1977 BMW R 100 RS

1977 BMW R 100 RS sat at the top of BMW's airhead lineup as the flagship sport-touring machine, the fastest and most aerodynamically considered motorcycle the factory built at the time. This is a bike designed around a full fairing, one of the first production motorcycles to get proper wind-tunnel attention, and the effect shows up not in numbers but in how it rides at speed: less buffeting, less fatigue, a rider who arrives at the destination without feeling wrung out. The boxer engine and shaft drive give it the low-maintenance, long-haul character BMW built its reputation on, favoring smooth-throttle highway miles over quick direction changes. It's a bike that rewards patience rather than aggression. The 1977 model carried over without significant mechanical changes from the prior year — buyers comparing it to a 1976 example should focus on mileage, service history, and condition rather than spec differences. Today's buyers tend to be BMW airhead enthusiasts or former sport-touring riders looking to reconnect with the bike that essentially invented the category, and given the high collector interest surrounding the 1977 BMW R 100 RS, well-documented, low-mileage examples command real attention at auction.