The AA bought this particular BMW R80 in late 1981/early 1982
The AA bought this particular BMW R80 in late 1981/early 1982. Only 7315 bikes of this exact type were ever made – over a period of two years in the early 1980s.
The official name for this model is 'R80 TIC' – the letters TIC standing for Touring Integral Cockpit. The type was later called the R80 RT.
Most or all of these TIC bikes were built for governmental use, mainly for police forces.
The R80 is powered by BMW's familiar four-stroke, two-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled 'Boxer' engine producing a modest 50bhp.
Unladen, this modest power was enough to propel the bike to 60mph in around 7 seconds.
The AA owns 2 of these BMW bikes, both are looked after by patrols and taken to shows around the country.
(14 August 2012)
