Whatever your decision, you’re enhancing/saving this gorgeous machine! Your colour choice is exactly the same as my 1980 R100s! Looks bloody awesome! Personally for me I’d leave the aluminium look on the engine. I think whilst the black would look good, it’ll lose its definition & charm. As you said it’s 41 years old. It’s gotta have some wrinkles!🤣 Incidentally I fired up mine on the weekend & ya gotta love that engine!😍🤤👍🏼😎🇦🇺

I love you British expressions. "Loose the shackles", "dog's dinner", "see your soul in the black". Big hand of applause

I have a 1980 R100RS in complete original livery. Blue and silver, probably the best colour combination on these bikes. People take these bikes and convert them from a machine you could ride around the world to one you would struggle to ride to the end of the road. They then demand humungus money for them. Crazy really. Keep it as near stock as you can. Pure riding pleasure.

Well done. I don't object to anything you did. Gorgeous motorcycle.

I think it’s going to look fantastic, looking forward to seeing the finished bike…👍

I bought a completely standard & original low mileage '74 mk2 Commando last year. It has a nice used patina, has been well looked after, but hasn't been polished to within an inch of its life. I'm keeping it a standard as is reasonably possible but fitting upgrades that improve it for modern use (brakes, tyres, elec ignition, led lights etc), however every original part I remove gets put in a box so that it can be returned back to stock should I (or its future custodian) wish it. I agree. It cost more than I'd ever get back for it, but this has given me so much pleasure, diving into a completely different world and learning new (old) stuff. I know it's a cliche, but its taken me on a journey and I've bonded with this wonderful machine more than I ever thought possible. Oh, and we were both made in Wolverhampton 🙂 Slick video mate 👍

Good video - like the presentation and well produced. Very enjoyable watch thanks.

You're doing a fabulous job on this project and the progress vids are most enjoyable. Your paintwork is better than stock IMO. Can't beat black and gold! I applaud your decision to finish the engine in natural aluminum. More accurate and will contrast nicely with the black body parts. I presume you will have the seat foam replaced and while costly, a professional redo custom fit to you should ensure maximum enjoyment for you and your mate.

The top triple clamp, along with progressive anti dive springs will make it handle 100% better than stock

Hey wildlife Moto amazing presentation. I'm a BMW airhead from Mumbai, india: have tuned an R90S for a dear friend and own a R69S. About the aluminium engine, BMW came out with this sharkskin finish of tiny dotted globules on their aluminium.....and when cleaned with spa and hot water constitute the BMW look. Almost all restorers go to vapour blast this and this exposes a virgin aluminium to the uk climate with sometime toxic rain water , winter salt and grime can wreak havoc. The old aluminium layer is already oxidised and so deals with the problems better. There is no shortcut to keeping the cases clean but cleaning them. Just my thoughts

Just Beautiful!!

I too would upgrade somethings because for me it’s about the bike lasting another 40 years.

What a great project, It's going to look amazing!

I think you should feel free to make it your own. Performance upgrades on the brakes are a good idea. The engines don’t get grungy if they are properly cared for. They get dirty if things are not sealed properly. The WD40 on a warm engine trick works. Makes for a slight color change but provides some sealing to the case and makes it easier to keep clean. 18:14 They are air cooled, so coatings are a barrier to cooling. That said, even BMW coated the cylinders on some models.

Definitely feel comfortable upgrading and making it your own. If it runs and stops better, you will be inclined to use it more (and more safely). I bought a 1984 R80RT and turned it into what could be described as a brat bike. I love riding that more than any of my other bikes (not long distances). Good luck with the project.

Really enjoying your journey WM...fascinating stuff. Love the tank...voting for clear coated aluminum engine. Keep up the good work

I like the way you go about things. Colour is a personal preference. I kind of like the original two-tone theme of my 1983 R100CS ( Metallic red with misty black edges ) .

All your mods are absolutely justified, go for the black engine it will look great 👍

Glad I found this video and channel. Just picked up a 81 R100 and been battling with the same decision fatigue on whether to go stock or modified route. I’ve now decided to go the same route as you. I.e. keep the stock overall look but improve on areas to make it a usable bike in the modern world. I think I may even copy your paint scheme 😊. Would like to see how the black wheels turn out with the black paint… Good luck. Its a massive undertaking but not doable either… +1 subscriber. Cheers

Should have known your upgrades would Be top notch , coated clear plus black for me 😀👍

I like your approach alot. I just bought an RT that I will strip and modify just a little bit. For years I couldn't decide weather to keep my GS PD stock or modify it. So it's still original. So many times I just stared at the bike and tried to make a decision but could not 😅

Looking great so far. Guzzi painted the engine in my V7 black at the factory and it looks great and is easy to clean, Guzzi engines having a similar visual appeal to airheads. Only problem is I've seen a couple of V85TTs on which the engine paint has started to come off and it looks pretty rough, so if you get it painted make sure it's as durable as possible.

Great job, I'm really enjoying this build. My inclination would be to black cerakote the engine casings as it won't detract too much from the original while improving the overall look, practicality and durability of the finish.

As long as you keep the analogue clock, all else is permitted ;)

Enjoyed the video, as usual :) For me, keep it as close to stock as possible. At least don't do irreversible mods. That's what i have learned since the 70's bikes were still on the showroom floors. I have no problem with tasteful mods that actually add something valuable (your triple tree vs LED's under the tank) stupid example but i think you get it :) Oh and the alu parts i'd keep "raw" or ceracoat in clear or silver. I just can't stand "blacked out" - just a matter of taste and preference of course. In any case i salute your commitment and i am impressed so far! Cheers!

From new, most bikes gradually become personalised in some way. Additional luggage, screens, shocks, exhausts etc. A 90S with Lester wheels and Hoske exhausts is still a period piece. Although, a museum exhibit must be completely stock I suppose. I converted my RS to S spec and added my own paint scheme and pin striping. It looks great in my opinion of course!

I think the most important thing is to keep the bike on the road as a useable machine that you can enjoy, then when your custodianship ends it’s there for someone else to enjoy, so if there thing is total originality they can restore back to original, I agree that although it’s a great machine it’s not historically important so to my mind there’s no issue with making changes that you’ll enjoy 👍

The casings are just fine when oiled with wd40, the coatings allways chip and blister leave it standard Finnish, the other upgrades are great, I run a 90s and 2 GS.

I think coating the aluminum is my vote for the sake of visual O.E.M. originality. The performance upgrades all make sense to me. I'm also thinking the black tank change is fine. It looks great and if you really hated the metallic black, you needed to make that change, but stick with O.E.M. as much as you can, and I think it'll be a real head-turner

Keep it stock. I also have a 1981 R100CS which I’ve totally rebuilt and repainted in 506 scheme which is metallic black and it pops ! The metal flake is a very subtle green which is better than plain black. The aluminium block, barrels etc look great with Rub’n’Buff. Degrease completely then apply a small amount of Rub’n’Buff. Silver Leaf for block, barrels, head and final drive. Pewter for gearbox and carbs. Looks factory and protects. I’m interested to see your fork rebuild. If the head bearings etc are set up right then steering damper shouldn’t be needed.

No to the black engine. Great video!

I would stay original finish on the engine and transmission cases. I understand what you say about the look, BMW aluminium doesn't really take well to polishing like Japanese stuff and always looks a little weathered. But this is indicative of the sheer quality of the material. It's thicker and more coarsely cast than Japanese ally, but rarely corrodes, it just weathers. This is a distinctly German look, same thing with an old MZ ES250 I owned, a cheap bike but excellent quality metal.

Ohh yes I am in that dark place and the bike has been in that state for 2 years now 😆,will it ever be put back together who knows .Black looks pretty good to me on the engine .👌👍

Love the original aluminium ,more than Black .

For what it's worth, here are my personal thoughts Mr WM........ If the bike was to be a show/museum piece, then correct factory originality is very important, but as you intend to actually use the bike, sensible mods which improve it in some way (safety/comfort/performance etc) are beneficial, IMHO. Saying that, I personally don't like the look of that machined top yolk. I can see the obvious improvements it offers over the weedy stock item, but I would have to get it anodised or powder coated black so it mimics the original yolk colour-wise and blends in better, rather than looking too modern, out of place and blingy. With regard to the engine cases, personally I would prefer them to have a clear protective coating applied after blasting, to retain their original factory aluminium look, rather than a black coating. I personally think that having black paintwork, a black frame and a black engine would be a tad too much. Prefer the subtle change to the solid Jet/Piano Black paint over the metallic black (called Diamond Schwarz, IIRC) which always seems to look dirty. But hey......those are just my personal opinions, which mean absolutely dick.....coz it's YOUR bike, and YOU should do to it whatever floats YOUR boat!!

Black does make it look more classic

I always like the “rustoration” projects where there’s no attempt to hide the age or condition of the vehicle, but celebrate it. I think here you have an opportunity to improve what you have and make the bike more usable. It’s just crying out for riding miles… so go with usable…. I would.

I would go black. I get the point of staying true to the original but I feel it will look better.

It’s your bike. Personally I’d stick to original. My 1982 Ducati only had urethane coated aluminium & it’s lasted 23 years of constant use from full restoration, albeit no salt on our roads. It’s your choice because it’s your motorcycle & reward. Remember, it’ll always be from 1982 no matter which direction you take. Enjoy the process.✅

You already answered your question with the tank. Its a restomod

Aluminium - with clear on top. But beware the cooling is less then.

Hi wild life motto, why don't you have it clear sheracoated if you and that would protect the engine and keep it looking as it did when it was new . Enjoy the rebuild and hopefully you can the momentum with all the best with it and look for to more vid s on the rebuild

Bigger valves, cnc port flowing? BMW parts catalog sells new and it seams you can buy this engine new. Also cool this engine already had valve seat in these days and they are 23€ today, you should definitely look at the vales, weight the conrod and piston assemblies and balance to achieve some extra smoothness and a bit faster acceleration. I have this Artic silver on my R1100RS on the drive train and the front cover and oil carter are looking like yours, I'm also opting for black, Avus black?

With a black engine then the carburettors stick out like a sore thumb and what would you do with the wheels than? Keep silver? Paint black? Graphite? Black tinted clear lacquer? Stebel have some 2 tone horns that could be interesting to check out, at least it would remove one of those snails and be easier to hide.

Vapour blasted and use a strong engine cleaner, pressure washer and lots of WD40 - any coating will fake and peel in time

Stock is important even more so now, just because of all these "custom" bikes, chop the rear end off and put a 40 quid ebay seat on it, remove mudguards and try and sell for 15k, there aren't enough good un touched bikes left, please don't cut it. Small enhancements are good and future proof the bike, atb Chris

That is beautiful black paint -- it is so black it really is light absorbing! I missed how did you get that engine bolt out?

If the bike were the legendary R90s, originality would be key. Less so the later models. IMHO

You should upgrade suspension, brakes,lights...safety is important ! Also, improve the reliability & performance of that engine.. There are better parts nowdays..

Keep as stock visually .. but things as ignition, lights and internals can be improved ..

Black engine/clearcoat? Personal choice and not so radical to spoil the bike. Take a look at the period "braced swinging arm". Small tubular under slung bridging like structure. I had this on mine, and two up made the bike more rigid. Of course it then moves the flexing to the frame, but does help. Go for the bendy oil filter, much easier to change. Over size O rings on the barrel to Crankcase joint, they tend to weep with the std ones. Use a dwel gauge to set the points, these bike reward you whith a perfect set up. Most important re balance your carbs every season after the first couple of runs each year. Like the discs, the paint and the top yoke. Not keen on loosing the crash pad tho? I owned for 8 years and 13 countries toured including Italyand Poland. 👍😎

By the way, the original Stove Enamellers, you’re fine, is a hell of a lot better. Do you have an etching primer coat then the stove on top of my 1976, 600 you would never get a better coat of paint plus also I don’t like powder coating. What do you like your bike Michael?

Did I miss the engine bolt extraction solution ?

Where did you buy the new enamel badges, love to get some

Hi mate, how did you end up get that big long bolt engine bolt out?

It's your bike mate, and unless you are restoring it for a museum or to maximise your investment by selling it to a collector, I say Restomod is the way to go. At the end of day, you need to decide what makes you happy as the bike owner.

Personally I think some people go overboard when trying to restore to stock, unless it’s a museum piece the most important thing is enhancing the road performance of the bike together with getting a look that the owner likes (which is hopefully not so far out that you can’t tell what the bike is). Have to disagree though about the horns, the old Fiamm’s sound far outweighs the old fashioned look for me! The stock horn on my R nineT is pathetic by comparison! 🇬🇧

Return to stock (or restomod at worst) every time. Upgrade where appropriate `(brakes, ignition, suspension, tyres etc). These are graceful old machines and the last thing they need is turning in to a Hipsters crap Bobber or Cafe racer.

Please keep it stock.

Keep your ''BMW Airhed'' Bike original and Sweet, it will only go up in value as it tunes into a ''Cult Classic'' and do not listen to all the B****t internet rumors 🎱 💯 Get a Harly Davidson to modifi...

Those were not original, at least in the United States, we had Fiam brand horns.

If your carbs are bare vapour blasted they will look rough real quick.

Your choice for the top triple clamp is not good. In '86 I was riding with a guy who had one of those things crack when he went over a bad set of railroad crossings. He was able, barely, to get it under control and luckily we were on the way to the BMW dealership for other things but he ended up getting a new STOCK upper triple clamp. A better choice for stiffening the forks is a tubular fork brace, and the reinforcement to the rear swingarm, those two modes made the biggest difference.