What is it about the Rl00RS?
Matt has an unhealthy obsession with a bike he's never ridden. We self-indulgently investigate the reasons many of us lust after a bike, but we've no idea why...
Why you want the bike that was so good BMWbrought it back
THROUGH THE (LACK OF) BRAINS I WAS BLESSED with, a number of unrelated events, sheer luck and the placing of the moon on a Thursday, I have spent most of my life riding motorbikes. Which is odd, since my main love in teenage life, was cars. It started as fun, slowly reaching addiction levels, and when my career path - photography - went topsy-turvy with the invention of digital, I became a courier, or dispatch rider. That in tum led to becoming an bike instructor, anywhere from Norfolk to London, journalism; and all the time it has been a hobby, as well as transport.
Due to all of this is my love of bikes that have purpose. While I admire gleaming concours bikes trailered from show to show, or incredibly styled Instagram-loving cafe racers with no suspension travel, to me they are just trailer queens.
If you look back through bikes you've hankered after or admired enviously, they rarely match the bikes you found best. I love the Ducati 916, but my favourite sportsbike is the steel-framed CBR600F. Conversely, I loved my years on a Honda Pan European ST1100, but have always lusted after a BMW Rl00RS. So why?
I don't know, if I'm honest. Is it that they look a little like a 1970s James Bond villain, or that they sold them in gold? Is it the panniers that look like briefcases, or that beautiful single seat on a tourer? I think it is a blend of the 'fix in the desert' longevity, the superb (for the Seventies) blend of sportsbike, tourer, looks, practicality, ahead of its time design and thought (think what the British manufacturers were pumping out- oh no, they weren't).
The most bizarre part of this lust is - I've never even ridden one. But I have done more than 340,000 miles on BMWs, either Kseries bricks, or boxers, from old 'uns to brand-new ones with variable cam timing, so I guess it would feel somewhat familiar. I recognise the thought the German company put into detail like riding position, aerodynamics with the first fully-faired bike, lighting and reliability. They ought to - the price of a new RlO0RS was double that of a Honda Goldwing, and much more than double the price of a brand-new Kawasaki Z900- the hot dog of the time. In fairness this was due to the strength of the Deutschmark more than the costs of the bike or the head-strong confidence of BMW...
Once I would want to get everywhere as fast as possible; every journey was a race. I rode in all weathers, no matter what. Then, over time, things change. You slowly start to calm down, surrendering to the sheer hordes on the road, cameras and using a car more often. And then you realise the journey is just as nice taken slower, and the bike you're on becomes more than just how fast it goes. Its personality comes through.
I'd like to imagine the RlO0RS to be smooth and effortless, yet with those quirks; the rocking at idle, I imagine the steering to be heavy at slow speeds and the gearbox to be, well, like most old BMWs
somewhat clunky. The shaft drive will bring a jerk to on-off throttle work, and that much-loved fairing, designed in the Pininfarina wind tunnel to give the rider insulation from buffeting and downwards thrust for stability, hence the swage just above the cylinder heads, will make the mechanical noise sound more than it would on less-faired bikes. But I need to ride one to find out.
I'm happy with those issues, if they prove correct. I'm also happy with the aging looks - I'm the same! I'd be happy with covering plenty of long distances on an old bike - we know what goes wrong, and that age of bike can usually be fixed by a competent mechanic without a laptop. I'm even happy with it not being standard - the BMW world and the fervent aftermarket suppliers are great at evolution. So heated grips, a sat nav bracket, small extender to the screen for long journeys (I'm tall), K75 handlebars for a less extreme riding position (slightly higher), the latest tyres and brake consumables and maybe even a little tweeking of the boxer engine, would all be looked at to improve the experience.
Just think of the journeys opening up to you. An old bike demands less motorways and more A and B roads, so Scotland, the South West and Wales would be great long weekends or longer for discovering.
The Classic TT would be a must, the Ardennes isn't too far away; or just two-up to the coast for Sunday afternoon ice creams. Full face or open helmets? Leather or textile jackets? I don't care; that cocoon is protecting you both.
Whenever I think I may be mad wanting an RS, I remember that the production run from 1976 until 1981 was good - but then BMW wanted to concentrate on the water-cooled Kseries and discontinued the