Airhead ride today

[Millietant]

I took the FJ out for a ride over to visit a long standing friend who lives just outside of Stratford on Avon - in a beautiful part of the country, full of quaint villages, great pubs and......so it seems......loads of vintage bikes tootling about. I thought my FJ would fit right in, being 31 years old.

But...that's not what Stuart had in mind for our ride out. Instead of the FJ, he insisted I take out his 1978 BMW R100/7, which had done 116,000 miles and he would ride his 1972 R60/5, which had done 66,000 miles. He said it would be nice for "2 old airheads" to go out riding on "2 old airheads"

I remember riding a R100RS in the mid 1980's, just after I got my 1TX FJ and thought it was quirky, but relevant and not especially outdated.

Time has not treated the R100 well. That bike felt like an anachronism, being a 1000cc motorbike that felt slow (even though it could readily zip up to 85mph without any fuss), long, tedious in handling and dull in braking. I really don't recall the R100RS seeming so dull next to my FJ then, as this one did compared to my FJ now.

Stuart picked the perfect roads for the BMW's, plenty of narrow lanes with smooth roads and tight, slow corners and despite its shortcomings, I really enjoyed myself on that ride.

After stopping for a takeaway coffee and cake, consumed on the grass beside the car park at Broadway Tower (Covid restrictions still in place), we switched bikes and I rode the R60/5 for the journey back along a different route. What a difference....smooth, short, nimble, great drum brakes.....just incredibly slow (never got it above 70 mph, mostly due to short straight sections and "leisurely" acceleration). Again despite this I really enjoyed the ride bike and said, when we ended the ride, that given the choice I would take 600 every time.

After a quick cuppa, I hopped back onto the FJ for the journey home - taking the longest twistiest route I could - and within 10 feet I was transported back to the magic carpet smoothness, effortless power, predictable steering and stunningly easy brakes of the FJ.....Man, do I love this bike    It may be vintage in age, but it certainly isn't vintage in the way it works.

Anyway, here's a few photo's of the "Airheads" (human and mechanical) and an obligatory FJ photo from today.

[Waiex191]

I've ridden two BMWs, an R65 and a K100.  I rather liked the R65 but then again I like my GN400 also. It was somewhat agricultural but fun. I didn't like the K100 at all.

[Millietant]

I've ridden two BMWs, an R65 and a K100.  I rather liked the R65 but then again I like my GN400 also. It was somewhat agricultural but fun. I didn't like the K100 at all.

As Sinead O'Connor sang, about the FJ 1200, "Nothing Compares 2 U"   

[Bill_Rockoff]

That sounds like a lovely ride.

The first reasonably capable street bike I ever tried (not falling apart, not a two-stroke with knobbies and lights) was an R65. I had no idea a motorcycle could accelerate past highway speeds so effortlessly. At the time, it was far and away the most powerful thing I'd ridden.

In the late 1990s I went riding with a work friend and his dad and his uncle. The dad brought a Bonneville he'd had since 1968, and an R90S. He tried the FJ and I tried the R90S, and the old air-head BMW was a really nice long-legged sport touring bike.

But I agree, there's no place like home (the FJ.)

[Pat Conlon]

The song of the FJ is more melodious than the Beemers.
I never rode a R65 but the RS100 was ok. I just remember a pucker moment coming into a corner hot, full lean, rolling off the throttle and scraping shit as the back end settled.....that was exciting.

I understand the newer paralever driveshaft design did away with that wonderful feature.

[Motofun]

Only Beemer I ever lusted after was an old R90 with that humungus bubble front fairing and it has to be in burnt orange.......

[PaulG]

I had a 1978 R80/7S  (short bars and 5 extra HP for a massive 55HP).  Virtually identical to your friend's R100. I bought it in 1989 with 1,200 km on it from the original owner.  He tipped it over once and the wife forbade him to ride it again, but he still kept and maintained it.  Other than the mouse nest in the air box and a new set of tires it was ready to go.  I put 60,000km on it by the time I traded it in for a new '97 1100GS.  I didn't want to but couldn't afford two bikes on the road at that time.

I loved that bike.  Yeah it was "slow" but the understressed engine could plonk along at 60-80mph all day, and it could reach 100 and still be rock stable.  It also handled really well.  People always thought they were expensive to own, but they were so simple even a nil-talented scheisskopf like myself could work on it easily. (My older brother who worked for BMW Canada was also a good source of advice).

I managed two "big" trips on it.  Down to the east coast to Cape Breton around '92(?), then the Blue Ridge/Shenandoah Parkways in '96.  Those were the days of bachelorhood, when I could pack up the tent get the hell outta' Dodge anytime I wanted.  Lots of good memories on it, as I now have with my '92 FJ.  I always regeretted trading it in, as I would probably still own it today if I didn't.

Compared to the FJ quite well (despite 1/2 the HP).  Ride all day - handled well - easy to work on.  Did everything well, but nothing specifically great.  A Teutonic Universal Motorcycle to turn a phrase.

This is the only pic I have of it that I know of.  It's at a firends shop.  Must have been working on it hence the sidecover being off.

[Millietant]

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed riding both bikes, but for different reasons. Back in the 80's when I rode the RS, I felt it stood up to the FJ quite well for the erase road rider.

Today, on the 100/7, I felt it showed it's age more than I expected. One of the biggest disappointments was the difference in smoothness between the 60/5 and the 100/7. The 100/7 did feel utterly relaxed and like it was just tucking over at 70 mph (just like my Aprilia RSV), but it just felt "rougher" than the 60/5.

In recent times, swapping between the FJ, the FZ1 and the RSV show a smaller development gap than I found between the 100/7 and the FJ, despite there only being 11 years age difference, that was the biggest surprise to me.

I'm also putting that down to the more modern and uprated suspension/tyre's/wheelsbrakes that my FJ has compared to 1989 and the 100/7 having old stiff rear shocks, pre-paralever drive system and partly cable operated front discs. Ain't progress wonderful for us old airheads 

[ribbert]

....we switched bikes and I rode the R60/5 for the journey back along a different route. What a difference....smooth, short, nimble, great drum brakes.....just incredibly slow (never got it above 70 mph, mostly due to short straight sections and "leisurely" acceleration).

Dean, what a wonderful piece of motorcycling history to spend the day on. Even the most passionate BMW fan acknowledges the R60's "gentlemanly pace," they only made about 45 HP and were fairly heavy. As bland as they may have been, they played an interesting and significant role in BMW's history and ongoing motorcycle production.
They were, as many of you might remember, the adventure bike of choice in the 60's and early 70's. Look at any old doco or photos of far flung places on a motorbike trip and you'll find a trusty R60 loaded to the hilt and sporting homemade panniers of sorts. After all, what else was there back then for a multi continent, source of the Amazon type ride?

Only Beemer I ever lusted after was an old R90 with that humungus bubble front fairing and it has to be in burnt orange.......

Motofun, the R90S was worthy of your lust. These were BMW's first nod to something sporty, they made more HP than a Kwaka Mach 3, had a 5 speed box, good brakes and they handled like a dream out of the crate, something not many Jap bikes did at the time and could be ridden all day long at 120mph. They still however had the quirky shaft jacking, which all shaft drive bikes of the era also suffered from.
The burnt orange you liked so much was called "Daytona Orange" perhaps a small gesture for the US market.

This is me mid 70's, note the motorcycling footwear and the flared jeans that would often catch on the foot peg rubber when I went to put my foot down as I came to a stop. No folding pegs back then either. We were also required to have front number plates (long since done away with).

 

I had a 1978 R80/7S  (short bars and 5 extra HP for a massive 55HP).....

Paul, I wrote the above before I read your post, it's interesting how similar our observations are. Like you, these are the only photos I can find. My children have difficulty understanding why I don't have a gazillion photos of everything single thing I ever did and every meal I've ever eaten! I've owned many cars, bikes and boats of which there are no photos at all, not even one. I even holidayed in a foreign country of which I don't have a single photo. My daughter's reaction to this revelation was to send the three of us sitting at the dinner table a photo she had just taken of me.

Noel

[Millietant]

I could quite happily ride a long way on that 600 Noel......very enjoyable in a different way to a modern bike.

I also believe the flares were standard issue 1970's riding gear, and so were my Frank Thomas boots, which could be mistaken for "normal" boots if worn with long flares 

[Dads_FJ]

Thanks for the ride report.  And... of course I have to share my '80 R100S.    Yes those are 330mm Duc rotors w/ BMW S1000RR calipers on the Leading Link forks.

[Waiex191]

Since we have morphed into posting old pictures, including a non-BMW, here is my entry.

[Millietant]

Not allowed Bryan......no flares visible.....please delete and replace with something more appropriate       

[Millietant]

So, back on track........here's a couple of trial video attempts (dodgy bouncing camera mount and a resonant broken spring in camera case) of "an unknown rider" perhaps on their way back from riding a couple of BMW's, taking the long way home.

The rider can confirm the resonance impacting the sound quality is fixed ready for future video attemps and the camera mount is having additional support added (the camera is a cheap old GoPro copy, donated by a son to his technophobe dad).

Not up to Gav's standard by a long way !!!!!!   Hoping this works and apologising for the poor quality 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_3UiCFd4jCRTzyMyZYVq7X9TmBdJbpMa/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1J8lxZpNRRxOP35qrN72syFyVrn6AT1YL/view?usp=sharing

[Motofun]

Went for a 200 miler today with a friend.  Rt 339 in central PA...fantastic road.  We were clipping along on perfect pavement, swoopy roads and all, when suddenly everything turned to fresh chip and tar.  For the life of me I can't understand how the state can ruin an otherwise perfect road with that crap.  My '89 belly fairing is now severely chipped...it went from 95% nice to 50% in just a few miles.  I know I should have put some clear plastic over the leading edge...too late now.