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October 2012 Club News

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All Finished - Guy’s BMW

Story & Pics Guy Davies

WELL, the project is finished, and I am very happy with the result. A few years ago I transformed my “Triumph Adventurer” from its staid factory look to something with a fair bit of classic attitude just by using a colour change and a bit of imagination, “no great expertise or dollars required”.

Triumph Adventurer with a bit of attitude.
Having noticed and taken an interest in the boxer airhead machine over the past 30 years, I felt that it was about time that I created one just for me, so I joined the BMW club. Through information gained I then flew to Melbourne and rode back my black 82 R100.

I liked and learned a lot from that bike, it was actually one of the bikes used within “Ian Falloons” BMW airhead book. Didn’t want to add real use big k’s upon this machine, also I really wanted to create “my perfect motorcycle” . . . it had to be non-Japanese, aircooled, classic, and very reliable, so the R series A10 motor or 81-84 R100 to me was the only answer.

Discovered upon the net . . . ex German police display team bike, an 81 R100TIC, with less than 10,000 original k’s, I loved the unique police hatch on the tank, which was more common on the previous type tank.

Thought to myself “this is the one” . . . From Germany a Japanese chap brought it to Aust, before leaving he sold it to a Vic farmer who put it in a shed for over 20 years. A Noel Bienvenn, a motorcycle enthusiast purchased it and at little expense had it ready for the road again, after a few years he put it on the net.

I flew to Melbourne again, a few hundred k’s before Adelaide, it started spluttering, so in my wisdom I started pulling apart the carby’s, I did some damage to the left carby, anyway limped into Adelaide, where she conked out. Left it with Adelaide BMW, arranged freight, and flew home. Found out later that the problem was a crook plug lead (If only I had known).

At his workshop Vince Radice of Bassendean Motorcycles reconditioned the damaged carby in front of me, he said that it was about the tightest running airhead that he had ridden.

Modified R100 BMW with pillion and ammo box.
Off with the big RT police fairing, replaced it with an Eagle fairing that used to be on my old Boldor 900 Honda (this is virtually a copy of the S series fairing) a satin black paint job, had a pillion seat with attached ammo box behind, with two bolts this can be quickly removed (a nice look).

All in all, am very pleased with how it turned out, going to do a quick trip to Mt Augustus this November, in early 2013. I have long service leave, so will be doing a slow easy lap of the country. The original panniers I have modified so can be opened from the top, to me seems more practical than opening sideways.

Hopefully this bike will be with me for many years to come.

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