to meet with the Seller of the R1100RS and walked away with mixed feelings about whether or not to make an offer. I’ll explain....

The Good...Before meeting the Owner and after staring at the photos of the bike trying to detect every single detail and nuance that one can possibly hope to find from a few online photos, I picked up one curious detail. A sticker on both the left and right side of the bike which read, DP Safety School. At first I began to think perhaps the Owner or prior one from the past attended a motorcycle safety course and slapped a couple stickers on upon completion of the course. Then that idea seemed odd to me, and I began to think there must be a link between the DP Safety School stickers and the current Owner. When I spoke to the Owner over the phone, I recall him telling me his name was Dennis. I quick Google search later and I found out that DP Safety Schools (now out of business) was a road racing school here in the Western U.S. which was owned and operated by a former road racer named Dennis Pegelow. Could the Owner who’s selling this bike be the very same Dennis of racing lore who chased Kenny Roberts around the racetrack? Well as I found out this afternoon...Yes! It’s the very same person. It was an enjoyable afternoon listening to Dennis share some stories with me about his racing past, seeing some of the photos from his racing days and old trophies collecting dust. Dennis lives, sleeps and breathes motorcycles and in fact, the R1100RS is his only means of transportation. He doesn’t own a car and hasn’t felt much need for one either. Talk about living your passion! This guy is the real deal. Wow! What a neat and interesting guy.

So back to the bike...since this is not one of his track bikes, but rather his daily transportation the bike has been maintained and sounds and runs good. The cosmetics....well, that’s another story. Also...the bike is a 1994 not a 1996 model as I previously stated. I was incorrect about that and apparently confused it with another bike that I had seen. Not sure about the differences between those two model years, but one thing I noticed is that there was not a Rider Information Display like newer RS’s and like my RT has. So no gas gauge.... Ok. I can live without it I suppose. At least the trip odometer works. As for the plastics, it all appears to be in very good shape, aside from dull paint. No cracks or broken pieces that I could tell. The only blemishes were scrapes that resulted from dropping the bike while parked (both sides). Ouch! That can be fixed however. Also as it turns out, the Mechanic who has serviced the bike since Dennis’ ownership is a fairly well known BMW mechanic and somewhat of a legend in his own right, at least here on the Central Coast. I also know him as he’s serviced my bike in the past. He serviced the final drive on my bike when it failed at 19,000 miles. That said, knowing who’s been servicing the bike, I feel somewhat more confident about the overall mechanical condition.

The Bad... As you saw from the initial photos there appears to be a fair amount of rust and corrosion from living outdoors, but in person the bike actually worse! Much worse, in fact. I wish the rust and corrosion was only limited to those initial photos, but living directly across the street from the Pacific Ocean has taken it’s toll. The bike enjoys a spectacular ocean view from the outdoor parking lot where it sit, but that hasn’t helped the condition much. I feel that much of the bike would need to be disassembled to really address the corrosion and rust issue. At which point, why not just go all the way and take it down to the frame, remove the engine, media blast all the hard parts and repaint or anodize to a factory like finish? If I were to go that route, it might be fun to repaint the engine in a hi-temp black wrinkle or textured finish to give the bike a blacked out appearance. Black engine, tranny, final drive, forks and handlebars...set against the red painted plastics. Might look neat done up that way. But....that is a huge undertaking and all of that is cosmetics and doesn’t address any of the other issues that need to be tended to. The shocks are completely spent. So a new set is needed. The Hall Sensor would need to be sent off to GSA Addict, the front tire is down to the minimums, a new seat is desperately needed and there’s a list of other things that I’m beginning to compile that would need repairing or replacing.

The Ugly... In truth, this part has more to do with the Owner than it does the bike. Clearly Dennis’ best years are behind him. He’s 74 and his body is broken down and his health is failing him. As I found out today, the two parking lot drops (left and right side) happened as a result of his health issue. He’s having problems with his balance where he’s taken some spills and hurt himself, not the least of which is his pride, that of which I’m quite certain. These days Dennis uses a cane and receives regular PT as he struggles to walk short distances without falling down. This is the ugly part of the story, because he needs the money from the bike to buy himself a car since he can no longer balance a motorcycle. Even at his asking price of $1850 it wouldn’t buy much of a car and as you can imagine, living off Social Security doesn’t go very far here in CA, much less here on the Central Coast. He rents a studio apartment across from the beach and appears to have little else besides his pictures, his trophies and the memories. I could sit and talk to him for hours over a beer or two. So that brings me to this point. I don’t have the heart to make Dennis an offer. Knowing his health situation and apparent financial need to sell his bike for as much cash as he can get in order to buy a used car, I think to make him an offer would only insult. I don’t want to offend this poor old guy, but honestly, given the condition and the amount of time and money that I’d have to spend to make this bike right....it’s worth only about $500 to me and even that might be generous. So there it is. That’s the whole story. Ordinarily I don’t make emotional decisions when it comes to financial transactions, but taking a pass on it seems like the right thing to do. I honesty cannot justify spending any more than $500 when I know that I will easily turn right around and spend $1500-2000 easily right off the bat which is all that bike is probably worth even in great condition. On the the other hand, Dennis has had the bike for sale for the past couple of months and he’s been slowly dropping his price. He’s had plenty of lookers but no takers given the condition of the bike. I actually find his story to be somewhat heartbreaking and that’s probably why I’m so conflicted about it all.

Okay Guys.....it’s your turn. What say you? Am I off my rocker? Am I over thinking it?


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Dennis (left) back in the day, teaching a class of prospective road racers.

[Pauls1150]

Skip it, nobody needs more hassles in their life... sad about Dennis, though; I had an older cousin in the same predicament.

All of the inputs I've seen here are accurate... One more thing the older oilheads had was bad glue on the magnets inside the starter motor. They'd either cock off at an angle or just let go, jamming the starter instantly. One of my friends on an R1100S (black, btw, and a really FUN ride! - he had to stash it here for a while, with instructions to "keep it exercised!") had a major portion of the wiring harness just above the starter totally f'n melt, and his shop never even tried to determine a "Root Cause", they just replaced parts. Oh well.

[robsryder]

When the oilhead was introduced BMW promoted the R1100RS with the "Battle of the Legends". Well known riders from the 1970s rode R1100RS bikes in sort-of staged races at various venues. I can recall seeing these guys at the Mid-Ohio race track. In between their track sessions the BMW "racers" would sign t-shirts, posters, and hats. I still have a couple of the t-shirts and hats.

One of these BMW racers in 1994 was Walt Fulton. I had just purchased a new red 94 R1100RS, like the one shown above. I chatted a bit with Walt while he was signing my t-shirt and hat. I recalled him being a pretty nice guy.

At the rally in Lebanon in 2019 I took one of the training courses. Walt Fulton was the instructor at this course. He indicated that he liked the R1100RS so much that he had five of those bikes. I noticed that he had a bit of a limp in his walk from some of his racing experiences. Come to think of it many of the guys doing the "Battle of the Legends" had a limp.

I still have my red 94 R1100RS. I think that it is one of the finest bikes that BMW has ever produced. I also think this about the K75S and several of the airheads.

I also grew up near the ocean (eastern coast of NC) and have seen what the sea breaze can do to a vehicle. Somewhere lurking a ways back in the forum is a thread about a "free" R1100RS that was revitalized. That bike looked like it had been stored under water or mud for a while. It did clean up nicely, but quite a bit of elbow grease was used as I recall.

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[BC1100S]

Okay Guys.....it’s your turn. What say you?

Hard pass. When I saw the original pictures of corroded parts I figured it was going to be way worse in person.

Opinion...
If Dennis is having difficulty walking, and its due to balance issues, perhaps its best that he not drive a car, either.

Sad story on a number of levels.

[tangoalpha]

I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who took the time to read my post and especially those who offered me their opinions, tips, suggestions or advice. It’s all welcomed and very much appreciated. I knew that I didn’t know enough about the bike and all the potential pitfalls at the moment I first laid eyes on that bike, but it knew where to turn to. I asked and you guys came through for me. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You guys really are the glue that hold this forum together.

All of that to say....I’m going to move on and focus my energy elsewhere. If nothing else came of it, I got to meet a really cool and interesting guy...an ex-road racer and for that I’m grateful. It was seeing the photos...hearing his story and admiring those trophies. Thanks for sharing in it with me. You guys are the best!


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[taran1900]

Run away.

[tangoalpha]

Run away.

Oh yeah. Too much effort for too little reward. To quote A Flock of Seagulls, “I Ran So Far Away”.


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[eastbay]

I still have my red 94 R1100RS. I think that it is one of the finest bikes that BMW has ever produced. I also think this about the K75S and several of the airheads.

I too have a red 94 R1100RS. It is a beauty. So was my yellow 94 K75s, and I also had an airhead, but it was long ago, I don't remember what model.We have similar tastes.

[tangoalpha]

I too have a red 94 R1100RS. It is a beauty. So was my yellow 94 K75s, and I also had an airhead, but it was long ago, I don't remember what model.We have similar tastes.

Ironically, I had a red K75S about 20 years ago and now considering purchasing a yellow R1100RS.


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[walsj1024]

I also have a 94 K75S, which is Dakar Yellow, plus a silver R1100 RS. Seems a common theme

BTW, the PO of my K75S, told me that BMW imported just about 100 Dakar Yellow K75s models. I’ve never found anything that corroborates this info. Anyone in the know, care to weigh in?

......

So was my yellow 94 K75s, ....