My R100GS tale of woe

flatdog said:
Jesus h Christ....that's a pity.

Name and shame the vendor!!!

I don't believe this will be an easy resto.

But she's in the right place so good luck with the rest anyway.
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I cannot do that, there will be a county court claim pending, if the seller doesn't return some of my cash.

I'm happy with Mike doing the job, now the examination has necessarily resulted in what is nearly full strip down I'm having the black metal parts powder coated and the cases vapour blasted.

Just having to bite the bullet at the cost, almost as much as I paid for the bike!
 
Good bits

Has an ohlins shock (probably need a rebuild) and an HPN exhaust can as well. Thanks Mike:thumb2
 
It is very easy to start an airhead - did you not run the Bike and inspect it before you paid a (large) amount?

Did you buy it with your eye closed? ........ this GS madness is really crazy ........ a GS is only a BMW airhead ....... it is not some kind on "magic" Bike ........

In the past I have bought non-runners, but the most I ever paid was a few hundred £'s
 
BillN said:
It is very easy to start an airhead - did you not run the Bike and inspect it before you paid a (large) amount?
s
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In this case it would have been a really bad idea to have started the motor,
the piston rings were jammed solid in their grooves,think both bores would have been wrecked.
Both inlet valves were totally gummed up with stale fuel,so they may well have opened but I doubt they would have closed again:blast
I think the motor would have been scrapped if it had been fired up:eek:
 
mikeyboy said:
In this case it would have been a really bad idea to have started the motor,
the piston rings were jammed solid in their grooves,think both bores would have been wrecked.
Both inlet valves were totally gummed up with stale fuel,so they may well have opened but I doubt they would have closed again:blast
I think the motor would have been scrapped if it had been fired up:eek:
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take both spark plugs out, put the Bike in 5th gear and push it forward - when you buy the Bike - 2 min job
 
mikeyboy said:
And??
You score the Nicasil barrels and bend both inlet valves,what have you learnt from the exercise?
Oh ,yes the engine turns:blast
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"You score the Nicasil barrels and bend both inlet valves,what have you learnt from the exercise?" - I never have

when you buy a Bike there are certain "basics" that you go thru - and the more you pay the more you look

The OP has bought "a dog" but what checks did he perform before he handed over the cash

It is not rocket science

Engine rebuild - did he ask for the paperwork?

How much did he pay?
 
The bike was clearly not 'laid up', just parked up and left to fester!

I would have wanted to see some evidence of the engine rebuild (bills of some description). But even so the level of filth under the tank kind of indicates that the engine hasn't been touched.

My last airhead buying experience was back in 2008. I saw a R80G/S with no reserve on ebay.fr, put in a bid of less than £1000 about 2 days into the auction then forgot about it. As it was August there were no other bids and won the bike. It was a good distance away (1000km round trip). I went in my van and did some basic checks, all seemed fine and the seller was a nice bloke and he said he had only owned it for a few months and he'd had it serviced but he'd bought a bigger Merc and there wasn't room for the bike in the garage.

When I got it home I found that everything was 100% in tip top nick - it had new brake pads, fluids, filters, tyres, battery etc.. The bike has run beautifully for years and I actually prefer it to my R100GS when on my own but it's a bit cramped and slow 2 up.
 
Well maybe we can just agree to disagree,I don't see the point in doing anymore damage when buying a derelict bike.
I would be stripping the motor,gearbox and bevel anyway so there is nothing to be gained.
Even if it turns over or runs on easystart doesn't mean much.
The gearbox could be full of water etc,etc,etc,etc
Are you going to strip the thing on the owners drive.or do the deal?
 
mikeyboy said:
Well maybe we can just agree to disagree,I don't see the point in doing anymore damage when buying a derelict bike.
I would be stripping the motor,gearbox and bevel anyway so there is nothing to be gained.
Even if it turns over or runs on easystart doesn't mean much.
The gearbox could be full of water etc,etc,etc,etc
Are you going to strip the thing on the owners drive.or do the deal?
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I do not know what he paid - you have seen the Bike - would you have bought it for that price without checking it
was the Bike described as a derelict non-runner - it seems from the opening post that it was not
 
BillN said:
It is very easy to start an airhead - did you not run the Bike and inspect it before you paid a (large) amount?

Did you buy it with your eye closed? ........ this GS madness is really crazy ........ a GS is only a BMW airhead ....... it is not some kind on "magic" Bike ........

In the past I have bought non-runners, but the most I ever paid was a few hundred £'s
Click to expand...

In hindsight Bill, I should have been more careful, I have probably just been lucky in the past, I have also bought bikes unseen, trusting my instincts in talking to the owners. It's not the first time I've bought a GS or G/S either, I accepted what I was told by the owner and obviously, not being able to dismantle the bike before paying for it, I have got my fingers burnt.
 
GADGET said:
In hindsight Bill, I should have been more careful, I have probably just been lucky in the past, I have also bought bikes unseen, trusting my instincts in talking to the owners. It's not the first time I've bought a GS or G/S either, I accepted what I was told by the owner and obviously, not being able to dismantle the bike before paying for it, I have got my fingers burnt.
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How much are the bits worth - tank, wheels, frame with V5 and carbs etc.

I'm sorry for your loss - and there is a saying "you are buying the seller" ....... which, from what you have said in this case seems to incorrect - the guy must have known what he was selling you

You could spend a "fortune" rebuilding the Bike and sometimes it is better to cut your losses, sell the "good" bits and buy elsewhere

I would be surprised if anyone on here or in the BMW Club would have sold you such a "story" and Bike
 
BillN said:
I do not know what he paid - you have seen the Bike - would you have bought it for that price without checking it
was the Bike described as a derelict non-runner - it seems from the opening post that it was not
Click to expand...
The fact is,what I would have been prepared to pay,probably would not have bought the bike.
I got talking to a guy yesterday,who mentioned he had a R80 st in boxes in his garage,been stripped for a number of years and unlikely to ever get put back together,,£1500 wouldn't buy it,£2000 was taken as I will think about it!!
I sold a nice running example last year for £2.5 k.
A fully restored bike is only likely to sell for £5/6k on a good day,but the owner was under the impression that the st will be more valuable than a g/s due to the limited numbers.
For me it's all about the maths,the profit is made on the purchase ,not the sale.
£2k for a box of bits doesn't add up.
 
mikeyboy said:
The fact is,what I would have been prepared to pay,probably would not have bought the bike.
I got talking to a guy yesterday,who mentioned he had a R80 st in boxes in his garage,been stripped for a number of years and unlikely to ever get put back together,,£1500 wouldn't buy it,£2000 was taken as I will think about it!!
I sold a nice running example last year for £2.5 k.
A fully restored bike is only likely to sell for £5/6k on a good day,but the owner was under the impression that the st will be more valuable than a g/s due to the limited numbers.
For me it's all about the maths,the profit is made on the purchase ,not the sale.
£2k for a box of bits doesn't add up.
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It is a pity the OP is having to go through this - restoring a Bike is expensive as you never know when to stop
 
BillN said:
It is a pity the OP is having to go through this - restoring a Bike is expensive as you never know when to stop
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Bill, I'll stop when I have a machine in good mechanical order, most of the cosmetics can wait.
 
GADGET said:
Deciding that it would have to be an intense clean to get these working properly led me to Mike Overy ( Mikeyboy off here) and after speaking to Mike I decided to take the bike to him and get the job done properly.
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VERY wise decision -now you know the job'll be reet!:thumby::thumby::thumby::clap
 
GADGET said:
In hindsight Bill, I should have been more careful, I have probably just been lucky in the past, I have also bought bikes unseen, trusting my instincts in talking to the owners. It's not the first time I've bought a GS or G/S either, I accepted what I was told by the owner and obviously, not being able to dismantle the bike before paying for it, I have got my fingers burnt.
Click to expand...

We've all "Bought in hope" before, and I know I will again. :blast

Hopefully you'll keep and enjoy it long enough that the memories of the early 'hiccup' are tempered by the great times that followed. :thumb2:comfort

And to make you feel better... here's my KR1 engine.:barf

KR1 by mark jackson, on Flickr
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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