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A little positive for BMW

tanker4me said:
After inquiring about parts availability at several Honda dealers, I decided to look for something else.

Bill
Click to expand...

In 1970 I had a connecting rod break in a Yamaha 250 scrambler. Then I spent a year at a remote radar site in Alaska. Upon my return I tried to get the parts to fix the bike. A few were available. Most were not. So I traded that bike in on a new RD250 in 1973 and got a trade-in price for the motor in boxes and the rolling chassis equal to what I paid for the bike. The dealer needed it for parts he couldn't get from Yamaha.

This 50 year old example is just an anecdote. It hardly applies to 2021. But, I am willing to bet if I still had a 1973 Yamaha something, or Honda something, or Kawasaki whatever, if I sought a part like we might for a /5 BMW we would be laughed right out of the dealership. If I am wrong educate me.
 
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Availability

While I frequently complain about the "modern" BMW's corporate nonsense, such as boutique dealerships with the "customer experience" as well as shops who turn their noses up at airheads, I do have to say, someone in BMW has done a good job keeping replacement parts in the pipes for us.

In all honesty if I were not able to source parts for my two bikes, they would have been gone to the great scrap heap a long time ago.

Also, I am VERY lucky that with proper maintenance the robust design of the time has allowed things such as the main engine bearings, crank, cam, transmissions, all the big expensive parts to last the miles they have. Oh yeah, I have had to have heads rebuilt, new jugs and pistons, brake master cylinders, shocks, and of course other wear components replaced. Given the way I rode/ride, these things wearing out come as no surprise.

After buying my 84 R80RT new in early 85, I have just replaced most of the wiring harnesses. The originals finally starting to show their age and abuse from my riding in all kinds of weather including the salted roads of NY winters. In fact, the current overhaul of the bike now over this past winter was not so much as a mechanical overhaul, there were no mechanical issues to address, but a cosmetic one. Mind you, the bike has 240K miles on it.

Inspection during this overhaul showed ALL major components to be in good shape, great compression, splines good. So, after wiring, paint, and some re chroming, I figure everything is good for another 100K miles. LOL, the chances of me doing that overhaul are slim to none.

The highest mileage airhead I know of was ridden by my first dealer, and it was a R90S, now if he was to be believed, it had 500K miles on it and was still running the same major components. That and my bikes say a lot for proper while not always perfect design. St.
 
STEVENRANKIN said:
While I frequently complain about the "modern" BMW's corporate nonsense, such as boutique dealerships with the "customer experience" as well as shops who turn their noses up at airheads, I do have to say, someone in BMW has done a good job keeping replacement parts in the pipes for us.

In all honesty if I were not able to source parts for my two bikes, they would have been gone to the great scrap heap a long time ago.

Also, I am VERY lucky that with proper maintenance the robust design of the time has allowed things such as the main engine bearings, crank, cam, transmissions, all the big expensive parts to last the miles they have. Oh yeah, I have had to have heads rebuilt, new jugs and pistons, brake master cylinders, shocks, and of course other wear components replaced. Given the way I rode/ride, these things wearing out come as no surprise.

After buying my 84 R80RT new in early 85, I have just replaced most of the wiring harnesses. The originals finally starting to show their age and abuse from my riding in all kinds of weather including the salted roads of NY winters. In fact, the current overhaul of the bike now over this past winter was not so much as a mechanical overhaul, there were no mechanical issues to address, but a cosmetic one. Mind you, the bike has 240K miles on it.

Inspection during this overhaul showed ALL major components to be in good shape, great compression, splines good. So, after wiring, paint, and some re chroming, I figure everything is good for another 100K miles. LOL, the chances of me doing that overhaul are slim to none.

The highest mileage airhead I know of was ridden by my first dealer, and it was a R90S, now if he was to be believed, it had 500K miles on it and was still running the same major components. That and my bikes say a lot for proper while not always perfect design. St.
Click to expand...


I'm trying to think what I've had to replace on my '74 R90s (141k miles).

cylinders re-bored at 110k with new pistons
some seals
a couple of pushrod tube seal replacements
a tranny issue with the broken shifter pawl spring
steering head bearings done at least 30 years ago
wiring harness as the original started fraying and cracking

I've never touched the crankshaft, cam, lifters, etc., which is impressive with an air cooled motor.

Much to be said for BMW's keeping the spare parts available and the simple design that keeps these great old bikes on the road.
 
EUGENE said:
That is a 1967 305 Big Bear twin. A 1973 250 would have been an single DT-1. Right Paul?
Click to expand...

The original bike was some model of late 60s vintage. I traded it in on a 1973 RD 250. I bought the first one when I saw it parked on the sidewalk with a for sale sign. I have no idea what model it was. It was black.
 
A '73 RD250 is a little 2 stroke twin. The DT line were single enduro style bikes. I had a '74 DT250 growing up in NoDak, and I found a '72 RD250 a few years ago that I flipped (bought and sold, not wrecked).

The parts availability for BMW's is amazing. The mere fact that so many of the airhead models are still on the road and still being ridden regularly is quite amazing. I have 2 of the original RS line, meaning I've got a '77 R100RS and a '94 R1100RS. I enjoy them both, but frankly enjoy the R100 more. It could use better brakes, for sure, and it seems like it always needs a little love somewhere, but it just goes.

As an FYI, for those maybe wanting an old 2 stroke, there's a company called HVCycles out of Nebraska that pretty much has anything you'd need.
 
Wow

Boy now that was some collection of bikes. Sorry but it kind of mad me sad to watch it. A lot of bikes and I give a lot of credit to the guys who collect, or hoard them but, what happens when they pass on? Man it would be a real tragedy to have all or even some of the bikes end up in the scrap yard because the collector/hoarder, dies. Collectors, seem to have for the most part plans in place to make sure this doesn't happen but a lot of hoarders don't. They die and the remaining family/friends/agency, open the doors of the hoard, gasp and call the junk man. I am watching that happen now just a few miles from me, a crew has been working for a month or more with excavators and roll offs to clear a dead hoarder's hoard, There never was any kind of "sale" or what not to see if there was anything of value, nope, all the old cars, trucks and tractors are now junk. Hey, they may just well may be but it is still sad.


So here is a cheer to the fellows who collect and hoard old bikes! A lot of them would have disappeared from history if it were not for you.

And here is a plea to those same guys, make plans now while you are alive and in good mental health to dispose of your treasures because your kids, relatives, agencies, may not feel the same way you do and won't always do what is best. St.
 
PGlaves said:
They are great OLD bikes. But in some respects the sidestands, flexible frames, diode boards, rotors, brakes, receding valves, points, cracked coils, wheels, clutch splines, wheel splines and a few more notorious features do mean they are not perfect.
Click to expand...
LOL I would add> no transmission circlip
 
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I'm fortunate that I live 15 minutes from the Max BMW mothership...but I enjoy the fact that in redoing the top end of my /5 as I am now, there is no part I can't readily get, no machine work I can't have professionally done, and no shortage of expertise I can't leverage (thank you to folks like Brook Reams, Snowbum, and the folks on this forum). With a support system like that the airheads will be around for our grandchildren to enjoy. You are never alone in working on an airhead.
 
IMG_4261.jpgB174FE9B-B2A3-4897-83A7-DD004A6D8DA3.jpeg
IMG_4269.jpg
The Norton is a restoration, Yamaha a replica, the Ducati a parts bin Frankenbike.
I would like to have one of each, but the vintage parts availability award for motorcycles and automobiles goes to BMW, if it’s just automobiles, Mercedes gets it.
Aftermarket parts for other brands are easier to find now because of 3D scanning and printing, CNC machining, etc.
Other manufacturers would have the suppliers destroy molds, patterns, tools etc. 10 years after a model was discontinued.
It made millionaires out of many aftermarket suppliers of vintage parts for Porsche and American muscle cars, as well as MG.

16 years ago, when a 1963 Bultaco Mecurio was given to me parts were unobtainum, even with internet access then.
All of the bits I need to put it on the road again are now available.
I’m told that you can get an AMF Harley to be reliable nowadays.

2 of the 3 Airheads I own are rolling restorations. My R80ST was restored to the PO preference, so the paint scheme ain’t right.
 
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The ‘83 R80ST

4C928248-B738-47A7-9768-855658C031BD.jpg
I won’t say that I haven’t bought anything on looks alone, but when riding don't care if the tires etc. look vintage. If there are modern tires that are the correct size I’ll fit them.
The first full-size street bike I bought was a new ‘77 Bonneville. That bike and my ‘76 R90/6 share the same tire/wheel dimensions.
In 1980 the Bonnie had the engine “souped” by a local builder. ( Ascot raceway was about 2 miles away) Leaded premium gas wasn’t enough to prevent pinging, 102 octane racing fuel was required “if” any hard throttle was to be applied.
That’s about the time the 23 year hiatus from riding started. The speed limit was 55mph.

Bill
 
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