R100RT

It hurts to even look at that picture of the /6's in the prairie hills of N.IL. (See previous blog 5/17/2009)
That 1976 R75/6 is one of the BEST motorcycles that I have ever ...
sob.

I did find a job, a contract job, no security yet. A job that is good enough yet pays at about 75% of what I was making, with no benefits, nothing, just a job. Not only that but this job is 70 miles away in SW Rockford IL, 140 mile round trip on some of the worst interstate surface ever. I-43 to Beloit is one of the biggest mistake in the interstate history, really bad surface. I have an $1800 Jeep Cherokee. If I drove that every day it would die. I know that it would. So I drive the RS. I modified the RS with K75S bars and new shocks and other things to make it more comfortable and reliable but I think that an RS is not cut out for this service. So I thought about GoldWings or some other kinda touring motorcycle to make this commute. What was I thinking? I do airheads. If anything else other than an RS it would have to be an RT. Too bad that I sold an '88 just a couple of years ago; I could use that now. Who would have known.
So I keep up the RS and keep improving it. I took the /6 to work a couple of times. It rode great but I fear that the wear and tear would ruin it soon enough. Sorry, RS, you are here for the abuse. I have been managing fine. Small amount of pride there; I'm a 54 year-old guy that can put 140 miles on an RS everyday in all sorts of weather ... let's see you try that. pffft.
I put the R75/6 up for sale.
I started searching for a good R100RT. I test drove several R80RTs and was tempted but knew that I would find an R80 disappointing in the long run. The motorcycle market is incomprehensible right now. there are a lot of motorcycles for sale for way more than what they are worth and no one is buying them yet they don't budge in the price. Really strange market. So, imagine my surprise when as interest was growing in my R75/6 sale I found a 1982 R100RT priced correctly in Madison. The R75 sold; I trailered it to Kenosha to meet with a buyer from Chicago. While I was making the sale of the R75 the owner of the R100RT called me from Madison to make an appointment to show it to me. I had boughten the R75/6 for $2000. I sold it for $3000. I gave that $3000 to the guy in Madison for the R100RT. In essence I traded straight across a 1976 R75/6 for a 1982 R100RT. I am that guy.
I have been prepping the R100RT for commuting work and it is almost there. For the most part I had to disassemble all of the fiberglass and replace/repair/tighten/fix every single connector on the fairing. The sidestand was wasted and has been replace with a Brown's stand. I replaced the old seat with a good 1979 RT seat from the donor bike (we'll get to that next). I replaced all of the oils including the forks and she is ready to go. For now. Soon I will convert the oil cooler thermostat valve to the R100GS no-valve oil cooler, replace brake pads ... that should do it. Nice.