That VIN should range from 6180060 to 6180113 for a 9/76 built bike...probably missing a zero there!
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That VIN should range from 6180060 to 6180113 for a 9/76 built bike...probably missing a zero there!
Hey, but who's countin'?
braddog
Minnesota Nice!
They weren't necessarily in order...
I have VIN 6180315 and it has the original engine and 40 mm exhaust. It was built in 11/76. So, from what I've heard and read, there were approximately 250 bikes brought to the U.S., in the 618XXXX VIN range, but it wasn't necessarily 1 through 250.
I've had my '77 for 10 years now. It would be a great candidate for a complete restoration, but frankly, I think I'll just keep riding it like it is. It runs like a top, it's reliable, and most of all, I love it.
I have VIN 6180315 and it has the original engine and 40 mm exhaust. It was built in 11/76. So, from what I've heard and read, there were approximately 250 bikes brought to the U.S., in the 618XXXX VIN range, but it wasn't necessarily 1 through 250.
I've had my '77 for 10 years now. It would be a great candidate for a complete restoration, but frankly, I think I'll just keep riding it like it is. It runs like a top, it's reliable, and most of all, I love it.
My 6180336 was chasing yours down the assembly line Nov. of 1976. Its a 40mm pip bike as well. I have placed a link to an earlier post I made with a scan of the SNABBKatalog for 11/1977. It lists all the frame numbers for all R100RS built for Europe and the US through the end of the first year. No specific numbers identify any particular unique machines or groups of machines. Items specific to particular models exist as individual part numbers with extensions indicating that a part is only for this or that machine - ( /5, /6, /7 S, RS ). One may discover that there was a special piston and wrist pin available for the R100/7 by looking through a Snabb book and that there are two over-size pistons for an R100RS and three for an R90S among other things...
I tried changing photo's and that did not work...here is the link to the Snabb page with frame numbers from my earlier post- Hope this helps in terms of quantifying the production of first year RS models.
http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?t=41840
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That picture from Snabb suggests a different cutoff for when bikes become the next year's model. The last US R100RS for '77 was 6182500. According to Phil Hawksley's site, 6182501 6182502 were built in April 1977 and 6182503 was then built in July 1977. Actually, I wonder about that entry of April 1977...kind of out of place in the table.
Similarly, the first VIN for model 1978 for the US R100/7 was 6145001 which was built in July 1977.
That suggests that building for the next year model begin some months before the September release...only makes sense, I guess, to get ramped up for the next model year.
Similarly, the first VIN for model 1978 for the US R100/7 was 6145001 which was built in July 1977.
That suggests that building for the next year model begin some months before the September release...only makes sense, I guess, to get ramped up for the next model year.
I have a '77' RS with a vin of 6181215 made 5 / 1977 which is May, a month later than the 6182501 machines birthday suggested in the hawksley site.
For reference, I have a '77' R100/7 with a build date of 6 / 77 and an engine frame number 6142362
Yes, it makes sense to start filling the pipeline early with product you intend to make available on a certain date. The earliest 1977 I have has a build date of 5 / 77. Then a R100/7 from 6 / 77 and an S built in 10 / 77 but titled and numbered a 1978.
The thing I think makes the 1977 'first year' R100RS different from all the others is a thing called "General Interest" like - the number of variations that one hears about and evidence that comes to light in old photographs and advertisements supporting those legends. Gold ones and Pearl white ones. Black ones and RSs wearing Ss fairingsCFOs and UFOs.The Euro delivery very low number 77RS that started this conversation is a worthy restoration in my opinion  a first year bike. For 6 grand it should be nearly done - restored or LNIB original. Here is a secret for working on the RS fairings...buy and use any small hand held electric screw driver. You will be glad you did.
AnnapolisAirhead
--Tony
$1000 for proper painting and pinstriping would be an absolute steal. Sitting for 7+ years means $$$ in the discovery of dried seals, patina, old cables, a sticky speedo, likely a new seat, tires, fluids, master cylinder and tank lining. Not to mention chasing all those electrical gremlins and mice chomps. I've only ever had bikes that sat for years (I think the closest to a running bike was only sitting for 8 years), and they were all stored indoors. So these aren't just random thoughts, but maybe you'd get lucky. $6k for both would be more reasonable...and heck, you'd either end up with one to ticker with and one to make parts runs with, or sell off one to fund the completion of the other. I did that, on lesser models. I'd love to have a '77 RS.
The chassis looks to be very straight, but the rarity escapes me too. I think a fair price IMO would be $2500-3000 (with a clean title) with the understanding that you'll have 5-6k in it before you call it a day. I think this would also be a very worthwhile project at that price, but not at $6k, unless you have a $10k tree in your back yard. A motosport m-a-y-b-e, but even still, I can hear the suction sound coming from your wallet.
bikerfish1100
New member
G
Gravity
Guest
Doesn't that make this particular bike more rare with a
Production date 1976 / 11
it seems that this was made in November it seems it might have been in the first run but not quite the first 200 with the "special" pistons. I think that all of the euro bikes were built with the 40mm exhaust or am I making that up?
Great feedback from the collective knowledge bank.
Thanks,
Gravity
Production date 1976 / 11
it seems that this was made in November it seems it might have been in the first run but not quite the first 200 with the "special" pistons. I think that all of the euro bikes were built with the 40mm exhaust or am I making that up?
Great feedback from the collective knowledge bank.
Thanks,
Gravity
The '77' RS you are looking at is from the first few months of production. No one knows how many are left from the first production run but there were not many made to begin with so it is rare by default. For what it's worth, my opinion is that it is a worthy candidate for restoration - reassembly. Beyond that however you will have a great bike to ride when you are done. There are lots of 70's period performance parts 'available' for the /7 machines too which gives you the opportunity to improve your ride without degrading the value of the classic. There are also a good number of mods to make it perform better like light flywheel, dual plug, digital ignition, DelOrto carbs, and more. If you wanted a project bike, the RS is a WAY better place to start than the Katrina bike mostly because it will be restorable.
Note to Bikerfish about the specials: It looks to me as if the factory began making the specials after it finished the basic production run for Europe / World and the US. That would have been around June or July of 1977 and that would likely have made those bikes essentially 1978 production by date. The exception is the Belgium Authority bikes we keep hearing about. Those were probably from the first few months of production in 1976 too since that was an single order for multiple units.
bikerfish1100
New member
I owned a "Belgian Polizei" during the 1980's (yeah, shouldn't have sold it).
definitely a Euro spec bike, with some neat upgrades (kicker, cooler, slotted front cover grill, 4-way flasher, 40mm pipes). My best understanding is that it was not, nor was it ever, a police model. That was just part of the rumor, along with a supposed "200 units" brought to the US. (don't think i have ever seen more than 2 or maybe 3 at one time). Titled as a 1978. Don't have the paperwork anymore, so don't know the VIN number.
btw- i added the Lesters, insisted on a drum rear. Also braced the swingarm, CC Prods 3clamp, fork braces, Magnum shocks, Progressive springs, lightened flywheel, dual plugged, etc. That bike RAN.
G
Gravity
Guest
It probably is rare. I spoke with the owner today and he was upset that I didn't agree with him on the value. He claims to have 6k in receipts and tells me the solo seat alone is worth 1,000 dollars.
Just the same, other projects out there that won't cost 6k to get into. He can keep it and let it sit in his warehouse.
Plenty of space in my garage,
Gravity
Just the same, other projects out there that won't cost 6k to get into. He can keep it and let it sit in his warehouse.
Plenty of space in my garage,
Gravity
braddog
Minnesota Nice!
That's the thing. There's no way you're going to get what you've got INTO a bike...back OUT OF it, especially something like an R100RS airhead where you've paid someone to do the work.
He may very well have $6K in receipts, and yes, solo seats in good condition are quite spendy. All the work done may indeed have been high quality work. But right now, like you said, that's a project bike. It's been sitting for 7 years, and it's not painted nor is it together.
I suspect that bike will sit in his warehouse for awhile if he doesn't budge on that price. Shame, really, that bike needs to be back on the road.
bikerfish1100
New member
bikes are not worth what is "in" them. They are worth only what the market will bear- what someone is willing to pay.
AnnapolisAirhead
--Tony
+1 on that. All too often folks try to rationalize a price based on what they paid for and/or have in it rather than the true market value. If is certain of its value, put it on an auction site. There is no more true market value than that of an auction. IMO his bike is certainly not appreciating in the state/manner he is keeping it. Good that he has it indoors, but time is rarely kind to loose parts.
Interesting thread!!! I fell in love with the RS a long time ago. I ended up buying a S, which started life as a RT and when I came across a RS fairing I jumped on it. Now I have my RS!! Not for resale, but to ride!!!170K and she is staying in the family. The beautiful thing so many parts are interchangeable.
M
macfly
Guest
This is a fun thread to follow, I had three RS's back in their day, a 79, 81 & 84. The truth is being in the UK then I think they were all the same, except for the colors. I did almost 100,000 miles on the trio, and criss-crossed Europe on them. The first one I had was pale silver blue, then a lovely navy & silver that was my favorite to look at, but it was wriiten off by a mechanic on a road test, then my third was dark smoke grey.
After all those RS's I got into the original Kawa GPZ900, which was a real leap forward in every way, but today the RS seems so much more desireable and interesting. I've gone one step back beyond, and am currently deep into a resto on a '74 R90S
After all those RS's I got into the original Kawa GPZ900, which was a real leap forward in every way, but today the RS seems so much more desireable and interesting. I've gone one step back beyond, and am currently deep into a resto on a '74 R90S
AnnapolisAirhead
--Tony
Road Tractor Trransformers
It sure is a beautiful thing. My '83 R100 lost the Vetter and I made it into an RT. Now I have an RS fairing that I'd like to try...if I can ever find a straight spider mount.
I'm pretty sure that short of a rear drum and those early/rare 40mm models, the difference really lies in the bars, riding position and faring, but not performance. My bike came to me with 40mm Bings and dual plugging. I guess you can call these Road Tractor Transformers (R100RTT????). Short of ticking off the purists, if you don't mind doing a bit of work then you can transform them into whatever you want.
It sure is a beautiful thing. My '83 R100 lost the Vetter and I made it into an RT. Now I have an RS fairing that I'd like to try...if I can ever find a straight spider mount.
I'm pretty sure that short of a rear drum and those early/rare 40mm models, the difference really lies in the bars, riding position and faring, but not performance. My bike came to me with 40mm Bings and dual plugging. I guess you can call these Road Tractor Transformers (R100RTT????). Short of ticking off the purists, if you don't mind doing a bit of work then you can transform them into whatever you want.
bikerfish1100
New member
It sure is a beautiful thing. My '83 R100 lost the Vetter and I made it into an RT. Now I have an RS fairing that I'd like to try...if I can ever find a straight spider mount.
I'm pretty sure that short of a rear drum and those early/rare 40mm models, the difference really lies in the bars, riding position and faring, but not performance. My bike came to me with 40mm Bings and dual plugging. I guess you can call these Road Tractor Transformers (R100RTT????). Short of ticking off the purists, if you don't mind doing a bit of work then you can transform them into whatever you want.
rear drum was optional if the bike came with spoked wheels. all cast wheel came with rear disc.
if you really want the RS fairing mounted, just bite the bullet and buy a new spider. Max's says retail is $180, so about $150 from Chicago. it is very difficult to find a straight used one available for sale, and trying to get even a "slightly tweaked" one to install cleanly is a tough bet.
M
mymindsok
Guest
How true!
If one begins an Airhead project with the idea of making money or recouping their investment, the owner had better be very knowledgeable and handy, because resale prices are about 2/3 of the restoration costs at absolute best and frequently below 50%.
I know that when I was building my /6 hot rod, I was bleeding cash for a while and in the end shelled a pile of $$$. I mentally added up all the bills and came up with about $8K before I quit counting. I've never told my SO ("Significant Other") how much the bike actually cost, though I think she has a pretty good idea!
Once you get into one of these projects, the bills accumulate very, very quickly and you won't want to do things half way. In most cases, 2K or more for paint and pinstripes, a transmission rebuild by a known shop can/will cost another 1K, $800 for a complete first class head rebuild, $1,500+ for new jugs and pistons, etc, etc, not including the hundreds of hours that you'll spend in the shop, chasing down parts and on the computer.
Funny thing... Once my bike was finished and on the road, I was contacted by two different guys who own beautiful, mint condition R100S bikes that weren't for sale when I began my project but are are now seriously on the market. I coulda saved a mint and almost three years work! Oh well...
In the end the important thing isn't the cost or length of the project but to end up with the bike you really want, cause if you shell out for a resto, you're going to have to keep it!
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