Game on! R100/7 newbie

[bigfella]

Hello guardians of the airhead brains trust, I would like to join your party.

I've recently captured a 78 R100/7 and have been sitting in the background reading your posts and collecting bits and pieces for this project. I now have a raging ebay addiction, a sound understanding of the conversion from pounds and euro to the aussie dollar and freight timing and costs from Germany.

This bike was sold originally as a 55th anniversary model and has a commemorative plague which I will show when I work out why I cant post photos. I have found no evidence on the net of such an anniversary model existing although the original sale docket from the dealer does identify it as such. Can anyone shed some light on the matter?

Cheers, Sam

[Ken in Oklahoma]

Hello guardians of the airhead brains trust, I would like to join your party.

I've recently captured a 78 R100/7 and have been sitting in the background reading your posts and collecting bits and pieces for this project. I now have a raging ebay addiction, a sound understanding of the conversion from pounds and euro to the aussie dollar and freight timing and costs from Germany.

This bike was sold originally as a 55th anniversary model and has a commemorative plague which I will show when I work out why I cant post photos. I have found no evidence on the net of such an anniversary model existing although the original sale docket from the dealer does identify it as such. Can anyone shed some light on the matter?

Cheers, Sam

Hi Sam, welcome to the, uh, well I can't think of a flowery name for it, so just welcome to the club.

I don't know how things were in Australia on '78, but here in 'merica BMWs weren't selling very well. Butler and Smith, the US importer, created one and maybe another "special" to get sales happening. I own one of the specials which is a '78 R100S Touring. Butler and Smith imported a naked R100S with high USA bars. Upon receipt they installed a color matching smoke red Luftmeister fairing. The whole intent was (purportedly) to create the high powered road bike that Americans wanted. My take is that Butler and Smith would have created pink with purple polka dot bikes if they thought they would sell.

In '77 or '78 Butler and Smith created a version of R100/7 with the Luftmeister fairing and I think bags. The only documentation I've seen on the net is a picture in the Butler and Smith magazine of the day.

It wouldn't be hard to imagine the Australian importer creating some special offering to attract customers there as well.


Ken

[ME 109]

Howdy Bigfella, welcome.

I had one of those ebay addiction things happening too. Finished about 6 months ago after securing a shit load of top quality s/hand spares.
Parts are less attractive now tho' with the Au dollar falling. I liked buying when our dollar was buying .84 euros.
Oh well, we'll just have to wait for another gfc.

Wodonga huh! we'll be able to hurl insults across the border at each other!

[Major Softie]

This bike was sold originally as a 55th anniversary model and has a commemorative plague...

Well, bigfella, I might as well give you a proper Boxerworks welcome. That's the finest typo/misspelling I've seen since the guy who wanted us to help him with his carburetor bowels.

Thanks for the laugh.

Luckily, we have quite a few members who live on your little island . . . I mean freakin' enormous island . . . I mean continent. Hopefully one of them will be familiar with this special. Little information got out to other countries about the specials limited only to single nations.

Oh, yeah: welcome!

[ME 109]

That's the finest typo/misspelling I've seen since the guy who wanted us to help him with his carburetor bowels.

No typo, commemorative plague.

[Major Softie]

I hate it when that happens.

[ME 109]

I hate it when that happens.

Yeah, bugs me too. (or more)

[dwerbil]

Sort of a natural frock look.

[Kurt in S.A.]

I, too, am not aware of any "plague" that came with the '78s...my R100/7 has the matching Lufty fairing and Wixom bags. I'm second owner, so can't state for sure about any other special being offered. The only two things I can think of that might relate to Austrailian bikes are John Player Specials which had a unique paint scheme and a series of late model R100RTs (during '87-95) which were given the model of R100LT and I think were only marketed in Austrailia.

Kurt in S.A.

[SteveD]

This bike was sold originally as a 55th anniversary model and has a commemorative plague...

Well, bigfella, I might as well give you a proper Boxerworks welcome. That's the finest typo/misspelling I've seen since the guy who wanted us to help him with his carburetor bowels.

Thanks for the laugh.

Don't mention the bowels! I did get a giggle from the plague though.
Welcome Sam. Do you know you have boxerworkers surrounding you, within a carb warmup to tuneup ride from Wodonga!