Why buy an old Boxer?

R100RS I've thought a lot about why I ended up buying an 18 year old air-cooled boxer when I could just as easily have bought something sensible like a Bandit, a Fazer or a newer Beemer. I suppose the fact that my motorcycling clock had stopped twenty odd years ago had something to do with it -at the end of the '70s an R100RS was something to aspire to. I also had no idea if I could still ride a bike or whether, cold, wet and stiff joints would put me off; being able to pick one up reasonably cheaply (I paid £1500) made this a low risk experiment. Of course knowing they have a reputation for long life, spares are readily available and they can be maintained without a Ph.D. in rocket science also influenced the decision. So, bottom line -I bought an old airhead because I wanted a cheap bike that I could keep running.

Looking back it was the right choice for me but for anyone else thinking about buying an older boxer I recommend you spend some time getting clear about what you're looking for. At one end of the spectrum would be a basket case for restoration; at the other a well maintained, low mileage, probably later registration bike. Either way if you're not interested in rolling up your sleeves and getting involved then an airhead isn't for you; they are built to be maintained and even the newest bikes are now showing their age (the R100RS went out of production in 1992; the last of the air cooled bikes appears to have been produced in 1996).

I had been browsing small ads and web sites and following up a couple to get a feel for what price to pay relative to mileage and condition. The bike was advertised on the UK BMW Club website. The age, price and mileage were within the range I was looking for and it was just up the road in Newport.

My first impression was that it had been reasonably well maintained. I've gradually come to realise that it had probably received fairly minimal maintenance over a long time -but enough to stop it from rotting. It didn't have an MOT but passed without having to do any work.

What did I look for? (what to look for when you're buying an old BMW?)

You can do this two ways; as an expert or a novice. Being a novice I looked for clean, no oil leaks, complete, all working, went in a straight line, stopped when required to, no nasty noises -and I knew enough to discount the tock, tock, ring, ding, ding from the top end.

What did I get?

I got a lot of bike but something you can't just park up and forget about. It was also like a new member of the family. As might be expected it had its fair share of the good, the bad and the ugly...

Good: Everything was there and working, new tyres, stainless exhaust, new seat cover, plenty of output from alternator, compression 155psi R/H; 150psi L/H, bodywork in decent condition, controls all OK, wheels and wheel bearings sound, front brakes OK, xenon headlamp bulb (but it didn't last long), hard luggage. Passed MOT test.

Bad: Battery spillage on frame and battery box (painted), frame finish cracked and rusting in lots of places, front end wobbled when hands off, back brake (Brembo disk) crappy, front and rear brake discs somewhat ridged, exhaust nuts seized on, side stand worn.

Ugly: Well, nothing actually.

Unknowns: Clutch, gearbox, final drive, front forks, rear shocks.

I kept the bike for just under two and a half years. By the time I sold it on I had ridden it 12000 miles, rebuilt and refurbished most of it. In the process I managed to learn quite a lot about older boxers and about riding. One thing I discovered is that renovating an old boxer is an expensive business and you do it purely for it's own sake -you can spend thousands if you want to and you'll never get your money back. Caveat emptor. On the other hand, by rolling back the years you discover an absolutely marvellous machine,,, noisy and idiosyncratic but comfortable, robust and (for me) 100% reliable. They're not that fast or powerful by modern standards but they have more than enough steady, predictable power and will cruise above the UK speed limit all day.

What did I like about it after getting to know it for 12,000 miles?

  • Rideability
  • Tinkerability
  • Surprising reliability
  • The fairing (warm feet and hands and you stay dry as long as it doesn't rain too hard)
  • Roll on power
  • A twenty-something year old bike that would go at motorway speeds for hours at a stretch
  • I could do >200 miles non-stop on one tank of fuel and when I get off I could still walk upright and talk

So why did I sell it?

I was riding it most weekends but it was becoming a garage queen and my newer boxer(s) were taking my time and interest. It was time to move on. The buyer was enthusiatic and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he'll give it the attention it deserves.