84 R100RT Build Thread

[csmutty]

A week ago today this happened...

Uncle is up visiting for the next month as he lives in Florida now. He sold the family farm house to my cousin and retired down south, but likes to come up for a bit to help with baling hay and such during the summer.

So...My uncle texts me and asks me to stop by on my way home from work. I show up and he has an old leather jacket that he hard to ride with that he says he'll never fit into again. Fits absolutely mint. Then he gives me an envelope. Inside is this.



It is a 1984 R100RT last edition with 2 miles on the clock. Has never been ridden. Uncle bought it as an investment new in 84, but didn't store it properly. Therefore it needs a bunch of work.

My uncle means the world to me. Taught me so much over the years working on farm equipment and whatever other projects he had going on around the farm.

He bought and restored a 82 vw caddy which he later gifted me as my first car. Helped me work on numerous things over the years. Has helped everyone in the family forever without asking for anything in return.

The way he talked it sounded like he'd love to see it on the road again. It's going to be a huge project but this would be something I'd never think of getting rid of. Sorry for the mush. This got me right in the feels.

So picked it up from the farm today with my uncle's help and trailered it a mile down the road to my place. Sitting safely in the garage now.



And he had the helmet with it!



Interesting story behind it. This was supposed to be the end of the R series bikes when the K series bikes were introduced so they made this last edition in order to commemorate the end of production. When the sales numbers of the K bikes failed to meet the R numbers they reintroduced them into production. The helmet is a Schuberth that was given to all the purchasers of these Last Edition bikes in order to appease them for the failure of their "collectible".

Hopefully will start tearing into it next week!



So...where would you start with a project like this? So much to do...

[Degsy]

What an amazing story. Lucky you for having such a great opportunity.

Obviously, don't rub any of that bodywork with a towel. A little warm water to wash away the dust and dirt gently to start.

Then it's a case of stripping it down of all plastics and getting to the stuff that might have corroded. Everything rubber is a suspect. Rings may have stuck. I'd pull the plugs and get a spoonful of marvel mystery oil in there (and a little spray of wd40) before I slowly turned her over my hand (or kickstart).

Join a BMW forum and ask their advice. These are very collectible bikes and there's a ton of knowledge out there.

Before you do any of that, give your uncle a big hug and tell him you love him and you'll take care of this amazing gift in the manner to which it deserves.

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[csmutty]

What an amazing story. Lucky you for having such a great opportunity.

Obviously, don't rub any of that bodywork with a towel. A little warm water to wash away the dust and dirt gently to start.

Then it's a case of stripping it down of all plastics and getting to the stuff that might have corroded. Everything rubber is a suspect. Rings may have stuck. I'd pull the plugs and get a spoonful of marvel mystery oil in there (and a little spray of wd40) before I slowly turned her over my hand (or kickstart).

Join a BMW forum and ask their advice. These are very collectible bikes and there's a ton of knowledge out there.

Before you do any of that, give your uncle a big hug and tell him you love him and you'll take care of this amazing gift in the manner to which it deserves.

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Thanks!

Yep...we're many times over good on the hug part!

Thanks for the info. I'll wash it down like that and start to pick away at it!

And I'll poke my head in at a couple BMW forums for other info.

[Imbeek]

I’d start by calling Ching

[Garandman]

There are a number of Airhead clubs around. Many have Tech days to work on them.

Yankee Beemers is the largest BMW club in the country and lots of them have Airhead expertise.

I’ve been bringing this up to snuff. 1975 R90/6, just installed an original saddle after getting decals and reinstalling the side covers.

Also replaced the carb floats: ethanol attacks them, they crack, and then the carb starts leaking. It’s like a 2 minute fix.

Tires will need replacement, possibly other tubes and hoses, and fluids, but this may shine right up.

[Tekime]

Badass, go uncle! Make that scooter shine for him!

Yeah, I know nothing about beemers but that mileage alone makes this pretty special. I don't have much to add except starting with the basics: cleaning, replacing all the rubber bits, following Degsy's advice on turning her over, check compression, new battery, and see if she lights up.

[Falko]

Personally, I'd clean it up, tear it down pretty good and replace all the replaceables as it went back together. And of course, document the entire process with pics and video, starting with what you have now. Pretty cool undertaking.

[nhbubba]

I've ridden an 85-ish R85RT. Really dug it. Rather agricultural in nature. Felt like straddling a VW bug while seated in a tractor seat pulling on controls linked by avionics cables. Bike I owned belongs to a coworker who bought it as a "beater" of sorts, but is now afraid he has something borderline collectable on his hands. I get the appeal. Would love to have one in my stable.

Rockin' back story and damned fine little machine you got there. Clean it up and take it out on sunny days 3-4 times a year just to show off.

Me, I'd do as little as you have to in order to get it safely running. Tires, carb clean, fresh oil.. see what happens.

[Degsy]

I've ridden an 85-ish R85RT. Really dug it. Rather agricultural in nature. Felt like straddling a VW bug while seated in a tractor seat pulling on controls linked by avionics cables. Bike I owned belongs to a coworker who bought it as a "beater" of sorts, but is now afraid he has something borderline collectable on his hands. I get the appeal. Would love to have one in my stable.

Rockin' back story and damned fine little machine you got there. Clean it up and take it out on sunny days 3-4 times a year just to show off.

Me, I'd do as little as you have to in order to get it safely running. Tires, carb clean, fresh oil.. see what happens.

Love the description. Avionics cables. Lol.

Personally, I would be very wary of ever riding it (shame I know). Its value will likely drop significantly when it has even a few street miles I think.

I would restore it to running condition and it would be a display piece for me.

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[csmutty]

I've ridden an 85-ish R85RT. Really dug it. Rather agricultural in nature. Felt like straddling a VW bug while seated in a tractor seat pulling on controls linked by avionics cables. Bike I owned belongs to a coworker who bought it as a "beater" of sorts, but is now afraid he has something borderline collectable on his hands. I get the appeal. Would love to have one in my stable.

Rockin' back story and damned fine little machine you got there. Clean it up and take it out on sunny days 3-4 times a year just to show off.

Me, I'd do as little as you have to in order to get it safely running. Tires, carb clean, fresh oil.. see what happens.

Hahaha this description is really quite spot on.

My uncle had 2 R100RT's. He sold the other one to my dad years ago and I rode it quite a bit. Shifting is very clunky, vibrations at highway speed, etc.

My plan at the moment is to get it running over the winter and then take a week in the spring and ride it down to his place in Florida. I think that'd be a fun trip and a cool way to surprise him!

[nhbubba]

Personally, I would be very wary of ever riding it (shame I know). Its value will likely drop significantly when it has even a few street miles I think.

I suppose. I personally could not handle owning a motorcycle I couldn't ride. Somewhat close to my version of torture.

[loudbeard]

This is really cool.

RE: Riding it or not? I couldn't not ride it. I can understand those who wouldn't ride it. Dunno man, what's your goal?

My best advice is to start by doing an awful lot of reading, not specifically on the bike itself though. What I'm talking about is the restoration process. Lots of people are excellent mechanics, I believe you have some talent yourself in that department. Not many people have the makeup to do a full teardown and rebuild, not that statistics are really available but I'd venture 9 out of 10 home restoration projects never see the pavement again. The process is extremely tedious and requires painstaking methodology and commitment. Things must be done in the proper order, and this order has been establish long before you or I thought of undertaking a project like this.

Buy a notebook and a Polaroid (instant film) camera. When you take something complicated apart, take notes on what it was, what the steps were, fastener length and location, take pictures and staple them to your notebook page as part of the process. Use Ziploc bags to keep the parts from sub-assemblies together properly, group large parts with their baggies of fasteners together in boxes. Keep your shit together. I recommend doing it this way with instant film and notebook because when you're up to your elbows in grease and grime you won't be in great shape to operate a computer. Also, it will be a cool keepsake to look back at when you've finished.

[feralchimp]

Man, this is so fresh. Congrats on the bike and on having a kick-ass uncle.

[Paul_E_D]

Cool Smutty! I would ride it. an 84 R100 is not going to be worth 50k someday. But the pleasure you get riding this gift from your uncle will be.

As for the resto, I'm not sure I would go full monty for the same reason I just stated. The thing is, you may end up doing it all anyway.

I have some miles on one of these (non RT). Quirky, tall, heavy, but they have soul.

[TheIglu]

Old funky bikes are just damn cool to have around, even if you have to rip into them sometimes. As much as I never thought it would happen, I'm starting to fall in "like" with the Oldwing Medicaid with her road manners. Plus of all the bikes I saw while riding around Laconia for 2 days this past weekend, I saw ONE similar GL1200 Interstate in a parking lot. Imagine how often you'll see another one of those things on the road while you ride it!

I'd recommend keeping it reasonable vs full on restoration. Replace the rubber bits and fluids, then ride that pig. Family friend who is calling dibs on the SS Landwhale owns a 76 RT police bike (he rode it to the Palmer Trackday) with the lever operated flip out police lights. Cool bike for sure.

[nt650hawk]

Non Sportbike Days

[csmutty]

Non Sportbike Days

I'd have to give that one some thought...

And I just looked at Polaroid cameras. I feel like I got one at a consignment shop when I was a kid 15 years ago for like $5. The prices these things are going for now...

[nhbubba]

Hmph.. I didn't know they let 3 year olds shop consignment shops

[nt650hawk]

popping tags again smutty

[Garandman]

A lot of people remove the fairing completely. But riding in the rain is sublime.

Cool Smutty! I would ride it. an 84 R100 is not going to be worth 50k someday. But the pleasure you get riding this gift from your uncle will be.//

This. The really old BMW’s are starting to sell for some $$ but this was a relatively common bike back in the day, so rarity isn’t high, though as a survivor it would be worth something to someone nostalgic for their younger years. Even if he rides it, mileage will be very low. My 1975 is considered on the “low mileage” side with 32,000 on it.

Had an ‘83 R65 and the R80 is a much better bike to ride. If you ride at a relaxed pace they feel like they will last forever.

[typeone]

so much feels, love it ♥ that Florida trip is going to secure some amazing memories.

hope the build goes smooth, 2 miles on the clock is nuts.