Man, I gotta tell you about this bike I’ve been messing around with – the BMW R100RS. It’s one of those older models, came out way back in, like, ’77. It was meant to be a sports tourer, which back then I guess was a relatively new concept.
So, I got my hands on one of these a while back. It was a bit of a project, needed some serious love. First thing I did was strip it down. Took apart the whole engine, cleaned everything up, replaced some worn-out parts. You wouldn’t believe the gunk that builds up in these things over the years.
After that, I went to work on the body. A fresh coat of paint, fixed some dings and scratches, you know, the usual stuff. I wanted it to look as good as it ran. Also, I started to replace some old parts with new ones, such as some engine parts, the seat, and the mirror.
- Tear down the engine and clean up
- Replace old parts with new ones
- Repaint the bike
- Fix the body’s scratches
Rebuild and Enjoy
Once I got it all back together, man, what a feeling. Firing it up for the first time after all that work, hearing that engine purr… it’s just awesome. It’s not a super-fast bike by today’s standards, but it’s got this classic feel that I really dig.
I’ve taken it out on a few rides now, and it’s a blast. It handles well, it’s comfortable, and it turns heads. People see this thing and they know it’s something special. It is said that it can reach a top speed of 200 km/h. Though I haven’t personally tested that out, I don’t doubt it could get close. I did a 0 to 100 km/h run, and it felt pretty quick, probably around that 5.5-second mark they say it can do.
I heard some folks say that it is the first “Gentleman scrambler.” I kinda get what they mean. It’s got that classic look, but it’s also got some power under the hood. It’s a bike you can cruise around on, but you can also open it up and have some fun.
It’s been a real labor of love, this R100RS. And to be honest, there’s still more I want to do. Maybe upgrade the suspension, tinker with the exhaust, who knows. That’s the beauty of these old bikes, you can always find something to work on. Anyway, that’s my story about the R100RS. Hope you enjoyed it.
