Another barn gives up it's treasure...Let me share the experience:

[97077]

77 Rs

To me that is a bike that a person restores and never sells. With that said I would spend the time and money even if a so called expert says you never get your money back. I'm seeing a disturbing event happening with so many of the Airheads becoming cafe racer bikes. Don't get me wrong some of the cafe bikes are well done and very cool I just hate to see these bikes become something other than the beauties they are. Good luck with your adventure. These bikes are worth the time and effort. Kevin

 

[na cl k9]

Oh man, you mean I have one of those?!

Send a PM if you have questions with your project. I have some color annotated pix on the cable routing around the front of the bike if you find it necessary to get into all that.

Now that photo is exactly what I needed to see. Thanks!

 

[radar41]

RS find

Paul;

You have found a jewel! Keep it!!!

Work on it, fix it where you can ride it and do it!!!

Join the "Airheads" http://airheads.org/ group for more sources of information. The Airhead site has lots of how-to articles. Additionally some local Airheads will have "tech" days for help and additional information.

Once you get it running and take it for a ride, you will be lost to the world of airheads!!!

The RS is one of those special machines which is difficult to describe. Once you get it on the road at full "song" you will understand.

The other alternative is to ping me off list and I'll give your money back !!!

radar

 

[robsryder]

77RS owners can sign up for a free account on Yahoo and then sign onto the 77RS forum. I don't visit that too often, but they do maintain a registry of 77RS owners.

I've corresponded with the owner of the bike that was next in-line to mine during its build at the factory.

Of course no 77RS owner can go without getting the 77RS t-shirt and coffee mug!

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/rs77/

 

[6833]

Nice find

I had a 77R100RS and it was a big pipe, the vin number on that was 6180557 but it was stolen in 1978, had the 3/4 seat and one of two sets mini krauser look alike bags. enjoy, I love the looks of those bikes ---Jerry

 

[flash412]

I have successfully used this method in the past on more than one occasion.

Remove the spark plugs. FILL the combustion chambers with Liquid Wrench, or Kroil. Note, one or both cylinders may not actually fill because a valve is open and the juice is running into the headers or the carb. So pay attention. Let the bike sit for about a week like that. Then, with the thing in first gear and the spark plugs still out, rock the rear wheel forward and back. Repeatedly rock the wheel for about fifteen minutes. Do this every day for about a week. If you get ANY increase in motion, you are SAVED and well on your way to freeing the motor. If you get increased motion, run the wheel to the extreme where the piston is DOWN and refill the cylinders with LW or Kroil, wait overnight and repeat the rocking. A couple of days of that and you'll have a free motor. Change the oil. Start it up and ride it. You may be able to get away with not even popping off the heads. Don't ride it more than a hundred miles or so before you change the oil again.

But if you fail to get any motion... remove the heads. If you are very unlucky, the crank will be on TDC. Otherwise, once the heads are off, spin the motor until the crank is at TDC, then back it off slightly. The jugs will be pushed away from the case. Put some wood shims between the case and the cylinders. Now comes the tricky stuff. Clean up the oil. Get a propane torch. Heat the cylinder fins evenly until you get it fairly warm. Then take a scrap of 2X4 and put it against the crown of the pistion. Use at least a two pound hammer and give the end of the 2X4 a healthy whack, straight toward BDC. If you get ANY motion, spray with oil and continue to work the piston in the cylinder until it is free. Repeat for the other side. Worst case... you have to break a piston to get the jug off.

KBasa is ALMOST right. The '78 R100/7 was the "healthiest" airhead BMW ever sold.

 

[robsryder]

Now that photo is exactly what I needed to see. Thanks!

Here is a helmet-camera view of what riding my 77RS was like right after I got it back together.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?d...=10&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=5

The video is of the typical resolution that Google Video allows, but I have a higher resolution video that fits on a DVD. Send me a PM with your snail-mail address and I'll send you the higher resolution video.

 

[bob_m]

Flash's oil in the cylinders, rest, rock method worked on my Norton. We used Marvel Mystery oil to maranade the pistons then put some heat on the barrel fins and it broke loose easy enough.

 

[mikeb921]

Advice

Well you wanted advice and you've received some. I think the best advice so far was by "robsmoto", join the 77RS club. Those guys have probably already solved every problem you may encounter. You are the new "Custodian" of a much sought after model. It's your primary obligation to be a good owner. As a restorer myself and for all restorers everywhere, please don't drill any holes. Don't do anything that can't be undone. A worthwhile classic deserves a worthwhile owner. Don't weld on brackets for rearsets. Don't dual plug it ( use thicker base gaskets if it won't run without pinging). A colectable bike reaches full dollar potential when it is as close to original as possible. If you must mod, make mods correct for the time period, like a deep oil pan, better shocks, a fork brace. Don't throw away anything. I think you get the idea.
I still say, if it were mine, I would get it running and safe. Enjoy using it while I make a plan for a full restoration. If money is a concern, take longer to do it. You will NEVER be sorry for doing a proper and great job. I've done several restorations and have some 1st place trophies and the worst I've ever done is break even. Good luck, you're about to embark on the most rewarding journey posible in the world of collector motorcycles.

Ride Safe
Rideoften

 

[Rinty]

Another barn treasure

Paul:

Can you give us some background on how you found the bike, and how it came to be put into storage, etc.? I like these barn find stories.

I like your plans for the bike; I had a heavily modded '82 RS, but agree with the others that a '77 is best left stock.

Congratulations.

Rinty

 

[na cl k9]

Thank you all again for the great info, comments and encouragement! I have taken a moment to review the RS77 site and will add my machine to the list. The bike is obviously a focus of passionate interest for many BMW collectors. I have no plans to make any modifications to this bike other than to add some of the period accessories which I already have. It needs to stay stock. I even hate to cut factory wire ties!!

I have a NOS set of 40mm carbs now from a friends parts bin. I have located a set of NOS factory painted/striped rims if I want to do a concourse restoration. I am considering using OEM chrome spokes but would it matter if I used stainless? I could easily spring for new headers and mufflers. I have a set of practically brand new controls and switches which were originally for a 1977 series bike. The list is beginning to grow but it is not endless...

Later today I plan to pull the valve covers and back off the adjusters to make sure the valves are closed on both sides. Then I'll start pouring diesel fuel in through the spark plug hole. The pistons are at or near BDC which is a good thing. I use diesel because it's really about the same as liquid wrench and costs less...or rather it used to (!) More...

 

[na cl k9]

Rinty, To answer your question about how this bike was located, I spotted it on CraigÔÇÖs List last Monday morning. I was the second of 35-40 people who called on the ad that day.

The first guy wanted to do a trade so I became No.1 in line and I told the owner to consider it sold. He asked me if I thought the price was ok and I said "Is your price firm?ÔÇØ He said yes it was so I told him right away his price was "Just fine". I had already asked all the questions I needed to. When I called the owner as I was on my way to get the bike the next day, one fellow who kept calling was very upset that he, the owner, would take a strangers word they were going to buy his bike sight unseen! Then in the same breath, he offered the owner 3000.00 to sell it to him instead. Of all the nerve

The PO purchased the bike new from Bennett, Hulsing & Stricker Cycles Ltd in Mason City Iowa. He had owned an R90S before this one which had been totaled in an accident so he used the insurance money to replace it with the RS. From answers to questions, the paperwork and receipts: the PO purchased this one new in June of 1977 and rode it for a short time until he changed jobs. The bike was parked for some years and required new tires and work on the tank because of rust in 85. Then, it was put up again. In 1991 it was registered in Louisiana and that was to title the bike after a move. It sat for another 17 years until last week. HereÔÇÖs one more picture to tell the story with a little more detail.

 

[Rinty]

barn find

Thanks; great story.

So do you think that that is the actual mileage?


Rinty

 

[na cl k9]

Thanks; great story. So do you think that that is the actual mileage? Rinty

The PO said he and his wife had put thousands of miles on it after the speedo quit. I have no idea why they would say that except perhaps they were somewhat embarrassed at the overall condition and thought I might consider that as a possible reason...Truth? Don't know yet for sure. No reason at all to doubt what my experience tells me so far.

All the indications of wear at the points of human interface show 9K of use (seat included ;-) That's what I go by. Brake pedal wear, switch and instrument colors. I gave the speedo cable a twist by hand and the needle moved. I need to look at the throttle cam gear. Actually measure the front discs and clutch. Eventually, the bike will give up those little secrets. But, you have to look at the front surface of the fairing. NO chips. Just acres of clean dull silver blue paint. How would someone be able to ride even 20K without it showing up there. There is nothing disturbed anywhere on the bike that was not originally done by the factory..unmolested. That's what I like. I got the fairing I wanted attached to a great bike!

 

[Rinty]

barn find

With all your airhead experience (I see you've got 5 others) you'll have little trouble figuring out how to get this one refurbished. And since it's a '77, even if there's an expensive surprise or two, it will still be worth it.

Rinty

 

[paul_f]

The wife of the owner did mention that she had asked her husband if he thought it might be a good idea to cover the bike in the barn. He never got around to it and, I believe that made a big difference. The last bike I found in a "barn" had been covered 10 years and it was just a complete pile of junk...I paid $400.00 for the "Mouse Motel".

OK, please forgive my lack of knowledge Paul, but does condensation form under the cover when it is left for long storage? If this is the case, should one not cover the bike for winter storage? Just wondering.

Paul

 

[na cl k9]

OK, please forgive my lack of knowledge Paul, but does condensation form under the cover when it is left for long storage? If this is the case, should one not cover the bike for winter storage? Just wondering. Paul

My experience is that moisture lingers under a tarp. It does not dissipate as fast as if it was exposed to sun and open air. Most actual motorcycle covers have a vent to pre-vent moisture being trapped underneath. For having set up longer, the RS suffered less compared to the /5 even though both were inside a structure and I canÔÇÖt help thinking that covering for long term storage (like when you forget you own a motorcycle for ten years), should be way more sophisticated than a plastic tarp. Our club magazine the MOA Owners News published a checklist for storing a bike in the past. That article should be published routinely each year as winter approaches.