Mine runs fine on it
Are we the odd ones out?
- Thread starter Mad Hatter
- Start date
Mine runs fine on it
Most things run fine on it but what’s it doing to your pipes and plastic bits in the carbs.
I’m generally able to get straight 98 here in France - not sure about elsewhere.
I had a lot of issues using E5 in garden machinery.
Most things run fine on it but what’s it doing to your pipes and plastic bits in the carbs.
I’m generally able to get straight 98 here in France - not sure about elsewhere.
I had a lot of issues using E5 in garden machinery.
Can you use a fuel additive to mitigate this?
The only pipes on an airhead are the fuel lines from the tank and the only plastic bit in the carbs are the floats, the only rubber bits are the diapraghms. There is bugger all there for the fuel to rot really.
interesting point about French petrol though, regardless of grade, it always smells completely different To UK fuel for some reason
interesting point about French petrol though, regardless of grade, it always smells completely different To UK fuel for some reason
That’s enough surely!
I love the idea of a classic air head as a ‘collectible’ to be cosseted and ridden on sunny Sundays but they can’t compare to a 1250 GS as usable daily transport or fully loaded European trips.
well once upon a time they were a 1250 gs, king of the super trailies just a bit big . well that's what we thought back then. and for some that is still true today. I have a mate who has been using his bike as a commuter and travel bike and now has done 440,000 miles on his. he has converted it back to points ignition and can fix any problem he gets by the roadside. so for him its not only comparable its better than a 1250. but if you don't have any interest in fixing and working on your own bike then indeed a 1250 is probably a better bike for you.
it depends on what you want out of your bike.
Exactly it depends upon your wants and needs. I’d love a pristine air-head for the occasional outing but a modern bike is better for me on my commute and long trips. Of course there will always the rare but very dedicated enthusiast like you mate.
You haven't seen the pictures of our USA cousins' carbs then, and the corrossive effect on the carb bodies ? the E in anything is horrible stuff and is not conducive to longevity. Big business has been taught by the Chinese that making things well is not good for profits. How can a business make big profits if their customers don't buy new every couple of years? Making something to last, with effective spares backup, is old hat. The new profiteering regime has come of age. Make it cheaply, make it obsolete, and sell loads.
Presumably it won’t die from Ethanol over the course of one tour but over the longer term ?
I guess if I had an airhead in my garage (I wish !), I would be buying up carb and fuel system spares in anticipation of future long term ownership issues regarding the Ethanol effects from modern fuels.
With our ever increasing green quotas I assume it won’t get any better as time goes by for running older carbs etc ?
I guess if I had an airhead in my garage (I wish !), I would be buying up carb and fuel system spares in anticipation of future long term ownership issues regarding the Ethanol effects from modern fuels.
With our ever increasing green quotas I assume it won’t get any better as time goes by for running older carbs etc ?
I’ve never really fathomed why any model of bike is perceived as being more unreliable just because it’s old. Most bikes that don’t really develop a following (which the airheads have) tend to fade away when they become beyond economic repair and I suspect the modern electronic generation of GSes will find themselves in that situation sooner rather than later. The R100GS model ran for 10 years, replaced by the 1100/1150/1200 in relatively quick succession but in the last 10 years we’ve seen even more models of GS based on the 3 year pcp cycle. Buyers get more excited by software upgrades and new TFT screens than they do about the handling or performance these days but in many cases never actually own the machine, it just passes by until the next one.
I happily use my R100GS two up with all the luggage for a two week every year, I also have bigger, heavier, slightly more modern touring bike which is a bit faster but still prefer the airhead. I won’t tempt fate by mentioning reliability but if it should go wrong I stand a good chance of being able to fix it myself.
Nor get your trousers pulled down should it need recovering and fixing at a nearby garage.
why not get yourself one its a pretty good time to be buying the market has gone back a bit I would say. still very enjoyable to ride
Have to disagree with you there
It’s a 5 minute job to replace those items though, and I’m not convinced that E5 rots them in any case
Basic Assistance (+10km/France/direct bordering countries) is included with most insurance policies in France, even for older vehicles. Never had to use it for the bikes but a couple of times for cars and they turned up very quickly. I’ve heard of people in the UK having to wait 24hrs for the RAC!
Most garages these days can’t do anything unless your vehicle has a diagnostics socket.
I think the real issue is that I’m the epitome of pre internet man. The internet and mobile phones have completely changed the way we live from our ability to think for ourselves, reliance on our own resourcefulness - how many people these days go out on their bike without a puncture repair kit or any tools?, to the way we choose which bike to buy, how to finance it, and then they can’t go anywhere until the sat nav says. Manufacturers know all this and their products are tuned to this type of buyer. At a simple level, it was always said that BMW provided a good quality too kit with their bikes to encourage brand loyalty, these days I’m not sure you get any sort of toolkit.
I bought one and no less than a year later, hit a bump in the road and had a death wobble event. To me my Scrambler is a round the town under 40mph bike. Now I have a proper bike.
SteveHop
Registered user
Just come back from the Picos on my airhead , the attitude toward classic bikes seems to be a lot more positive over there . Everybody seemed genuinly interested in the bike and on several occasions i was asked all about it . Im thinking of another trip sometime next year , no plans yet but definatly doing one.
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SteveHop
Registered user
Mine all run ok on E10 , even my R100 which is 9.5:1 compression ratio , no pinking at all.
I put E5 through my 1961 R60/2 and have never had any problems.
I now drain the tanks if im not using the bikes during winter as phase seperation occures if left for a long period of time. In otherwords the ethanol seperates from the petrol and absorbes moisture .
its now been reduced to an SOS button and Bmw assistance . sad but true
