New Owner!!! Trade wheels??

[airflite40]

Hey gang!

After lurking on here for the last ~6 months i finally bought my first motorcycle and first airhead.

Its a beautiful 1983 R80RT.

Its not perfect but its defintely in good mechanical shape.

Can't wait for warmer weather so I can start riding!!

It came with the snowflake wheels, i really wanted spoke wheels so if anyone has spoke wheels and they want to trade let me know!!!

Pics are coming soon!

[BigSkyRider]

Fantastic......welcome to the site.
My first BMW was a great little blue R80 RT.
I think I slept next to it in the garage for the first few nights........

Cheers!

[PAULBACH]

Welcome to the forum.

Trade those wheels. The snowflake wheels are fine and rarer.

Don't forget to send me a favorite touring tip.

[DennisDarrow]

This is kinda funny cause in a thread a couple of days ago a guy was complaining about buying a bike that had the faulty snowflakes. It seems these came from a bike that had already had them replaced by the mothership (BMW) and someway the faulty wheels that were not returned to BMW ended up on his bike.

Now......perhaps you might do yourself and guys down the line a favor and check out these wheels before you pass them along to someone that is totally unsuspecting. If nothing else, a word to the wise..........God Bless.......Dennis

[nealart]

I don't think there are any spoke wheels that will fit your bike.

[airflite40]

hey guys here are the pics!!!

I'm pretty sure any spoke wheels from a /7 will fit, like from a R100/7 with the dual brakes up front......

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/8054/img0328gh2.jpg

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/5449/img0329fz0.jpg

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/4444/img0330rp7.jpg

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/3326/img0331kg7.jpg

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/1818/img0332wo9.jpg

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/4466/img0333nz7.jpg

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/601/img0334kj2.jpg

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/9194/img0335hs4.jpg

http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/5624/img0336yp3.jpg

[krehmkej]

It has been written that the /7 front spoked wheel will not clear your caliper(s). You would need to downgrade to ATE brakes to do it.

It is further writ that the front wheel from the rare R80ST can be used on your machine.

None of this can I verify by personal experience, but have read this several times as stated by those more knowledgable than myself.

Bottom line: research carefully before buying anything.

[airflite40]

thanks for the info.... i will look into it further!!!

[97077]

Congratulations. Looks like a great bike. I own 3 R80's of the single shock variety. I always liked the seat cowl on the dual shock bikes better. Since this is your first Airhead I have 3 words for you. Input shaft, input shaft and input shaft!!! Check that before you start riding this spring. Very important that this is lubricated properly. I personally like the old flakes and maybe think about some "S" bars and fairing. Keep a close eye on those battery side covers too. Good luck and happy riding. Kevin:brow

[airflite40]

thanks kevin! i know about the input shaft and the PO said he lubed it up. I will check it of course...


so does anyone know if the /5 headlight bucket and guages will work on my bike?

[nealart]

hey guys here are the pics!!!

I'm pretty sure any spoke wheels from a /7 will fit

Oh, I see...I imagined your bike as a monoshock.

Nice bike!

[shire2000]

Rear spoke wheel from an earlier /7 should fit fine. You will have issues with the front though. The earlier /7 bikes had the ATE brakes and rotors which don't work with your current Brembo brakes. The Brembo's are considered superior brakes by most airhead riders. The /7 spoke wheel with twin rotors is setup for the ATE brakes. You may be able to swap the rotors over but will likely need shims to get them to line up with the calipers properly. Anything is possible. Just a matter of reasearch and maybe a little trial and error fitting.

Nice looking bike. Your sidecovers say RT which would mean, if they are original, your bike came with the RT fairing. That is a great basic bike to learn about airheads with.

Have fun and ride the tires off it. They love it and so will you.

[airflite40]

thanks for the info! does anyone know about the /5 headlight?

[barryg]

It's Ur bike to do with as U please. But I would run it the way it is; it looks like a nice example of a BMW from that era. If U want spoke wheels and the instruments in the bucket like a /5; find a R75/5 to feel that need. Hope U get a lot of smiles and miles on Ur R80. Barry

[James.A]

thanks for the info! does anyone know about the /5 headlight?
I think it could be done. If your key fits in the left side of the headlight, you would have to modify the /5 shell to use the key switch, or utilize /5 main switch. There may not be enough room inside the /5 shell to fit the later switch without interference with the light reflector. It's not the kind of thing I would undertake.

[lkchris]

hey guys here are the pics!!!

I'm pretty sure any spoke wheels from a /7 will fit, like from a R100/7 with the dual brakes up front

You'd be mistaken.

Unless a few R100CS were actually delivered with spoke wheels in the USA--as the brochures suggested--there were never any '81-'84 big bikes sold here with anything but Snowflakes.

The earlier wheels don't fit at front. Nor do G/S or ST wheels. You DO NOT want to downgrade to the earlier ATE brakes and their corresponding fork sliders.

During their era, USA dealers told BMW they didn't want R100CS with spoke wheels.