Why is there never a proper standard Airhead?

[Rob Farmer]

My question remains why do people drool at the mouth at bikes that say they are original and in standard trim

Airheads bottomed out in price years ago and thats the point that things get interesting. If you haven't got to keep an eye on residual values or worry about selling the bike on again you can get on and enjoy it. Your own 1100 has reached that point, you gave it a cheap spray job to make it your own, thrash it and ride it off road and probably have far more fun on it than you ever would an immaculate low mileage bike and it's a far better bike for being used like that.

Airhead prices are creeping up now but they had years at the bottom of the pile of neglect and low values. Thats why we get excited when supposed original and immaculate bike appears. They are also generally all unique which adds to the appeal.
Personally I think it's a shame that the prices are creeping up it means that people with little interest in the bikes themselves will be hoarding them just because they have a high value.

 

[Deleted account 220427002]

Your own 1100 has reached that point, you gave it a cheap spray job to make it your own,

How dare you i just hated red

 

[(RIP) pastyman]

Hey! Mines VERY original. Only mod is a braided brake hose ( for obvious reasons). Oh and one mirror is not right but if I could get a proper one......
I saved it from Flipfly cos it was so original and thats the way I like it. Great bike to ride in the real world but lets face it . If I was going on a two week trip to Spain I would want a more modern bike for motorway cruising. 300 miles or so at a stint, no probs. Ask Flipfly, he rodeb it down to Cornwall from Stoke, had a cup of tea , jumped on the Dak and went back oop north, New years eve too!! Mad bugger.

 

[(RIP) pastyman]

Mine can be standardised in 10 mins
Just change to original seat and tank, which are in my barn.
reason for using bigger seat and tank is I'm no twiggy, and I like my comfort 2 up

Err squse me Proff. Your seat is not in your barn, its on my Lil

Hows Reg doing on mine by the way.

 

[nud1e]

Just wondering if Airheads are so good why are none left as standard?

I may be wrong but every Airhead that comes up for sale seems to have quite a lot of alterations/parts added to them

mine's bog standard bumblebee, I even replaced the rear shock with another BM one. It wearing a winter screen at present, but the original is waiting for warmer days, the single seat and rack will be replaced by the original seat. The only significant change is the disc.
Some people bought the wrong bike and then read a Touratech catalogue,

 

[Wreford Miles]

mine's bog standard bumblebee, - The only significant change is the disc.

Durrrrrrrrr.... does that mean it's not bog standard then?

 

[bakerlonglegs]

Airhead prices are creeping up now but they had years at the bottom of the pile of neglect and low values. Thats why we get excited when supposed original and immaculate bike appears. They are also generally all unique which adds to the appeal.

Says it for me.

Whilst an immaculate 'standard' bike generates a bit of the "ooooh" factor, I'd be much more interested in a bike that has the patina of age and many happy miles but had been well looked after and regularly serviced, with modifications which improve the bike. My project G/S had all the patina all right, but needed some TLC

 

[B Murr]

Could it be that Airhead owners are those that like to be a bit different, to go against the grain, to think outside the box? Then when we have our airhead we can't help but think of what the possibilities are and to try them out ?

 

[judge]

I had a standard 100GS, my very first GS, I thought it was brilliant...

Later I come to know that actually in standard trim it was a sack of shit

But only when I had got this one...

And guess what, that one's gone too now

 

[Kenny]

Andy, are you sure that is your bike.....it is still upright !!!!

You don't modify, you just repair !!!

 

[Timolgra]

Andy, are you sure that is your bike.....it is still upright !!!!

You don't modify, you just repair !!!

I heard of one scouser who binned his brand new bike on the forecourt of the dealers as he picked it up.

 

[nud1e]

Durrrrrrrrr.... does that mean it's not bog standard then?

no just means that it hasn't a BMW disc, but has an EBC disc and pads, no larger disc, no modified caliper, no second disc. If I can replace the worn bobbins, I'll put the BMW disc back on.

 

[judge]

Andy, are you sure that is your bike.....it is still upright !!!!
You don't modify, you just repair !!!

Tis true neither of those bikes ever went down - and I was even known to off-road the black one on occasion.

Oilheads are a different matter entirely, though I feel my reputation is taking a battering - in 6 years and two oilers they've been down the road 3 times in total, mud on road in Shiteshire, knocked off in a SMIDSY (JohnnyBoxer knows all about SMIDSY's doesn't he ) and caught in a blizzard returning home, that's hardly Snoopy territory is it

 

[Timolgra]

Surely a standard airhead would be comparable to a brown Austin Allegro but a well modified one can be anything you want it to be

 

[judge]

I still like the look of a standard airhead, my faves being the 80g/s Paris Dakar's, Paralever Bumble Bees and the PD Classic I had.

And I'm sure relative to their year of manufacture they were up there in terms of capability, but technology moves on - they can be improved with some very worthwhile mods but I'd only keep a standard one as a collector and ride it sparingly and within its means, if its to have any sort of meaningful use it would be modded no question.

Old Gaston never won anything but admiring glances on a standard one and B<W are still living off his success (as are HPN and a whole load of others).

 

[Steptoe]

Mine is bog standard. Has all the patina you'd expect of a bike thats only done 5K miles.

 

[Daithi]

Airheads bottomed out in price years ago and thats the point that things get interesting. If you haven't got to keep an eye on residual values or worry about selling the bike on again you can get on and enjoy it. Your own 1100 has reached that point, you gave it a cheap spray job to make it your own, thrash it and ride it off road and probably have far more fun on it than you ever would an immaculate low mileage bike and it's a far better bike for being used like that.

Airhead prices are creeping up now but they had years at the bottom of the pile of neglect and low values. Thats why we get excited when supposed original and immaculate bike appears. They are also generally all unique which adds to the appeal.
Personally I think it's a shame that the prices are creeping up it means that people with little interest in the bikes themselves will be hoarding them just because they have a high value.

Very well put Rob, I hope to knock as much fun out of the PD as I did on the 1100. The only mod I have in mind is to make the bike lighter.....and to put on a set of trail tyres

 

[judge]

Mine is bog standard. Has all the patina you'd expect of a bike thats only done 5K miles.

Don't remember any Airhead GS have a 2 into 2 which prevents the centre stand from going up properly, making cornering almost as interesting as braking

 

[Steptoe]

Don't remember any Airhead GS have a 2 into 2 which prevents the centre stand from going up properly, making cornering almost as interesting as braking

That was me in a rush - sorted it out.

But taking the stainless 2 into 2 off and put the standard original rust free exhaust back on.

Do i possibly have the lowest mileage example of an airhead GS.

 

[John Armstrong]

Do i possibly have the lowest mileage example of an airhead GS.

Only got 800 miles on mine

But then the speedo is only 4 months old

Wonder if I took out a Bm warranty, they'd be happy to take it on?