Airhead RT Farkles ?

[Motorman2061]

Good Day Fellow Airheads

Since I hope to soon be a new to me 1995 R100RT Classic, I thought I would ask the Airhead Clan what
Farkles they would recommend. I am buying this Airhead RT for touring (as it is intended) for the purpose of moving away from the more “modern” BMW computer clogged RTs, GSs,
GTs. I have owned modern RTs and although they have many benefits, I find the emphasis on computers, TFT screens, wonder rings, etc to be too distracting from the purpose of the ride. The RIDE is what I want. I have owned three other airheads so I know they are not at all perfect, but they do enjoy being ridden and take careful time to ride well.

So what do you like to add to your Airhead RT ?

Thanks in advance for your thoughtful comments.

 

[ccolwell]

When I do return to the fold, I will focus on the same things I did when I rode airheads. The best upgrades in suspension, brakes, tires, and fueling available. Those changes always made a bike both more fun and safer without diluting the character of the bike. And a decent seat now that I think of it.

 

[stevenrankin]

Well,

Well, for your year bike, there is not a whole lot more to do to improve handling that you would notice. If it were a pre 85 bike I would say add a fork brace and billet upper triple clamp. LOL, I don't know what upper triple clamp came stock on your bike, if it is stamped steel, get rid of it and go to one of the heavier duty units like "Toaster Tan" supplies.

I would stay away from a Corbin seat. Corbin made it clear to me they are not interested in airheads, Don't get me started on them and my disgust with them.

I like the Piaa LED fog lights I added to my 84 RT, I mounted them on the factory tip over bars. LOL, I don't call them crash bars as I don't know how much good they would do to protect anything in a real crash but, in a tip over, they have saved my fairing from damage.

In the rear end of my RT I added the 11 inch ADmore light bar. I love it except it is now zip tied onto the bike instead of being fixed to a bracket. ADmore quit making the 11 inch bar because it turns out the mounts would break. I got a couple of extras under warranty before they gave up on the 11 inch bar. LOL, if I didn't have the two extras, to fall back on when the current mounted bar fails, I would go with the smaller simple unit.

If you need a new windscreen, I suggest Clearview as a replacement. LOL, I haven't looked at their catalog lately but the did make a few different heights of shield and had a nice option of an open/close air vent. While the air vent doesn't flow a lot of air, on a hot day with an RT fairing any air flow is good air flow. The Clearview mounts the same as the stock shield so you can still adjust it for height. Low for summer, high for winter, like the stock.

If you are wearing a lot of heated gear, you might want to upgrade the charging system. There are a lot of systems out there, I installed the Omega 600 watt unit from Motored Electrik. So far it has worked great and has the added benefit of being exactly the same troubleshooting and wiring as the stock system. No cutting wires or splicing, no mystery wires added.

Winter is here and it is sporadic I get on my RT, I hope you are someplace where you can ride more and if you are, I am jealous, Cheers, St.

 

[melville]

Not specifically an RT, but my R100/7 has the full vintage touring kit starting with the Luftmeister fairing. I've added:

A vintage Russell Day Long saddle. Quite worthy, and I get an even stronger recommendation from my pillions.

Reynolds backrest. Also pillion approved. It comes off for solo trips so I have more room for the dry bag on the seat.

Additional lighting. These were $50 off Amazon and they are bright as all get out. Primarily for daytime visibility but recently I've done some night riding and they're a lot better than I expected:

PO had added the taillights BITD and I updated them to LED bulbs along with the main taillight:

USB port to keep the phone and camera charged, or to run the Sena on a long day:

That was the install on my /6. On the /7 I have it wired to a switched-on hot so it's only powered when the key is turned on.

Anyway, the end result with a camping load, solo trip:

 

[9842]

88 R100RT Extras

Hi Gang
After 47 years of riding all over the country and up and down the east coast I have settled into mostly riding my Toaster bikes on day trips. I have three toasters and they are all set up for fair weather riding. I have 1 R100RT and I have it set up for cold weather riding. Im not touring or taking long multi day trips on my bikes anymore but do enjoy long day trips between my home in Quincy MA and My vacation home In Bridgton ME. So I have a very clean 1988 R100RT in deep blue. Has 40,000 miles on it. It came to me with a Corban seat, factory bags, Parabellum windshield, and a tail rack. I added a Corban matching back rest, and heated grips.

I enjoy this bike the way it is and don't want to add anything as of now. Keeping it simple is what I'm into these days. Electronics that I need are on my phone in my pocket. I stop and look at phone while off my bike for directions, food, coffee, etc. Im only day riding and that keeps it simple. If I were touring it would be different.

I would like to improve the Fork/faring booties that have broke loose from the faring and let air pass through. I used to use a big sponge stuffed in the hole of my Lufmister to fill the void. I would also like to remove the faring pockets or find a way to delete the key lock. I find removing the key from ignition and opening the door for the pocket is a PITA, especially with gloves on and to get at little things like glasses, sunscreen, water, etc. so I don't use them and stuff everything in my pockets. One trip I simply left them off and stuffed the lids inside and just reached in pockets as needed, nothing flew out and I did a few hundred miles that way. So any ideas on faring pocket delete or improvement or a solution on loose booties on faring/forks would be appreciated.

Everyone is different but an RT with bags, heated grips, and a nice seat is a great start. One can lay down some big miles with comfort with these bikes.
Good luck with adding goodies to your bike.

Brian

 

[stevenrankin]

9842

Frankly I got rid of the stock fork leg pain in the butt always falling down things 35 years ago and replaced them with gaiters on the fork tubes. It eliminated the seemingly constant need to stuff the PIBs back into position and cut my replacing fork seals to almost nil in 35 years. It is amazing how fast fork seals go out due to dirt, bugs and such.

I have never noticed a big change in airflow through the holes that remain. I got caught in a snow storm one winter and never had snow come in through the holes, nor has rain ever been a problem. So removing the PIBs to improve air flow might be a waste of time.

If I recall there is a small Philips screw holding the lock mechanism for the fairing pocket covers. I do know they come out. Sorry I am in my office and not at my bike or I would double check how they come out.

As for removing the storage pockets altogether, you will have to remove the fairing. There are some Philips screws holding them together and unless you can find a way to get to them that I couldn't, they are impossible to remove while the fairing is in place.

Good Luck, St.

 

[88bmwjeff]

I also have an 88 R100 RT. I don't use the side storage pockets for those items. I have a magnetic tank bag that I store things like gloves, phone, etc. that I will typically want easy access to while riding. If I need to, the tank bag can be locked in one of the side cases. A simple solution might be to find some used side covers with locks and a key. That way you can keep the keys in the locks of the covers, but they will not go to the ignition.

As far as the fork/fairing boots, I replaced them when I got the bike around 2005, and they are shot now. My plan is to remove them and will probably go for the fork gaiters instead. This will protect the fork tubes and seals.

 

[RPGR90s]

Good Day Fellow Airheads

Since I hope to soon be a new to me 1995 R100RT Classic, I thought I would ask the Airhead Clan what
Farkles they would recommend. I am buying this Airhead RT for touring (as it is intended) for the purpose of moving away from the more “modern” BMW computer clogged RTs, GSs,
GTs. I have owned modern RTs and although they have many benefits, I find the emphasis on computers, TFT screens, wonder rings, etc to be too distracting from the purpose of the ride. The RIDE is what I want. I have owned three other airheads so I know they are not at all perfect, but they do enjoy being ridden and take careful time to ride well.

So what do you like to add to your Airhead RT ?

Thanks in advance for your thoughtful comments.

When I had my '93 RT, a Corbin seat made a huge difference. A decent tankbag, (the stock BMW Multivario one is ok) and a Works rear shock to replace the stocker.

About the only other issue that was tough to resolve was the nylon clutch throw out bearing, that would swell when run in hot weather and make the clutch cable feel like it was sticking. Not sure if that was resolved by '95 but maybe do a TSB search or ask the owner if that's been a problem.

Enjoy it. With the Brembo brakes and better front suspension, it's a great canyon carver.

 

[kbasa]

Touring on a 30 year old motorcycle? I’d add an extensive tool kit and make sure you have a reliable parts pipeline. It’s an antique bike now and everything that comes with that.

That bike is rolling some ancient suspension, brake, charging system, carburetion and tire technology at this point. I’d update the forks with Racetech stuff so it’s like a modern cartridge fork, I’d replace the upper triple with a billet bit and put a modern shock on the back like an Ohlins. That’ll upgrade the suspension so it doesn’t destroy you.

I’d update the brakes to floaters with modern pads.

And I’d put Continental ClassicAttack radial tires on it.

I’d go through the carbs and replace all the rubber bits, along with that cloth wrapped fuel line.

If I planned on running any electrical accessories, I’d go with updating the alternator first thing.

I have an airhead and even though I’ve been riding them for 50 years, at this point a full day on mine can be punishing - even with all those improvements I listed above. I remember why I have a modern touring bike and have learned how to maintain and repair it.

I’ve yet to have a computer fail, but I’ve sure had my hands in enough carbs over the last 50 years to appreciate being free of them for the most part.

I’d focus less on “farkles” and more on ensuring the chassis, tires, brakes and suspension are up to modern standards to best help you stay out of the ditch and reliably running.

Your mileage may vary, but I’d focus hard on modernizing it and going through the likely failure points and making them as reliable as possible.

 

[orforester]

Not a big endorsement Dave. I too have an airhead and a modern RT, yes I prefer the modern one, but I got to ask how many modern bikes hit 100K, v Airheads, and then look at how many Airheads are still running and the owners can actually fix them? The modern computer bikes are way harder to fix.

Given your recommendations his bike will be a good runner for many more years!

 

[tlangman4]

Although I have a very clean and low mileage ST1100, I couldn’t resist the urge to buy a ‘78 R100/7 last year simply because I still love airheads. I’ve owned 6 others, and have always enjoyed the simplicity of maintenance and the ride of these bikes. Of course I couldn’t leave it alone, as I also plan to ride it as a weekend touring bike. As a result, I upgraded the charging system with an Enduralast 450 watt unit, a Wedgetail digital electronic ignition along with a spare ECU (yep, had one fail already but covered by warranty), and a Nippondenso starter. Also added the Race Tech gold vale cartilage emulator kit for the forks, which I highly recommend. Also upgraded to a dual disc front brake system with a new m/c from EME. A couple other items here and there such as fog lamps, etc. Anyway, I love the bike and enjoyed the process of updating it just as much. Had so much fun that I just bought an ‘80 R65 for more of the same. Best of luck with your project, and enjoy riding that thing!

 

[kbasa]

Not a big endorsement Dave. I too have an airhead and a modern RT, yes I prefer the modern one, but I got to ask how many modern bikes hit 100K, v Airheads, and then look at how many Airheads are still running and the owners can actually fix them? The modern computer bikes are way harder to fix.

Given your recommendations his bike will be a good runner for many more years!

Didn't mean to be harsh, but ultimately, it's a motorcycle that qualifies for antique plates in a lot of states and should probably be considered inside that framework.

Having had modern bikes in the garage for 30+ years, I can't agree that bikes with computers are harder to fix. The simple truth and fact is that they break less often and chances are good it won't be the computer itself that's busted, but some sensor it uses to understand what it needs to do.

But, we all find our way, don't we?

My efforts for a touring airhead would be the same things I did to mine. Modernize the parts we can to provide better brakes, chassis, control and reliability first, then move on to making it more comfortable. Just like when I was criss crossing the nation on airheads, I'd probably have a rotor in the tank bag, cables taped to the inside of my bag lids and my alternator pulling bolt, feeler gauges and everything I'd want to have on hand for a roadside repair.

FWIW, I've got at least a couple hundred thousand miles on fuel injected bikes and I've had to execute exactly zero roadside repairs. Your mileage may vary, but touring on an airhead requires a kind of pragmatism and understanding of the reliability of old bikes that are three decades old, at the newest.

Ride well, ride often, no shade intended, just acknowledging the potential difficulties and realities of touring on old bikes.

 

[radar41]

IMO, The 95 RT's were some of the best airheads for touring. There are a few things you can do to improve them.
(1) Remove the SAS emission system
(2) Upgrade the charging system to the 600 watt system available now,
(3) Add an additional top brace for increased stability when riding serious "twisties",
(4) Add a good set of LED running lights (Clearwater).
(5) Mount a good set of Michelin tires and go riding.

Just what i would do and have done to my 84 R100RS!

 

[justabill]

IMO, The 95 RT's were some of the best airheads for touring. There are a few things you can do to improve them.
(1) Remove the SAS emission system
(2) Upgrade the charging system to the 600 watt system available now,
(3) Add an additional top brace for increased stability when riding serious "twisties",
(4) Add a good set of LED running lights (Clearwater).
(5) Mount a good set of Michelin tires and go riding.

Just what i would do and have done to my 84 R100RS!

I have a 91 and this is essentially the same as my list. I actually choose to ride it more in the the cold than my '23 RS with all the heated grips/seats and rider aids. I replaced 20-year old Metzlers with Avons last July and they are really a good tire so far. Once I am done rebuilding my R80, the R100 is going on the stand for a bit of an overhaul including 2-4 on this list. I yanked the SAS off in the first weekend when I rebuilt the carbs.

All that said, if I end up with a modern RT, I am not sure it would not win out a bit for the longer rides.

 

[Motorman2061]

Touring on a 30 year old motorcycle? I’d add an extensive tool kit and make sure you have a reliable parts pipeline. It’s an antique bike now and everything that comes with that.

That bike is rolling some ancient suspension, brake, charging system, carburetion and tire technology at this point. I’d update the forks with Racetech stuff so it’s like a modern cartridge fork, I’d replace the upper triple with a billet bit and put a modern shock on the back like an Ohlins. That’ll upgrade the suspension so it doesn’t destroy you.

I’d update the brakes to floaters with modern pads.

And I’d put Continental ClassicAttack radial tires on it.

I’d go through the carbs and replace all the rubber bits, along with that cloth wrapped fuel line.

If I planned on running any electrical accessories, I’d go with updating the alternator first thing.

I have an airhead and even though I’ve been riding them for 50 years, at this point a full day on mine can be punishing - even with all those improvements I listed above. I remember why I have a modern touring bike and have learned how to maintain and repair it.

I’ve yet to have a computer fail, but I’ve sure had my hands in enough carbs over the last 50 years to appreciate being free of them for the most part.

I’d focus less on “farkles” and more on ensuring the chassis, tires, brakes and suspension are up to modern standards to best help you stay out of the ditch and reliably running.

Your mileage may vary, but I’d focus hard on modernizing it and going through the likely failure points and making them as reliable as possible.

Howdy
I appreciate all the comments and suggestions. Perhaps I should have mentioned that the 1995 RT in question is close to “new” as it gets. It has only 9K miles on the odometer and has had a complete inspection and fluid change. That’s not to say that I feel that a suspension upgrade isn’t a good idea. It will be high on the list of considerations.
Thanks again.

 

[manitou_commando]

As Member SteveRankin stated, "I would stay away from a Corbin seat. Corbin made it clear to me they are not interested in airheads, Don't get me started on them my disgust with them."
I will chime in.
Not being one to state negatively about anyone or anything, allow me to state that the good folks at Corbin have a skill level unsurpassed in being unable to upolster their own seats. I had a Corbin saddle on my '88RS. Their inability to sew the cover so that it stayed in one piece is unmatched. I sent it back twice for recovering. Lucky for me, they always split in the same place.
As I say, the folks at Corbin are unmatched when it comes to making a crappy saddle.

 

[Motorman2061]

Now there’s a constructive criticism. (Pun intended).

 

[stevenrankin]

I had purchased two Corbin seats in my time. Both were comfortable, well made and fit the bike. That was past.

My last Corbin seat was not comfortable, I sent it back for fixing, they had it in shop for five months, sent it back and did NOTHING. When I complained, they waffled saying it would cost me more money to fix the problem. So much for the comfort guarantee.

Mounting the seat back on the bike (I had no choice at the time) six months later the hinge pushed up through the bottom of the seat. this Corbin fixed right away for free (of course I paid shipping to them). During reinstallation of the replacement seat I found it to be "resting" on only the two hinges and lock pin rather than the bumpers with weight evenly distributed on the sub frame. This cleared up the mystery of why the hinge pushed through the bottom.

When I called Corbin to ask about mounting the seat and it not fitting, I was told to make pads for the frame. I asked if perhaps the hinges they had supplied with the seat were incorrect and was told without the seat and bike there for them to look at they couldn't say. I asked to send a set of different hinges, nope, bring the bike here.

So let me sum up; an uncomfortable seat not repaired under the comfort warranty. A seat I am supposed to modify the bike to fit the seat instead of the other way around. All for a premium price.

I ended up buying a replica stock seat from Siebenrock and to be honest it is more comfortable than the Corbin and it fits the bike like it should.

I am sorry some of you don't like me for writing what I write but folks that is the way it was. Corbin in my opinion may have been an excellent company for AIRHEADS in the past but now, we are small potatoes and they don't seem to care. St.

 

[kbasa]

My issue with Corbins has always been that they put a ridge on the edge of the seat that will cut into the back of your thigh after an hour or so.

I've spent hours fantasizing about making Mike Corbin ride one of his seats across the country.

 

[stevenrankin]

Dave, that was my original complaint with the seat I sent back. 5 months, nothing done, except "we will do a custom seat for $400 more, And, that would have been done a pan that didn't even sit right on the bike frame.

Who knows maybe for a bit of nip and tuck as well as another set of hinges, I would be writing praise. St.