-
Welcome! You are currently logged out of the forum. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please LOG IN!If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the benefits of membership? If you click here, you have the opportunity to take us for a test ride at our expense. Enter the code 'FORUM25' in the activation code box to try the first year of the MOA on us!
Help me choose my next Airhead
- Thread starter MurphyPeoples
- Start date
SLASHSIXER
New member
This is a great discussion. I am going to look at a 1981 R100RT this weekend and it certainly has given me a few talking/negotiating points.
Ted
Ted
S
sumran
Guest
Trying to avoid confusing myself. I have a 1980 R100RT (April manufacturing date). I was under the impression that mine had the heavy flywheel along with the old style clutch. I'm not sure if I should set my shocks on "tractor" or "sports car".
I was under the impression that the new "clutch carrier" was introduced with the 1981 models.
Surely that can't be the only reason for using a heavy flywheel...
A body in motion tends to stay in motion, so that would help in keeping the RPMs from falling off when hauling around a chair. But that same feature tends to smooth out the pulses from the pistons. I've only ridden "tractors" so I can't speak from experience, but I've heard some say that this is a noticeable affect.
S
srb
Guest
If this flywheel/clutch carrier is like any other BMW updates I would expect early 1980 models to have the flywheel, and late 1980 models to have the carrier. I don't know for certain though.
MurphyPeoples
New member
Murph,
Don't rule out the R80RT. Supposedly 'tis just abit smoother than the R100RT. I'll let ya know once I get mine all back together
Steve! Post pictures of it in it's current condition for us! That's way when it's done we'll be that much more impressed.
Murph
MurphyPeoples
New member
kstoo
Huckleberry, Gilera &Toad
Trying to avoid confusing myself. I have a 1980 R100RT (April manufacturing date). I was under the impression that mine had the heavy flywheel along with the old style clutch. I'm not sure if I should set my shocks on "tractor" or "sports car".
I have your little brother, an R100 from 04/1980 that has the John Deere B flywheel too.
Question: does your April 1980 have points ignition or electronic? I was really shocked when I opened up the can and found points!!
S
sumran
Guest
I have points. I thought about "upgrading" to electronic but most have told me that the '79 and '80 machines were reliable and recommended against changing them.
MurphyPeoples
New member
Call somebodys bike a tractor and things get lively.
MurphyPeoples
New member
My 9/1980 R100T has the "Bean Can" with points too. BTW - that's Matt Parkhouse's terminology not mine.
And he speaks highly of the bean can too! I'm NOT changing mine! How easy it is to take the can off and set the points... I love it!Murph
S
srb
Guest
"Call somebodys bike a tractor and things get lively."
Indeed they do. I don't take much offense at what lk says though as he has said it many times before, and I do respect the amount of knowledge he has regarding our beloved airheads. Plus this is part of the fun of ownership, lining up all the reasons why the particular year that you own is superior to all others. Many /6 and /7 guys pick on /5 guys because of power output, but of course we all have to secretly admire the /5 as it fathered the last iteration of airheads.
I personally think the mid 70's was the high water mark for airheads because it was a point in time before the bikes started to be engineered by the EPA. If you look at modern improvement over the last 25-30 years how many are related to performance and how many to emissions. LKs two main points of deficiency 1. Points, 2. Heavy flywheel are things that many enjoy about the older bikes. Plus it is very simple to retrofit E/I to the points bikes and even better you can go back to points any time. The heavy flywheel makes the bikes run smooth going down the road. The flywheel does detract from outright acceleration, but by the late 70's and early 80's many bikes could out accelerate an airhead flywheel or not.
Now don't get me started on those post '85 airheads those things are just...
Indeed they do. I don't take much offense at what lk says though as he has said it many times before, and I do respect the amount of knowledge he has regarding our beloved airheads. Plus this is part of the fun of ownership, lining up all the reasons why the particular year that you own is superior to all others. Many /6 and /7 guys pick on /5 guys because of power output, but of course we all have to secretly admire the /5 as it fathered the last iteration of airheads.
I personally think the mid 70's was the high water mark for airheads because it was a point in time before the bikes started to be engineered by the EPA. If you look at modern improvement over the last 25-30 years how many are related to performance and how many to emissions. LKs two main points of deficiency 1. Points, 2. Heavy flywheel are things that many enjoy about the older bikes. Plus it is very simple to retrofit E/I to the points bikes and even better you can go back to points any time. The heavy flywheel makes the bikes run smooth going down the road. The flywheel does detract from outright acceleration, but by the late 70's and early 80's many bikes could out accelerate an airhead flywheel or not.
Now don't get me started on those post '85 airheads those things are just...
osbornk
Old man in the mountains
Murph,
Don't rule out the R80RT. Supposedly 'tis just abit smoother than the R100RT. I'll let ya know once I get mine all back together
When I decided I wanted an Airhead RT, I wasn't sure which one I wanted so I rode both. Since I ride alone, the R80RT was a better choice for me. It is smoother than the R100RT and just felt better to me. I wanted an 85 or newer so I wouldn't have to worry about the valve problems with unleaded gas and I wanted the monolever suspension on the rear. It has a permanent home in my garage where my other bikes have had a temp. home on the other side. However, since BMW has apparently abandoned the vertically challenged market, my CLC may be with me a long time.
bob_m
Active member
uh no
I have no problems servicing my airheads, but this one looks like it may be too high maintenance
How about this one:
I have no problems servicing my airheads, but this one looks like it may be too high maintenance
beemokat
Bikes, Guitars, and ...
But fun to ride!
osbornk
Old man in the mountains
I don't think I could afford this airhead and I doubt that my servicing would be adequate.
beemokat
Bikes, Guitars, and ...
Man Rule #1
Never, ever admit to inadequacy of any sort and especially not of this sort!
Never, ever admit to inadequacy of any sort and especially not of this sort!
You guys got it all wrong. Airheads like that you ride off the lot; then just trade 'em in for the new model once it comes time for the high maintenance items.
