Airhead Model Identification

byron

byron

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I am going to see a airhead over the weekend and I am not sure I am using the BMW site correctly.

I have been told it is an 1984 bike with matching frame and engine numbers of 6257450

Thanks in advance
 
Byron, the frame/engine number corresponds to a BMW R80 G/S 37 Kw 07/82 model. The 1984 models seem to have started with 628. I've just taken on 6258486 BTW.

Post 1969 BMW 800s Page 1

The ultimate BMW motorcycle information pages
www.bmbikes.co.uk

And I thought you had stopped bothering Airheads?? :)
 
Thanks for that Tim , just as I thought. I have been assured that the bike is an 1984 model imported from Germany. With such large sums of money involved and sellers having inflated ideas of value care is needed. Is that a project bike you have ? So the hunt goes on for another g/s pd. Thanks again Byron
 
byron said:
I am going to see a airhead over the weekend and I am not sure I am using the BMW site correctly.

I have been told it is an 1984 bike with matching frame and engine numbers of 6257450

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
If you have a frame number your friendly local BMW dealer should be in a position to supply details as attached
 

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Am I right in thinking that sometime in 1984 the engine number sequence changed and at the same time was moved from near the oil filler to down to the lower left of the crankcase? These changes meant you’d not have a matching engine and frame number.
 
It’s in snowbums article somewhere that this demise of matching numbers was around the start of the K-series. Also, the start of the Production New Year is in fact September of each year after the annual August holiday shutdown. So, 1984 model could be made late 1983


Sent from my backyard
 
My R80 ST was manufactured in 03/83 and has an engine block which was machine stamped on the lower left with the year, month and 4 digit sequential number plus '80 2V C'.
The engine number was hand stamped above the oil filler neck with the frame number (not the YYMMXXXX), presumably when mated up with the frame during the manufacture process ?

Although several years later, the logic of the late 83 change engine number change is sound.
My R100 RS was manufactured in week 22 of 1990, with sequential number 0241 - the engine number on the V5C is 22900241

....
The front left engine sequence number plus the MaxBMW or RealOEM site are useful for establishing the build date of your bike, rather than the registration date.
The R80 ST is actually 18 months older than the V5C would suggest, and I am awaiting a dating certificate from the BMW Club UK to start an argument with the DVLA that it is eligible for classis status from April 2024.
 
Last edited:
chopper Harris

please keep me updated on how you get on with that as I’m in a similar position with my ST.
built 83, but not registered til 84…

bubb
 
This may help - extract from recent letter to me

you are welcome to receive the production and delivery details by e-mail, in which case please simply write us back.

Should you instead need an official document for approval purposes, we will continue to offer a manufacturer's certificate with a data sheet for Euro 50, --. You can also order it by e-mail, payment is made by credit card (Visa, MasterCard), and you will receive a link to secure online credit card payment from us after ordering.

BMW Group Classic
DE-80788 Munich

Tel: +49-89-382-68281
Mobil: +49-151-601-68281
Mail: [email protected]
 
Bubb said:
chopper Harris

please keep me updated on how you get on with that as I’m in a similar position with my ST.
built 83, but not registered til 84…

bubb
Click to expand...
Bubb

It was actually cheaper to join BMW Club UK than to apply directly to the archive - £32 vs €50, including a years worth of access to the club magazine/forum/info and a cool BMW pin badge !

I'm not confident a letter from BMW AG will be recognized by the DVLA wombles, a dating letter from the BMW Club UK certainly will be.

BMW Club UK historic dating manager has provided me with a screenshot of the official archive record, confirming my ST was manufactured 01/03/83, delivered to UK on 31/10/84.
The ST is currently undergoing restoration, and apparently they won't issue a dating letter unless the bike is complete.

Annoying, but I have to wait until early Jan '24 to apply for heritage status on a 1983 manufactured bike.

It will be back on the road well before that date.
 
Last edited:
chopper_harris said:
I'm not confident a letter from BMW AG will be recognized by the DVLA wombles, a dating letter from the BMW Club UK certainly will be.
Click to expand...
It's more likely (in my experience a few times) that the BMW AG letter will be better than the BMW Club letter, for the age of bikes we are talking about. But you can get the former cheaper through the BMW Club, as mentioned.
 
chopper_harris said:
Bubb

It was actually cheaper to join BMW Club UK than to apply directly to the archive - £32 vs €50, including a years worth of access to the club magazine/forum/info and a cool BMW pin badge !

I'm not confident a letter from BMW AG will be recognized by the DVLA wombles, a dating letter from the BMW Club UK certainly will be.

BMW Club UK historic dating manager has provided me with a screenshot of the official archive record, confirming my ST was manufactured 01/03/83, delivered to UK on 31/10/84.
The ST is currently undergoing restoration, and apparently they won't issue a dating letter unless the bike is complete.

Annoying, but I have to wait until early Jan '24 to apply for heritage status on a 1983 manufactured bike.

It will be back on the road well before that date.
Click to expand...
Can you update how you get on with DVLA when you try please? Im in the same boat with a r100cs registered in March 1984 but a build date of June 83 according to the vin decoder above. Thanks
 
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