New Airhead in Town

[bigrider]

By the Book?

Hairsmith, did you use a check list to take the RS apart or did you jsut start at one end? I'd have a couple of bikes that need a clean up also.

Dave H
San Antonio, TX

 

[dpmonk]

mixed marriage

Well it looks like a new Airheads group a gittin started in Nacogdoches.

Cept one of them is an oily one.
Still will sound good, I am riding with a Goose this weekend. Just like 30 years ago,
deja vue all over again.

I wonder if there are any airheads in Anahuac?

 

[squiffynimrod]

Good work. Now if sprucing up was what you had in mind, a good sprucer upper would never leave the fins on the valve covers black. He would carefully sand them with some very fine waterproof paper and return them to the shiny state that they were intended to be displayed in.

 

[mymindsok]

I wanted to say Hi, and show off my new acquirence.

Well, well... Thats a very nice acquirence ya got there. Congratulations on the find! What color are you going to repaint the bike?

If you've been looking around here lately, you've probably seen my new aquisition, an 82 R-100 RS in Candy Red Smoke. It's good to see the RS's coming out of the wood work again. For a while, they were scarce as hens teeth on the resale market.

It also looks like we're working the same plan; 'put some miles on the bike and then tear it down for a redo'. I'll be doing my frame modifications and refinishing next Winter but I've already started swapping the fasteners to SS, the Spiegler brake lines just arrived (Theyre so pretty.), along with some Ebay purchased fork springs. I'm also expecting a big ol box from Chicago BMW any day now. If I don't feel too lazy, I should get with repainting my wheels tomorrow...

I love my R-90HR but aint RS's a nice ride? Yes it is and I'm looking forward to watching you finish up your scooter.

 

[ricochetrider]

nice ride but WTF?

hey bro, love that smoke silver RS...
pray tell, my good man? why'd you mess with the original paint? in the vintage britbike circles i ride in, original paint is EVERYTHING. is it not so with a classic beemer?

here's a pic of my newly aquired 93 RS

BTW, do you get a heavy wind blast from the fairing? mine delivers a killer. guess that has something to do with a vaccum that forms up behind the fairing?

 

[orbitangel]

RS Windshield & Dash Attacment

I do have 2 questions for anyone that owns an RS,

1, I am putting an RS fairing on an RT and was wondering the right way to attach the windshield and dash to the fairing. The dealer near me showed me some plastic rivets and washers. They cost 2 dollars per rivet and washer a piece. (Need 14 of each).

2nd. The paint job is complete and I want to put some pinstripes on but I'm not sure the right way. I would like to copy the pattern of the stripe on my 85 R80 RT but all the pictures of the R100RS's are different. Any suggestions?

First question:

I HATE BMW's crappy system for installing the windshield and dash. It was a total PITA when the RS was brand new and it is still a total PITA today!

Here is what I did: I got rid of the copper grommets that hold the dash panel to the fairing and the expanding plastic "pop rivets" that hold the windshield on.

I installed what are called "Wellnuts." http://www.desmoparts.com/ducati/wellnut/wellnut.htm

They are common in aviation practice (in SAE sizes) and (as I learned AFTER I did mine) also readily available in metric sizes and are use to hold fairing pieces in place on certain Ducati models and and various other bikes.

On my own RS I simply opened up the holes in the fairing and dash to 5/16 in. (use the correct metric size and you can probably avoid that step) lay the dash panel on there, poke 14 Wellnuts thru the holes.

Then, slap the windshield on there and install 14 screws. Since mine are SAE sized, I am using 6-32 stainless steel screws. I also used a thin nylon washer against the windshield and a thin SS washer under the screw head.

Here is how it looks now:

Now I can have the windshield and dash panel off in five minutes flat, no fuss, no special tools.

At least one critic has expressed a concern that the windshield will not "break away" in a crash, as BMW designed it to do. This does not concern me in the slightest.
If I go thru that windshield in a crash, 1. It WILL break away and 2. I'll have larger issues to worry about.

I will NEVER, EVER go back to copper grommets and plastic rivets!

Is it "Original?" Hell no.

Do I care? Hell no some more...

Second question:

See pictures -

(I COULD have just as easily used BLACK screws for original appearance...)

If you need some original pinstripe details let me know and I'll send you some pix.

 

[535IS]

If you like a lot of attention, I've found this works really well:

Make yourself a '78 Motorsport clone. Red, blue, and blue striping with a big red clown nose on it. If you do, I can supply detail shots where the striping tapers to red only, as well as digging up the color codes for the two different reds (The headlight surround is brighter.).

 

[Manfred]

Orbitangel - thanks for posting the link to http://www.desmoparts.com/ducati/wellnut/wellnut.htm

They're local to me and I was thinking about the same issues.

 

[HAIRSMITH]

I have been busy with the RS and some health issues with my wife. Will post more about some questions on the RS project later.
For now.

 

[BUBBAZANETTI]

sweet looking!

 

[HAIRSMITH]

hey bro, love that smoke silver RS...
pray tell, my good man? why'd you mess with the original paint? in the vintage britbike circles i ride in, original paint is EVERYTHING. is it not so with a classic beemer?

The new paint came about since the bike has close to 100,000 miles. It was faded, scratched, dents in the tank, and some cracks in the fairing and fender.
I also lusted after a motorsport in 1978, this one is mine and decided to make it into what I wanted, BMW had there chance last time.

, do you get a heavy wind blast from the fairing? mine delivers a killer. guess that has something to do with a vaccum that forms up behind the fairing?

The RS does push wind into your helmet, so there is lots if wind noise. Ride with ear plugs. Small price to pay to ride one of the greatest bikes on the road (my opinion) The best fix for the wind noise problem is to buy a RT.

 

[TGHSMITH]

looks great, mine also started with the "stealth gray" paint . I knew it had to nearly vanish on a dark rainy day, 100,000 miles is about when the paint changed on mine also...
glad to see you changed the lower center panel to the new old style..

a balance vent in the w/s helps, adding a bug-stopper to the top lip takes away from the lines, but you can ride shield open with clean glasses.

 

[HAIRSMITH]

Welcome to the wonder of the airhead twin. To me there is no sweeter sounding motor than the airhead.
I do have 2 questions for anyone that owns an RS, 1, I am putting an RS fairing on an RT and was wondering the right way to attach the windshield and dash to the fairing. The dealer near me showed me some plastic rivets and washers. They cost 2 dollars per rivet and washer a piece. (Need 14 of each).

I had the fairing and dash disassembled for the repaint. I went back with the stock rivet's, what I used to reassemble them was a small chunk of hard wood and a drywall screw. The shape of the drywall screw is like a bugle and is perfect to flaring the rivet and holding the dash nice and tight. Also gives the option of using the stock plastic rivet's or going with small nylon nuts & bolts.
Worked great and now I can remove the windshield and the dash stays put.
When it gets down to it there is no wrong way, as long as it works and get the bike back on the road.
I know some people have said that the plastic rivets will work well for allowing the windshield to brake away in an accident. I am sure that will help, but my shoulders and torso are much wider than the steal arms of the fairing brackets, so I am more worried about being impaled by them as I tear the flimsy windshield from its mounts as I fly forward. The risk is your own, make your own decisions.

 

[535IS]

I love that paint scheme! [... and this comes from a Motorsport owner!]

It takes that impertinent red 'clown nose' and does something with it! Since they're separate parts and easy to paint (and repaint), I'd think about red bags (half red!) and/or battery covers, too. I hope you'll add some Motorsport colored stripes to it.

[Edit:] I notice you have a stock seat on now. Do you (or did you) want to part with the Corbin?

 

[HAIRSMITH]

I love that paint scheme! [... and this comes from a Motorsport owner!]

It takes that impertinent red 'clown nose' and does something with it! Since they're separate parts and easy to paint (and repaint), I'd think about red bags (half red!) and/or battery covers, too. I hope you'll add some Motorsport colored stripes to it.

[Edit:] I notice you have a stock seat on now. Do you (or did you) want to part with the Corbin?

Thanks for the kind complement. I am sure some time I will get some striping done on the bike, but there is no one around hear that does hand striping.
The motorsports I have seen have some blue in the striping along with red white and blue badges. I do not intend to make the bike a motorsport replica since it is not the correct year, but I do like the paint scheme. So I have used it as a basses for how the bike looks, (so few bikes look good white to me).
I also have a complete set of lowers and the original front engine cover that is in white so I guess I could go Motorsport replica. I just dont want to go somewhere and hear all the "this and that is not right" crap.

The Corbin: my butt is what wanted to part with that!!!
It is an old seat, and I do not have a tail piece to go with it, so it is only the fiberglass pan, foam and cover. It does have hinges and latch.
I like the stock much better, but the corbin is taking up space now if your interested PM me I will make you a deal.

 

[sumran]

Bike looks good and is very interesting. It will intriquing to see your completed interpretation of the Motorsport. It would be worth riding it to a rally just to sit at a distance and listen to folks discuss whether it was genuine or not. You will have to come with a convincing tale about this special edition, very low production Motorsport.

 

[HAIRSMITH]

Just got back off the first trip on the RS since the clean up.
Rode up to Bentonville Ar to the Ozark Vintage Motorcycle Association Rally.
What a great time great bikes, and great people !
Only did a little over 1,000 miles over the weekend but for a bike that has been back together for two weeks not bad. She ran great and there was no problems, even thow I did highway 23 in AR ( The Pig Trail ) in a bad storm and rain, with tornado warnings.
On the way back did the Talimina trail.

Now to clean her up so she will be ready for Tn. and the National.