HandyAndy Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 I bought a 94 R1100RS last fall and have been enjoying it until coming back from Florida in Feb the final drive gave out! Luckily it was just leaking and I was able to limp back the last 600 miles by adding gear oil every 75 miles. While I have the rear drive off I figured that I might as well pull the transmission to check on this spline problem I have always heard about. The splines were perfect, but the clutch was below min spec. When I enter the Vin # at Real OEM it comes up with a build date of 03/94, but the Vin plate is stamped 03/93! I noticed when I had the clutch out that all the parts were stamped 94. The bike also has an M94 transmission. Would it not have an M93 if it were truly an early 93? So how can the Vin plate be wrong? Andy. Link to comment
Mike T Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 Andy, Take a look at this link. There is a list of RS transmissions and manufacture dates at the bottom of the page. At quick glance there are no M94 gearboxes listed on a bike manufactured in 1993. http://www.largiader.com/tech/oiltrans/ Link to comment
HandyAndy Posted March 28, 2011 Author Share Posted March 28, 2011 Mike. Yes I have been to that site before and if you look at the transmission number on my bike 3726DAF M94 it fits right in after the 03/94 date he has on that site. But the Vin# plate is clearly stamped 03/93. Everything else points to the bike being a 03/94, even the wheels have 94 cast in them. Well at least the rear one does, the front was replaced in June 98 according to a note in the service booklet. It is stamped 97 so that makes sense. The 1000km service was performed on 05/05/94 there is no date on the pre-delivery check but it must have been somewhere around there also. Dose not take long to put on 1097km. The bike has the black dash panels that are only on the first year model. None of this makes much sense, I find it hard to believe that the build date on the frame could be wrong, but the evidence points to that! Has anyone else seen this? Andy Link to comment
Polo Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 What is the 10th character of the VIN? Link to comment
HandyAndy Posted March 28, 2011 Author Share Posted March 28, 2011 Polo. Tenth character is R. Andy. Link to comment
Polo Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 '93 year model. Caveat: In U.S.A. the 10th character is the year. 2000 is "Y", back track from there and you have "R" for 1993. I believe this is a world wide standard, but I do not know this from any written info I can find. Since this is stamped on the frame, there's nothing that says that the frame wasn't built that far in advance, and then the rest of the parts were mounted a whole year later. Link to comment
SANTA Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 Andy did you get the service manual with the bike, it should show you the day it was put into service... the sticker on the head stock/ frame should give you the production month and the model year. the only reason you'd expect to find a large number of newer parts is if they had been replaced (as in an accident repair)... i know thats not a lot of help, by the why, you've recovered from the michigan adventure last summer going home? Link to comment
HandyAndy Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 Santa. Thats the strange part the sticker says 03/93 but when the dealer runs the last 7 digits of the Vin they say 03/94! I thought that maybe the transmission may have been changed as it should have an M93, but the final drive is the 31/11 which was used with the M94. Even the service booklet with all the dealer stamps for service up to 90,000km lists the specifications for the M93 transmission. Everything points to this bike being built in 03/94 except the date on the VIN plate! Just seems odd that it could be wrong. My local dealer checked for any service information on the computer, but came up with nothing! Not even the one they performed at 80,000km! As for my recovery, yes I am as good as new. There still is a bit of ligament tearing in my wrist, but it doesn't bother me anymore. As for Kristina she only had a bruise so she was fine in a couple of weeks. Actually we were just discussing her going for her motorcycle licence next month! Andy. Link to comment
TestPilot Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 '93 year model. Caveat: In U.S.A. the 10th character is the year. 2000 is "Y", back track from there and you have "R" for 1993. I believe this is a world wide standard, but I do not know this from any written info I can find. R is model year 1994. U was not used. Link to comment
4wheeldog Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 My cut on it is that BMW uses parts until they run out them......They don't necessarily change the specifications on a given date. An example: Early 6spd 1150RTs have gear indicators that display an E for 6th gear, because they still had some 5spd ones left. Your frame was probably manufactured 3/93, but BMW put it together on 3/94. What BMW says the VIN means is what really happened. JMHO. Link to comment
AndyS Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 An example: Early 6spd 1150RTs have gear indicators that display an E for 6th gear, because they still had some 5spd ones left. I don't think you are correct here. It still needs the electronics to display that digit, and the controller was programmed to display E not 6. In this case it is not an issue of things being left over, it is more about updating that component. If it were just designed for a 5 speed there would be nothing there. Link to comment
dirtrider Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Afternoon Andy I have to agree with you. That “E” (economy) was purposely programmed in. Not to mention the switches and switch connectors are totally different between the 5 and 6 speed transmissions. Link to comment
4wheeldog Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 So, are you telling me that "E" didn't originally mean error? Really? Link to comment
HandyAndy Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 Well "E" for economy makes sense in english speaking countries but it translates to Wirtschaft in German so what do German models display for 6th?? Link to comment
Polo Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 '93 year model. Caveat: In U.S.A. the 10th character is the year. 2000 is "Y", back track from there and you have "R" for 1993. I believe this is a world wide standard, but I do not know this from any written info I can find. R is model year 1994. U was not used. After some looking into, you are right. U was not used, therefore it is a '94. Link to comment
kmac Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 I think the vin is all that matters in this case not the stamp of production date on the frame, especially since everything else aligns to 94 and the VIN shows 94...a production date stamp on a part...and remeber the frame is also just a part until the vin is installed on it...is just that, a production date not a VIN. But as my wife regularly reminds me...I dont know much Link to comment
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