Rider: Scott Mercer, Beaver, Pennsylvania
Age: 57
Occupation: Marriage and family services
Current rides: 1976 BMW R90S, 1978 BMW R100RS, 2007 Kawasaki ZX-14
Scott’s story: “As the owner of a 1976 BMW R90S, I had the privilege of attending a wonderful 40th anniversary celebration of the model in 2014 in eastern Pennsylvania. It was so successful that immediately a plan was hatched by the event organizers to hold another 40th anniversary event for the R100RS in three years’ time. The man responsible for the design, Hans Muth, was at the R90S celebration and enjoyed it so much he committed to attending the next one in 2017. At the time I didn’t own an RS, but upon my return home I set about remedying that situation. I reached out to the gang on the R90S Worldnet and expressed an interest in obtaining a 50,000-mile or less R100RS and asked if anyone out there knew where I could find one. I had my answer in less than a day. It seems there was this fellow who had a low-mileage RS for sale. He saw my plea and responded.
“Over the next several weeks a flurry of emails ensued. The bike was last registered in the late 1980s and hadn’t been run in over 25 years. He had the original title in hand. It was started the previous year and ran acceptably before being winterized, but would need a thorough sorting. I was intrigued and asked for a little more information and a few pictures.
“What I got back had my jaw on the floor in a heartbeat: A 1978 R100RS Motorsport with only 17,566 original miles. I couldn’t believe it was a Motorsport as only 200 of them were ‘officially’ imported into the United States as a limited edition model. I asked him if it was a repaint and he assured me it was original. I asked for the VIN number, and it fit in the Motorsport/ R100RS production series in 1978. The pictures were gorgeous.
“His asking price was less than the bike originally sold for! I wondered if this was too good to be true. Let’s just say my timing is typically never so fortunate. I quickly attempted due diligence, but felt compelled to act and was told by other knowledgeable owners that, for the price, I needed to act quickly. Within the week I made an appointment to see it, deposit money in hand, unbeknownst to the owner. It was as described and photographed. Needless to say it is now taking up residence next to my 1976 R90S.
“Once in my possession I promptly took it to a BMW master mechanic and he performed the necessary maintenance and refurbishing to make her first-class roadworthy. I took her to the BMWMOA National Rally in 2016, where she took third place in the people’s popular choice awards. I also took the Motorsport to the 40th anniversary R100RS rally in eastern Pennsylvania last summer. What a privilege for me to be a steward of such a fine piece of machinery! It is a treasure that will no doubt outlast me.”