New Life for an Old R1100RSL

[Limecreek]

Dave - thanks. I just looked up the price of the Remus. Ouch!

[Dave Wood]

Dave - thanks. I just looked up the price of the Remus. Ouch!

 

They seem to pop-up on Craig's list from time to time. I found mine in Arizona for 275.00

[Limecreek]

I spent a few hours on the bike today--concentrating on getting the front brake line sorted and completing the right throttle body.

 

Speigler out of the kindness of their heart and $70 made me a front brake line to replace the leaky poorly designed line from Galfer.

 

The Speigler is pretty much a direct swap for the stock BMW line.

 

Here you can see the difference--the Spiegler top and the Galfer on the bottom.

 

The line is installed and I am back to slowly getting all the air out of the system.

 

Next was onto the right throttle body. I ran into a small set back when I discovered the rebuild kit did not come with the correct throttle body shaft. I am sorting that out now with the vendor. However the good news is the shaft in the right throttle body was in excellent condition.

 

Here is the right throttle body--today tuned into to a cleanup and injector replacement only.

 

The right and left side by side. I start the left one tomorrow.

 

In the bike.

 

[SKYGZR]

Are you going to do the GS Intake tube mod? If not, put it on your list.

 

Also, get rid of the stupid charcol cannister while you're at it.

[Limecreek]

Are you going to do the GS Intake tube mod? If not, put it on your list.

 

Also, get rid of the stupid charcol cannister while you're at it.

 

The canister is gone. It was the first thing to hit the scrap bin during the tear down.

 

I'll consider the GS tube mod at some other time. I need to concentrate on completing the bike so my son in law can ride it to WSBK in Salt Lake City.

[Limecreek]

Small steps...inch by inch the bike is coming back together.

 

The left throttle body was cleaned and reinstalled. The shaft was in very good condition so I left it alone and will hang onto the kit I purchased for a future maintenance item.

 

Rubber pieces were replaced and the left as well as the right side has a new Bosch injector.

 

Adding the last piece to the left TB.

 

In the bike.

 

Next on the list is completing the work on the wiring harness. The previous owner really hack it up.

 

And then I'll route and connect the cables and get the zip ties back in place.

 

My son is working on replacing the lids to the side cases.

 

I figure we are 2 months away from hitting the GO button.

[Huzband]

 

I wonder if it looked that good on the assembly line. Great job.

[Bill1948]

I have a Staintune on my r1100r, no baffle, not loud but it does "snarl" when I get on it. Looks good too.

[Limecreek]

The FEDEX guy showed up, pissed off my dog and drop this at my door step.

 

Hmmmmm, could this be my header?

 

Sho'nuff it is my header and she is looking fine.

 

I am really happy how the header turned out, but I am equally happy about the stock pipe I found locally this week in south Austin. A perfect low mile pipe I picked up from a young guy, not much older than my son. You see, his Dad was restoring a GS and collected a bunch of R parts and by chance picked up this pristine R1100RS/RT pipe, but never used it. Dad recently passed away and the the unused parts went onto Craig's List.

Here is the pipe--sweet ain't she?

 

This is an exhaustion addition--are you loving the irony Mark? Anyway, BMW now supplies a copper nut vs. the very cool chrome exhaust nuts. Suckish, eh?

 

But wait there's more. You see I always purchase more than I need and when I was purchasing exhaust nuts for my 2002 R1150RT

I added a few extras to the order and now they ended up on the RSL--sweet. Method to madness.

 

The Jet Hot header and the old, but sweet pipe are on the RSL.

 

Inch by inch....

 

 

[Limecreek]

I forgot to add a picture of the K bike...she has been feeling ignored and I've notice her gas mileage has dropped. So....

 

Way better than any ole crappy boxer..

[roger 04 rt]

Hi LC,

I've been following your project and learning a lot from your experience. It's great that you've taken the extra time to document all of this. Seeing the bike stripped down is really helpful. If you don't mind, I've got a couple questions:

 

--The negative side of the battery is connected to the engine though one lug, is that correct?

 

--In the wiring harness, does the motronic have a direct wiring connection to the battery via its own wiring?

 

--In the photo of the exhaust below, what is the red color on the cat/muffler? Also, I see the blueing in the lower left corner of the cat and at the O2 sensor neck I have that on my '04RT. I guess that's normal, but wonder if the heat is high there due to mis-fired fuel igniting.

 

--What type of O2 sensor do you plan to mount?

 

Thanks again,

Roger

 

 

 

 

 

 

[realshelby]

 

--In the photo of the exhaust below, what is the red color on the cat/muffler? Also, I see the blueing in the lower left corner of the cat and at the O2 sensor neck I have that on my '04RT. I guess that's normal, but wonder if the heat is high there due to mis-fired fuel igniting.

 

Thanks again,

Roger

 

 

Don't know about the other stuff, but the blue color is quite normal. Caused by the exit of gasses from the catalytic convertor.

[Limecreek]

The negative side of the battery is connected to the engine though one lug, is that correct?

Correct. Here is a picture of the connection point I took during tear down. It is under the battery tray.

 

--In the wiring harness, does the motronic have a direct wiring connection to the battery via its own wiring?

No it does not.

 

--In the photo of the exhaust below, what is the red color on the cat/muffler? Also, I see the blueing in the lower left corner of the cat and at the O2 sensor neck I have that on my '04RT. I guess that's normal, but wonder if the heat is high there due to mis-fired fuel igniting.

The red is the reflection from the incandescent lighting in the shop. The blue is normal for the pipe.

 

--What type of O2 sensor do you plan to mount?

A 4 wire Bosch, part number 13474.

[roger 04 rt]

Thank you. Lots of things here that I wouldn't have seen for a long time till I do my spline lube. RB

[Limecreek]

 

The speedo cable seems to be too short. I do not have the old one around to make a comparison, but the new one measures out to a little over 1000mm.

 

I cannot turn the bars to the right without the cable dragging across the left caliper.

 

Is the cable too short? What is the stock spec? Could it be the result of the new Ohlin struts? The struts as the root cause seem improbable to me, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

 

As a workaround I went ahead and ordered the cable for the GS--it is 40mm longer and should fix my problem. I think...

 

Comments and suggestions are welcomed.

 

Cheers!

 

Inch by inch...

[Galactic Greyhound]

Hi Limecreek,

 

Your speedo cable is likely OK for length - what appears to be wrong is that it is leaving the speedo drive unit at the 5 o'clock position - it should be between the 2 and 3 o'clock position.

 

This is likely caused by the speedo drive unit not being correctly located on the lug in the fork leg.

[eddd]

As pointed out, you seem to have the speedometer drive clocked incorrectly. While mine is a R1100RT, I'm pretty sure it is the same as yours, though not nearly as clean. There is a tab on the fork and two tabs on the drive. The drive tabs slip between the fork tab.

 

 

 

[Polo]

I agree with Ced and Eddd. What says Ted? and Ned?

[Limecreek]

Guys - yes you are all correct.

 

Instead of referring to the service manual I aligned it in a way that made sense to me. Intuitively it made sense to align the speedo drive behind the lug on the fork leg to prevent it from rotating in the direction of forward wheel travel--counterclockwise.

 

So much for my intuition.

[elkroeger]

Which manual are you using? Haynes? BWM? other?

[Limecreek]

I am using the BMW service manual.

 

It is pretty good, but I wouldn't mind picking up a Haynes to compliment the BMW manual.

[Selden]

At the level of expertise you have, I'm not sure the Haynes would add anything useful, other than wiring diagrams.

[Alfred02]

At the level of expertise you have, I'm not sure the Haynes would add anything useful, other than wiring diagrams.

I wouldn't even trust their wiring diagrams.

You would be better off with a proper workshop wiring diagram CD, if there is such a thing.

[Limecreek]

1. BMW Dark Graphite Metallic

2. BMW Titan Grey

3. BMW Light Magnesium

4. Mercedes Sapphire Grey Metallic

5. Mercedes Arctic White

 

 

I am having a very hard time deciding and it finally has come down to picking a color--I can delay no longer.

 

I like the Merc Arctic White and I really liked the color of my R1200RT Dark Graphite Metallic.

 

Help me pick a color.

 

Cheers!

 

[OoPEZoO]

I would have a really tough time with that decision. I absolutely love the Dark Graphite Metallic that was on my '00 RT. That being said, I am a complete sucker for white. My personal old car favorite being BMW Alpinweiss 2.

 

If you are also looking at BMW metallic car colors, do yourself a favor and look at Cosmos Black that was available on the E36 M3. Gorgeous color that really stands out it the bright sunlight.

 

EDIT....if I had to make a choice off your list, I would go #5

[SKYGZR]

Do it right, use a color that was "off the assembly line" for your model year..

 

A "cage" color on a Motorcycle is just wrong.

[Limecreek]

Do it right, use a color that was "off the assembly line" for your model year..

 

A "cage" color on a Motorcycle is just wrong.

 

I am having a hard time with some of the period color choices.

 

Arctic Silver/Night Black; Marrakesh Red 2/White Aluminium; Marrakesh Red2/Arctic Silver; Dolphin Blue; Macao Yellow; Night Black/Aluminium White; Avus Black; Cobalt Blue/White Aluminium; Marrakesh Red/White Aluminium; Turquoise Green; Pearl Silver; Glacier Green

 

Black is out, the silver pearl is nice but the paint is very expensive. There are too many red ones out there. The turquoise green to me is a yuck color - no offense to lovers of that color.

 

Now for some reason I keep staring at the dolphin blue. I am not sure if I like it or if the color is shocking my senses.

 

Some of the colors for that period are not typical of BMW in general.

 

The dark graphite metallic is about as close as I'll get to a period color--or that dolphin blue.....as I go into a trance.

[eddd]

Aren't there software programs that let you look at various colors on the bike?

 

 

[Selden]

Since silver is the traditional race color for German cars, it's hard to argue against it.

 

How about Boston Green (used only on the 1999RT). My 99 constantly gets positive comments about the color, and not just from BMW owners.

 

The BMW Mini Cooper is available in what I think they call "British Racing Green Metallic," a color that looks very similar to my eyes (not the most reliable gauge), so I'm guessing that it should not be too hard to find, or for a paint shop to mix.

[Limecreek]

Aren't there software programs that let you look at various colors on the bike?

 

There are, but I do not have one.

 

15 years ago I use to paint bikes (high end mountain bikes) on the side for extra cash. I am amazed at how much paint has gone up.

[eddd]

I like your idea of considering colors other than just what was on motorcyles.

[Limecreek]

Since silver is the traditional race color for German cars, it's hard to argue against it.

 

How about Boston Green (used only on the 1999RT). My 99 constantly gets positive comments about the color, and not just from BMW owners.

 

The BMW Mini Cooper is available in what I think they call "British Racing Green Metallic," a color that looks very similar to my eyes (not the most reliable gauge), so I'm guessing that it should not be too hard to find, or for a paint shop to mix.

 

I like silvers, but just like the reds, there are a bunch out there. Boston Green is rare for sure.

[Limecreek]

I like your idea of considering colors other than just what was on motorcyles.

 

Sandi's new car in Arctic White is very attractive and I can visualize it on the RSL. An all white with black accent at the bottom of the main fairings; black city cases and a black or charcoal leather saddle....hmmmm, that could be the ticket.

[Lone_RT_rider]

I like your idea of considering colors other than just what was on motorcyles.

 

Sandi's new car in Arctic White is very attractive and I can visualize it on the RSL. An all white with black accent at the bottom of the main fairings; black city cases and a black or charcoal leather saddle....hmmmm, that could be the ticket.

 

Since your considering colors outside of "traditional" BMW colors.... something in the spirit of my great aunt?

 

 

*he ducks*

[Limecreek]

I like your idea of considering colors other than just what was on motorcyles.

 

Sandi's new car in Arctic White is very attractive and I can visualize it on the RSL. An all white with black accent at the bottom of the main fairings; black city cases and a black or charcoal leather saddle....hmmmm, that could be the ticket.

 

Since your considering colors outside of "traditional" BMW colors.... something in the spirit of my great aunt?

 

 

*he ducks*

 

Ok, wise guy.

 

I think that just broke by dolphin blue trance.

[Selden]

I've never seen a Mary Kay motorcycle before.

[Lone_RT_rider]

I've never seen a Mary Kay motorcycle before.

 

She started that long before the days of Mary Kay. After the release of the movie the wild one, she switched from black to white leathers and painted her bike pink. She did anything she could to distance herself from the stereotype created by that film.

 

Shawn

[Kathy R]

In a heartbeat, Mercedes Arctic White

Fascinating thread, Greg. THANKS!

[Michaelr11]

I like silvers, but just like the reds, there are a bunch out there. Boston Green is rare for sure.

For sure, paint it any color that suits YOU. My choice ... take a hard look at Sienna Red. It's a different red than most of the other red colors that BMW has used. My '96 RT had it - it was one of the most eye catching bikes around. I don't know if they offered it more than one year. Of course that's just IMHO. My current RT is Champagne, nice but not as good.

[Limecreek]

Guys - The center stand needs to come off for service. Do I need to apply some heat to the fasteners? Do you have any other tips?

 

Much thanks!

 

 

And....the panels are with the painter. I should have them back in 10 days.

[Limecreek]

Ok...no need for tips. I have it off. It practically fell off.

[Limecreek]

There was not much time to work on the RSL this weekend. The city case lids are on and the center stand and side stand are off for paint and service. And I started working through my check lists today.

 

 

I am going to mount a set of LED driving lights, but am having a difficult time finding mounts for the old bike. Much of the aftermarket accessories are out of production.

 

The bike needs a proper touring windshield and of course my first choice Wudo is another accessory that is no longer in production. So I am looking at alternatives. Any suggestions?

 

I also need a rear bag reflective kit, but it looks like Motoequipe no longer sells the inner bag kit for the R1100.

 

We are getting very close to hitting the go button. The big question is will it start?

 

[Selden]

The bike needs a proper touring windshield and of course my first choice Wudo is another accessory that is no longer in production. So I am looking at alternatives. Any suggestions?

What a fantastic project this has been to follow. Re windshield, you might want to contact Charly Perethian at Parabellum, who list various options for the RS1100.

[roger 04 rt]

+1 this continues to be a great educational thread.

[SKYGZR]

The bike needs a proper touring windshield. So I am looking at alternatives. Any suggestions?

 

Here

 

but it looks like Motoequipe no longer sells the inner bag kit for the R1100.

Here again

 

We are getting very close to hitting the go button. The big question is will it start?

 

Don't forget to put fuel in the tank but don't fill it..say 2 gallons..just in case ya gotta take it back off

[Limecreek]

The bike needs a proper touring windshield and of course my first choice Wudo is another accessory that is no longer in production. So I am looking at alternatives. Any suggestions?

What a fantastic project this has been to follow. Re windshield, you might want to contact Charly Perethian at Parabellum, who list various options for the RS1100.

 

Good suggestion. I went with the tinted +2 Parabellum.

[Sweendog]

Sorry, I can't help you on the color, because my vote will always be for Biarritz Blue. It's a thing. =D

[Skywagon]

I bought my bag reflector kit from A&S. It is for an RT but you can probably cut to fit. I have some extra pieces if you want them. Email me and I can send them to you.

[Limecreek]

I bought my bag reflector kit from A&S. It is for an RT but you can probably cut to fit. I have some extra pieces if you want them. Email me and I can send them to you.

 

Thanks David, but I plan to order a full set.

[Limecreek]

The fuel tank, along with the rest of the panels will be back in a week, so it was time to take a close look at the fuel supply assembly.

 

The sending unit looks to be in very good condition.

 

No surprise that I found the rubber hoses hard and brittle.

 

I've never before seen this much crap come out of an oil head inline filter.

 

Out with old and in with the new filter.

 

And finally the completed assembly all ready for the tank. It has a new filter, hoses, o-rings and a few new clamps.

 

Cheers!