Matthew Miller Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 As some of you know I recently purchased a 2001 R1100RL. I have looked through this entire section for references to my bike. Is the bike very uncommon or am I just on the wrong site. If I am on the wrong site could someone please direct me to the right area. So far everyone has been so helpful with my questions. Link to comment
Boffin Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 I have a 2002 R850RSE. The bikes are 95% the same as the RT/GS etc. Most of the differences are cosmetic and certainly the mechanical bits are pretty much identical. That is why the site is divided by engine type - oilhead, hexhead and camhed - BMW use a modular build philosophy, so a qustion on a a starter for instance will apply to all the bikes with just differences in access, on a RT you have to remove panels, on your R, just the starter cover - which isn't fitted to the RT. To answer your question, the RxxxxR are less common than the RT or GS, bikes like ours, which are crossover machines - early engines with some later cosmetics and chrome heads are the rarest of all, but only as a package. They are parts-bin specials, with the exception of the pinstripes. Hope this helps, Andy Link to comment
mneblett Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 The OP has also posted on the MOA forum. I believe he is asking how rare is the "L" special edition of the R1100R, not the R's in general. Link to comment
Matthew Miller Posted June 21, 2015 Author Share Posted June 21, 2015 Mneblett, you are correct I am asking about the 2001 BMW R1100RL. It has Black paint with white pinstripes, Chrome valve covers, chrome bar ends, chrome mirrors, chrome gauges, Spoked wheels with an 18" front tire. It also has BMW hard side bags on back and a handlebar mounted wind screen that is black smoke across the bottom. why is there is so much confusion as to this model. The side of the bike under the seat says R1100R. The dealer where I bought the bike told me it is an RL. I have heard some people say the L stands for Lowered while others say it stands for Limited Edition. I have never heard of anything so new with this much confusion. No matter what it is I like it and will learn to like it even more when I make a few changes like the seat. I have to admit that I am a little worried about buying a fancy seat for 600 dollars and not really knowing if I am going to like it any better Link to comment
mneblett Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 why is there is so much confusion as to this model. The side of the bike under the seat says R1100R. Precisely because it is a limited edition model -- few know of it. I have an R100M, a late R100R airhead with some changes that make it an R100 "Mystik." Ask a general forum how rare it is and half the folks will ask *what* it is rather than being able to guess how many (in my case, a couple hundred in '94 and '95). Add to that that it used to be that importers would make their own "special" editions once the bikes arrived in country, and the confusion becomes complete. Your best bet is to contact the BMW Heritage folks and ask for details (you should be able to find a link on the BMW Motorrad international site). BMW maintains a good archive of the marque's history, including production info. Link to comment
Boffin Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Looks a little like mine by the sound of it - except mine is the 850 engine. There was a R1100RSL that was a RS with lower fairings. My bike says R850R on the paperwork, but was called a R850R SE (special edition) by the local dealer. This was a model to span the change from the 1100 to 1150 engine - the 850 engine also changed, it is based on the larger engine of that year. Andy Link to comment
Trullion Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Mr Google, he say: https://www.powersportsnetwork.com/enthusiasts/review_detail.asp?rv=73243&veh=3106 Link to comment
Trullion Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Just checked in Ian Fallon's book on BMWs in which production years and numbers for each type are included as an appendix. The 1100RL is neither mentioned in the text nor separately shown in the production numbers. I recall that the 850R was produced as a special edition at the end of the production of the 850/1100 R series, when the 1150R and 6 speed 850R started production. Essentially they were tarted up standard R models to shift old stock before the new models came on stream. Not many will have been produced because they were one season only. Interestingly the 1100 oilhead produced in the largest number was the RT. Second was the combined numbers of 1100 and 850Rs, then the 1100/850 GS bikes and, lastly, the 1100RS, which actually had the longest production run. All info sourced from Fallon's book. Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.