When I first became involved in BMWs the older riders were still on /2's, /5's and /6's with a few really futuristic guys on the /7's. I have now realized that I am now one of the "Old Guys with the Old Bikes" watching as a whole new generation of riders are coming up. I used to worship those old guys and wanted to be just like them. I could listen to their stories all night long around a campfire. I only hope I can be as good as they were. One of my mentors was the Late, Great Keith Patchett who taught me more about the Type 247 motor than anyone else in my experience. I started out on a /7 which was a great bike; (all it needed to be right was a new BMW). Back in those days, we just accepted that alternators produced 280w and adjusted accordingly, turning off our Widder Electric Vests when we were running at low speeds in town. If you wanted one of them to handle, you needed to put on Konis and Progressive Fork springs as well as the Luftmeister Fork and Frame Braces. I remember buying a Big Bulb kit from Keith which allowed me to run a 100w bulb that my riding buddies thought must be as bright as the landing lights at JFK. One of the required skills then was the ability to rebuild and balance the Bing carbs. If you wanted to go high tech, you replaced the varnished styrofoam floats with the hot new plastic dual floats from Bing. Yet another high tech upgrade was a Boyer Electronic Ignition though I always carried a spare points can just in case. While BMWs have always attracted a more affluent rider, many of us rather thought that those who couldn't set their own valves, balance and adjust their own carbs and play with their own ignition timing were somehow lacking. Pay someone to change your own oil? Get Real!! One of the things that bonded many of us together in the MOA was that we couldn't afford to have the dealer maintain our bikes, so we banded together and shared our knowledge to do it ourselves. One of the things I admire about the Airheads is that they maintain that tradition. At some point in the not to distant future, I will probably return to an Airhead myself; (I love the RT's and RS's with the 247 motor). GOOD LORD, THE DAFT OLD BASTARD HAS BEEN RAMBLING ON FOR AGES!!! Thanks to anyone who took the time to read this post; hope you enjoyed it! Respectfully, 3hawks