Vintage BMW Motorcycle Owners

The coils seem to be the likely suspect. Only the wires on the direct path from the starter relay 87 to left coil +15 show any damage. The red wire from the start relay is larger than the remaining wires since it carries more load to other circuits. The two wires jumped off the Green/Blue to the Ign...

A proper battery disconnect would not melt, they are typically rated in hundreds of amps. The OE switch is just meant to interrupt the current to the coil +15 terminal, ignition control unit and starter relay. The largest wires used in the circuit are 14awg rated at about 15amps. But I think since t...

I've been using foam plugs since I started riding again back in 1996. I'd already damaged my hearing while in the USN. I put plugs in for any ride that is not a short test ride listening for something. When I'm going to be wearing them for more than a few hours, like when I'm doing IBA rides, I'll g...

Let my sorrow be a lesson. A few weeks ago I backed my 1981 R100RT out of the garage to do a carburetor synchronization. I started the bike up normally and fiddled around with something when I heard a hissing noise that I couldn't identify. Next thing I saw was "steam", actually white/gray smoke, po...

Booze and anger, a bad combination for classic machine :( I suppose he was fortunate to have not jumped on the bike and drove it off the road. That's how I got hold of a sweet Honda Night Hawk with just a couple bent fork tubes. But my buddy wasn't so lucky, in the hospital for several weeks with hi...

Just a data point. I changed the oil today with Valvoline 20W50 VR1(high Zinc content) and new filter, 3qts. Did a test to see how long from a full drain, let sit for an hour draining, refill and cranking until the oil pressure light goes out. I pulled the plugs and grounded them to the heads with j...

I've been fortunate not to have to resort to tipping any of my bikes on purpose. Although a woman backed her car into my R1150GS and it sat perfectly happy for a few hours on the Jessy Bag and crash bars perfectly parallel to the parking area. The only damage were some scratches where the dingbat tr...

Yellow Oil pressure light? Just reminds us how old these bikes are when the most critical system warning is Yellow and not RED. Not on my "modern :D " 1981 R100RT, both oil and alternator are RED. And my oil light goes out while cranking and the Alternator is out above about 1000-1200rpm. Unless it'...

That's pretty much what I expected. I've even pondered the idea of getting a ratty post 87 and do a melding of that and my 81. :D I've had pretty good luck on tires. They have gotten exponentially better. But just being prepared to change a tube road side, between tools, tire spoons, tubes, pieces o...

Hello, I'm a new member of VBMO. But I began my love affair with the marquee about 25 years ago when I bought my 1983 R100RT. Since then I've owned a 1966 R69S, 2000 R1150GS and now a 1981 R100RT. I do love this vintage RT. Even at 40years and 43k I'm riding it Sunday on an IronButt SS1000 https://w...