just found a r80st

theschoning

theschoning

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I never had an airhead monolever - always fancied one tho' and now have been offered a R80ST the other day that 'needs some work done'.
Went to see it this morning and seems its more work than I though - or is it?

Its got 40k miles on clock.
Used to be red but unfortunately painted black now.
Front pads missing & drained cylinder.
Original exhaust & silencer - looks serviceable, finned exhaust nuts missing.
Non runner, but not seized (apparently).
A few cobwebs & spots of rust here and there....

The guy has a few Harleys in the shed that he is tinkering with and the ST lives under a tarpaulin with a couple of other vintage bikes in the back garden. He wants £500, but how much will I need to get it to running order?

Will it be worth time, money and effort?


Thanx,

Jonathan.
 

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Reputedly ...

... the best handling Airhead ever made, and quite scarce as less than 3K were made. If it's a non-runner then offer him a bit less than he's asking, as to restoration then it's up to you. A full 'concourse' job will set you back £K's and you'll never re-coup the outlay, but to get it running/mot'd you're probably looking at spending the purchase price again :nenau
 
Looks ok.

The cheapest I've ever managed to recommission and sort a bike out so that it ran and looked half right is £700.

If you just want to get it running you may be able to do it cheaper but if you want a bike that looks half right and runs well then I reckon £700 would be about right to sort that one out.

£7 and a small stainless brush will have those cases looking like new --> Linky

Don't G/s it. As Oblertone says they handle very well.
 
Thank you for the quick replies, Oblertone & Rob!

Yes, was just thinking of getting it running & MOT'd only, in the first instance.
It would definitely remain an ST, and I would have much preferred the original red/orange paint, too.

Are there any huge risks, i.e. big costs, involved? Or will these traktors (:D sorry, but I even think my 1150gs is slightly agricultural) generally work ok when tidied up?

The guy claims he started it up previously & it was leaking out through the left hand push rod tubes that he then fixed-up....but all this must have been a while ago. Are the carbs easy to refurbish on these bikes & what will the electrics need?:nenau

Guess I'll think about wether to take on this project for a bit (off on holiday in a few days)....

cheers,

J.
 
look ok, l
ooks like it is buttoned up, not open to the elements. check the state of the oil, if it look ok to good, i.e. not milky or lump with goo. then the motor is most likely good, the r80s were really stout and robust. u can take the float bowls off and see what they look like. and the inside of the tank, u could check the plugs,be careful extracting them if they have been sitting, if they look normal then the valves are ok if they are whitish or very light and have been used then it ran lean. topend could be affected. if they have crud on them then a bit of oil has been burned though the rings or the valve guide, or the top end was off of it shortly before it was parked and the rings are not seated. can inspect though the plug holes with a pin light. put the bike on the center stand and check if there is play in the diff and swing arm. you can also check rolling play in the driveshaft and transmission. if these all check out satisfactory for just a service or replacement in medium range future. then the purchase is a good one. with only 40k on the clock then all of these should be ok. even if it was abused a bit. i have one and they are a great bike. love the curves. ps the tank will come off very quickly buy removing the seat (button at the rear of seat at the fender) so u could have a look at the wiring on it.

cheers,
jim
 
Buy it ...

... put it in a shed, go on holiday, ride your 1150, then sell it on here in the Autumn for a profit. There's always someone looking for a 'winter' project :augie
 
oblertone said:
... put it in a shed, go on holiday, ride your 1150, then sell it on here in the Autumn for a profit. There's always someone looking for a 'winter' project :augie
Click to expand...


hehe, it did cross my mind....but I actually WANT one of those. Just wondering if I want it too much, or if it really is a fairly easy project?

other problem is; I do not have a garage or shed:tears
been offered a share of a garage not too far away from home, but we havent managed to actually arrange it so far.

I told the guy that I'll be away and think about it...so likely it will still be there in a couple of weeks.

If I end up not buying it I will ask if he is interested to sell to one of you 'airhead tossers' :P

regards,

J.
 
Me, me ...

theschoning said:
If I end up not buying it I will ask if he is interested to sell to one of you 'airhead tossers' :P

regards,

J.
Click to expand...

... dibble, dibble dibble ... but be discrete as I've already got too many bikes and one of them is in bits !
 
see if he will let you borrow it for the weekend, and trailer it down to the Gentlemen's Wee Kend in Devon, the collected knowledge down there will give you chapter and verse for what needs doing, well, at least they had better do! I'm bringing my ratty old R100GS to Devon for the knowledgable to point me in the right direction :augie
 
Bill-H said:
see if he will let you borrow it for the weekend, and trailer it down to the Gentlemen's Wee Kend in Devon, the collected knowledge down there will give you chapter and verse for what needs doing, well, at least they had better do! I'm bringing my ratty old R100GS to Devon for the knowledgable to point me in the right direction :augie
Click to expand...

Wee Kend in Devon? Would that be BillN aka BMbikebits? tried to wrestle an ST off him via email very early this year....unsuccessfully:(

j.
 
I bought my ST as a non runner, and sorted it quite quickly, now it is a great bike, if you would like a go I am in Reading...

So now lets see what needs doing...

tyres and tubes ... £110
Carb kits ... £60
caliper rebuild (be carefull here as the caliper was only made for this model) £20
brake pads ... £15
battery£60

change all the fluids so another £20, should be up and running for £250 -£300

That's what I did..:thumb
 
has he the paperwork for it?
you still thinking? buy it ,what you waiting for?
if you decide not to go ahead you can sell it easy.:)
theres one on ebay in blackpool for a lot more,if you prefer a finished bike.:)
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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