Fairing removal question

[gingerbeemer08]

Hi all,
I have an itch that needs scratching to try an old airhead.
There are a few out there but some have that god-awful great big front fairing/ screen thing going on and I wanted to know how easy it is to remove those fairings and what you then need to do to ride the bike?
Do they generally have things attached to them that need re-fettling elsewhere (indicators/ guages etc)? Is it just too much hassle and not worth doing?
Thanks in advance!

 

[Gelandestrasse]

Relocate ignition switch (normally to headlamp). Tuck away the loom connector for the gauges

Main issue is supporting the headlamp. Normal by standard 'ears'. or you can buy what cafe racer builders use.

Figure out how to mount and power you front indicators. Sort out the brake pipes that will have metal pipes sticking out; better to replace the whole run with flexible braided pipes down to the pipes for the calipers.

I think that's the main bits.

 

[dr nosh]

Hi all,
I have an itch that needs scratching to try an old airhead.
There are a few out there but some have that god-awful great big front fairing/ screen thing going on and I wanted to know how easy it is to remove those fairings and what you then need to do to ride the bike?
Do they generally have things attached to them that need re-fettling elsewhere (indicators/ guages etc)? Is it just too much hassle and not worth doing?
Thanks in advance!

Easier to buy one already without a fairing??

(ie. Don't buy an RT model)

 

[Schtum]

Just remember that the Germans called them Gummikuh back in the day. Be sure to fit tyres with stiff sidewalls. The wrong rubber can lead to all sorts of nasties.

 

[gingerbeemer08]

Easier to buy one already without a fairing??

(ie. Don't buy an RT model)

Yeah quite possibly. Just narrows the available options I guess

 

[Gelandestrasse]

Just remember that the Germans called them Gummikuh back in the day. Be sure to fit tyres with stiff sidewalls. The wrong rubber can lead to all sorts of nasties.

Gummikuh means "Rubber Cow" and has nothing to do with tyres. A german motorcycle journalist (Ernst Leverkus) gave this nickname, because of the rear shocks. His comparison was, because it reminded him of a cow standing up, which stands up with the rear first.

This is due to shaft jacking. And one German.

There are no bad choices of tyres for Airheads, if you take advice, for the style of riding you do.

If one finds a pair of 60-year old remoulds for that 'classic look' then one is not really into riding.

I feel a debate looming....

 

[Schtum]

Gummikuh means "Rubber Cow" and has nothing to do with tyres. A german motorcycle journalist (Ernst Leverkus) gave this nickname, because of the rear shocks. His comparison was, because it reminded him of a cow standing up, which stands up with the rear first.

This is due to shaft jacking. And one German.

There are no bad choices of tyres for Airheads, if you take advice, for the style of riding you do.

If one finds a pair of 60-year old remoulds for that 'classic look' then one is not really into riding.

I feel a debate looming....

It had everything to do with the tyres back in the day. I had a friend's R75/6 shod with TT100's try to spit me off in an 80 mph tankslapper in the late 70's.

The frames weren't as rigid as they might be and tyres with stiff sidewalls are necessary to attenuate resonant frequency vibrations which can escalate into
major instability. The owner of the R75/6 was much larger than me so his mass helped to damp out any primary shakes.

There was also a friend's late brother who was killed when his airhead left the road and went through a dry stane dyke on the A69. It was shod with...?

 

[mikeyboy]

I regularly ride airheads at high speed on modern tyres which have a far lighter carcass and more flexible sidewalls than tyres back in the day,
I can honestly say I’ve never had an issue with stability even on /5 and /6.
I normally fit the classic style continental RB2/K112 combo which I’m sure will be a huge improvement over an old Dunlop

 

[Vulpine2]

Just get one without a fairing, there's plenty of choice. And there's already a glut of secondhand fairings on the market...

Had a r100gs try to spit me off once, but that could have been for any number of reasons (including operator incompetance).
No problems with my old r75/6, but I've barely ridden it. The SWB version of r75/5 might be more interesting...
Didn't BMW state that all boxers had to be used with a specific model of Continental tyre at some point? I'm pretty sure that had something to do with sidewall stiffness/flexibility. This was BITD and, thankfully, tyre tech has moved on...

 

[Gelandestrasse]

I've used an Airhead at very high speed on a track with standard tyres/suspension and brakes. They are competitive all over the track apart from long straights where more modern bikes have better top speed. But you go round them on the bends or out-brake them (yes, with ATE brakes). There are no issues with Airheads over any other issues you have with general motorbike ownership, that can suffer from poor maintenance, poor repairs, poor choice of tyres/suspension and of course, poor riding.

 

[Steptoe]

Didn't BMW state that all boxers had to be used with a specific model of Continental tyre at some point? I'm pretty sure that had something to do with sidewall stiffness/flexibility. This was BITD and, thankfully, tyre tech has moved on...

They advised not to use the Metzeler ME33 tyre on the front wheel, think it was called the Laser, on the airhead models, especially those with 19inch front wheels.

 

[Vulpine2]

They advised not to use the Metzeler ME33 tyre on the front wheel, think it was called the Laser, on the airhead models, especially those with 19inch front wheels.

That's the one. They recommended/specified a ribbed front tyre - which the Laser was - but it obviously had (sidewall?) issues when used on an airhead.
Cue terrible pun - something about the rubber being too soft even though it was ribbed for your pleasure...