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  • In order to help others find info on a particular bike, be sure to put the year, make or model of bike that you are asking a question about, in the Topic Title. This will allow people to pass by posts they have no interest in.

1980 bmw r100rs $5200

Here is how to change the oil:

It's a LOT easier if you ...

1. Remove the fairing lower

2. Disconnect hoses to cooler from the thermostat (need 4 new crush washers).

3. You'll know when removing whether exhaust header needs to be removed. (This means entire exhaust system.) Put back together with antiseize.

It's pretty tough to get the thermostat remounted when fighting attached cooler hoses and all the small clearances.

Understand about the "assembly screw" required to manually open thermostat so new oil circulates to cooler. Just start motor at idle to accomplish this, as all the "spin starter with plugs removed" stuff isn't required and risks damaging ignition system. This is why it's good to do this job with the motor warm, so the engine will indeed start at idle and not the faster rpms required when cold. This thermostat only ever opens at high load, probably highway speeds, and you don't want the cooler filling to occur at 5000 rpm.

Remember it's all aluminum, so don't crank down the filter cover/thermostat screws like they're farm equipment.

If all this seems a PITA, use synthetic oil and don't change as often. Try also to appreciate the "Zen" of it all.

Best bet, of course, is to join your local BMW MOA club chapter and find someone within that's done it before to come help.

PS: For those that haven't experienced it, this is all vastly simplified on the '87-on models, as the frame is just different enough that it's all really easy in comparision and removal of fairing lower may even be optional.


Stupid design on the fairing. I got a filter and oil for my RT, but sold it when I figured out how to change the oil. On mine you only had to remove the right head pipe, not the full exhaust system, but There is noway that I'm going to do that for regular maintenance.Here is the full laughable thread:

http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/showthread.php?37153-oil-and-filter-change-on-81-R100RS

I want another airhead, but it will not have the lower fairing. It will be some other model, maybe a plain jane R100 or R90. Pulling the exhaust so you can pull the fairing for an oil change is way way over the top for me. Styling over function completely
 
Does sound like PIA though. Interesting, I cannot say I have any experience with the 1980 R100RS or RT but I did own a 1983 R100RS with oil cooler and the oil filter in that model was hinged to address the fairing. It cost like $12 back in the 1980s. I changed the oil several times myself over the years and although it was a very tight access I never removed anything. Perhaps the Germans changed the design on mine?

I did modify the oil cooler thermostat because it never opened at any time while riding. My R100RS came with a oil filler cap w an extended circular thermometer which I could glance down at to see the oil temp. That gage read 210 when emersed in boiling water. While riding my R100RS it used to hit 230F and the oil cooler was cold, I was like what the . . . ?

Next oil changes I put the thermostat in in boiling water and the ports were still closed. So I took the thermostat apart and put a spacer to keep the oil cooler ports open all the time. The engine oil temp than ran 180F and never above 210F.

I did have the oil thermostat/oil filter cover plate leak a couple of times when cold which I am guessing had something to do with flatness.

Just my experience
 
Beautiful bike...............from those is the know, is the price realistic?

Seems to be in great shape. However, 50k miles doesn't excite me, even though I have seen these bikes with well over 100k on them.
 
Times have changed. Just changed the oil on the R1100RT, took about three minutes not counting a little while for it to drain, nary a drop was spilled.

Drain plug out, spin the filter out, tinker with the nearest Suzuki for a while while it drains, filter on, drain plug in, fill it up and go.

Much easier than a Suzuki GS with it's oil filter cover and SwissCheese screws.

I would trade it for the RS in the ad any day, even with it's marathon oil change sessions.
 
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