Airheads

**Dodgyiti** · 12th December 2008, 15:34

Originally Posted by Voltaire

replace German Electics with Italian .

Oooooh! There's nought wrong with them

**Richard Mc F** · 12th December 2008, 16:13

Originally Posted by Dodgyiti

Oooooh! There's nought wrong with them

Hahahahahahahahaha you made a funny

**Dodgyiti** · 12th December 2008, 16:20

Originally Posted by Richard Mc F

Hahahahahahahahaha you made a funny

....as long as you don't ride it, and pull the blinds in the lounge when it's raining so it can't see it.. and your fine.

I even charged up my mobile phone with one once, and push starting a shaftie is easy

Motu- are you going to up the performance a little? It looks good in stripped trim. I could show you a pic of one of my old R90s in the same trim but someone would have a heart attack. The wide bars and skinny tires are great in the gravel, plus the natural low COG that the Boxer's have lend it to a great back road blaster. The early GS was only really different from the road version with a bit more suspension travel and some bodywork. Says a lot for the versatility of them.

(get some Dellorto's and a cam on it)

**Motu** · 12th December 2008, 17:24

How about a couple of 34mm Blue Magnums? I used to run them on my XS650....should wake up the R65.

**Max Headroom** · 12th December 2008, 21:23

Originally Posted by Dodgyiti

....I could show you a pic of one of my old R90s in the same trim but someone would have a heart attack.

OK, I'm game.

And I'm sitting down now.

Let's see the pics...by the way, was it based on the silver R90/6 you had, or the R90S?

**Kickaha** · 12th December 2008, 21:27

Originally Posted by Max Headroom

OK, I'm game.

And I'm sitting down now.

Let's see the pics...by the way, was it based on the silver R90/6 you had, or the R90S?

mmmmmmm R90S

**Dodgyiti** · 13th December 2008, 07:40

Originally Posted by Max Headroom

OK, I'm game.

And I'm sitting down now.

Let's see the pics...by the way, was it based on the silver R90/6 you had, or the R90S?

Based on the R90s I had before the R90s bits I sold you. I will search for the pic. It is pretty bad, tasseled leather jacked and M-X boots and single seat stripped down to bare bones.

**Motu** · 15th December 2008, 21:19

Pretty happy with the R65 now - getting rid of the narrow bars and sitting up with some good wide bars has transformed the handing for me.They have made it light and flickable,I can make it go where I want,when I want now...rather than tagging along on it's rock steady course.Love the burble from the short megas,and the snarl coming out of a turn - I have to look down at that engine to remind myself I'm not on some other 2 valve 650 twin.

I noticed something else I hadn't picked up on yesterday - the notorious R65 vibration.Yes,it really is there at 4,000 to 5,000rpm just like they said.This is strange as there is a very definite dip in the torque curve at those revs,and yet is is the range the engine really likes to run at....and me too as it equates to 100 to 120kph.No big deal,but I hadn't noticed it before.

**Max Headroom** · 8th January 2009, 12:37

Ok, I'll play....

I have a *cough* few airheads lurking in the shed. And a *cough* few bits on the shelf as well....

First up is an R90S that I bought in boxes from Dodgyiti about five years ago. He'd previously told me it would never be for sale, but I think he took a bump to the head and went cross-eyed or something

...anyhooo, after gathering all the parts needed for the rebuild at one address, I began to reassemble it three years ago and finished it six months of nights & weekends later. It's about to hit 13,000km since completion of the rebuild. It's a '76 model, with several subtle departures from standard spec while still retaining the key features that set the R90S apart from the rest of the range.

This next shot is a '72 R75/5, with what's usually referred to these days as the Toaster tank. This tank (and the matching chrome battery covers) were only available for the 1972 model year, and were universally despised at the time. Nowadays, they're quite rare and sought-after....We've had this bike for several years, and although it looked OK it was actually getting quite tired and no longer fit for regular use. I stripped the bike a few months ago, and found broken compression rings and absolutely knackered steering head bearings among other things. This bike will also receive some subtle updates to help "enhance the riding experience".

**vifferman** · 8th January 2009, 12:50

Originally Posted by Max Headroom

I have a *cough* few airheads lurking in the shed.

Good stuff!

**xwhatsit** · 30th April 2009, 00:48

So how about this? http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-214167880.htm

I'm dead-set on an airhead. Perhaps not that old though. Which is the sweetest engine? I've read the 65 is one of the nicer engines (different from the rest -- Type 248/1, not Type 247 like almost everything else) but I've also heard it's a bit gutless (not that I'm particularly fussed). Avoid the 1000s? 80? 90?

Panniers appeal. Barn-door fairings do not.

**Voltaire** · 30th April 2009, 07:23

Originally Posted by xwhatsit

So how about this? http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-214167880.htm

I'm dead-set on an airhead. Perhaps not that old though. Which is the sweetest engine? I've read the 65 is one of the nicer engines (different from the rest -- Type 248/1, not Type 247 like almost everything else) but I've also heard it's a bit gutless (not that I'm particularly fussed). Avoid the 1000s? 80? 90?

Panniers appeal. Barn-door fairings do not.

It's a US import judging by the bars, seat and tank. Looks fairly unmolested apart from the mufflers.
I have an r50/5 and r75/5 ( in bits) and find the R50 so underpowered I hardly use it. I toured the R75/5 all over Europe 20 years ago and its a fabulous all rounder solo/two up, even had a Watsonian GP on it for some years. Parts are plentyful for these models.
I'm currently building up a r90 cafe racer...35 year old motor and just needs new bearings and rings!!!!
Far better than any British bike in terms of build quality, reliability and engineering(, and yes I have owned Triumphs and BSA's).
I do have a soft spot for pre unit models however
Personally I'd give anything under 750 cc a miss.
There have been a couple of R100's on recently for under 5K.