Looking for my first airhead - r80gs or enduro

[Gelandestrasse]

Sidestand - try getting used to it, practice deployment whilst seated. It will save you rushing into an early wrong decision. If you can't get on with it you will have bought time to research to get the one you think you need. Mine is like the current version from Motoren Israel. I think it maybe an older version but it came with a previous bike and I liked it and kept it. It's longer, stronger and has a wider foot than the original. It still flips up by itself but I can reach it to deploy it when seated (handy when heavily loaded).

I have seen one too many broken Migsel ones...

Other stands are available.

Seitenständer Edelstahl R80GS, R100GS, R80G/S

Neu-Edelstahlseitenständer -Made in Germany-, eng am Rahmen anliegend, dadurch gute Schaltbarkeit!!!Schick aussehender, gut durchdachter Seitenständer, nur zur Verwendung

www.motoren-israel.com

 

[ChasF]

How things have changed.

You can’t turn the clock back!

 

[matsmith749]

Good shout on the headlight - whilst not desperate for lazer beam night vision on this bike, a bit better would be nice!

I've ordered the Osram vintage LED H4 conversion kit - want to keep the 'yellow ish' warm look of the old bike intact. Should be much brighter but still look yellowy

Only available in a 2 pack - if anyone wants the other one pls drop me a message.

Waiting on parts (fasteners mainly) & new battery to get it how I want it.

 

[Bubb]

Are you sure that will fit in the headlight nacelle…. Looks quite long to me.
The one I used is a bluer light than an incandescent h4, but it’s small, and fits in the headlight bucket/ nacelle/ whatever it’s called.

Hope it does fit, or you can get the money refunded if it doesn’t.

 

[Vulpine2]

Are you sure that will fit in the headlight nacelle…. Looks quite long to me.
The one I used is a bluer light than an incandescent h4, but it’s small, and fits in the headlight bucket/ nacelle/ whatever it’s called.
Hope it does fit, or you can get the money refunded if it doesn’t.

I've been looking for a deent LED for a g/s bucket/nacelle/reflector - and the choice on that site fried my brain...
I was thinking this one (in warm white, 300k)?

Compact Direct Fit H4 472 476 LED Hi/Lo Beam Conversion 5-15 Volts

This is a single top quality compact, H4 LED headlight made with the latest CSP chips and produce a clean focused light with no glare and a very well defined beam that replicates the low and main beam pattern of a standard H4 halogen bulb. Each LED has 12 CSP chips on it making them extremely...

www.classiccarleds.co.uk

 

[Bubb]

I've been looking for a deent LED for a g/s bucket/nacelle/reflector - and the choice on that site fried my brain...
I was thinking this one (in warm white, 300k)?

Compact Direct Fit H4 472 476 LED Hi/Lo Beam Conversion 5-15 Volts

This is a single top quality compact, H4 LED headlight made with the latest CSP chips and produce a clean focused light with no glare and a very well defined beam that replicates the low and main beam pattern of a standard H4 halogen bulb. Each LED has 12 CSP chips on it making them extremely...

www.classiccarleds.co.uk

That’s the one I have in my R80GS basic….far better than the original incandescent lamp that was in before it.
It fits perfectly in the gs headlight nacelle…… recommended ( I have no links with the company etc etc)

 

[matsmith749]

Not fitted yet as waiting for the battery, but dimensions are exactly the same as the standard h4 - no reason it won’t just slot right in with no issues.

I went for the osram for the ‘big name’ and it looked nicely made, and at 2700k the warmest led i could find.

Will feed back once it is in.

 

[matsmith749]

Now fitted. Straightforward drop in replacement - it's exactly the same effective dimensions, but still, sigh of relief.

I can't do a specific measurement of brightness, but it looks 'miles' brighter (techical term) while still keeping the yellow / aged / vintage colour tint.

If anyone else is looking for more brightness but wants to keep the colour of the older style halogens, 2700k or if you can find it 2500k would be the sweet spot to my eye.

At 3000k it's turning white, 4000k is crisp 2020 style whiteness, above 4000k you are turning to that bluey white crispness - too much IMHO for an old bike to look right.

Love it.

 

[Bubb]

Glad the LED lamps fit…..and you are happy with them.
Ride safe and enjoy your new (to you) bike.

 

[timeandtide]

I've been looking for a deent LED for a g/s bucket/nacelle/reflector - and the choice on that site fried my brain...
I was thinking this one (in warm white, 300k)?

Compact Direct Fit H4 472 476 LED Hi/Lo Beam Conversion 5-15 Volts

This is a single top quality compact, H4 LED headlight made with the latest CSP chips and produce a clean focused light with no glare and a very well defined beam that replicates the low and main beam pattern of a standard H4 halogen bulb. Each LED has 12 CSP chips on it making them extremely...

www.classiccarleds.co.uk

Another vote for classiccarleds!

 

[matsmith749]

3 weekends in & it's been a bit more work than I thought But making good progress.

Issue #1 - bike starting fine from cold, but pain in the arse when warm. If you stall you are going to sit & wait for 20 minutes before it will restart. Fixed - although just serviced (all fluids / carbs balanced) they didn't bother setting the valve clearances right. Now fine.

Issue #2 - battery flat after a run, advised by seller to keep on an optimate (omen!). Was fitted with a mobility scooter batter of the wrong spec. Not even rated for automotive use. Battery tester put it at 40% health after a full charge & a guessed at 180cca. Fixed - new battery fitted, bike not charging it though. Replaced the diode board & regulator - now fine, 14v at 3k rpm.

Issue #3 - carb overflow pipes fell off - just an age thing / perished. Fixed - new fuel rated nitrile pipe fitted & all good.

Issue #4 - missing screws / poor fastening of the mini fairing. Fixed - new BMW standard fasterners all over the place - now secure & looks better.

Issue #5 -Revs hanging around 2k rpm once warmed up - sorted by the valve clearance fix.

Not really an issue - but hidden dirt & grime (years worth) - 3 hrs for me & daughter with toothbrushes & muc off - now clean

I've got new plugs to fit tonight, a bit of scuffed paint on the bottom of the centre stand to attend to, and another carb tuning session & then it's done.

Only done 10 miles on it since I picked it up, plan is to fill it with vpower & do an italian tune up next weekend - see if anything else becomes apparent.

Having to fettle it up was completely expected BTW (so I'm not complaining) - always was the plan to really dig into it & check everything over before riding, and overall happy that all the above is really pretty minor in the scheme of things.

Big thanks to everyone on here for making it such an amazing information resource - learnt everything as I go from posts here / youtube. I'm not an uber mechanic, and never had a bike as old as this!

 

[matsmith749]

Pic now it's all cleaned up & running well

 

[Mad Hatter]

That's lovely

 

[Bubb]

Be careful using muc off as it’s acidic, ( or is it alcaline….either way it’s not ph neutral) and will stain aluminium if left on too long.
I much prefer s doc100 as it’s ph neutral. ( more expensive I know, but better imho)

Bike looks bloody lovely. Glad you’ve only had small niggles to fix, and have got them all sorted now.
Health to ride…

 

[Mad Hatter]

The carb set up on your bike is interesting. Is there anything supporting the weight of the carbs other than the rubber hose connecting it to the intake stub in the head?

 

[matsmith749]

Yeh - it’s pretty standard for anything that has moved away from the stock air box setup. Feels a bit janky, but hasn’t been an issue for the 10 years since this bike was switched to Mikuni carbs.

Lots of bikes out there with pod filter type setups.

 

[matsmith749]

Another weekend in - done the spark plugs, cleaned, rebuilt & re-balanced the carbs, new pod filters.

I can hear a chirp / squeak (sounds electrical) - occasional at idle, speeds up at around 1500rpm.

Knowing it had charging circuit issues that I thought were now resolved, pulled the front engine cover for a better inspection with a nice torch & found a badly burnt wire connecting up the starter solenoid.

Chat GPT points the blame for the chirp there, the starter relay, or the alternator brushes.

Ordered some wiring supplies to make up a new connection to the starter solenoid & a starter relay - alternator brushes look fine & the noise doesn't seem fequent enough to be directly engine speed linked (chirp occasional - every 5-10 seconds at idle, twice a second at 1500rpm) - feels like charging circuit to me.

 

[AnotherGSGSGS]

Are the Mikunis the BSR36's as fitted to suzuki DRZ400S among others?

I take it you've checked fuel mixture screws are also equal?.

 

[Gelandestrasse]

Another weekend in - done the spark plugs, cleaned, rebuilt & re-balanced the carbs, new pod filters.

I can hear a chirp / squeak (sounds electrical) - occasional at idle, speeds up at around 1500rpm.

Knowing it had charging circuit issues that I thought were now resolved, pulled the front engine cover for a better inspection with a nice torch & found a badly burnt wire connecting up the starter solenoid.

Chat GPT points the blame for the chirp there, the starter relay, or the alternator brushes.

Ordered some wiring supplies to make up a new connection to the starter solenoid & a starter relay - alternator brushes look fine & the noise doesn't seem fequent enough to be directly engine speed linked (chirp occasional - every 5-10 seconds at idle, twice a second at 1500rpm) - feels like charging circuit to me.

Or the timing chain.

 

[matsmith749]

Will fix this obvious issue & keep my fingers crossed before diving deeper. The wire is the battery positive to the starter solenoid - absolutely cooked to death.

My guess is a severe short at some point - explains the dead diode board & regulator / the unusual battery fitment.

Couldn’t find the wire in stock anywhere, so waiting for parts & will make up my own.

Will update after the weekend.