rs or rt which one

[Crapaud]

Airheads were fab. If i could buy a newn1987 R80RT Mono , or a 1984 R100RS I would. But I can't, and they are all too old now to be reliable. Nostalgia is a wonderful thing, but it is shit at 05:30 when the fucker won't start. Great for a toy, but useless for transport.

Sorry.

An R1100/1150RT is a another matter......

Sorry, but that is complete rubbish! "Too old to be reliable" is nonsense if the bike is in A1 condition then the age is irrelevant. If properly maintained, a vehicle can go on for many years and still be reliable.

It really pisses me off, this "New is good, old is unreliable" shit.

 

[jackassdave]

er no ,i would rather trust an a
irhead ,than a new fangled electrinoic bike ,plenty plenty of airheads ,with huge milage .
like everything most of it comes down to maintenence ,if you dont look after your bike it will let you down .
just because a bike is newer ,doesnt mean its allways more relable

 

[David Nimrod]

It really pisses me off, this "New is good, old is unreliable" shit.

Me too... it's simply bollox

Especially with BMW's it would seem

 

[DrFarkoff]

Yup Plus one on the reliability stakes Look After it and it will look after you and it will take a fair bit of rider abuse and neglect before it finally lets you down!

Moresoo the thing them thar 12 hunnerd and all them thar modernised chappies don't get is the poise balance and character of the superior airhead

When you have one you do not need the latest touratwat gear or helmet or latest wanktex boots OR the I have the latest emptied my wallet must have panniers ***

Nor Do you need to have a what oil thread........ (Very Often!! )

Nor do you have to plug a computer in to tell you what is wrong and final drives last a very very very very long time too!





***(excluding Verns cos everyone should have Verns as they is marvellous and he is a nice guy and has an airhead too!)

 

[Devon]

If I was after an airhead with a set budget I would be looking for the best bike available for the money rather than a specific airhead model. Airheads have been a round a long time and electrics start being a problem on old M/Cs and imho the older the M/C the higher the chances of problems.
Mystics are still available for a little more than you want to spend but would probably be the best airhead for reliabilty, handling and defo braking. If you got one and looked after it you probably wouldn't loose anything when it's time to sell.

 

[Jason_01]

I bought a late model R80R and an 81 RS in the last few years, both at the low end of the price range and showing signs of their age, Ive had to do stuff to them but nothing particularly major, both have needed new rear main seals and stanchions rechromed, both been basically reliable, though I have plenty of jobs to do when I come into some money!

I love the riding position of the RS and the protection from the fairing and the extra ooomph from the engine but wish it had the handling of the later bike! Have even tried fitting RS bars to the 80 but havent quite managed it yet.

 

[ChasF]

Airheads were fab. If i could buy a newn1987 R80RT Mono , or a 1984 R100RS I would. But I can't, and they are all too old now to be reliable. Nostalgia is a wonderful thing, but it is shit at 05:30 when the fucker won't start. Great for a toy, but useless for transport.

Another victim of the marketing department

 

[Devon]

Another victim of the marketing department

As a big fan of airheads I would say they are probably as reliable or more so than all the other brands of bikes of a similar age.
My own experiance is the RSs aand early RTs are getting on a bit now and my own RS and RT had fragile electrics. That's why I would recommend anyone who wants an airhead as their only bike to go for a clean, well looked after, latest year airhead they can find.
If I didn't want a Mystic and it had to be a RS or RT, I would be looking for a low owner, clean, well looked after 1993 RT.

 

[tuftywhite]

Sorry, but that is complete rubbish! "Too old to be reliable" is nonsense if the bike is in A1 condition then the age is irrelevant. If properly maintained, a vehicle can go on for many years and still be reliable.

It really pisses me off, this "New is good, old is unreliable" shit.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[fayeslane]

er no ,i would rather trust an a
irhead ,than a new fangled electrinoic bike ,plenty plenty of airheads ,with huge milage .

Local bloke bought an R80 new, did 750,000 kms on it. One engine drive train rebuild in this distance. He is now on a Mystic, although at 80 he may fall short of 750,000 on this bike .

The airhead problems are well known so preventative maintenance can keep you on the road. Regardless of the brand, lazy owners seem to have more unreliable bikes

 

[Devon]

Mystics are still available for a little more than you want to spend but would probably be the best airhead for reliabilty, handling and defo braking.

He is now on a Mystic, although at 80 he may fall short of 750,000 on this bike .

Sounds like the old boy knows a thing or two

 

[John Roberts]

I changed from a 1979 R100RT to a new 1982 R100RS and have had the RS ever since, despite being nagged by my wife to get myself a new(er) bike. So after thirty years I pretty obviously love the RS. Actually I have done a fair bit of work on it in the last few years, but they were jobs that I could do myself, and very satisfying it has been to be honest. To date it has done 80,000 miles, I haven't bothered replacing the valve seats, but I use Castrol Valvemaster and keep an eye on the valve clearances in case they start to close up.

My greatest concern on changing from the RT to the RS was having more weight on my wrists with the RS, after the first week of ownership I never thought any more about it, no problemo. As for wind noise, there was no difference in my case, I'm well over six foot so my head was well in the airstream on the RT anyway, and it most certainly still is on the RS.

On balance I'd say go for the RS. But the RT is still a close second.

 

[John Roberts]

what about this then View attachment 217786

View attachment 217787

There has been one very similar to that in the Chester Motorrad showroom for some time, I think it was still there a few months ago. I can't say if it's the same one, but it looked as new virtually. Gorgeous.

 

[jackassdave]

my faith in mankind has been restored ........airheads ,the eco future .
if you think about ,still running an 80s airhead ,thats less wastage ,no need for fancy plastic ,or that new fangled idea ....feul injection ,personaly i dont hink it will catch on ,but you never know.
good old cast iron .........

 

[Backmarker]

Another victim of the marketing department

Which is why I am riding a 2001 100k R1150GS

Like I said, if I could find a decent Airhead I would buy it.

 

[Backmarker]

my faith in mankind has been restored ........airheads ,the eco future .
if you think about ,still running an 80s airhead ,thats less wastage ,no need for fancy plastic ,or that new fangled idea ....feul injection ,personaly i dont hink it will catch on ,but you never know.
good old cast iron .........

Great. When you buy one, let us know, and keep us up to date with your daily endeavours. (At this point I am tempted to start listing the spares I was carrying by the end....but hey, I was only carrying them because I was a 'fashion victim').

 

[Backmarker]

Local bloke bought an R80 new, did 750,000 kms on it. One engine drive train rebuild in this distance. He is now on a Mystic, although at 80 he may fall short of 750,000 on this bike .

The airhead problems are well known so preventative maintenance can keep you on the road. Regardless of the brand, lazy owners seem to have more unreliable bikes

Took my (then) 80k R80RT into Balderstones (many many) years ago. Outside was an immaculate R80RT, in blue it was. Spotless. 60k+ on the odometer, I said to the mechanic 'there is no way that bike has done 60k+' and he said 'you are right, it has done 160k+'

I was standing there in awe until the owner said 'And what I have spent in servicing costs means I could have had a new one every 40k......'

Anything lasts forever, especially an Airhead - but I haven't won the lottery so I have to make do with shit like my Oilhead.

 

[Backmarker]

Sorry, but that is complete rubbish! "Too old to be reliable" is nonsense if the bike is in A1 condition then the age is irrelevant. If properly maintained, a vehicle can go on for many years and still be reliable.

It really pisses me off, this "New is good, old is unreliable" shit.

So, which Airhead did you have? How long did it last? How much did it cost to keep in A1 condition last year ? Go on, do tell.

I dispatched and then instructed on the fuckers, like, didn't start/broke down couldn't pay my rent like. Loved them to bits, but bits is all that is left if used nowadays. At least if used by me.

So my opinion 'pisses you off' - well like that worries me as much as not being able to put a roof over and/or feed the kids.

And there are people I know who could still make a living relying on an airhead, and they are all riding something else.

 

[fayeslane]

Took my (then) 80k R80RT into Balderstones (many many) years ago. Outside was an immaculate R80RT, in blue it was. Spotless. 60k+ on the odometer, I said to the mechanic 'there is no way that bike has done 60k+' and he said 'you are right, it has done 160k+'

I was standing there in awe until the owner said 'And what I have spent in servicing costs means I could have had a new one every 40k......'

Anything lasts forever, especially an Airhead - but I haven't won the lottery so I have to make do with shit like my Oilhead.

I actually bought this bike and it came with all receipts from new. Apart from the engine/ driveline rebuild at about 400,000 kms there were no other repairs apart from normal consumables. Ran and rode fine when I bought it. I reckon it was only ever washed when it rained, Henry wasn't big on aesthetics Oz drier conditions may be kinder on bikes.

 

[ChasF]

Which is why I am riding a 2001 100k R1150GS

Like I said, if I could find a decent Airhead I would buy it.

And how do you judge 'decent' - by the amount the owner has spent with a reputable BMW dealer on spares and repairs.

I would accept that like all machines of the period they are enthusiasts bikes which need to be well maintained by their owners.

I have 2 airheads and a Guzzi Le Mans all of which I would ride to the ends of the earth at a moments notice (although there are always minor servicing issues outstanding). I also have a BSA A10 which is probably a lot more durable and reliable than it was in 1954 but like many bikes of its period it has inherent weaknesses which airhead BMs from /7 didn't really have.

I also agree that the 1150s seem to be quite solid so they then produced the 1200!