2000 BMW R1100RS Special Edition - Short Shift

On smooth, fast roads, the RS really shines. Excellent stability married to medium-effort steering and bolstered by excellent brakes make it easy to charge along secondary roads at a surprisingly good clip. You wouldn't want to be riding a pace set by an R1-mounted rider, but that's not the kind of average velocity you're likely to adopt for a day-long ride. And should the both of you need to traverse some interstate, you'll be the one chuckling, thanks to the RS's plush seat, gooshy suspension and general distaste of rider punishment when the road is flat and dull.

Tighter roads reveal too much of the RS's heft; it's a comparatively porky 564 pounds wet, some 19 pounds more than the S and nearly 50 pounds more than a Triumph Sprint ST. The Beemer signals its displeasure of flogging by banging down its centerstand feet early and resisting aggressive combined braking/turning maneuvers. Turning up the rear spring preload-through the nifty remote hydraulic adjuster-helps, but you'll sacrifice ride quality over medium to large bumps. Generally, the RS is softly sprung with a lot of low-speed damping to help keep things in control.

After all these years and newer models, we find ourselves joining the vocal minority in Beemerland in suggesting that BMW should not only keep the RS alive, but improve it the way the GS and S have been improved. We probably won't have to wait long. Word is that the R1100RT, a hot-seller from day one, is due for a freshening in the next year or so, with the likely adaptation of the six-speed gearbox and 1130cc or 1170cc displacement used by the 1150 and 1200 models. Because the RS and RT are nearly identical under the skin, it would only make sense for the two to get simultaneous updates. Sign us up.

By Marc Cook

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