I’m converting the original RS fairing to an RT. I had the fairing, front fender, side covers and gas tank painted in a two tone paint scheme, code 130, used on the RS bikes; the colors are Dunkel Blue and Hell Silver. However, in tribute to the first year 1977 RS, I had matte clear coat applied to all the silver areas including the gas tank and gloss clear to all the blue areas. My painter was up for the challenge of painting the gas tank. The slight ridge between the clear and matte clear coat on the gas tank is hidden by the wide red pinstripe.

NOTE:
Due to the poor lighting, some of the dark blue parts appear black in the photo below.

The RT fairing includes side storage boxes that attach to the inside of the upper side panels, but I do not plan to use them as they fit too close to the gas tank for my comfort.

NOTE:
I had the panels, gas tank, front fender and seat cowl pinstriped part way through assembling the fairing. It took some time for me to get someone to do the work and since the stripes on the upper side panels continue across the middle center panel I waited these panels aligned before the stripes were painted. Therefore, some of the pictures that follow don’t show the pinstripes while others show them.

Parts

The fairing panels use a lot of different kinds of hardware to assemble and install them. Some of the hardware I’m using is from a kit I got from The Bolt Guy. Not all the fairing hardware is included in this kit, but a lot of it is.

At the top left are four M6x12 hex head bolts. Only two were included in the kit. BMW changed the lower side panels adding a split at the bottom so they can slide over the header pipe when removing them. Those panels use two M6 hex head bolts per panel to mount to the bottom fairing bracket. The earlier lower side panels were not split and only used one M6 hex bolt per panel, so this kit has the hardware for the older lower panels. I added two more bolts from my hardware stash.

The internal fasteners that connect the upper side panels to the upper center headlight panel (left) and those that connect the upper side panels to the top fairing brace (right) are not included. I show those fasteners in the picture below.

NOTE:
The picture above does not show the two M6x14 hex bolts with wave washers used to attach the top of the upper center headlight panel to the upper side panels.

Since I converted from the RS to RT fairing, I had to acquire quite a number of parts. I picked up a fair number of then as used parts. I don’t plan to install the storage boxes inside the fairing next to the gas tank, so none of those parts are shown.

Part #	Description	Qty
46 63 1 240 451	Fairing Left Top Panel-Used	1
46 63 1 240 452	Fairing Right Top Panel-Used	1
46 63 1 452 480	Windscreen (1981-95)-Used	1
Windscreen Hardware-Used	46 63 1 240 638 bracket right 46 63 1 240 654 clamping plate right 46 63 1 240 656 base plate right 46 63 2 307 320 handle nob 07 11 9 928 477  CSK.FILLISTER HEAD SCREW – M5X1046 63 1 240 638 bracket left 46 63 1 240 654 clamping plate left 46 63 1 240 656 base plate left 46 63 2 307 320 handle nob 07 11 9 928 477  CSK.FILLISTER HEAD SCREW – M5X10	Varies
61 12 1 243 237	Fairing Upper Bracket-Used	1
46 63 1 237 773u	Fairing Dash-Used	1
46 63 1 241 198	Fairing Mirror, Right-Used	1
46 63 1 240 624	Fairing Mirror Base, Right-Used	1
46 63 1 241 197	Fairing Mirror, Left-Used	1
46 63 1 240 623	Fairing Mirror Base, Left-Used	1
46 63 1 239 143	Fairing Left Air Inlet & Grid-Used	1
46 63 1 239 144	Fairing Right Air Inlet & Grid-Used	1
46 63 1 238 546	Fairing Cover Plug, Dashboard (2)-Used	1
46 63 1 240 649	Fairing DASH GASKET	1
32 71 1 236 886	Fairing COVERING CAP	2
46 63 1 235 857	SEALING STRIP-Lower Fairing Against Frame	2
46 63 1 241 031	CLAMPING PLATE	1
07 11 9 906 327	GASKET RING – 6,3X2, Clamp Plate	2
07 11 9 905 710	HEX NUT – M5, Clamp Plate	2
07 11 9 936 439	WASHER – 5,3-140 HV-ZNS, Clamp Plate	2
46 63 2 302 180	EDGE PROTECTION – 1330MM, Windscreen	1
46 63 1 240 819	WASHER, Windscreen Adjust Knob	4
46 63 1 241 031	CLAMPING PLATE	1
07 11 9 906 327	GASKET RING – 6,3X2, Clamp Plate	2
07 11 9 905 710	HEX NUT – M5, Clamp Plate	2
07 11 9 936 439	WASHER – 5,3-140 HV-ZNS, Clamp Plate	2
46 63 2 302 180	EDGE PROTECTION – 1330MM	1
46 63 1 240 819	WASHER, Windscreen Adjust Knob	4
62 13 1 243 100	GASKET RING, Volt Meter & Clock	2
McMaster Carr	1/4-20×3/4″ Nylon Bolts, Washers & Nuts	6

Video

Here is  a summary video showing the assembly and installation of the fairing and the windscreen.

VIDEO: 1983 BMW R100RT Assemble And Install Fairing & Windscreen

Install Fairing Brackets

I installed the top, middle and bottom fairing brackets earlier in preparation for installing the main wiring harness which originates inside the headlight shell. The headlight shell attaches to the top fairing bracket and the middle bracket has to fit between the wires exiting the front engine cover and the top engine cover.

• 00 BMW 1983 R100RS/RT Assembly From The Frame Up
  • Install Fairing Brackets

Install Fairing Panels

To protect the new paint work, I put towels on my work bench so I won’t scratch the panels when I put them down on the bench. I also removed my belt and watch so they wouldn’t end up scratching the new paint.

Install Lower Side Panels

I start with the lower side panels. I slide the lower panel over the header pipe and attach it to the bottom fairing bracket.

I temporarily use the long M6x30 bolt that connects the upper and lower side panels together on the middle fairing bracket to hold the lower panel in place while I install the short M6x12 bolts with flat and wave washers that secure the bottom of the lower side panel to bottom fairing bracket.

NOTE:
The M12 nut that secures the lower bracket to the frame is the same nut that secures the front engine stud.

After I get the lower side panels attached loosely to the bottom fairing brackets, I mark where the frame tube passes behind the inside of the lower panel with a pencil. Then I install the foam strip on the inside of the panel to keep it from rattling.

Install Upper Side Panel On Lower Side Panel

The top of the lower side panel has four slots for panel clips (aka, Tinnerman clips) and a hole for the M6x30 bolt that secures it to the middle fairing bracket.

Short screws with a flat washer secure the top to bottom side panels. The M6x30 bolt has two flat washers, one on top of the middle fairing bracket and the other under the lower side panel, a wave washer and a special locking nut. The locking side of the nut has markings on it. The side of the nut without the markings goes next to the wave washer.

I place the upper side panel on the lower side panel and secure it loosely with the M6x30 bolt and hardware.

Then I install the small screws with flat washers through the hole in the upper side panel through the panel clip and tighten them so the upper side panel is loosely attached to the lower side panel.

Attach Upper And Middle Center Panels

The upper center panel fits around the headlight. The middle center panel goes around the fork tubes and the front brake lines.

Before I install the panels I slide panel clips on the three front tabs of the middle center panel. The flat face of the clips is on the outside and the helix face is on the inside of the panel. The middle center panel tabs with panel clips slide over the upper center panel tabs on the inside of the fairing.

There are also two panel clips on the bottom tabs of the middle center panel next to the holes for the brake lines. Like the panel clips on the rear tabs, the flat face is on the outside and the helix face is on the inside.

I use some garden wire to compress the fork gaiters so it’s easier to install the middle center panel behind the fork tubes. Then I slide the steel brake lines though the slot in the back of the middle center panel so the lines are inside the holes and push the rubber grommet up out of the way. After I get the middle center panel installed I will push the grommets down into the holes around the brake line fittings so they are tight around the barrel on the end of the brake hose.

There is a rubber gasket the fits in the rectangular hole in the middle center panel.

Next I slide the upper center panel between the upper side panels and align it so the second hole in the bottom of the panel is on the outside of the lower legs of the top fairing bracket. I install the M6x14 bolt with a wave washer loosely into the top holes of the upper panels to clamp the upper center and side panels together.

I install clips on the tabs of the upper side panels oriented as shown below.

There is a clip on a tab on the bottom of the upper side panel that fits over the bottom tab of the middle center panel, but it’s not shown in the two pictures below.

I carefully slide the upper side panel tabs over the corresponding holes in the sides of the middle center panel and the bottom hole.

I will tighten the small screws with flat washers that clamp the upper and lower side panels together after I attach the upper side and center panels to the top fairing bracket.

Attach Upper Side And Center Panels To Top Fairing Bracket

The upper center headlight panel fits against the lower arm of the top fairing bracket. An M6x22 bolt with flat washer and wave washer goes through the bracket, the hole in the upper center panel and the hole in the upper side panel that has a threaded bushing.

NOTE:
It can be difficult to align the panels with the holes in the top fairing bracket. I had to bend the arms of the top bracket to get them aligned with the holes in the panels. I leave the M6x12 bolts in the top legs of the fairing bracket a bit loose so I can move the panels as needed to align the panel holes with the lower arm of the bracket.

I was able to finger tighten the lower M6x22 bolts enough to get them threaded by holding the upper side panel outward so I could push the bolt up against the bracket to start threading it into the bushing in the upper side panel. I have a box wrench that I ground down to make it thinner and narrower so it fits on the head of the bolt. The curved bottom of the upper center headlight panel leaves very little clearance next to the bolt head. I can use the crescent end of the wrench to turn these bolts, but on other fairings I had to use the box end to tighten them.

The upper side panels attach to the top fairing bracket using M6x12 bolts with flat and wave washers.

Attach Upper Side Panels to Upper Center Panel

After I bolted the panels to the top and bottom arms of the top fairing bracket, I install the 10 screws that tie the upper side panels to the upper center headlight panel. I apply a dab of 5 minute epoxy to the threads to lock the screws in the holes so the panels won’t rattle and screws won’t squeak as time goes by.

There are five holes on each side of the upper center headlight panel the screws fit into.

Clamp Middle And Lower Center Panels To Side Panels

I install the screws with cup washers that secure the middle center panel to the upper side panel and the lower center panel with the louvers to the lower side panels. I previously installed the panel clips on the panel tabs.

There are two panel screw lengths, 19 mm and 16 mm. The longer screws go in the middle center panel and the shorter ones go in the lower center panel.

Mount Rear View Mirrors

The rear view mirrors are attached to brackets that bolt onto the upper side panels with two M6 bolts with wave washers.

The nut that adjusts the tightness of the mirror on the bracket is covered by a plastic vanity cover.

Install Side Vents

The side vents fit into holes in the upper side panels. The vents have a hole but my used upper side panels did not get drilled for this hole. So, I inserted the vents, centered them in the hole and drilled new holes for the hardware.

The M5 bolt has a counter sunk head so it fits flush inside the top of the vent. There is a neoprene washer (the same one that is used on the front fender mounting hardware) that fits between the top of the vent and the top of the hole in the upper side panel. On the inside of the side panel, a flat washer and lock nut are used. I didn’t have an M5 lock nut so I used a wave washer and a regular nut.

NOTE:
I’m thinking of installing LED auxiliary lights and mounting them to the side of the side vent. Then I’ll connect them a rocker switch that I’ll install in the dash.  

Install Dash, Instruments and Windscreen

BMW uses copper rivets to attach the dash and the windscreen gasket to the upper side and center top panels. I’m going to use Nylon bolts, nuts and washers to attach it so it’s easy to remove. I use 1/4-20×3/4 inch bolts. I got the hardware from McMaster Carr. These bolts fit snugly in the holes in the upper fairing panels so I think they will prevent the dash from rattling.

In addition to the dash bolts, the center of the windscreen attaches to the upper center panel using a clamping plate with studs that go through the dash. The studs have rubber O-rings that fit against the front of the windscreen and a large flat washer and nut that secure the clamping plate to the inside of the dash. I use two copper rivets as bushings for the clamping plate studs but I don’t crimp them so I can remove the dash. I ground the tubes of the rivets down to shorten them so the nuts will push against the inside of the dash and not on the rivets.

The angle and height of the windscreen is adjustable. The lower edge of the windscreen attaches to two adjustable brackets that mount on the left and right upper side panels. I painted the bracket hardware as it was rusty and bedraggled.

The windscreen bracket that attaches to the windscreen has two plastic washers on the threaded stud. The washers fit on the threaded stud of the windscreen bracket.

The fairing bracket has a slot for the windscreen bracket to fit in and the second plastic washer fits over it and then the knob is used to tighten the bracket.

There is a curved plate the goes on the front of the windscreen. It is secured to the windscreen bracket with three short Phillips screws.

The fairing bracket is secured with M6 bolts with wave washers in two holes in the upper side panel that have threaded bushings in them. There are tabs on the back of the fairing bracket that align with the holes in the upper side panel.

It’s easier to install the lower bolt and then the upper bolt.

Assemble Dash Panel

The dash holds the volt meter, clock and ignition switch. I install them before I install the dash on the upper fairing panels. I’m not using the two round holes at the top of the panel above the larger hole for the ignition switch nor the two side rocker switch holes. I install blanking plates into those holes. There are also two decals that fit in the slots on either side of the dash showing tire pressures and oil viscosity information that I got from Heritage Stickers.

The volt meter and clock go in from the front of the dash. They are secured by a steel bracket that fits on the two studs on the back of the case and two plastic nuts. The volt meter and clock brackets are different. The cutouts on the brackets are oriented so the bracket does not obstruct the adjacent terminals.

The ignition switch has a backing nut, a plate, and a panel ring. The switch goes in from the back of the panel. The plate has a tab that fits into a slot on the switch, but there are two slots on the switch. So you need to be sure the tab on the plate fits into the slot so the key slot is on the 2:00-8:00 axis.

NOTE:
I show how the ignition switch goes together out of the dash so it’s easier to show the details.

I put long needle nose pliers into the two holes of the panel ring to tighten it. I don’t get too aggressive so I don’t crack the dash panel.

I verify that the pointer on the key points to the correct position after I install the ignition switch in the dash.

Install Dash, Windscreen Gasket And Windscreen

The windscreen gasket has rubber pins that secure it to the front of the windscreen. These pins are pulled through holes in the windscreen and they mushroom into the pocket around the hole on the back side of the windscreen.

The other lip of the gasket has holes that match up with the holes in the dash. The dash bolts secure the gasket to the front of the dash. It goes on top of the fairing panels and under the dash. To make it easier to get my hands inside the fairing, I remove the parking light and take the headlight off the and lower it to rest on the bottom of the top center panel.

To install the windscreen, I start by inserting two copper rivets through the center holes in the gasket and then place the dash over the top of the gasket.

I secure the gasket and dash using the nylon bolts with a flat washer under the bolt head and a washer on the inside of the fairing panel under the nut. It’s not easy to get the nut and washer on the bolts as the dash and the top fairing brackets obstruct easy access, but with persistence I get the nuts on the bolts.

I was told to lubricate the pins and that silicone lubricant would work. After spaying some on the pins on either side of the center plate I use needle nose pliers to pull the rubber pins through the holes. There is too little clearance to pull the pins through the holes if the center bracket is already installed.

NOTE:
I ended up tearing off three of the pins before I was done. I think the Silicone lubricant did not do a very good job. Dish detergent, as noted later, is a much better lubricant for the rubber pins. Therefore, I do not recommend using the Silicon lubricant.

So, what do I do now? See the later section “What To Do If You Tear A Windscreen Gasket Pin Off” to see how to recover from this failure.

The Better Way To Lubricate The Rubber Pins

After riding the bike for about 800 miles, it was clear that the stock screen is too low for me and I need to get a taller screen. I got one from Clear View Screens and installed it. Since I needed to remove the original screen and gasket, I replaced the one I tore some pins off of with a new windscreen gasket. This time I use dish detergent and it is a much better lubricant for the pins than the Silicone spray I used before. The pins pulled through the holes much easier and no torn pins.

I insert the center bracket through the holes with the rivets. I tighten the center plate nuts to secure the center plate. Then I pull the rest of the rubber pins through the holes in the windscreen.

Next, I attach the adjusting bracket to the windscreen. I use the three countersunk screws to secure the front plate to the bracket on either side of the screen.

There are two tabs on the ends of the gasket. They fit on either side of the leg of the windscreen adjuster.

NOTE:
I must say, this method of attaching the dash, the gasket and the windscreen is a disappointment. IMHO, it’s not a good design and assembly is not well thought out. This ranks in the top five most frustrating parts of the entire project.

What To Do If You Tear A Windscreen Gasket Pin Off

NOTE:
In the picture below, the leg pulled off the stud and then I cut the stud off the gasket.

I decide to snip of the remainder of the pin off the gasket and use super glue to attach the gasket to the front of the windscreen where the damaged pins go. I apply a circle of super glue around where the pin is and then push the gasket against the windscreen for one minute so the super glue sets up. I do one pin at a time.

This solution works to keep the gasket against the front of the windscreen.

Install Turn Signals, Parking Light and Headlight Tunnel

The turn signal housing and reflector attach to the fairing with two screws and washers. I attach the BROWN ground wire to the terminal that connects to the base of the bulb the BLUE-Black (right side) or BLUE–Red (left side) go on the other terminal.

The parking light housing and lens attach with two screws and washers into the slot above the headlight. I attach the BROWN ground wire to the terminal that connects to the base of the bulb and the GREY-Black wire to the other terminal.

The headlight tunnel attaches to the fairing with four panel screws that screw into panel clips. The clips are attached to the inside of the center top headlight panel at the four corners with a bolt and wave washer. The screw heads are hidden under the headlight tunnel gasket and I peal the gasket back so I can get my Phillips screwdriver on the screw heads.

I attach the fairing sub-harness plug to the plug on the main wiring harness and test the ignition switch, clock, volt meter, parking light and front turn signals. Everything works.

I’m not going to install the storage compartments on the inside of the fairing. They are too close to gas tank for my taste. I have some ideas for how to add some storage in the voids on either side of the gas tank that I’ll pursue later.

Revisions

2020-10-15  Updated parts list.
2020-12-21  Correct error in location of windscreen gasket & improved way to pull pins through holes in screen.
2022-08-29  Clarification about how lower fairing bracket mounts to frame.