Vintage BMW Motorcycle Owners

[i discovered today, as I was starting to install the new gear linkage, with the threaded ball. The bore on the gear levers, where the threaded part neads to go, is too small, for the new part to fit. So, option #1, is to go back to the old rod and clips, that already were installed. Option #2, is to drill out the holes, to a slightly larger bore, so that the new gear piece fits, and lock it down with the wave washer and nut.




I decided to clean and re grease my gear selector linkage, on my 1983 R100 S.



After pulling the rubber bellow open, I discovered that the linkage rod, was simply that, a metal rod, with a spring clip holding it in place on either end. See pic 1 ...




What I thought should have been there, is a threaded adjustable linkage. Rod, with a ball end, attachéd with a thread piece and nut. See pic 2...
So, my questions, would the threaded/ball end type in pic 2 be the correct linkage for my 83 R100, or should I just use what is currently installed? (Pic 1).

Anything wrong with how the current setup works?

The second picture is the correct set up, I believe you can purchase the whole unit from Max. St.

schrader7032 wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 01, 2023 12:52 pm

Anything wrong with how the current setup works?

Only that when I pulled the other end off, the spring clip was not securing to the rod. It’s supposed to be a pressure clip, but it was not attached to the rod, as it is on this end. See pic.

srankin wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 01, 2023 1:07 pm

The second picture is the correct set up, I believe you can purchase the whole unit from Max. St.

That’s what I suspected. Appreciate it.

I had noticed that the current linkage seems” sloppy”. Hopefully the correct one will help to tighten it up.

The bent rod was standard up to the early 80s, then superceded by the threaded one.

I had a bent rod which broke, leaving me a long way to go in 2nd. The threaded ones never broke (over 250,000 miles each).

Charlie.

Thanks guys, just ordered all needed parts.

My main concern with the “ rod” part, would be to get stranded, as cwf mentioned.

Even with the ball joint system there is a little bit of "play or slop". At least you will have the correct set up when the parts arrive and you install. St.

Thanks Steve. I am glad that I decided to service these parts, otherwise I would not even been aware that I had just the rod system.

I’ll feel better with these new components, even if they still allow some slop.

This is the setup I have on my '82 R100T and it works perfectly fine. The rubber cover split and fell off last year.

Kevin