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What air head to buy

andy57

Quiet One
I currently have an R1200gsa my 22 y o son says he wants an older bmw ,likes the styling of the old airheads,I have no idea about older bmw s , I have looked at an 85 R80 and a 79 R80 what year should I be looking for, wanting the least amount of specialized maintenance, some thing that some younger could ride and work on less frequently. Thanks in advance for advice and feedback
 
If it's the style of the old Airheads he likes, the answer is simple, a /5!
They are the most stylish after all...and the simplest! :)
 
The brakes are better after 1981 and the timing spark went electronic in the same year - both features that make airhead maintenance a little simpler. The post '84 models will also handle a little better with the monoshock frame.
 
I have located an !985 R80 w S fairing, 60,000 miles looks to be in decent shape, for a little under 3000 dollars, It seems like a decent buy
 
The younger the Airhead bike, the least maintenance that will be needed on it, all things considered. However, a new-to-you bike should be gone over so you know the state of things - tranny and wheel splines, greasing all swingarm bearings, bleed the brakes, battery, tires/tubes. An Airhead is not maintenance free...maintenance is simple (Simply by Design!!) but there is and always will be maintenance.
 
If you go with a /5 or /6, you won't have to deal with the $2000 O-ring or missing transmission circlip issues. Or, most likely, valve recession.
 
2cents

buy one that's been ridden and well maintained. low miles and old bike are a bad (read:$$$) combination. upgraded and convenience-ized is good. i.e. brown side-stand, better electrics, better seat; stuff like that is nice too.

but they're wonderful machines!!!
 
If you go with a /5 or /6, you won't have to deal with the $2000 O-ring or missing transmission circlip issues. Or, most likely, valve recession.

More specifically:

/7-on -- modified oil filter canister requiring proper compression of white o-ring for oil sealing
pre '81 -- possible valve seat recession due to running older cast iron seats meant for leaded gas
'81-84 -- possible valve face plastic deformation due to bad seat material that didn't transfer heat away from valves into head
19-inch snowflake wheels prior to 9/82 subject to recall
'85-'95 (approx) -- missing circlip in transmission

All fixable or something that can be monitored. None of these are "bombs" if watched and cared for.
 
my thoughts when I am asked what bmw, I have to think about how the person will ride, what style of riding, what is tthier skill level for maintain bike

But for the average joe, If they are looking for a daily rider, I push the mono shock bikes. Too me, it was the final edition of airheads wth all the time proven good stuff ( except tranny, thanks bean counter)

better brakes, better suspension, electonic ignition, fuses you can get too, brake fluid level you can see adn get to without pullling the tank
yes they have their flaws, like the tranny clip

the tranny clip, even though that opens a can of worms, I tell people just plan on doing it esp before taking an unknow bike long distance.

yep any of the older ones can be daily riders too, as I have had older ones as daily riders

its just too bad they dont come stock with real alternators (power)
 
I have located an !985 R80 w S fairing, 60,000 miles looks to be in decent shape, for a little under 3000 dollars, It seems like a decent buy

While I prefer the earlier versions along the lines of what ManicMechanic says, that is not a bad deal. The 60,000 miles is actually a good thing. If the bike had only 10,000 you would know that it had sat around un-used for most of its life. Generally speaking, you'll have between $3000 to $40000 in a bike that is running and dependable no matter what you paid initially.
 
my thoughts when I am asked what bmw, I have to think about how the person will ride, what style of riding, what is tthier skill level for maintain bike

But for the average joe, If they are looking for a daily rider, I push the mono shock bikes. Too me, it was the final edition of airheads wth all the time proven good stuff ( except tranny, thanks bean counter)

better brakes, better suspension, electonic ignition, fuses you can get too, brake fluid level you can see adn get to without pullling the tank
yes they have their flaws, like the tranny clip

the tranny clip, even though that opens a can of worms, I tell people just plan on doing it esp before taking an unknow bike long distance.

yep any of the older ones can be daily riders too, as I have had older ones as daily riders

its just too bad they dont come stock with real alternators (power)

I agree. When I went airhead shopping 13 or 14 years ago, I only considered 85 and newer bikes because it was the first year with good valves, good brakes and an adequate alt. I had ridden a 77 R100 something and the single disc brake didn't stop as well as my K-bike had gotten me to expect. I bought a black 86 R80RT and it is worth more now than it was when I bought it. It has been very dependable. The circlip in the transmission may have been fixed before I bought it or it may still be original. It works fine and I'm not going to worry about it. The PO had just changed the oil to synthetic when I bought it and after I rode it some, it started seeping oil around the push rod tube seals. I changed it back to Dino oil and it hasn't leaked since.
 
Most importantly!!!

The age of the son? Will it be his purchase and if so can he afford it? Is he handy with tools? Is he willing to get his hands dirty and learn about the very machine that will transport him over many miles of pavement and dirt roads just in case that machine decides its break time and shuts off? I will issue this disclaimer right now, I don't have any kids (at least none that will claim me as a parent)but I will tell you that while growing up all my mechanical acquisitions were preceded with this type of discussion between mom dad and me.

If he is young and somewhat mechanically inclined, financially responsible and really interested I would give a lot of thought to a /5 or /6 standard bike any size would do. I would stay away from a collectible or classic high demand bike just to provide a next step in the motorcycle ladder. If he's a little less talented on the mechanical aspect and maybe a little free and less than responsible with the financial and responsibility matters grab the best deal you can on a no points,, low maintenance, something you like or easy to unload machine. Its a little on the abrupt side but the reality is if he doesn't like the bike or can't take care of it the way it should be its going to come back to you eventually so you might as well have a way out with as few bruises as possible.
 
He is 22 ,will do mechanical work with some supervision, as far as money he is very scroogelike . His 2003 suv is paid for and he is taking college classes as he can afford to pay cash for them, slowly.
 
buy one that's been ridden and well maintained. low miles and old bike are a bad (read:$$$) combination. upgraded and convenience-ized is good. i.e. brown side-stand, better electrics, better seat; stuff like that is nice too.

but they're wonderful machines!!!

gotta disagree about low miles and old bikes are a bad combo. do agree about airheads with upgrades like high output alternators already done.

there is no substitute for low miles. aside from a frame off restoration with a complete engine and transmission rebuild.

NO you cannot expect a low miles/old bike to be reliable with no effort. but costs to get that low miles bike to reliable condition will be lower than one with high miles.

generally what needs replacement on low mile/old bikes are low costs items like seals. but high labor to get at. so if you are handy with tools, definitely better off with a low miles bike.

for example... the 60k miles airhead may or may not be cost effective. for instance airhead transmissions are known to need attention after about 50k miles. so you may be looking at a transmission job soon.

each airhead has it's strengths and drawbacks. R80 with monolever final drives generally will last life of bike. paralever count on maintenance every 50k miles or so. etc, etc.

costs to maintain/rebuild airheads are a fraction $$$ for modern BMW motorcycles loaded with high tech electronics. want an unpleasant surprise... look up what it cost to fix a broken ABS on R1200
 
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