Membership to Airhead.org

[darrylri]

Until I bought my airhead, I rode old Yamahas - a 1982 Virago 750 and a 1980 XS850. I was able to buy most parts from my local Yamaha dealer. Post sales tax and waiting 4 or 5 days for delivery, they were about as cheap as Internet parts, delivered sooner, and put money into a local dealer's paws. If 40 years is the line you draw, which is the far end of your own assessment of airhead ages, they my experience is of no use. But as far as dealers supporting old bikes - many do.

Actually, I'm limiting myself -- and BMW's support for their past products -- by ONLY talking about bikes 40 years old.

When my 1953 R51/3 was crunched in an accident, I bought a lot of parts for it from BMW, including things like a new rear fender ($600 in primer, not bad considering what plastic parts cost). I bought new spokes, valve covers, handlebar levers and their perches, footpeg rubbers and a variety of other parts.

 

[darrylri]

It appears that after a few of Jan B's rants (Especially the right wing political ones!), enough members quit the organization, that it got several peoples attention. (You might not know it but a huge portion of the Canadian contingent quit and never came back!)

Also the European group, which now has a Yahoo mailing list called Euroheads. Led by Helmut Lenders, they have a number of campouts each year in interesting places. I got to attend one in eastern France where they were camping in the back yard of a ruined chateau and did some great riding around.

These days Jan, as editor, claims to reserve the right to say whatever he pleases, whenever he pleases to do so but he also appears to be keeping his mouth shut, concerning most of his personal political and economic viewpoints Thats a good thing.

When I can be assured that I'll not be paying to disseminate his views in a nominally motorcycle magazine, I'll rejoin. I would like to support the club because it does a lot of good to keep the enthusiasm alive for these bikes. Just let me know...

OTOH, many of us do believe that BMW screwed the pooch when they abandoned the Airhead and I am only one of many who would hold up Moto Guzzi's evolutionary development of thier Airhead engine, as an example of what could have been. If other riders want to own Jap bikes, thats fine with me. I like em! In the same light, if you like the new Beemers, theyre fine bikes too. Just make sure that youre prepared to open your wallet real wide when it's time to service the damn thing. It's very common to take an LT in for service and then have to write a $2000+ check to get you bike back. Don't beleive me? Just ask around but it's also true that If BMW had retained the Airhead in some viable form, I have purchased at least a couple of new BMW's in the last two of decades and maybe more.

Of course, MG has been bought and sold a couple times in the last decade. BMWs have always been expensive to service when you take them to a dealer, and while the additional technology has complicated some service items, routine service work on the Hexheads is not dramatically different than on the Airheads.

In the end I'm an Airhead guy. I like em, I understand em and I can afford to own a couple, so all is well in my world. Plus... Considering how long an Airhead will run and whats going on in the world these days, either one of my Beemers is all the bike I'll ever need. Of course, if I'm flush in a couple of years, I'll buy one of those BMW Superbikes as a 62nd birthday present to myself but I don't really need one!

I am a boxer guy. The other engine layouts BMW has introduced are interesting from a theoretical point of view, but it's the boxer that does it for me. I own 7 BMWs, all boxers, each from a different decade of production (only two more to go to collect all 9!) They are all riders (except the one that's apart at the moment) and even my 1920s bike has over a 1000 miles on it since I restored it mechanically.

So, if BMW wants to produce inline 4s and singles and vertical twins, I don't mind a bit as long as it enables them to keep on making boxers. It's just like I don't mind them making cars if it allows them to keep on making bikes.

 

[108625]

So, if BMW wants to produce inline 4s and singles and vertical twins, I don't mind a bit as long as it enables them to keep on making boxers. It's just like I don't mind them making cars if it allows them to keep on making bikes.

That was my point of view.
When I it with shared with "B. Jan", he countered with a lot of twisted facts and figures about "lost market share" and the "airheads heyday" to try and indicate the company was on the wrong path.
I simply responded with their production and sales figures from a couple years ago, indicating BMW surpassing the 100,000 bikes a year mark, and 15,000 in the USA, both milestones they never reached as an airhead only company.
He never published that letter.

 

[ROLLIFAHRER]

I think ABC is a good club for guys who don't like clubs.

Going to people's homes to hang out for a day or weekend to eat, drink, and maybe wrench without much structure is worth the dues to get AirMail to find out where and when. I like "rallies" that are more like campouts with 20 or so bikes showing up. I think the editor is full of sauce and light on facts, but since discovering most members see that, too, I try to dub Rush's voice over what I read in "Luddite Screed" and that makes it enjoyable, and at times hilarious. Oaks's column is priceless! There aren't "ride reports" which is OK w me; I suffer enough envy flipping through ON.