ACHTUNG!!!

And as you can see, the little tang is missing, lol. Very common for them to get broken off. On that older stand, the tang was nothing more than some 1/4" steel rod. I've repaired several.

My centrestand is OK (a bit of heave - but I'm pretty sure it is all there) - it is really the sidestand that is the major PITA.

Pete
 
My centrestand is OK (a bit of heave - but I'm pretty sure it is all there) - it is really the sidestand that is the major PITA.
Pete

Hi Pete,
to put your Prussian Princess on it's side stand, get off the bike on it's left side, hold it up by the 'bars,
hook the side stand down and hold it down with your toe as you lean the bike over so the bike's weight
comes onto the stand to keep it down.
and yes, you shouldn't have to piss around like that, eh?
 
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My centrestand is OK (a bit of heave - but I'm pretty sure it is all there) - it is really the sidestand that is the major PITA.

Pete

On a windy day in Edinburgh I parked up on the sidestand to do a drop in an office block.
As I was coming back out of the building I saw the wind pick the bike off the sidestand, heard it retract with a clang, and watched as the bike laid itself down for a rest.
 
Guten abend mein Herren!

Lakeview, TotalFool and I went for a little boot on the weekend and Gretel performed like a champ. She really is a "gentleman's express" sort of a bike on which you can belt along at a pretty good clip in a remarkably unruffled fashion.

I left Windsor at about 9:30 AM and picked up Lakeview at his country estate an hour later and then we rode to a place between London and Chatham, ON called Park's Blueberries where we met TotalFool who had ridden west from his home in London (not THAT London, the other one). Park's is a sort of a combo country market, massive fruit stand and really good diner - plus they sell THE BEST butter tarts anywhere. After a delicious and healthy ;) lunch, we all went for a ride on what is about the only twisty road in this part of Ontario along the banks of the muddy Thames (no - not THAT Thames, the other one).

Unfortunately, I only took one photo (bad Pete - bad!!) but everyone's bike ran great and Gretel was comfy and smooth the whole 285 km. Lakeview was riding his new '77 blue XS650D and it looked and sounded just great with a really nice bark from the exhausts and reliable starter performance, and TotalFool was on his 2011 Yamaha V-Star XVS650 which he is really enjoying too - after many years away from bikes.

On Sept. 26, TotalFool and I are going on the CVMG Trunk of the Elephant ride around Essex and Kent counties. It is a sort of 140 km timed rally where you lose points for being too fast or too slow and you must have a photo of you and your bike at three waypoints on the route. The name of the event comes from the odd appearance of a map of this part of Canada which resembles an elephant and his trunk.

origin.jpg


Unfortunately, Lakeview will be in the shop for some minor repairs, but we hope he will turn up for lunch.

Cheers,

Pete

1983_BMW-R100RS_Sept-12-2020.jpg
 
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She really is Bob. Until I got her, I had only ever sat on three R100RSs and I had never ridden one or even heard one start-up:
  • one back in 1977 when I was a grubby, long-haired, bearded student in a Queen's University leather jacket (it took about 5 seconds for the salesclown to get me off the bike and eject me from the dealership showroom)
  • the second bike about a week prior to buying Gretel - and that bike was beautiful but then my daughter lost her job and the money pool suddenly got a lot shallower
  • then I found Gretel and I juuuussst managed to get Senior Management approval for the expenditure.
It just goes to show ya - live your dream.
Pete
 
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APPROX. TWO MONTH REPORT:

Well, I have now pretty much gotten used to Gretel and her Teutonic oddities, among which are:
  • if you leave her parked on the sidestand for a couple of days, she smokes quite a lot (not quite Kawasaki ring-ding class, but quite a lot) when started cold;
  • the aftermarket "Brown Sidestand" is ugly, but infinitely easier to use than the "Bavarian Roullette" sidestand she came with (that frickin' thing is diabolical) and much less likely to result in a downed bike in my driveway;
  • you cannot see the turn signal switch from the riding position (it is completely hidden under the high beam blipper switch on the LH handlebar);
  • the twin Fiamme "Freeway Blaster" horns (high and low tones) are great and definitely the ticket for getting the attention of some little douchbag in a black 3-Series with dingly-balls hanging off the mirrors;
  • I have gotten used to the lean-waaayyy-forward-over-the-tank riding position, but I must say that overall, the ergonomics are a mix of excellent and brilliantly designed combined with incredibly clumsy and stupidly awkward;
  • you must use full-choke every time you start-up from cold - or she will not start no matter how hot the ambient temperature is (unless of course the bike was running within the last 15 minutes or so);
  • the twin petcocks go into each position (ON, OFF, RESERVE) with a satisfying "click";
  • she will go about 300 km (around 190 miles) on main before switching to reserve and the reserve seems to be about 6-7 litres which should be enough for about 125-145 km or about 75-85 miles before she goes dry (this info is very important in Canada - many parts of which do not have a dense population - although there are a lot of "dense" people wandering around in certain locales);
  • the dry clutch is a bit clunky in some ways, but it works exactly the same hot or cold and so in other ways, it is easier to deal with than a wet clutch and neutral is always dead easy to find;
  • the conventional instruments are clear and very easy to read and after I replaced the slightly winky stock gauge illumination (every single bulb was dead) with a very slick aftermarket "KATDASH" LED unit, they are superb even in daylight;
  • the stock clock and voltmeter are great to have and the clock keeps perfect time for weeks on-end (German precision). The voltmeter serves as an excellent turn signal indicator: whenever the signals are activated, the VM needle wags back and forth very noticeably from about 6 to 18 volts (you really cannot miss it);
  • the solo and dual seats are equally comfortable, but the solo seat is noticeably higher and so I am switching back to the dual seat for a while so I can flat-foot more easily as road conditions deteriorate during the autumn;
  • the BMW pannier mounts, while appearing very simple, are actually quite challenging to install and will result in the donation of an appreciable amount of blood and body tissue (DAMHIK) to various parts of the motorcycle.
On the other hand, she gets a little over 60 mpIg (Imperial gallon - 20% bigger than a USG) which is pretty darned good for a 1-litre bike being ridden briskly.

In summary, she is terrific bike and just as nice as I have been dreaming about for more than 40 years. I am well and truly chuffed as my UK friends would say!

Pete
 
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APPROX. TWO MONTH REPORT:

Well, I have now pretty much gotten used to Gretel and her Teutonic oddities, among which are:
  • if you leave her parked on the sidestand for a couple of days, she smokes quite a lot (not quite Kawasaki ring-ding class, but quite a lot) when started cold;
  • the aftermarket "Brown Sidestand" is ugly, but infinitely easier to use than the "Bavarian Roullette" sidestand she came with (that frickin' thing is diabolical) and much less likely to result in a downed bike in my driveway;
  • you cannot see the turn signal switch from the riding position (it is completely hidden under the high beam blipper switch on the LH handlebar);
  • the twin Fiamme "Freeway Blaster" horns (high and low tones) are great and definitely the ticket for getting the attention of some little douchbag in a black 3-Series with dingly-balls hanging off the mirrors;
  • I have gotten used to the lean-waaayyy-forward-over-the-tank riding position, but I must say that overall, the ergonomics are a mix of excellent and brilliantly designed combined with incredibly clumsy and stupidly awkward;
  • you must use full-choke every time you start-up from cold - or she will not start no matter how hot the ambient temperature is (unless of course the bike was running within the last 15 minutes or so);
  • the twin petcocks go into each position (ON, OFF, RESERVE) with a satisfying "click";
  • she will go about 300 km (around 190 miles) on main before switching to reserve and the reserve seems to be about 6-7 litres which should be enough for about 125-145 km or about 75-85 miles before she goes dry (this info is very important in Canada - many parts of which do not have a dense population - although there are a lot of "dense" people wandering around in certain locales);
  • the dry clutch is a bit clunky in some ways, but it works exactly the same hot or cold and so in other ways, it is easier to deal with than a wet clutch and neutral is always dead easy to find;
  • the conventional instruments are clear and very easy to read and after I replaced the slightly winky stock gauge illumination (every single bulb was dead) with a very slick aftermarket "KATDASH" LED unit, they are superb even in daylight;
  • the stock clock and voltmeter are great to have and the clock keeps perfect time for weeks on-end (German precision). The voltmeter serves as an excellent turn signal indicator: whenever the signals are activated, the VM needle wags back and forth very noticeably from about 6 to 18 volts (you really cannot miss it);
  • the solo and dual seats are equally comfortable, but the solo seat is noticeably higher and so I am switching back to the dual seat for a while so I can flat-foot more easily as road conditions deteriorate during the autumn;
  • the BMW pannier mounts, while appearing very simple, are actually quite challenging to install and will result in the donation of an appreciable amount of blood and bodily tissue (DAMHIK) to various parts of the motorcycle.
On the other hand, she gets a little over 60 mpIg (Imperial gallon - 20% bigger than a USG) which is pretty darned good for a 1-litre bike being ridden briskly.

In summary, she is terrific bike and just as nice as I have been dreaming about for more than 40 years. I am well and truly chuffed as my UK friends would say!

Pete

And.....For a bike of its vintage, they are remarkably smooth and stable at speed. It feels much more modern than its age. A very robust machine, and visually, man I do love those big honkin cylinders hanging out in the breeze! ;)
 
And.....For a bike of its vintage, they are remarkably smooth and stable at speed. It feels much more modern than its age. A very robust machine, and visually, man I do love those big honkin cylinders hanging out in the breeze! ;)

Oooohhh yeah, she IS a looker.
 
And that little quarter fairing is one of the finest around, designed in a wind tunnel. I put them on a couple of my bikes, including the 1st BMW I had back in the early '80s .....

673W1R3.jpg


nZLeBPp.jpg


And to complete your "package", find yourself a vinyl tank cover and a Harro tank bag .....

HUF54pv.jpg
 
Actually, the bike came with a Bagster leather tank shroud and matching tank bag. Apparently these are made in France and are not easy to get - but is sure is a nice unit

Pete
04F6DD2C-9A99-4C85-B7C5-265573C8029F.jpeg
 
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