BMW K100 RS ABS (1988-1989) Specs, Performance & Photos

In 1988, the German motorcycle manufacturer released the BMW K100 RS ABS, a sports touring motorcycle, in its fifth consecutive production year. The engineers from the House of Munich took the standard K100 RS and fitted it with an Anti-Lock Braking system.

The new Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) improved the safety levels of the machine and offered greater confidence to the riders. Apart from the ABS, the bike retained all the features and specifications of the base model.

Aesthetically, the motorcycle was characterized by standard features, such as a half fairing with an integrated square headlight, a medium-sized windscreen, a one-piece dual seat with passenger handles, a luggage rack, a four-into-one exhaust system with a silencer mounted on the left-hand side, and eight-spoke aluminum alloy wheels.

The bike was built around a steel frame that housed the suspension system, which comprised a telescopic fork on the front with 185 mm of travel and a monolever swingarm with 110 mm of travel.

Braking-wise, the motorcycle's wheels packed two 285 mm brake discs and two-piston calipers on the front and a 285 mm brake disc with a single-piston caliper on the rear, delivering excellent stopping power enhanced by the ABS.

As for power, the 1988 BMW K100 RS ABS had installed a 987cc four-stroke liquid-cooled four-cylinder engine underneath its fuel tank, boasting 90 hp at 8,000 rpm and 84 Nm (62 lb-ft) torque at 8,250 rpm.