by Upe Flueckiger
Your 1978 RS has an interesting family history—how did it end up in Texas?
Yes, been in the family since 2011, owned by my brother. He purchased it with 40,000Km (ca 25,000 miles) from a multi-brand dealership in Switzerland. In 2021 he decided to focus more on cycling and asked me if I would want the RS, knowing I was always fond of the RS.
Your RS is also a Euro-Spec bike, so a non CFO which we got in the US. Does it also have both the 40mm exhaust pipes/headers AND the larger 44mm inlet and 40mm exhaust valves?
Yes, it has the 40mm exhaust pipes and headers. The US was leading the emission requirements and to my knowledge in Europe, certainly Switzerland, the emission kicked in a bit later. I have not measured the valve size personally but very likely the bike has the 44/40mm.
This bike also has a unique ID plate that we don’t often see on US models—what exactly is the ID plate for?
The additional ID plate was for the Swiss motorcycle market. In Germany you have the TÜV certification, which means the manufactures meet the German standards for vehicle registration. In Switzerland you have “Das Strassenverkehrs- und Schifffahrtsamt SVSA”. Loosely translated as the Street transportation and Boat transportation Office. The plaque certifies that the RS met the Swiss regulations required of the time. Switzerland was a relatively small market for BMW due to its population, however, the requirements for importing had some deviation compared to the German ones. Instead of making marks on the engine block, like CFO in the USA for emission regulations, the plaque states that the bike is authorized by the Swiss authorities.
Is the RS Hans Muth’s most memorable, impactful and iconic design?
From my perspective as a designer, I’d say yes. Imagine, BMW was outpaced by the onslaught of the inline fours of the four big Japanese manufacturers. The R90S still was able to compete, first Superbike Championship in ’76. By the time the RS came along, BMW lost the horsepower race by far. However, Muth kept the outdated pushrod twin alive, and perhaps single handedly is responsible that BMW still produces boxer twins today. Power wise it could never compete with the 80HP+ contemporaries of the time, but styling wise he created an icon. The RT evolved out of the RS as a more “upright tourer” many of them were sold way into the end of the airhead production. I’d argue this has a lot to do with the design. When done right, it is incredibly powerful what design can do.
The 78 only Metallic Gold paint only adds to the uniqueness of this model—what type of reactions do you get from folks or fellow riders who see a bike like this (in this color) for the first time.
About the color, I think it splits the crowd. They either like it a lot or they say how on earth can you ride this thing? It polarizes the viewers. What unites them is when I answer the year it was made ’78. Most of the casual onlookers are amazed it is that old. I see this as a testament to the shape – timeless.
As a one year color only, I personally love it and I think it brings the shape of Hans’s Muth’ s fairing from its best side. I can’t stop looking at the bike and sometimes just go in my MotoShed to look at it.
Original paint 247s, especially in this color and era are somewhat rare to see. What sort of feelings and emotions does this bike inspire in its original condition?
Ride it and keep it. It will be ok if a scuff is added here and there. To me motorcycles are here to be ridden. If you want to see a pristine one, go to the museum. I love that my brother had it before because we bonded over it when we had a challenging time in our family. My advice for original bike owners is, if you have an original bike, keep it that way. As the old saying goes, it’s original only once. Scuffs are not blemishes, they are telling the history of its life.
Current Mileage AND what maintenance and repairs have you done on the bike during your ownership tenure?
51,000Km (about 31,000+ miles) and counting. Most recently an electric upgrade was installed by my Airhead buddy Ross. Electronic ignition and new charging system from EME. Since my brother had it, I always believed, and RS needs to have a ¾ seat. I found an original BMW ¾ cowl from Roland Robitaille in New Hampshire years ago. I wanted to give it to my brother for his birthday someday, but now the bike is with me. The seat is from Boxer2Valves who at the time, had a NOS ¾ stock seat from BMW. It’s my most comfortable seat of all my four airheads I own. I did small bits and bits here and there. I went back to the small RS mirrors (full disclosure I see little out of them because of my frame but I love the design so much better) and I replaced the petcocks to the straight ones and the usual maintenance of tires and oil changes.
What is your favorite ride to take on the RS?
I always say the next one. However, I share this with you, my brother invited me to go on a three-day tour with him. He was on his 1992 Africa Twin (he bought new) and I was on the RS. We did the classic Swiss passes, Klausen, Lukmanier, Gotthard, and Furka, the last is the “Goldfinger Pass” for Bond aficionados. The best part was that he made a reservation in the Motorcycle Hotel. This is a special place where you ride your motorcycle in your room.
https://tinyurl.com/mw59n9ww
