R100GS For Sale

1993 BMW R100GS Bumblebee, 69,670 miles. $5500

Central California bike, daily driver, always garaged. Engine, transmission, & drive shaft are tight with no leaks. Very little off-road use; fire roads only.

Less than 100 miles on newly rebuilt transmission (new bearings & shift forks); work done in August. In June, the neutral switch and clutch switch were replaced and a full Service 2 performed. In April, the voltage regulator, throttle cables, and air box breather hose were replaced. In March, it got new steering bearings. The pushrod tubes and head gaskets were replaced in late summer 2007. Progressive fork springs and new a fork tube was installed in fall 2006. All parts were new OEM and the work and service was performed by Cycle Specialties BMW of Modesto.

Almost completely stock with two-tone, two-up seat and hard touring cases. It has a rebuilt (and rebuildable) starter, a newer, non-stock alternator, volt meter, throttle lock, and exhaust extension. Dealer installed options include heated grips, hand guards, handlebar pad, and a tinted windscreen. Tool kit, service manual, and owners manual included.

Contact kewaneh[at]gmail[dot]com for more info and links to detailed pics.

Two Bikes

Well, I got the Beemer back from the shop. It only took six weeks and a large chunk of change. They ended up replacing the shifting forks and all of the bearings inside the transmission. (sigh...) I found the ST the day I dropped the BMW off at the shop and while it was there, I bought the ST and managed to put more than 3500 miles on it. Most of those miles were just commuting.

Daily Rider & Ice

It was 28 degrees according to the Time & Temperature clock when I left Kerman this morning. Luckily it was clear and relatively dry. About 6 miles east of town, the temperature had dropped a few degrees and I began to get into some fog. The fog thickened up to about 500 feet visibility and the bike & I were getting wetter & wetter in the fog. I needed to wipe my face shield off every minute or so.

Then came the inevitable results of combining a foggy mist with mid 20s temperatures and a 40-50 mph wind; my faceshield would not wipe off. (A quick look at a NOAA windchill chart later in the day showed the effective temperature to be about 4 degrees.) Some quick and vigorous scraping poked a hole in the ice on my shield big enough to see through. The heated grips on the bike (Wow, do I love the heated grips!) had the palms of my gloves very toasty so rubbing the ice with the palm of the glove got a bit more ice removed. I would imagine that the sight of motorcyclist riding through the fog with one hand covering his face & eyes was a bit strange (and possible memorable) to the drivers going the other way. The way I figure it though, I already couldn't see because of the fog & ice; covering my eyes with my hand wasn't going to make things much worse. (Really, though, this whole scene only lasted 5-10 seconds.) After I got a hole made in the ice, I was able to keep it clear, even though the rest of my visor continued to ice up.

A few more miles up the road and the front of my jacket was white with ice, particularly on my arms, as were my knee caps and the toes of my boots. I had horizontal icicles hanging from the top of my windshield, my handguards, and on the lower crashbars. Thankfully, the fog was not resting on the ground and/or freezing there. Ice & motorcycles do not play well together.

By the time I reached the Fresno City limits, the fog had lifted and it was clear & dry again. Within a few miles, the ice was gone, but it was still cold.

Daily Rider in the Rain

More rain today. I don't mind riding in it. I kind of enjoy it, and I think it makes me a better rider. The roads get very slick when they're wet with the first few rains, so I don't man-handle the bike as much. I'm much more conscious of my throttle & braking, particularly how smooth (or not) it is. If it's smooth, there are no problems, but a jerky thorttle or a quick jab at the brakes gets things unsettled very quickly. I read that somewhere, but experience has made it sink in.

64,000 Miles

I rolled 64,000 miles on the BMW R100GS on the way home tonight. I'm aiming at 100,000.

It was pouring rain for most of my 28 mile trip to work. I managed to get there dry & comfy without any leaks. It rained most of the way home too, but by this time my boots were soaked. It's supposed to rain for the next few days. We'll see how that goes.

62,000 Miles

I rolled 62,000 miles on the BMW R100GS on the way home tonight. I'm aiming at 100,000.

60,000 Miles

I rolled 60,000 miles on the BMW R100GS on the way home tonight. I'm aiming at 100,000.

59,000 Miles

I rolled 59,000 miles on the BMW R100GS on the way home tonight. I'm aiming at 100,000.

Bits & Pieces

I took the R100GS to the shop to get a $6 spring replaced in the transmission and some new fork springs. $150 in parts and nearly $1200 in labor. When I spoke to the shop last, they told me that the fork tube had cracked and that they had been looking for a used one. Another $300 for a new tube. They were only able to find a questionable pair - they were off a bike with front-end damage and powder coated black. The guy didn't want to split the pair either. BMW NorthAmerica had none in stock so they had to order a new one von Deutschland. They couldn't estimate the delivery date much better than 'within a week or two'.