I converted this 1983 R100RS into an RT by adding the RT fairing. The RT fairing comes with hard plastic side pockets, but they are much too close to the gas tank for my taste.
R100RT Fairing Interior View Showing How Close Plastic Pockets Are To Gas Tank
So, I decided to install a set of cloth bags that provide storage and don’t get very close to the gas tank. I used Fairing Pockets from “Kathy’s Journey Designs”, that are designed to work with the RS fairing.
Kathy’s Journey Design Fairing Pockets Come In Different Colors; Mine Are Black
You can read all about how I did this project here.
I mount the RS fairing pockets on the RT fairing using the existing bushings that the plastic fairing compartments mounts to. There is enough room between that part of the RT fairing and the gas tank that the bags won’t touch the gas tank when they are mounted.
Side Of Fairing Showing Bushings For M6 Bolts Used To Mount Stock Plastic Fairing Compartments: Note Rear Top Bushing Is Shorter Than The Others
I mount the bags using three M6 bolts with a flat and wave washer to the side of the fairing.
Back Of Bag With Three Grommets Installed
Bag Mounting Hardware: M6-10 Bolt, Flat and Wave Washers
M6x10 Bolts Installed Through Grommets In Bag
Bag Mounted On Inside of Fairing Leaving Clearance Next To Gas Tank
This bike has 83,000+ miles on it and the wheel bearings are of unknown condition. So I replace them and set the wheel bearing preload. I also had the wheels powder coated after I removed the old bearings, so I had to also remove the disk brake rotors. I show how I remove, refinish and install the disk brake rotors in this document.
I’m going to replace the main wiring harness. This requires removing a number of connections inside the headlight shell, pulling the old harness out of the headlight shell and then installing the new harness and connecting the wires to the proper terminals on the wiring block, the headlight relay and the turn signal relay. You do not have to remove the connections from the left and right handlebar switches to replace the main wiring harness.
Bur, since I am converting this 1983 R100RS into an RT configuration and the RT handlebars are much longer than the RS bars, the stock RS handlebar switch wires are too short; 230 mm (9 inches) vs.the RT switch’s 520 mm (20 inches). However, someone replaced the left handlebar switch with an RT length switch, so that’s fortunate. But the right handlebar switch, that was also replaced at some point, has shorter 380 mm (about 15 inches) wires; they are longer than RS wires, but still too short. Since BMW does not sell the RT switches anymore, I will lengthen the wires in the right handlebar switch cable.
My system administrator made a major update to the software that supports “Brook’s Airhead Garage” yesterday evening. We don’t expect any problems, but if you notice something amiss, or experience unexpected behavior, please leave a comment for me and I’ll have the administrator look into it.
It’s Thursday, Day 6, and I’m at the Holiday Inn in Kulpsville, PA where I’m staying for the rally. Things get started this evening with a fireside meet-and-greet and continues Friday and Saturday. I plan on leaving Sunday for the ride back home.
The weather for the past three days has been perfect for riding; upper 50’s in the morning and barely 80 by late afternoon, low humidity and that rare delight of the East coast, robins’ egg blue skies. It looks like the rally will have perfect weather.
Yesterday was day 5 of the ride. The previous night, after I slapped the Zumo “up side the head” and it started to work again, I plugged it into the laptop to charge it’s battery. When I disconnected it and turned it off, once again, it took a dirt nap and refused to power back on. Oh well, now that I found the option to keep the iPhone in portrait mode and prevent it from rotating the screen, it’s been working reliably. But, being paranoid at times, I wrote down some directions in case the iPhone goes on strike and I need to figure out where I’m going for the day’s ride.
A Cool Morning and a Dead Garmin Zumo-Oh Well Steve Jobs to the Rescue 🙂
I wasn’t looking forward to Wednesday’s ride as it’s on I-70 and then I-76, aka, The Pennsylvania Turnpike. Exits are few and far between, but there are gas stations in the rest plaza’s, all Sunoco stations. I wonder how much it cost Sunoco to get that monopoly?
Pennsylvania Turnpike Rest Stop
And, it’s a toll road. It cost me over $40.00 to ride 200 miles or so. That was a bit of a shock. The good news is I’m not using it on the return ride as I’m going to go more southerly and pick up US-50.
I got off the turnpike for awhile to take advantage of an interesting coincidence: Denver, Reamstown, Honey Brook and Stevens are all within a few miles of each other. Since I live in metropolitan Denver, my last name is Reams and my first name is Brook–and I’m such a sweet guy (Quiet Rochelle!!) :-)–and my daughter-in-law is a Stephens (well that spelling is close enough), I wanted to visit them all. It broke up the unpleasant, multi-hundred mile drone of riding the Pennsylvania super-slab with the unrelaxed, constant attention I had to pay to the herds of lumbering 18 wheelers.
Reamstown and Denver Are Close Together
Reamstown Fire Department
Reamstown Fire Department
Gonzo and I Just Missed The Reamstown Days Celebration
Welcome To Denver, My Home Town Back East 🙂
Welcome to Honey Brook, Brook
Stevens Road in Stevens, PA
I stopped by to meet Randy Long, of Long’s Mechanical Services, who just finished rebuilding the heads for my 1983 RS/RT project. This is the fourth set of airhead heads he has rebuilt for me. When he called to tell me he was shipping the heads back to me a few weeks ago, I let him know I was heading to the rally. He graciously extended an invitation to come by and meet him.
This is an indication of the number of heads he rebuilds: quite a collection of old valve seats from BMW, Harley, Triumph and all the UJM brands.
Have a Few Old Valve Seats
I took the back roads to his house and along the way, I spied a horse drawn wagon reminding me I’m in Amish country. And, what a delight to get back on a windy, two-lane road on a sunny 75 degree day with clear blue skies. This ride rejuvenated me from the sour mood my long slog along the Pennsylvania Turnpike had induced. 🙂
I’m In Amish Country
Now, That’s What I’m Talk’en About-A Nice Road and A Great Day For A Motorcycle Ride 🙂
After I left Randy’s shop, I swung by to say see Tom Cutter, proprietor of Rubber Chicken Racing Garage, who is going to the rally and will be speaking. He invited me to drop by, spend the night, get some laundry washed, and then we could ride together to the rally on Thursday afternoon. And of course, Tom has a GS. So Gonzo had the opportunity to get to know the kind of airhead bikes he will be surrounded by this weekend. 🙂
Gonzo Getting To Know His New R100GS Friend
Tom and I took the leisurely route through the back roads for an hour and then we parted company as he is staying at the VIP hotel, and I’m in “other hotel”. When I got to the Holiday Inn, I parked Gonzo next to another R100GS, but this time so they could talk to each other 🙂
