BMW R1100RS - buying used

Back in 1993 the R1100RS was a major leap of innovation for the German manufacturer. A completely new horizontally-opposed twin-cylinder engine that had the single-sided rear swingarm and Telelever front fork arm bolted to it. What's Telelever? Well, I'll tell you. Basically it combines a front telescopic fork with a wishbone lever that isolates the steering from the suspension. The forks themselves are free of internal springs and damping and so do no more than locate the front wheel where it can do its stuff with minimum effect from steering inertia.

The independent wishbone which connects to the fork sliders via a spherical bearing on a brace above the front guard passes the up and down movement to a Showa shock absorber; while most of the braking forces get passed back into and are absorbed by the engine casings. As a result dive under braking is almost non-existent. Bolted to the back end of the engine there's a BMW Paralever single sided swingarm, which is controlled by a seven-way preload, and rebound adjustable, shock.

The all-new (then) engine is still an OHV boxer design that relies on air and oil for cooling but the cams are placed much nearer the heads, allowing short pushrods to operate four valves per cylinder. Displacing a satisfyingly large 1085cc, the engine feels so much more sophisticated than the earlier models that they almost bear no relation to each other. Boasting a claimed 90PS at 7250rpm and 9.69kg-m of torque at about 5500rpm, the new engine is, as you'd expect, a long distance gruntmaster. Fuel-injection squirts the mix into the heads and a three way stainless muffler and a catalytic converter gets rid of the gasses.

Down in the gearbox department there are five well-spaced and typically clunky gears to get things moving and bringing the plot to a halt are a brace of 305mm discs at the front and a single 285mm disc at the back. Arresting the discs are four piston calipers from the house of Brembo aided and abetted by BMW's own ABS.

On the road

By now any RS will have had a fair few kilometres put on it and will be well and truly run in. Like any big engine, especially twins, they just get better with use. Blipping the throttle at idle will of course result in the trademark rocking, side-to-side torque reaction. Once on the move this disappears completely and the overriding impression is of a strong and willing engine that somehow still manages to lack the sheer punch of Japanese or indeed Italian twins. Don't be fooled, as at this point the Boxer engine hasn't had the chance to work its magic. Once up and on the highways there's never really any shortage of urge when you need it, in reality the fact that it's so unremarkable is part of the attraction as the RS delivers in such an unassuming manner it's a deceptive distance killer.

Allied to the long haul capabilities of the engine is the adjustable riding position which most buyers opted for on purchase. The seat, screen and bars are all adjustable. Why aren't other manufacturers capable of this logical arrangement? The adjustable-on-the-move screen tilts through 20 degrees, while the bars can be swivelled through three positions and 18 degrees and backwards and forwards through seven positions and 40 degrees. Brilliant! The seat itself gets three positions and can be raised and lowered 40mm. Even more brilliant! As a result the RS is a superbly comfortable mount for riders of all shapes and sizes.

When it comes to economy, the RS is surprisingly frugal, returning close to 20km/l to those with a steady hand. This gives a realistic range of 400km from the 23 litre tank.

When it comes to the twisty stuff, the RS has a few surprises up its sleeve. While the steering is admittedly on the slow side, which limits it in the really tight stuff, the bike is happy rolling around the low C of G from one max lean to the other without drama. Sure the footrests will graze the road as will the cylinder heads, but as a country roads scratcher, especially with a few suspension mods, it's up with the big boys - no mistake. And it's the suspension that will let a used buy down so don't be afraid to spend some money in that area as it will make the bike so much better.

In terms of braking, the RS has second generation ABS and it works well. But compared to the latest version it's a bit crude with a pulsing sensation at the lever and a tendency to cut in a bit early. However, combined with the Telelever front-end the brakes are tremendous and instil a high degree of confidence.

In the workshop

Being a Boxer means that this is an easy bike for the home mechanic. All the fluids that need changing are easily accessible, even jobs like adjusting the valves and synchronising the throttle bodies are achievable by anyone with the will to get their hands dirty. Don't want to get dirty? That's okay as a service every 10,000km will cost around $237 plus around $120 in parts. This will include checking valve clearances as well as engine and diff oil changes. A major service is recommended at 20,000km.

What to look for

Sadly the early models had a few problems that included oil leaks from crankcase bolts, gearbox glitches that manifested themselves in a variety of ways, as well as quirky stuff like the ABS switching itself off after prolonged low-speed use and, according to the owner websites, when it's raining too. Sorted by resetting the ignition switch incidentally. However, the good news is that just about all the faults will have been sorted by now. Even so, it's still worth making sure that the one you're looking at hasn't slipped through the net.

Starting with the gearbox. Sometimes the bike would drop out of second gear under acceleration courtesy of dodgy selectors, easy to check for and easy to detect - the sound of the valves turning to knitting as the revs go hyper will be unmistakable - trust me. Input and output bearings caused a few headaches too, although changing to what was termed a 'clean' roller bearing from the original taper roller bearing in 1997 sorted the problem for good.

While in the area check the clutch action, if it feels rough or grabby it could be that the single clutch plate is on its way west or a gearbox oil seal has gone. If clutch adjustment isn't performed correctly then the result will be excessive wear.

If there are signs of accident damage I'd be checking the front-end over very carefully. The extra linkages and bearings associated with the Telelever front-end need repair by an experienced BMW mechanic to be right. If there's evidence of damage you'll be wanting to see some receipts to support any claims of repair.

Also at the front-end, brake discs can wear on the mounts after high kilometres so check that they run true by spinning the wheel hard and eyeballing the discs as well as feeling for any pulsing or vibration.

Modifications

Most buyers stick to standard and chances are that any second-hand machine will have panniers, which are indispensable for serious touring. However, the suspension can be improved enormously over standard by installing aftermarket shocks front and rear, especially if the rear gets raised by up to 18mm in order to speed up changes of direction.

Probably two of the most sensible and popular mods I've heard of are the installation of the air intake tubes between the airbox and throttle bodies from the R1100GS, which increases torque between 3-5000rpm and adding wider mirrors. Mirrors of choice seem to be those from a Yamaha R1.

Which model?

The R1100RS is a high-end quality sports tourer, in the truest sense of the term and cost $20K even in 1993. As a result it's highly unlikely that there will be many around that haven't had every upgrade, as well as regular servicing. High kilometres shouldn't put you off if there's a service history and obvious evidence of long-term care. Taking these things into account and depending upon the price, any model is a good buy.

TRANSMISSION:
Type: Five speed, constant mesh;
Final drive: Shaft.

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR:
Frame type: Engine as stressed member, with cast alloy headstock with tubular steel subframe;
Front suspension: BMW Telelever with central Showa shock;
Rear suspension: BMW Paralever with Showa monoshock adjustable preload and rebound;
Front brake: Twin 305mm floating discs with four-piston Brembo caliper (ABS 2);
Rear brake: Single 285mm disc with two-piston Brembo caliper (ABS 2).

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES:
Claimed dry weight: 216kg;
Claimed seat height: 780-820mm range;
Fuel capacity: 23 litres;
Average fuel consumption: 18.9km/lt.

PERFORMANCE:
Claimed max power: 90PS at 7250rpm;
Claimed max torque: 9.7kg-m at 5500rpm.

GLASS'S GUIDE:
1993 - $12,000;
1994 - $12,500;
1995 - $12,900;
1996 - $13,500;
1997 - $14,000;
1998 - $14,500;
1999 - $15,100;
2000 - $15,800.