1980BMW R 100S

34 fields on record

The 1980 BMW R 100S is a German sports bike. It uses a 980cc air-cooled four-stroke flat twin making 70 hp and 76 Nm, driving through a 5-speed gearbox. It weighs 220 kg wet and has a 24-litre tank and an 820 mm seat.

Capacity: 980.0 ccm
Engine: Boxer, four-stroke
Gearbox: 5-speed
Wet weight: 220.0 kg
Seat height: 820 mm
Power: 70.0 HP (51.0 kW) @ 7000 RPM

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How it rides

Editorial estimate from the spec sheet - not lab tested

Off-road & trail5%

Cornering80%

City riding25%

Daily riding20%

Touring10%

Two-up25%

Track75%

Best for: Sport bike built for its class - everyday, practical use.
Built for: A sport bike from BMW, built around a 980cc engine - a real production model, but this profile is formula-generated from its class and spec sheet rather than individually reviewed.
Not ideal for: Not for serious performance or off-road use.

Scores are derived from the spec sheet using the same model across every bike, so they compare like for like.

Will it fit you?

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Your height

Inseam (optional)

Units

At 820mm, a rider of 68.9" with a 31" (estimated) inseam will reach the ground with balls of both feet on the 1980 BMW R 100S, with a cramped knee angle of around 70 degrees and a forward-leaning riding position.

Assumes about 30mm of suspension sag once seated. This is an approximation from category-typical geometry, not a measurement of this bike or of you - sit on one before you buy.

More bikes at 751-820 mm — Middle Ground →

Find bikes that fit your height →

Reliability & safety

Bike Reliability score, safety recalls and owner complaints

Bike Reliability

How the score works →

out of 100Average

The BMW R 100S passed its annual roadworthiness test first time 83.7% of the time, 1.0 points below expected for bikes of the same age and mileage. That beats 44% of models.

Bikes first registered in 1980 have 92 tests, too few for their own score, so this covers every year.

83.7%Passed first time

8.3%Failed outright

8.0%Fixed during test

33,000Typical miles

312Tests

Pass rate by miles ridden

10-20k

89.8%

20-30k

86.4%

30-40k

82.4%

50k+

77.6%

All years of this model.

Against its rivals · ranks 5 of 5

#	Model (all years)	Score	Tests
1	Hesketh V1000	81 Excellent	249
2	Ducati 900 SS	67 Good	2,720
3	Suzuki GSX 1000SV Katana	48 Average	357
4	Honda CB 900 F Bol D`or	46 Average	136
5	BMW R 100S	44 Average	312

Rivals are the most-viewed bikes on MotorcycleDB in the same category and engine size, from within three years of this model.

From British annual roadworthiness tests, 2005-2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (DVSA MOT test data, Great Britain). How Bike Reliability works.