While most people know BMW for their cars, they also build some fantastic motorcycles. Reader Gerald T has decided it’s time to part ways with his ’78 BMW R100RS. This bike is in beautiful condition is one of only a small number of Motorsport edition R100RS built. If you have any questions or would like to make an offer, be sure to message Gerald via the form below!
What Makes It Special? This was a special edition R100RS. There were said to be only 200 Motorsport models made.
Body Condition: Body condition is excellent no dents or dings. The bike has always stored inside.
Mechanical Condition: Bike has just been serviced with all fluids changed and a new battery, so this bike is ready to ride.
- Asking Price: $12,000
- Location: Okla City
- Mileage: 7,569
- Title Status: Clean
If you’d love to hit the open road on this motorcycle, be sure to contact Gerald via the form below. And, if you have a survivor motorcycle or car, please consider listing it here on Barn Finds!
These were very well made bikes. They known for there dependability. They were also known for another thing not so good and that is torque stear. I can’t remember if it’s left or right turn but if your on the throttle in one of those turns when you come out of the turn the bike will want to stay down in the turn. My dad had a freind with one back in the 70’s who came very close to ditching his bike in a corner, scared him so bad that he sold it shortly after the occurrence. I think this would be a excellent bike to mount a Ural side car to, then paint to match the bike. It would solve the torque stear and would just be all kinds of cool. The one thing I should also say is sidecar bikes have also got some handling quirks and should be only operated by an experience operator. Even at that an experienced rider will find the dinamics scarie to start with. But as I said these look killer with a hack ( sidecar ) on there side.
There is no way to cure the so called “Torque Steer” as it is caused by the boxer engine. It is a little disconcerting but once you know what causes it you learn to live with it, however, after owning a couple of BMW bikes I must say that I never want to own another.
I agree, it takes some getting used to. ( something BMW riders may not even notice) Friend had a R90S, and was downright scary, especially compared to my GoldWing, which has little, if any, torque steer.
What a great bike. Unusual to see a Beem flat twin with so few miles. As far as the drive shaft torque effect, it’s minimal and very easy to accommodate after a ride or two. In fact – I’ve said this before and I’ll say it always – the only big bikes that could keep up to my Ducati 900SS in the turns were these big bore BMW’s
BMW makes CARS!??!? Who knew? Aircraft engines, sure..but CARS? MOTORCYCLES???
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_BMW
Oh..and for the record..Torque effect? Never noticed. Not on my 86 R80RT or for that matter, my R60/5 and THAT bike was ridden though 48 states and 7 countries. In 103,000 miles it consumed a pile of tires,3 batteries, alternator rotor and one memorable clutch cable failure in the middle of a snowstorm..
When you HAVE to get there and you only have 2 wheels, make sure it says “BMW” on the tank.
WHAAAAAAATTT!?!? I must be numb to weird handling bikes. The BMW’s suffered complaints from ‘jacking’ from the tq from the pinion riding up and down the ring gear. BMW ‘solved’ that problem by extending the swing arm a bit.
Reg Pridmore didn’t seem to have much of a problem winning championships with his torque infested Boomer. What about all of the BossHoss riders lying all over the road? A 502 Chevy starter motor will cause you to crash sitting still? Right?
What’s next? Harley riders complaining about disc effect on their solid wheel Fat Boys?
It’s a Canadian thing……….I also notice it when flying the Stearman in Canada……much worse than it is here in the USA.
Give it to em Dick Johnson ! – Hardley Mavisons suck ass.
and will continue as such .
Slash 5 – 7 are the best bikes ever made by man himself.
They only torque steer in Canada……..I also notice it with my Sherman biplane….much worse when we flew it in Canada.
Funny that in almost 30 years riding BMWs I never noticed the “torque steer”.
Yes the bikes will move when stopped and you rev it a bit but “torque steer”?
Please. BMWs and Gold Wings appeal to different kinds of riders…
Yeah…. be extra careful lowering a Boomer or Guzzi off of the center stand when blipping the engine. Ya’ see… due to the reactionary torque and gyroscopic precession from the heavy flywheel 90 degrees to the direction of travel, a longitudinally mounted engine will kill you.
The Dodge Tomahawk is merely a CGI designer’s depiction of dreams. Nobody really rides it. (See, Boss Hoss).
You have to be smarter than the bike to ride it without induced trauma and triage.
Uhh, that’s not even true Dick. Giving the throttle a blip while grounding the back wheel was always the way my BMW buds would get off the center stand. Never saw one mishap
Wuzjeep, note the sarcasm and reference my first post this subject. Or better yet, go fly a Brit aircraft with “backwards” turning engines. Mu2s turn backwards too.
Still have a few Boomers. Been on ’em since 1968.
well, I have four BMWs all 70s vintage, including an original 1977 R100RS. The limited production consisted of a paint job, and pinstriping, as far as I can ascertain. the “snowflake” wheels were standard at that point. Very few miles for a BMW, I would want to see documentation. The speedos/odometers on these bikes have a bad habit of breaking, and it is not unusual to have to replace the entire speedo. I know because I have a 1976 R75/6 with a speedo that reads 20XX miles. My brother’s 1975 R90/6 that I rescued from a barn in southern Kansas had 8500 miles on it, and is all original, but the odometer starting acting up and adding 10K miles at every turn. The short low handlebars make it harder to steer, because you don’t have the leverage, but this torque monster deal, is part of the charm of an engine that damn near bulletproof when you compare to the other motorcycles of the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s. I hope the seller has good luck selling it for that amount of money,
Yeah, I know that one, my R90S had about 600k Miles per year :) as far as the torque steer, BS. Sure, you feel the engine torque to the right (my R1150GS does it too, so what, it’s a flat 2, it’s going to. What IS scary (and fun) is dragging the jugs through the canyons :)
I have owned and ridden BMW motorcycles exclusively for the last 36 years. Well over 400000 miles collectively accumulated on them. Wonderful bikes, but they do have some weak points, early model charging system problems and final drive failures on newer models. All my bikes have been been “Boxer” opposed piston models. If you rev a BMW boxer (unnecessarily) while stopped a small gyro effect (lean) to the right can be detected. I have NEVER heard of or experienced a “torque steer” effect. Perhaps the start of a new urban legend.
Had many bikes and many of them had their own feel. The R100RT was no different.
I wish I had kept in contact with the fellow who bought mine and have him give me first right of refusal when he sold it. Such great all around bikes.
Buy it, ride it into the ground, rebuild it, and do it all over again. These love to roll past the miles.
They torque the other way in Australia.