Hans Muth and the BMW R100RS Motorcycles
Whilst BMW’s car sales were pushing ever upwards throughout the 1970s, building the foundations that would eventually see it become an automotive colossus and the owner of iconic British marques like Rolls-Royce and Mini, its older motorcycle division which had started life in the 1920s was perceived to be in tick-over mode and in need of some chutzpah.
BMW’s motorcycles were deemed to be practical rather than thrilling, utilitarian rather than stylish. A ‘traditional’ and ‘workaday’ kind of motorcycle that an owner might buy and run for years and years.
Other brands were out racing, busy introducing new technology which had been proven on the track. Meanwhile at BMW, at least during the first half of the seventies, things were rather staid.
The lack of speed, interesting design and variety was something BMW had to address. The overall product offering needed to reflect that a bigger percentage of motorcycles were being purchased for enjoyment rather than being a ‘jobbing’ mode of transport that was cheaper than a car.
Harley-Davidson was arguably in the same space as BMW. The Milwaukee giant would take a different route however, by beginning to explore the potential of the ‘factory custom’ as a way of attracting new buyers as well as offering supremely comfortable, long-range tourers.
However, the rather brilliant BMW R100RS was one of a number of motorcycles to appear in the second half of the 1970s that got people talking about the brand again. These bikes came from an unusual source - a ‘car guy’ called Hans Muth.
Muth had previously worked for Ford and then BMW’s automotive business, where he’d been tasked with designing car interiors. At this point, Hans was not a natural candidate to make a significant impact on BMW’s motorcycle operation.
But Muth had developed a real passion for motorcycles and felt that a modern bike should be strong on character and feel, and much more than a workhorse. The fairing design, range of colours, choice of riding positions and the way a bike sounded all mattered.
In a previous interview Muth simply but tellingly commented:
“You can sit in a car. But a motorcycle, you are part of it. It is physical.”
Hans Muth’s interest in BMW’s bikes saw him join the business full-time in 1975. What followed was something of a revolution, with BMW beginning to really express itself and Hans himself going on to become one of the world’s most revered motorcycle designers.
BMWs quickly began to turn heads and deliver enjoyment, with the BWW R90S being a definite case in point. Performance-wise, the 900cc air-cooled, twin cylinder ‘boxer engine’ was allowed to breathe with the road bike capable of 124mph.
BMW took the R90S to the States and it was campaigned in the first 1976 AMA superbike championship with considerable success by the British rider Reg Pridmore.
Pridmore won the inaugural AMA superbike title against Japanese competition and BMW’s American distributor must have surely benefitted from the old maxim “race on Sunday, sell on Monday.”
But what Muth gave customers on the road was just as important. The R90S looked sensational with the kind of vibrant colours BMW had shied away from, including a stunning Daytona Orange, and a very cool bikini fairing at the front, more sporting seating position and a ‘ducktail’ rear fairing.
BMW also kept things pretty minimalist as well. Any riding essentials were neatly stowed under the seat, without a pannier in sight.
Other key motorcycles were to follow in this era with Muth and his colleagues really hitting a sweet spot with the R80 GS. In 1980 that successfully launched BMW into the adventure bike sector and offered riders something that was a blast on the tarmac or gravel track. BMW has never looked back from this decision and arguably remains the pre-eminent player in adventure motorcycles with some Paris-Dakar wins to underline that point.
Hans Muth has referred to the R80 GS as his “gentleman scrambler” and in past interviews said inspiration came from getting behind the wheel of a Range Rover and believing BMW should be offering riders the same opportunity to get muddy or ride to work. Apparently, a twenty-minute chat with colleagues about a far lighter, more robust BMW resulted in the project getting the thumbs-up.
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