Author Topic: 30 Years on a 1993 BMW R100GS-PD  (Read 1039 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline ofreen

  • Old Timer
  • ******
  • Posts: 4,015
30 Years on a 1993 BMW R100GS-PD
« on: October 21, 2023, 11:26:20 PM »
30 years ago last week, I bought this '93 BMW R100GS-PD from the long defunct Buckingham BMW is Seattle..  I had just moved from Alaska to Idaho and wanted something a little more dirt-roadworthy than the 750F, CBR1000F, GSX-R1100, and the rest of the menagerie I had at the time.  I rode a Transalp, and while it seemed to be a fine bike, it just didn't float my boat.  Kind of bland, I guess,  I had ridden a R100GS-PD that belonged to a buddy in Alaska.  He was taking his GS to the dealer in Anchorage from Kenai for service, so I rode along on the GSX-R on the 150 mile ride.  We swapped bikes along the way and both of us came away impressed with each other's bike.  So even though the Transalp was about half the price of the GS, the GS it was.  Because it was the fall, I was able to do well on the price, plus they threw in the bags, passenger footpegs, Corbin dual seat, and initial break in service.  (Typical BMW, having to buy passenger pegs as extras.  And you couldn't get the pegs as an assembly, you had to buy each individual component, nuts, bolts and washers.)

Anyway, the GS, along with the CBR1000F, has been my main touring bike all these years.  It is featured in many of the posts in the Interesting Roads thread.  It's been pretty reliable, especially considering some of the places I've had it.  I don't pound on it because I am usually alone in places where it is a very long walk out to where a cell phone is more than a camera or a clock.  But I don't baby it either, and it has held up very well.  The main issue has been the famous Paralever drive shaft problem.  It is now on its third driveshaft, an Emerald Island greasable/rebuildable shaft.  Again, typical BMW, for years they wouldn't admit there was a problem.  Then when it couldn't be denied anymore, they declared the driveshaft a wear item, like a chain and sprockets would be.  An $800 wear item.  So hopefully the EI shaft will be the solution.  What's another maintenance item involving extensive disassembly added to the rest of them? 

Anyway, I could write about the bike's idiosyncrasies for hours, many stories to tell.  But in-spite of all that, I love the thing.  It is at home on the interstate, very competent in the twistys, seems like it will go anywhere in the rough stuff, and then there is that beautiful 9 gallon gas tank, so you rarely have to pass up a road because of range concerns.  So to celebrate 30 years, I took it for a ride that it was made for.  The bike and I went down to one of my favorite places on earth, the Owyhee Mountains.  Here are some pix.













There is a story to tell to wind up this epic that illustrates my relationship with this bike.  Where I was camped was 5 miles off a very good (but washboardy) gravel road.  The road to where I camped was very rough, crossing a ridge, then descending steeply down switchbacks through washouts and sharp rock outcroppings.  Standing on the pegs all the way.  I was stopping a lot to take pictures when coming back out, making it back to the gravel road.  The starter has always been noisy, but it seemed like it was getting worse and cranking slower.  Sure enough, when I got on the bike after taking that last photo and hit the starter button, the starter crapped out.  We were on a bit of an incline, so I bump started it.  The Valeo starters from that era were notorious for the magnets breaking off inside.  This one made it 30 years and over 74,000 miles, so went far longer than most.  As usual, the bike got me home as it always has.  I might have to dink with it before riding it again, but it got me home from deep in the boonies in spite of me ignoring the warnings it was giving me.  So as I said, I love the thing.

That being said, it is for sale.  Selling price is $74,434.  Of course I will install the new starter before delivery.
Greg
'75 CB750F

"I would rather have questions I cannot answer than answers I cannot question." - Dr. Wei-Hock Soon

Offline simon#42

  • Old Timer
  • ******
  • Posts: 2,590
  • liverpool
Re: 30 Years on a 1993 BMW R100GS-PD
« Reply #1 on: October 22, 2023, 02:20:31 AM »
great story  buy the nd starter that was originally made for a toyota diesel and you will have no more problems .

Offline jgger

  • Master
  • *****
  • Posts: 2,343
Re: 30 Years on a 1993 BMW R100GS-PD
« Reply #2 on: October 22, 2023, 07:45:32 AM »
Nice story of a great solo ride and solo camp. Too bad you didn't know there was a coyote rave that same weekend.

BTW are all your bikes for sale for a $1.00 per mile? Asking for a friend.
"The SOHC4 uses a computer located about 2-3 ft above the seat.  Those sometimes need additional programming." -stolen from  Two Tired

The difference between an ass kisser and brown noser is merely depth perception.  Stolen from RAFster122s

Offline ofreen

  • Old Timer
  • ******
  • Posts: 4,015
Re: 30 Years on a 1993 BMW R100GS-PD
« Reply #3 on: October 22, 2023, 08:14:16 AM »
great story  buy the nd starter that was originally made for a toyota diesel and you will have no more problems .

Thanks simon, I was looking at those but the price is around $350.  Know anything about the EnDuraLast sold by Euro Motoelectrics?

BTW are all your bikes for sale for a $1.00 per mile? Asking for a friend.

Yes.  I am sentimental about my bikes, but not sentimental beyond reason.
Greg
'75 CB750F

"I would rather have questions I cannot answer than answers I cannot question." - Dr. Wei-Hock Soon

Offline simon#42

  • Old Timer
  • ******
  • Posts: 2,590
  • liverpool
Re: 30 Years on a 1993 BMW R100GS-PD
« Reply #4 on: October 22, 2023, 09:55:37 AM »
no sorry dont know anything about the enduralast starters . they do have a very good track record with bmw airheads though . i bit the bullet and bought two nd starters a few years ago one for the five and one for the st . after i had been forced to use the kickstart a few times they seemed like a bargain !

Offline ofreen

  • Old Timer
  • ******
  • Posts: 4,015
Re: 30 Years on a 1993 BMW R100GS-PD
« Reply #5 on: October 22, 2023, 12:08:13 PM »
after i had been forced to use the kickstart a few times they seemed like a bargain !

Yes, I see your point.  No kickstart on my 'modern' airhead, so trying to bump start a loaded bike with no slope available and no one to push would be a challenge. 8)
Greg
'75 CB750F

"I would rather have questions I cannot answer than answers I cannot question." - Dr. Wei-Hock Soon

Offline Stev-o

  • Ain't no
  • Really Old Timer ...
  • *******
  • Posts: 34,315
  • Central Texas
Re: 30 Years on a 1993 BMW R100GS-PD
« Reply #6 on: October 23, 2023, 08:57:18 AM »
Another great bike in Greg's collection...
'74 "Big Bang" Honda 750K [836].....'76 Honda 550F.....K3 Park Racer!......and a Bomber!............plus plus plus.........

Offline BenelliSEI

  • Really Old Timer ...
  • *******
  • Posts: 9,908
  • 1969 cb750
Re: 30 Years on a 1993 BMW R100GS-PD
« Reply #7 on: October 28, 2023, 06:14:20 PM »
What tires are you running on the BMW?

Offline ofreen

  • Old Timer
  • ******
  • Posts: 4,015
Re: 30 Years on a 1993 BMW R100GS-PD
« Reply #8 on: October 28, 2023, 09:13:58 PM »
Metzeler Tourances.
Greg
'75 CB750F

"I would rather have questions I cannot answer than answers I cannot question." - Dr. Wei-Hock Soon

Offline BenelliSEI

  • Really Old Timer ...
  • *******
  • Posts: 9,908
  • 1969 cb750
Re: 30 Years on a 1993 BMW R100GS-PD
« Reply #9 on: October 29, 2023, 06:58:23 AM »
Thanks. They look good. Noisy at speed? Will try them after these Continentals (not too impressed).

Offline ofreen

  • Old Timer
  • ******
  • Posts: 4,015
Re: 30 Years on a 1993 BMW R100GS-PD
« Reply #10 on: October 29, 2023, 04:23:18 PM »
The Tourances do not have a very aggressive block pattern.  They are more street oriented than some dual purpose tires, so are fairly quiet.   Like most DP tires, the rear will get a little buzzy toward the end of its life when you roll up on the side tread in turns.  But they work well in gravel and dirt.  They work well in the wet, on or off-road.   Because the tread pattern isn't all that aggressive they aren't throwing as much crap all over the bike.  I got into some mud on this last ride and the tires did pretty good.  But they aren't knobbies.  For me, they are a good balance between dirt and pavement since I'm not trying to see how fast I can get to Dakar.  I get about 7000 miles out of a set.  They can get to 8000 but you run into more risk of a puncture, like I did from that little bitty screw a few weeks ago.  They are very good in the twisties.  These are the basic Tourances, not the other variety that is even more street oriented. 
Greg
'75 CB750F

"I would rather have questions I cannot answer than answers I cannot question." - Dr. Wei-Hock Soon

Offline BenelliSEI

  • Really Old Timer ...
  • *******
  • Posts: 9,908
  • 1969 cb750
Re: 30 Years on a 1993 BMW R100GS-PD
« Reply #11 on: October 29, 2023, 08:01:38 PM »
Thanks for the detail. I’ll give them a try, next time.

Offline ofreen

  • Old Timer
  • ******
  • Posts: 4,015
Re: 30 Years on a 1993 BMW R100GS-PD
« Reply #12 on: October 30, 2023, 06:26:55 AM »
I will be interested to hear what you think.
Greg
'75 CB750F

"I would rather have questions I cannot answer than answers I cannot question." - Dr. Wei-Hock Soon

Offline BenelliSEI

  • Really Old Timer ...
  • *******
  • Posts: 9,908
  • 1969 cb750
Re: 30 Years on a 1993 BMW R100GS-PD
« Reply #13 on: October 30, 2023, 08:30:39 AM »
Greg…. My rear Continental “Rock” is new. Might be a while…… woke up this morning to this:

Offline ofreen

  • Old Timer
  • ******
  • Posts: 4,015
Re: 30 Years on a 1993 BMW R100GS-PD
« Reply #14 on: November 01, 2023, 04:49:23 PM »
My riding miles will be dropping soon for the same reason. 
Greg
'75 CB750F

"I would rather have questions I cannot answer than answers I cannot question." - Dr. Wei-Hock Soon

Offline ofreen

  • Old Timer
  • ******
  • Posts: 4,015
Re: 30 Years on a 1993 BMW R100GS-PD
« Reply #15 on: December 06, 2023, 11:05:06 AM »
no sorry dont know anything about the enduralast starters . they do have a very good track record with bmw airheads though . i bit the bullet and bought two nd starters a few years ago one for the five and one for the st . after i had been forced to use the kickstart a few times they seemed like a bargain !

Well simon, I am a big proponent of the 'buy once, cry once' philosophy, but I went with the enduralast starter at just a bit over a 1/3 of the money of the ND.  We'll see if it was a good decision at some point, I guess.  The new starter is a very close copy of the Valeo.  I don't know if it just the same as the other chinese copies of the Valeo available on ebay for about half of what I paid from EME.  But what a difference between the sound of the new one and the old Valeo.  The Valeo has clearly been on its way out for a while now.  I'll pull it apart one of these days.  I see rebuild parts are available.







Greg
'75 CB750F

"I would rather have questions I cannot answer than answers I cannot question." - Dr. Wei-Hock Soon

Offline simon#42

  • Old Timer
  • ******
  • Posts: 2,590
  • liverpool
Re: 30 Years on a 1993 BMW R100GS-PD
« Reply #16 on: December 06, 2023, 11:51:21 PM »
Looks good . The valeos magnets are glued to the outer case . Over time the glue fails and they start to move . Not sure if you can fix them but with luck the new one will see you out !