BMW boxers

Hello all.

I'm currently riding a '78 R100RS, more by luck than judgement (I
bought the bike from a friend when he emigrated). I like the comfort &
the weather protection, but I really can't get on with the indifferent
handling & not-very-good-at-all ATE brakes. I'm thinking of buying
either: a newer R100RS, with Brembos, or an R1100RS.

Does anyone have a view on the choice between an airhead or an
oilhead ? I'm mainly interested in issues of build quality &
reliability. I'd like to continue doing my own servicing &
maintenance, & don't really want to be involved with clever stuff,
like CANBUS or servo brakes. I think that rules out anything current.

Googling reveals that, in general, BMW don't build bikes as well as
they used to, but I thought I might find some more insight around
here.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

The airhead BMWs with Brembo brakes certainly stop better, but they're
also buzzier. Lighter flywheels, which make them revvier. Some like
that, but others don't and prefer the loping gait of the older bikes.

If you're after an oilhead, I'd avoid the early 1100s as they were
really underdeveloped. And the later 1200s have had a lot of problems.
The consensus is that the 1150s are best. Still, IMHO none of the
oilhead RSs is actually that good. Go for a naked one (surprisingly
effective), or a GS or an RT.

Reliablity: the RiDE survey last year posed the statement: "Old BMWs
are more reliable than the new ones" and their extensive stats showed
it was true. Modern and 20 year-old BMWs had exactly the sme fault
rate, when you'd expect older bikes to have more things go wrong with
them.

For real reliability, the old Ks are still in a class of their own,
mind, but I can understand it if you're wedded to the boxer concept
and don't want a four.

 

'Better', maybe - but the brakes are, IMHO, still shite.

 

Something wrong then. With the master cylinder in good nick, well
serviced callipers, braided lines and EBC HH pads on standard slotted
disks my RS would throw you over the 'bars.

 

Change the front end?

 

Nowhere near as good as the Ducati brakes, IME.

Stops well enough, I suppose, but I'm used to stuff which stops a lot
better.

 

Buy an R6?

 

My RS outbrakes my ST4S. You have a problem.

 

I'll put you over my knee young lady

 

You should be aware that Bee sometimes plays to lose.

 

The rider's head? - I've just been out on it and really don't like the
drive when you give the brakes some stick.

 

"don't like the drive"? What does that mean?

 

It means he'll have to go through the rest of his life knowing he's got
a deficit of 'r's to the tune of one.

--
Krusty

'03 Tiger 955i
'02 MV Senna (for sale) '96 Tiger (for sale)
'79 Fantic Hiro 250 (for sale) '81 Corvette (for sale)

 

And there was me thinking that BMW had extended their bike clothing
range.

 

Aah, 'dive'. Well, that's got bugger all to do with the brakes
themselves, has it. Needs some more compression damping on the forks.

 

Dive.

 

I like to think of my RT as a pair of warm comfy slippers...

 

See other post, and sort the forks out, then.

 

You could also try here http://www.bmbikes.org.uk/Forum/index.php I've got a
R1100RS and, in general, servicing is pretty simple although I'm not looking
forward to doing the clutch when it goes. The only things that have gone
wrong so far are due to my own hamfistedness. Like TOG says the 1150s are
reckoned to be much better. I've heard of both oil and airheads getting up
to 400k miles or better though it might be a case of grandfather's axe.

--
Malc

Rusted and ropy.
Dog-eared old copy.
Vintage and classic,
or just plain Jurassic:
all words to describe me.

 

Progressive fork springs and heavier oil. I had those in my old boxer.