BMW R100RS Crossing Australia - 4

[@DwainEvans-ki7ly]

Verry good series mate, I am 51 years old as well so hear you on that one, I will be doing almost the same trip on my 1983 BMW R65LS only I will be starting from my home state of Tasmania. Will be riding with my 21 year old son who rides a 1980 Kawasaki KZ440 he restored himself. Happy trails and I look forward to watching more of your vids.

[@jl991825]

Glad you enjoyed it. You guys are going to have an epic ride. Was thinking about luggage options on a KZ - probably soft saddle bags either side? Maybe a similar challenge I had on the Triumph Rocket ride. Anyway, I wish you both all the best, and extra points if you complete the trip mid winter!

[@assessor1276]

Nice video - well done from Canada. Amazingly, I’ve got a 1920 Can.-built Model T and a 1983 R100RS and agree with all of your comments. My biggest RS gripe is the stupidly placed (invisible under the carb), idiotically designed (spring UP) and ridiculously weak sidestand. Absolute rubbish which is what the initial magazine tests said in 1977 when RS was introduced. FIXES: get yourself a Brown’s sidestand. It’s a tad clunky and “Harley-ish” but very strong and convenient. For the mirrors: Suzuki GSXR mirrors fit and stick out further than the stock BMW mirrors - so you get a view of the road and not your shoulders. GSXR mirrors are easily bought aftermarket for small dollars and bolt right on. Cheers from “way up top”. Pete

[@jl991825]

Wow. Great advice mate. Crazy that we both have a similar interest. Stay warm while I try to stay cool!

[@nigellucas560]

Your comment about pulling left on a do or died oncoming overtake reminded me why I sold my 75/6 , my son was a month old. I followed every gear change from memory . Your choke cold start had me willing you to shut the choke of when it smoked at the tail pipe. My son is forty years old. The airheads have that memory retention for guys like me.

[@jl991825]

Great comment. Thanks. Good memories eh?

[@stevotaylor6548]

BMV R 100 S 20 LITRE tank. Nunuturra road house to Tom Price. 398 km on a tank of fuel. Two up with panniers topbox tank bag containing a spare clutch plate and the tool (from the BMV Club of Wa)

[@jl991825]

Awesome range. Mine sucks - it's tune is way out if I'm using double that (ish)

[@mcorriga]

That was a very good series. Thanks for making it. Your bike is the twin of mine and looks in decent nick. You mentioned that you would like a 6th gear. Well, you can fit an overdrive 5th which has worked out well on mine.

[@jl991825]

Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the info RE overdrive 5th; will definitely look into it.

[@Adza2323]

Great experience, thank you 😊

[@jl991825]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@philandrea8954]

Well done 👍

[@jl991825]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@woolmer608]

What a superb machine the R100RS is,a brilliant design very well put together by BMW.Really enjoyed your footage of the trip.

[@jl991825]

Glad you enjoyed it! They are a bloody brilliant machine; sublime engineering.

[@kristinaluckett5591]

Great series, don't worry too much about the highway rpms a properly tuned airhead is in it's element around 5k. If you were able to gear it back to 3250 odd rpm at 100 km/h I think you'll find that it's pretty unhappy. Airheads love being in the upper mid range and hate being lugged. I'm recommissioning 2 airheads myself at present and hope to be back on the road soon. Cheers, Bob.

[@jl991825]

Hey Bob, thanks for the advice. Being new to airheads, it's hard to know how to be sympathetic. I've come off a variety of jap bikes which were designed to be revved.

[@twinphill900]

Mate, I enjoyed every episode 👍 thank you.

[@jl991825]

Glad you like them! An epic trip worth sharing for sure!

[@polarbear7720]

I just found your channel and thoroughly enjoyed this series, will be looking through for more to watch, thank you for taking the time to document your epic trip on that great old bike.

[@jl991825]

Welcome aboard! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@nicovandiepen4123]

I really liked your journey. If i would do the same in my country, drive from east to west and back. I can leave after breakfast and be back before dinner the same day. I have been twice in your country and really liked it. Greetings from Holland Nico

[@jl991825]

Thanks Nico, I'm glad you liked it! I've also been to your country twice. Both times were very nice. Such friendly people.

[@nicovandiepen4123]

@@jl991825 I think we will be coming back to Australië in the near future, because our daughter lives in Perth. Greetings Nico

[@mvd944l]

Enjoyed that, a real world trip on an older bike. I just bought an R100 last week as a winter bike (My 4 th in 40 years) looking forward to wearing it out. Jealous of the climate! From the real Perth here in Scotland!

[@jl991825]

Hey glad you liked it. A winter bike? What sort of madness is that? Good choice though. I thought you'd get black ice up there in Perth. I spose you just hit it and power through! Take it easy mate.

[@mvd944l]

@@jl991825We get black ice and snow, this morning leaving my street, icy, had a great 70 mile run in the country. Saves me wearing out my Guzzi's (and Nortons) 🥲🤣

[@reinmansmith]

Great trip to follow…. always say that you need a decent trip to truly get to know a new bike (new to you anyway!) and across Australia is a pretty full on first ride! The RS is a superb machine to do distance on, I can’t think of many bikes that eat long distance rides as well. Re your head shake at around 50k if it’s not the head bearings, it is common to get it (I’ve had it and it’s not good) due to either a worn front tyre or incorrect pressure to so worth checking them out …. Enjoy your RS 👍

[@jl991825]

Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the tip. Pretty sure it's bearings as tyre is new and pressure is fine...

[@AndrewTheCelt]

Beautiful motorcycle, great trip looks like. I’ve got the RT version of that bike and I love it too

[@jl991825]

Right on! Thanks mate. Its an awesome ride on a highly capable machine. Have a great Christmas.

[@peterford8183]

7:00 There are overflow tubes on the float bowls to minimise fuel in the cylinder due to stuck float valve. Mind you fuel burn on your foot is not nice.

[@jl991825]

Thanks mate. I should have known the German engineers would have that covered!

[@saxonost7]

Interesting observations about how the parameters of our lives becoming smaller as we age. When we're young we throw ourselves upon the world with nary a thought to the consequences...yet as we get closer to death, we become more conservative. My wife and I rode our Triumph Rocket III and sidecar along with our 2 dogs across to Perth and back from northern NSW about ten years ago in our mid-fifties with little concern. A tent, cooking and camping gear etc, and it was really a fantastic journey. Yet now, in out early 60s, I can feel a certain shrinking of our horizons... this is something which must be reacted against. Good machinery, good preparation.. roadside assistance.. haha. All the things I never thought about in the past.

[@jl991825]

Couldn't agree more.

[@robertmassolini4503]

I really enjoy yr travels mate through this great country 👍

[@jl991825]

I'm really glad you enjoyed these. Take it easy!

[@stevotaylor6548]

A mate died three years ago. I bought his R 100 RT 1979. ALSO an R 100 RSR 1982 (just for parts) from BMBIKES Jandacott.

[@jl991825]

Good on ya. Way to go!

[@Derekuma]

I just finished the series, well done, it left me with envy , fond memories of my 81 RS & a wish to pass on some assistance . My RS - which I owned from new, till Nov 2022 - had mirror vibration from day one. I improved the issue by changing the mirrors[1] & reinforcing the "spider" [2] as they call the metal frame holding the fairing . 1 - Kawasaki mirrors - model 2k-7R-ZX-7RR-ZXr400GP 2500S - ZPZ 500S- GPZ 500s - which look almost identical with very similar mounting , 2 x 28mm apart bolts, if you can source a pair. 2- I poured araldite epoxy down the spider & packed the mirror mounting points with 4 mm of aluminum shim. That made a huge difference. 3- Re the 80kph steering wobble, again , been there . The original top head plate on the shocks is a thin metal plate, I was able to get an aftermarket part - machined aluminium - that made a huge difference. Not too sure if still available. Having loved & rebuilt RS in 2004 , I have lots of other hints if you are interested but I am just not tech savvy enough to know how to share the info/ images other than this page . If you know how & want more let me know , I am happy to assist. Not too sure this will work but at the 1.10 mark on this very poor video you can see the mirrors in action. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gIPcZnt9npeCfq8

[@jl991825]

Hey mate thanks for the information. If you want to stay in touch just drop me an email: [e-mail]

[@dierckxsens-industrypartne7501]

a days drive over here in Europe brings u about 300km further. Unless u take highways. Those 600+ day etappes on empty nice roads are unbelievable 🙂

[@tunza60]

Really enjoyed your vids... Ive done Melbourne-Brisbane a few times on different bikes.. Tho ive just bought an R80..so looking forward to that.. I cant believe you dont wear gloves when riding!!..any reason for that?...lol

[@jl991825]

Glad you enjoyed the series! I'll never do the Newell Highway again unless it's on a BMW tourer. Hey, I've quickly skimmed all the videos in this series to see how you might have gotten the impression I ride without gloves?!? I do recall cold hands on the trip and taking gloves off to warm up, and on the Triumph series, I had no gloves riding 1km from the campsite to town. Anyhoos, I always ride in full gear. Cheers mate.

[@alftorrisi8795]

That was a great watch. I did the Perth Brisbane run in ‘23 by car and am planning to go via bike. I was surprised to see so few bikes on my trip. What made you choose that particular bike? As in model, year? Thanks for videos.

[@jl991825]

Glad you enjoyed it! Make sure you do it by bike; it's epic. We've had airheads in the family before. My uncle had a red R100S he bought new, and would leave it with us while he worked away. Dad would double me to tennis on that bike. My aunt had the exact same R100RS and she'd take me on it often. Combine the sentimental stuff with its ability to tour comfortably (the Triumph videos don't do justice to how uncomfortable that bike was), and you've got a natural choice.

[@alftorrisi8795]

That’s great. I picked up an R80 Mono and it’s just the sweetest machine to tour on. Only short fall is overtaking power. But you manage. I have a friend with an early Rocket. The short travel suspension doesn’t seem to help his aging spine. Safe travels

[@jl991825]

Cheers mate. You too.

[@stevotaylor6548]

120 km/h is 4 250 with a 34 /11 diff ratio.

[@simonhantler8062]

im about to buy one in usa and ride over there and bring it home to NZ. how did you find the seat comfort? so only 250kms out of a tank of gas?what mods are you going to do to it?

[@jl991825]

Hey mate, the seat comfort is okay - I'd say well calibrated to the range. I've bought a new circuit board for the dash (upgraded to LED) which I'll fit and show youse this week coming. I've also got to work out lack of tail light etc. (Probably a fuse). The other investigation will be jetting - I suspect it's running too rich. Other than that, inside the panniers can be addressed with new elastics. Not much to do really

[@hansmonitio7462]

Really liked your vlog, I have a ‘79 RS. It still amazes me how well it performs for a 40 year old bike. What was your oil consumption on the trip ?

[@jl991825]

Hey mate, glad you enjoyed it. It used a small amount - perhaps 300ml in 4400km. I was very happy with it.

[@simonhantler8062]

nice bike but jesus australias a boring country for riding in. if you dont fall asleep on those roads and stop to open your eyes the bloody flies attack the shit outa ya. i remember loving the counter lunches and bloody cold beer in the outback, sound of crows and living in a singlet and stubbies year round 👍

[@jl991825]

Yeah, the challenges aren't hairpin bends or off camber corners for sure...