BMW R100CS | Classic Airhead Restoration | Carburettors & Engine Covers

A minor setback with my old-style starter motor cover, but the carbs, air box and valve covers are now installed on my 1981 BMW R100CS.

[@paulclarke1233]

Hi wild life moto , more great progress for you well done and looket forward to the next vid

[@WildlifeMoto]

Cheers paul. Almost done now 👍

[@Shinysideup]

The bike is looking good, can’t wait for the first fire up, such a moment when doing a restoration.

[@WildlifeMoto]

Thank Ian. Happy New Year to you! Yes, looking forward to hearing her roar into life.

[@davemitchell2401]

Great job, getting close! really looking forward to seeing her all completed with the H&B panniers and you riding!

[@WildlifeMoto]

Cheers Dave. The finish line is well in sight now. Just got to get her running. Hopefully no drama and we’ll be out on the road very soon.

[@Gambo916]

Happy New Year Mr WM. With regard to the airbox cover, I'd suggest putting it in the oven on a very high heat for an hour to make it expand, then don some oven gloves and get it on the bike asap before it cools. It'll obviously contract as it cools, but hopefully not so much so that it's a pig to remove again later. Maybe an idea to pack out where it sits with a few strips of masking tape so it cools/contracts a tad wider than it otherwise would to gain you a hair's breath of clearance. If that fails, then I'd be thinking of using a Dremel fitted with a sanding drum to remove a few thou of material from the inner edges of the airbox cover.

[@WildlifeMoto]

Thanks for the tip and Happy New year to you too! Do you think a blast with a map gas torch would be too much? If I get caught putting bike parts in the oven, my balls will be removed quick sharp 😂

[@Gambo916]

@@WildlifeMoto Firstly, soz for the late reply Mr WM. Yes you could use a torch, but you'd have to be very careful not to localise the heat anywhere on it, much better for the whole thing to expand. Another option is to do an Allen Millyard, and put it in an outside gas BBQ!!!

[@AnalogDude_]

There are MANY R100's, i saw that when you talked about your crooked front wheel and again when i looked for the Final drive (sprockets). In your country there is pretty sure some guy in a shed that can make or help you make a "sand mold", using layers of plywood, etc and cast a new "version" of your filter box, but make it smart, the R1100/R1150 final drive's have little flat tap's in the metal to allow them to be clamped in a machine. as well the swing arm's have this aswel. : ) i think the original filter box with the 2 breathers on top is pretty cool, ram air!

[@WildlifeMoto]

Pretty sure it will fit eventually. Might need a bit more persuasion or a bit of machining on the inner edge. I'll get the bike up and running and save it for a future project. It will give me something to look forward to next winter lol.

[@AnalogDude_]

It's to late now, but could you try to get a R1100 or R1150 piston and "correct" R100 barrel from a scrapyard to see if it can be honed? if the R1100 piston rod pin is the same diameter the R100 as wel other specifications. Maybe the German "Mahle" has a bigger piston in their catalog that possible could fit, they also make F1 pistons. they can make you pistons on demand. Than you would have a radical R100. The final Drive of the R1100GS i bought with 230.000km, looked al rite till i toke it apart, the input shaft had alike 0.75 mm play, the large bearing was also make a bit noise when turning by hand, BMW dealer is taking it apart for me, its really needs a chemical dip.@@WildlifeMoto

[@AnalogDude_]

I'm looking at R100 cyl barrels, doesn't seem to have meat left to enlarge the cubic capacity and while looking at that, i see R100's with the same wheels / rims as you have, but they somehow managed to mount a brake dis on the left side. looks cool. The barrels are casted aluminium around a iron barrel reading the AVRrider forum ( "alfin" process), it would be massive job, designing / casting a new barrel + some mods on the engine to allow a larger cyl. @@WildlifeMoto

[@AnalogDude_]

I found cyl barrels and heads for R100, made by Krauser, these are 4 Valve heads and raise the power by 12HP. @@WildlifeMoto

[@supercomp7078]

Check what the difference in mounting points or surfaces between the new and the old covers and shape the old to be the same as the new, it will look really cool with the old style covers.

[@WildlifeMoto]

Yes, I’m going to measure the two and have the replacement machined to open it up. Thankfully the lip is fairly thick so quite a bit of material to work with. It doesn’t need much. It will be a project for after the first few test rides with the stock set up.

[@alanbarnes2920]

Great work WM…all progressing nicely..pricey but definitely worth getting the new luggage.. really looking forward to the start up and first ride vids. Wishing you and yours a healthy and successful 2024..atb, Alan.

[@WildlifeMoto]

Thanks Alan. Happy New Year to you too. Decent luggage always feels like a massive over spend at the time, but it totally transforms the bike. Now we’ll be able to go anywhere in the UK or Europe for days. Park up, un-clip, and drop them in your room - job done. No faffing around with straps and zip ties.

[@GaryT1952]

I like the original air box...OEM is the way to go...good choice on the panniers also...classic look

[@WildlifeMoto]

Thanks Gary, Happy New Year. I've been thinking about those panniers for a while. They complete the look of the bike and should be a lot more solid than the originals. I was thinking about how expensive they were, but then I took a look at the price of modern BMW luggage to make myself feel better!

[@zahadou]

i hope you get - the old crate - flying soon

[@WildlifeMoto]

Thank you. 🙏

[@stevesanelli90]

Well done WM… my OCD is kicking in in regard to the screw clamps not facing the same direction of the air intake ducts to the screw clamps of the carbs to heads. Can you please check old photos of your disassembly? Otherwise, I’ll kick myself 🤔

[@WildlifeMoto]

When I was editing the video I spotted this too. They’ll all be facing the same direction in the next video. 😂

[@stevesanelli90]

@@WildlifeMoto my goodness, I did forget to say Merry Christmas & a great productive New Year to you & family 🎄⭐️. As far as the aluminium coil cover… have the engine cases been painted that have added a slight width to the overall spacing? I would compare the internal dimensions between the plastic cover to the aluminium (even though the plastic will expand easier) and then decide to machine remove (ie: NOT with a grinder) the inner surface on each side to allow it to install. You can use a heat gun to slightly heat it (around the radii areas) to expand it ever so slightly🤔

[@WildlifeMoto]

Happy New year to you and your family too. Yes that a good idea. I’ll take the dimensions of the current cover and see about getting the replacement machined out. Both covers are made of cast aluminium. I believe the replacement is sand cast so it will likely be quite brittle. I don’t really want to try and bend it for that reason. Maybe a bit of heat might be worth a try before machining. The engine case has not been painted. I’ll figure it out one way or another, but I’m keen to just get her running for now.

[@stevesanelli90]

@@WildlifeMoto ohh, I thought the original is plastic 🤦‍♂️ Then, they must be of different engine castings? The older style looks to sit in the matching recess of engine castings where as the black one sits over the sides of the engine castings…let me check this… the irony is my 1982 Ducati Pantah has a similar era style to your Classic BMW. It’s that era style. Screw clamps over rubber ducting… o-rings for sealing metal to metal surfaces & socket head cap screws in place of the modern torx head screws… to name a few. I think your Brembo front brake callipers are P-08’s except yours are BMW propeller stamped…

[@WildlifeMoto]

@@stevesanelli90 The starter motor cover is cast aluminium, as is the bottom section of the airbox. The only plastic bits are the top section of the airbox, the two intake horns and the paper filter housing. The castings should all be from the same architecture. However, I imagine there might be tiny discrepancies in the casting moulds across the decades. Apparently, the 79 starter motor casting is a notoriously tight fit, so it might just be a case of either filing back the inner edges or getting it machined by a few thou. Most of the later airheads do run Brembo P-08s. However, the CS has different castings that were made just for BMW. Critically, the mounting holes are further apart than on the standard P-08s. I believe the working parts are the same.

[@Vivianauxito]

Good video sir. We have a product review inquiry and already emailed asking for an opportunity, We'd love to hear from you