By Cuno Walters. - 1990 model RS 4V
The good
Its stable reliable travel companion. The pannier system is excellent. I have Touring(35l) and City(20 l) hardbags and they are all you need. For longer multiple day trips there is also the 22l topbox and tankrucksack. The bags holders do not even harm the looks.

The quality of the bike is excellent. After 10 years and 90,000 km it shines like new. So are the extra's, panniers.

Nifty features like heated grips are nice in cold weather. The 700 Watt dynamo even allows for substantial heated clothing to be connected without exhausting the battery.

Fairing protection is good for my size (1.80 M) and allows for releaxed riding at higher speeds. OK, the real sportsbikes do pass at speeds > 240 km/h but after 10 minutes but I'll pass them again when their underarms get stiff and wave at them....

Fuel consumption is 11 km/liter at top speed (260 kmh on the speedo/ 236 on the Sigma 700 bicycle computer, the BMW speedo seems to be 10% too high over the full range) to more then 21 km/liter on a warm day when not driving the German Autobahn. The police in The Netherlands is also driving K models. If you have a white one people make way on the highway (specially when their speeding.... (I alway wave at the police on their bikes and they wave back at me. Never had a ticked uptil now......)

No complaints about the handling either. The frame is stiff enough at any speed as I experienced on a trip with my wife to England with touringbags, topcase, tankbag and wife cruising with 180km/h thrue Belgium. Turbuence for the pillon passeger at those speeds is best handled with a helmet that avoids creating a vacuum behind it like a BWM or Shuberth (I had the SprintR) when I went to England. I have no trouble keeping up with the sportsbikes in the Alpes. Even with loaded touringbags. The torque of the engine helps out tremendously.

I have the 3 spoke rims which are easier to clean then the older "Y" models. The rest of the machine is also easy to keep clean and polish. Black rubber or painted parts stay like new with a little wax. I use, for many years, a wax intended for cars to keep the bumpers black. (When is the last time you saw a car with bumpers not painted in the same colour as the car??). The cardan drive is maintainance free. Every spring 400cc of new oil seems almost like a waist. The colour is almost the same as it went in last year. The bike has magnetic oil plugs standard.

The 100 has less valve wear than the 1100. I own this bike 50,000 km and never had to adjust valve clearance. Oil consumption is also low with 200 cc over a 3000 km trip to Italy.

Since the intoduction of the K1200 RS BMW supplies a new double electrode spark plug. This gives a much smoother ride at lower revs. The kick in the ass at 5000 rpm is damped a little also.

The bad
The vibrations in the 2-6000 revs range. A lot can be done by replacing the rubber gaskets and careful rebuilding of the fairing. Bar-end-weigths also should not touch the handle bar. But after riding 1200 km in 11.5 hours driving back from Italy my hands where a bit numm. Parts may be not be cheap compared to the competition but their worth it and available after 10 years.

By Giel Cillié. - 1990 model
The good
A: Looks, although the bike is 10 years old it still attracks attention
B: Roadholding: As straight as a bullet at all speeds
C: Fuel consumption: 16km/l @ 160km/h even better at 120km/h
D: Spares: Freely available at reasonable prices
E: Pillion rider: Comfortable
F: Panniers: Plenty of space
G: Oddment trays under seat and tailpiece
H: Headlight: Good spread & penetration
I: ABS brakes: Great stoppers and effective
J: Side stand release when clutch is pulled
K: Heated grips: Effective on both settings

The bad
a: Pannier fixing method
b: Wind deflector on fairing
c: Tank capacity
d: Centre of gravity

By Ted Koopmans from the Netherlands - 1988 model
The good
the handling
the finish
the maintenance
the riders position
the fuel consumption

The bad
the spoiler on the fairing
the top speed, only 240 on the speedo, but for all the 5th gear, it is too short - it does 8500 revs at 240 on the speedo, and there should be a 6th gear.
BUT: a great bike, even when it is 12 years old already

By Kees Witziers - 1985 model
The good
Comfortable on long hauls, also two up
reliable
powerful
beautiful
relatively low fuel consumption

The bad
electronics (dirt in contacts everywhere rattling sound from generator drive (no, not the rubbers, but inside the engine, very timeconsuming to repair, and no guaranteed result)
standard seat too high
speedometer not reliable (electronics again)
brakes: how improve these?!!?

By Myles Whitfield - 1985 model
The good
Dependable, great highway cruiser and around town commuter. Cruises comfortably in excess of 100 mph. Probably one of the best looking Beemers on the road.

The bad
Fuel tank capacity. Lighting improved with aftermarket 100 watt high beam and PIAA lights. Stock seat is like sitting on a brick-recommend the BMW Comfort seat.

By "Fuyusan" - 1985 model
The good
Almost bullet proof reliability.
Handles well.
Comfortable for long distance touring.
Affordable for the normal rider.
Good availablity of parts.
Enough space luggage space for a single rider.

The bad
Little less buzz at highway speeds.
Heat!!!!!

By Johan Beukes - 1984 model
The good
The bike is easy to ride, whether commuting or cruising at high speed. It handles well and has enough power to keep up with modern bikes on long hauls. The stock seat is comfortable enough for extended travelling. Fuel consumption is good, average about 19 km/l at 130 to 140 km/h with pillion and panniers loaded.

The ride is very comfortable at any speed. For my 1.75 m length the fairing works very well. The bike starts easily whether hot, cold, wet or dry and batteries last well if charged regulary. Tyres are cheap compared to superbikes and last much longer. Although not cheap, parts are easy to obtain. Most of the servicing can be done by the owner. Workshop manuals are easily obtainable and loads of information is available via the internet. In general it is a great bike, they age well and still turns heads after 16 years.

The bad
The rear shock is too soft even on the stiffest setting, causing the suspension to sometimes bottom on our not so well maintained roads. Cruising between 140 and 160 causes a buzz type vibration on the handlebars which numbs the rider's hands after some time. Aftermarket grips and end weights hepled.

Front and rear brakes can do with more bite.The exhaust heat shield rattles, but I'm still working on that problem. Keeping the wheels clean is time consuming. The sidestand folds when you lift the bike, which is great but it also means that you have to get of the bike to put it on the sidestand. I would have liked more power, but then I always do.

By Anthony - 1983 model
The good
This bike is a clasic in every sence of the word! The lines on this bike will never go out of style. It's in the same class as an '80's era XJ6 Jaguar or an Avanti. I continually get compliments about this bike no matter where I go, and it's almost 20 years old with close to 150,000 miles on it !!! The thing that sets this bike apart from the croud is it's fairing. It rides and handles no better or no worse than any other BMW of it's time. But the fairing, that's what makes it. It's the perfect size and shape. Sporting enough with just the right amount of coverage, but large enough to protect you from the elements. If BMW would make the new oil head RS with this fairing, I would be the first one to buy it!!! This bike does nothing exceptionally well, but does everything with complete aplomb. I don't ever see myself selling this bike, as a matter of fact, if anything should happen to this bike, I would do my best to find another RS of the same vintage. This bike fits me like a glove!!!

The bad
Yea, but it's all been taken care of with the new oil heads. Just find a way to get that fairing on an oil head!!!!!

By Aztecrix Fenix - 1981 model
The good
After 7 years of not riding (we, here in Mexico, have to deal not only with bad roads, rainy weather, but with very unconscious 4 wheel drivers) I bought this 1981 (35 K original km) BMW R100RS; I was used to Japanese (on various CBR forms), even Harleys (sportster, fatboy...) and to my extreme surprise, I found out, I have always been with the wrong trademarks. Truly BMW is the ultimate driving machine... my somehow new (it has been extremely well mantained) 21 years old bike, handles like no other big bike in heavy traffic (22 000 000 people traffic).

I bought the thing as a commuter for short trips, house-gym-house, and for a veru occasional weekend drive on the highway (I wasn't very optimistic on driving a two decade bike, big, beautiful and imposing, really far... but at the end of the first week, the bike just kept demanding, more and more km), handles beautifully, excellent torque, excellent fairing (very comfy driving postition). The highway patrol just waves at me, every time they see this black beauty, they are so used to Harleys and pretencious Ducatis and Hondas, that just listening to my little tractor puts a smile on their faces (I know they never realise what this oldie can really do, specially when rain starts).

I'm getting used to seeing everybody in two wheels parking everywhere, and I just put on my rain gear, and go on, smooth, sweet, and safely, this bike is just great. After 3k, I'm planning a tour (I still have a business to run), of far over 3 000 km in the next three months, over all of Mexico promoting my business, and attending meetings with local authorities. I'm still thinking where my surprising will stop, I've been in very twisty roads, with high hills and low oxygen (this beauty easily took me to 4 000 meters above sea level), and even so, the bike handles and behaves excellent, the tougher the road, the better you think this bike is... Now, I'll head north for three months with long straights, desert, sea, and some twisties at the north mountain, I can't wait...

More smiles per minute than any other driving machine. Smooth when you want her smooth, tougher than anything else when things get tough. The Keeper of keepers, looks old, classy, but in the reality, she is the queen of reliablility (nothing but an oil change, good economics, and lots of smiles). By the way, if you ever want to have a very nice place to ride, to eat and visit exotic places... here it is... Mexico.

The bad
OK, everything can be improved, the sidestand (no triumph here for BMW), the bike aerodinamics are seriously decreased by the use of Krauser Bags (above 150 km/h), but they are very roomy and classy. OK... let me think, the vibes, but actually, they aren't that bad, they just keep telling you you are on a very nice, somehow powerful (excellent torque) bike.

By Ka-Leu Clint - 1979 model
The good
it's a design classic, and you can look at pictures of your bike in any worthy motorcycle encyclopedia. The quality of build and thought that has gone into the layout is obvious. It really can cruise at 200 km/h (autobahns in Germany and Northern Territory highways in Australia!).

Twenty-one years on (can you believe it?!), nothing is faster point-to-point in a day, except something like a K1100LT, which is a car anyway...

The bad
The fairing obstructs the electrics, the engine bars obstruct the oil filter, and the fusebox is in the headlight shell, which is behind the glass in the fairing. If you want to sacrifice originality, you can shift the fuses to under the seat where they belong.

The sidestand is totally useless - Schneider modifications and some backyard engineering can overcome this.

Heavy duty suspension and thicker fork oil (and maybe brass tubes in the forks acting as spring preloaders) are a must if you live outside Europe or North America.

...and a sheepskin seat cover looks stupid on an R100RS, and lifts you up into the blast from the screen - unless you fit an aftermarket higher screen, which looks even more stupid on such an elegant motorcycle.

If you've got one, you'll keep it forever, which means you pay top dollar for genuine parts that deteriorate over time, however unlike a '79 Honda or Kawasaki, at least you can get the parts, and through the internet as well.

By Andreas Dinkelacker - 1976 model
The good
Although I have a recent R1150RT it still is a pleasure taking my RS for a ride - it is now about 28 years old, and some of the features feel stranger as time goes by! The RS has incredibly narrow bars, the front brake requires muscles and has little feel, and the power is lower every time I ride the bike - but always more than I really need! It cruises like a dream, eating mile after mile, and never feeling stressed. Seeing the sports bikes going past doesn't matter so much when you see them later trying to get the cricks out of their backs and necks... Yes, it is now really showing its age, BUT I really enjoy going out on it whenever I can - the true mark of a classic!

The bad
Maybe a special feature to my bike, it glides along on a closed throttle like a two-stroke - so little engine braking! The seat is hard, and the suspension is jittery over the corrugations.

Bron: BMW South Africa