Not Actually Last – 1984 BMW R100 Last Edition

Here’s a bike that pissed off a few BMW enthusiasts back in day – the BMW R100 Last Edition. You should probably be asking why it pissed riders off. It wasn’t the bike itself, it’s how BMW decided to market it.

Back in 1984, BMW sold a limited run of 75 bikes as the “Last Edition”, which was supposed to signify the end of the 1000cc boxer engine bikes in the US – this is back when BMW though the K-bike/Flying Brick was the future. As you might expect, this limited run of boxers commanded a premium, and enthusiasts were eager to snap up their slice of exclusivity. So far, so good. Only problem is, BMW riders in the states were so fervent about the big R-engine that the German firm decided to bring the bike back two years later – but this time as a Monolever. As you can imagine, enthusiasts who paid extra for the Last Edition were a bit annoyed that their definition of the word “Last” was a bit different than BMW’s. BMW tried to make things up with a free helmet, but…you can guess how that went.

This specific BMW R100 Last Edition is one of the R100CS models (BMW also did a Last Edition of the R100RS bikes) and it has just 180 miles since a minor restoration. It has 43,000 miles and comes with a San Jose BMW top triple clamp (heavier duty) and the Last Edition documentation. It also comes an extra seat and cowl, tank bag, and the factory tool set.