Airhead vs Oilhead

[dennypink]

I have a question for "oilhead" owners, who were former "airhead" owners. I'm considering updating my 92 R100RT to an oilhead, and for budget reasons, probably the 1150 series. Later did you regret the move to an oilhead? Would you have rather kept your airhead? Are the improvements significant enough for a change?

I know the best advice would be to keep an air and oil machine, but I have two other bikes and the Mrs. will not allow 4, I've tried, wasn't pretty.

Thank you for your insight!
Denny

 

[EMSimon]

I do have both. If I had a choice between a 92 R100RT and a R1150(RT?) it would be no question, I would go for the Oilhead. The only quality an Airhead would have over an Oilhead would be the "collectible status", and the 92 RT does not have that.

 

[darrylri]

I have both. I like riding both. There is no question that the oilheads are better all around. Better brakes, better suspension, better handling, more power, more electricity, etc. And why shouldn't they be? They're a 25 year newer design.

Just as the airheads have some foibles, so do the oilheads. Buying an older oilhead should mean that those have already been dealt with (like a final drive bearing). But you're buying a used bike, it's always a gamble about how it's been treated.

I love riding my airheads and my oilhead. On any given day I could choose either one and have a great time. Still tour on both, too.

 

[04r1150rs]

I have both a R1150RS and R80 G/S.

The G/S gets more use, around town, secondary roads plus, exploring gravel, fire roads and dirt roads. But it's a dual sport bike. It require a little more attention.

The 1150, is at least for me, used more when needing to cover some miles or looking for road performance.

If your wanting to travel more comfortably and cover miles go for the 1150. The airhead will require a little more time to cover miles, plus a little less comfy.

The oil head will let you travel in more comfort, but doesn't have the soul the airhead does.

 

[beemerphile]

I sold my 92 R100RT to buy a 2004 R1150R. The 1150 is faster, more comfortable, better handling, more reliable, orders of magnitude better brakes, and gets better gas mileage. What's not to like? Then in a few years I got to missing the Airheads and bought one rider and one for ground-up reconstruction. I did not like being without an Airhead, but if I could only have one bike to ride serious distances, it would be the oilhead. It is just a much more competent motorcycle in every regard.

 

[JDOCKERY132445]

No more airheads

I once had a collection of airheads, but retirement and no large garage meant I had to get a bike that would haul both my wife and I for long distances. She had an R60/6, I had an R100RT. I sold both of those as well as my R69S and my R75/5. I have missed my old airheads; but the reality is that I spend more time riding now and less time wrenching on my bikes. The R1100RT I bought had low miles and I only paid $2500.00. Best money I have ever spent.

 

[bigsur52]

Try to find a 2004 oilhead. That's the year they put dual plugs on the 1150 and there are no surging problems. Also, the 1150's were very well sorted out by the last year of their production run.

 

[basketcase]

Six months ago I was mulling the same question: "Get another airhead or move to an oilhead?"

Then after I began reading up on the topic here and other places I remembered why I got out of the R100RT. I wanted to go out, start the bike, and go riding with no drama involved: no electrical drama, no carburetor drama, no other drama.

I opted for a later model R1100RT and have no regrets.

 

[henzilla]

Have both now as well, late bloomer on the Airheads. Both have different character traits to me and CAN be equally fun...and one stops really well

This is one of those questions that depends on where the post started...I bet a little different bias over in that "other" camps turf.

 

[jconway607]

I had been out of motorcycles for many years. When I got the bug again, I automatically went back to airheads due to my wonderful recollections of my 1978 R60/7. So I got an '83 R80RT, my "dream bike". Well,... not quite. Shortly thereafter I met someone at a restaurant who was riding an oilhead. I proudly told him what I had. His reply was, "So you like wrenching?" He then zipped off for another 50 miles of riding for the day. I was kind of miffed, but found out later how right he was.

Being 28 years old, I found it needed everything repaired. After two years of work, and $3000 in parts, I had a beautiful bike that was still half the bike of an oilhead. The seat was too small for two people to be comfortable, it had a poor charging system, very limited tire selection (bias ply, to boot), and a second rate luggage system, to list a few of it's faults. I sold it, taking a large loss.

I then bought a '96 R1100Rt. I love it. I will actually be driving down the road sometimes and pat it's gas tank, like a good, faithful horse. It looks great, has excellent power, nice luggage, great tires, ABS brakes, room for two people,...I could go on and on.

Airheads are great. Simple to work on, nice looking. They are a good choice for ONE person riding, which from my many copies of "Airmail" seemed to be always the case. But as others have stated very well, you give up an awful lot of comfort and advances to ride one. I now see them as nice "second bikes" to wax and pamper, and ride on a sunny afternoon for a while. But when most of us want a dependable stead to go the distance, we grab the keys to the oilhead.

 

[MarkM]

After owning 3 airheads over the years I replaced my airhead RT with a '95 R1100RSL. Wow, what a huge improvement! Others have already covered most of the significant advances: brakes, power, handling, seat size, maintenance. One other thing that is very important to me is year-round comfort. My airhead RT was too danged hot to enjoy riding in steamy Midwest summers! The oilhead RSL fairing is the perfect balance of allowing sufficient cooling air to the rider in the summer while shielding my legs from engine heat, and still providing good enough wind protection in cold weather. To me there's no contest which is better. BUT if I could have another airhead, especially a GS or roadster, I'd love to have one for a second around-town/day-trip bike.

 

[arbolmano]

I have both too

I am lucky enough to have a Airhead and an R1200RT. The RT is my daily driver, I keep the Airhead for nostalgia reasons and in case of zombie apocalypse when electronic ignitions won't work. What those other posters said is dead on.
Airheads are easier to work on but you get to do it more often. They also have problems with modern
fuels. But, in my wife's opinion, the biggest factor to own a modern design is SAFETY. ABS, tubeless radial tires, fuel injection and suspension improvements have not only improved the experience but have made it safer.

 

[bc1100s]

The oilhead RSL fairing is the perfect balance of allowing sufficient cooling air to the rider in the summer while shielding my legs from engine heat, and still providing good enough wind protection in cold weather. To me there's no contest which is better. BUT if I could have another .....

....bike, it would have to be an R1100S. The perfect motorcycle. And the guys who ride them? They're the coolest of the cool.

(apologies for thread derail. I could not resist. )

 

[jammess]

I have an R100RT '81 vintage as well as an '04 R1150RT and a '94 R1100RSL. All of these rides are in pristine condition. I keep the airhead because it takes me back to 1977 and my first BMW that being an R75/7. I like the old airhead and enjoy the like minded folks that ride them. The tech sessions with barley therapy are just great fun. If I was told I could keep just one of these three machines I would most likely choose the R1100RSL because it is most like the R100 in weight and low center of gravity. That said it would be a very hard choice indeed between the R100RT and the '94 RSL. The '04RT isn't even in the running, no competition no way. The '04 is top heavy and just plain heavy. I hated the servo assisted linked ABS brakes with a passion and after replacing the stick coils not once but twice she is just not a keeper for me. I did remove the ABS system so at least that is no longer an issue but I paid good bucks for that ill thought out fiasco of a braking system when I bought the bike new and that still irritates me.

 

[basketcase]

I have an R100RT '81 vintage as well as an '04 R1150RT and a '94 R1100RSL. All of these rides are in pristine condition. I keep the airhead because it takes me back to 1977 and my first BMW that being an R75/7. I like the old airhead and enjoy the like minded folks that ride them. The tech sessions with barley therapy are just great fun. If I was told I could keep just one of these three machines I would most likely choose the R1100RSL because it is most like the R100 in weight and low center of gravity. That said it would be a very hard choice indeed between the R100RT and the '94 RSL. The '04RT isn't even in the running, no competition no way. The '04 is top heavy and just plain heavy. I hated the servo assisted linked ABS brakes with a passion and after replacing the stick coils not once but twice she is just not a keeper for me. I did remove the ABS system so at least that is no longer an issue but I paid good bucks for that ill thought out fiasco of a braking system when I bought the bike new and that still irritates me.

Not to derail the thread, but I passed up a "pristine" '04 to buy the 2000 model that I have. Granted, they are all mechanical devices and thus prone to failure, but every time I read a comment like yours I think "at least I dodged the servo issue." The RT is my primary ride.

So turning back towards the main track, I will confess that after years of having both a road bike and a dual sport in the stable I am accustomed to dealing with two of them. So if I happened to run up on a classic airhead at a can't pass it up price I would probably jump on it -- literally and figuratively.

 

[braddog]

I have a question for "oilhead" owners, who were former "airhead" owners. I'm considering updating my 92 R100RT to an oilhead, and for budget reasons, probably the 1150 series. Later did you regret the move to an oilhead? Would you have rather kept your airhead? Are the improvements significant enough for a change?

I know the best advice would be to keep an air and oil machine, but I have two other bikes and the Mrs. will not allow 4, I've tried, wasn't pretty.

Thank you for your insight!
Denny

I, too, have both. I love my airhead, I really do. However, the oilhead is a different and much better animal. The majority of my riding is commuting. I set up my R11RS oilhead with a nice Givi rear topbox. I even removed the sidecases. After riding the oilhead day after day, I took the airhead for a ride. Whoa, stop, now, please, wait! Brakes were the first big thing I noticed.

I'm really considering selling my airhead come spring. I know a gentleman that wants to buy it and do a full resto on her. At least I know where it's going and what will happen to her. Airheads are wonderful machines and very enjoyable to ride and even work on. But to me, the newer motorcycles are just better.

If you could manage to keep both an airhead and an oilhead, that would be the best option. But if you wish to upgrade, that would be good.

 

[bikerfish1100]

....bike, it would have to be an R1100S. The perfect motorcycle. And the guys who ride them? They're the coolest of the cool.

(apologies for thread derail. I could not resist. )

amazingly astute and cogent observation.

I've ridden BMWs for over 35 years; airheads, Klassic K-series, oilheads, and F-twin. Airheads are cutting edge.... for 30 year old technology. Oilheads are just better performing bikes, period.

 

[jammess]

Well, I slept on it after making comments in previous post about how my '04RT has irritated me with whizzy brakes and screwy stick coils but I must add that the '04 has given me 10 years and 45K miles of mostly comfortable and happy riding and has never left me stranded. I just really prefer a lighter more nimble bike like the old airheads with the attributes of the oil head. For me the best compromise is my '94RSL. But I just could never part with my R100RT as I am a tinkerer at heart and what better bike to tinker with?

Have placed the '04 in the flea market but would not be at all disappointed if she never sells. To me the '04 is a rolling work of art. My main problem is I'm getting older and my sense of balance is somewhat off and the top heavy feel of the RT is a tiny bit unsettling. That said once she's underway in the wilds of Eastern Oregon it just doesn't get any better.

 

[jconway607]

One other thing that is very important to me is year-round comfort. My airhead RT was too danged hot to enjoy riding in steamy Midwest summers! .

I posted previously on this topic, but this reply made me smile. I had forgotten (thankfully) that this was one of the biggest reasons I sold my Airhead RT. With the lowers on, in the summer, it was like having a torpedo heater pointed directly at my shins. It just cooked my legs. You couldn't stand it. The response in the Airhead forum ranged from, " oh, you're crazy", to "Wrap your legs with insulation". I tried out some K bikes, but as people say, that gas tank gets pretty toasty. Finally, I rode an oilhead. Zero heat on the legs. Tank nice and cool. Mid-summer riding in 90 degree heat now,... no problem.

 

[lkchris]

The Airheads in question were designed in the late 1960s and the Oilheads in the early 1990s.

BMW grew significantly as a company in that time period and gained a reputation for technical excellence in providing sporty vehicles.

Hardly any reason then to think anything except that the Oilheads are improved in every way.

Only in the USA is ancient technology held on to past its prime, and consequently 2/3 of our major automotive enterprises were recently bankrupt and for sure the USA is not the world leader in things automotive. The UK was similar earlier and now all its significant auto industry is foreign owned, as is now Chrysler. The largest in one location auto assembly plant in the USA is in Spartanburg, SC.