New member here.......just purchased a nice 72 r60/5. current owner(aand shop owner) completely rebuilt the rear end and a lot of other stuff.
shop owner has an inpeccable reputation. 38000 miles and the seller has already fixed the pinging issue. very excited!!

So,.. Bret,.....uhhh... Did you find a bike, and which model did you get?

Have not found one yet. Have found a couple of candidates but nixxed them. I know I want a dual plug head and hardened valve seats. Have seen a couple of nice bikes with low miles at good prices. When I factor in the head and ignition work the numbers don't work for me. Two bikes I would have bought but couldn't get to New Mexico or Missouri. 1982 100RT well maintained in red smoke for 2500 and 50K, and an 80's model RS in charcoal with 30K for $3000.

Figure on getting something by end of September to be ready for my December-February riding season. Thanks for all your help. The ABC is probably the best run and has the most passionate and knowledgeable membership of any group I have been associated with.
The XS650 group is good.The MG guys are pretty good, I have a Midget, but you guys REALLY know your stuff and are so helpful.

I am uncertain about how much weight one factor in my purchase should have. Running 90 mph for 450 miles from San Antonio to El Paso generates a lot of heat. I do not expect ambient air temps over lower eighties. From reading a lot on this site and Snobum's site I got the impression that the 80 and up air heads run hotter but the 77-79 run cooler. Downside on earlier ones seems to be larger valves, less head material, tendency to warp. Is this a question for the technical forum?

Is this a question for the technical forum?

I think not. It's your thread; it's your information. Why not keep all your toys in one pile ?

Interesting. However, I'm not sure your "requirements" add that much to your riding "pleasure", at least enough for me to shy away from a well maintained, standard bike. When looking around, I'm always more interested in safety features over something like dual plugging. That is to say, my first check list item is a later model with dual Brembo calipers.

► A lot of dual plugging was done back in the 80's, but that's not something being done anymore. You know these were mostly "home jobs", so quality varies wildly from bike to bike. And how about that lower plug ? It's typically a 10 or 12mm plug and those can be hard to find. And the biggest advantage was below 3000 RPM which is decidedly not going to be your RPM range.

► From a low engine heat stand point, I think you definitely want the low ratio (32/11) final drive, and the lower compression of the RT's

► The engine heat in any BMW will drop substantially by simply bolting on a deep oil pan from Mac. And when I say simple, even a first year novice can install one of these in less than 15 minutes. For a /6 they add 2 quarts more oil capacity; for a /7 or later they add 1 quart. They lengthen the time between oil changes and do not complicate your oil filter change procedure, as adding an oil cooler might.

► And if you think you'll miss the punch dual plugging might add to the low-end acceleration, then try installing 2.68 needle jets, versus the stock 2.66. That and 5 points higher on the main jet will deliver almost everything the dual plug is supposed to deliver at a fraction of the technical complication (extra coils, wiring, etc) and risk to your reliability. 2.68 was what they ran in Europe when they didn't have to conform to US EPA specs.

Hope this helps.

consider the tranny circlip in the 80's bike that bmw didn't install.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SNFUXsMIQk

Man there are so many people bringing that up. It was a small consideration. Not anymore. Thanks

The RS fairing is slightly smaller, but it still blocks most of the cooling air to your body. Great for cooler temps, not so much when it warms up.

the lowers can be removed for more air circulation

the windshield can also be changed depending on what / where / how you ride. there are many shield companies around .

'' The RS fairing is slightly smaller, but it still blocks most of the cooling air to
your body. Great for cooler temps, not so much when it warms up. ''

the lowers can be removed for more air circulation

the windshield can also be changed depending on what / where / how you ride. there are many shield companies around .

Bought a 1984 R100RT. Thanks to everyone for your help, expertise, encouragement and guidance. Could not have done it without you. Planning some 200-400 mile local area trips as shakedown runs. After that it's onto the 550 miles of 80 MPH speed limit I-10 between San Antonio and El Paso.

I would advise any visitors to this site contemplating an airhead purchase to join up. The info here is amazing. I knew exactly what to look for on pre buy inspections. Got a great bike at a fair price.

Congrats, 1984 is a very good year !!

Lots of stuff to check over before you start those long distance rides. Start with a complete oil change, including front forks. Replace all the brake fluid with fresh. Then check the date codes on the tires. Valve clearances are a must do.

As Harry said, you can remove the "lowers" on the fairing for summer. Most people will want to have an exhaust spigot wrench (This Link Right Here ) to make this job easier.

Also get a stock of those funky 8A German fuses for the tool kit, because you won't find those on the open road. Either that, or convert the bike over to American "flat pack" fuses.

For ultimate smoothness on the road, it is imperative that the carbs be well "balanced". You'll want to construct your own manometer using This Link Right Here. Once the bike has been ridden about 8 miles, then use the manometer to set the idle speed screws at 1000 RPM, then the cable tensions at ~1700 RPM.

High test fuel only. I'd run 3 or 4 tablespoons of StarTron fuel treatment in every fill-up until the bottle is empty. This will help clean out any fuel issues associated with storage.

That should get you going !