Old School Full Fairing Tourers?

Hi all,

It's looking like I might be able to drag the wife along on some longer trips. That means I would likely need a bike with a few perks:

Full fairing - to keep everyone happy, and be able to put up with cold/rain
2-up comfort/power - well, obviously, although power-wise I'm not asking for much
Packhorse capability - for bringing all our crap, although we're pretty light packers, and not likely campers

However, I'm also itching for a vintage bike to administer some tender love to. Something clunky that I can fix myself, or perhaps even bring back from the dead (zombie love).
The obvious option is probably a BMW R100RT. The other obvious one may be an early non-naked Goldwing (if I can get past the looks). Is that about it? How about some kind of Guzzi? Maybe A R100RS? Hey, maybe a Honda CBX touring version? (probably not) Hopefully nothing with a Luftmeister (the looks thing again), but maybe I could be talked out of that.

Or should I be reasonable, get a modern tourer, and get my vintage jollies some other way?

Hmm...

It looks like youre going to have some decisions to make, at least partialy because you appear to have no real preferences in what you ride, so how about how you ride? How much 2-up riding do you do? Are you and your wife "sport tourers" or do you just dawdle along? Realisticly, can the two you each take a saddle bag and be happy for three or four days? I have a good friend who pulls a trailer everywhere he goes!

In Vintage Style bikes, I like the R-100's. The RT is a flat out winner but the RS has much sportier ergoes that some people can't stand. Don't forget... Vintage bikes need to be taken care of on a regular basis, so if you really want to ride all week and then hose the bike off till next time, buy something modern and Japanese.

PS: The oldConcours have allways been "sleepers". Theyre powerful, fast, rugged and they usually sell for less than the Beemers. They earned a pretty big cult following among prectical tour riders.

1975 'wing with a Vetter fairing???

Long ago, and far way, after the big rock hit the earth and the great reptiles died....(very sad)...

Hannigan, Rapid Transit, and, of course, Vetter and Windjammer, Luftmeister...and others I've forgotten...made Great fairings for BMWs. Gave one a sense of distinction and personalization of their cycles. All seemed to fit the same frame brace.


Before I made the investment, I'd try and find some way to go on a bike WITH the newly-agreeable spouse. Then, see what you want to do. Agreements change. :)

Good thoughts. I think I'm among those who can enjoy the RS ergos, but what about the passenger, would she be as comfortable as on a RT? Also, it seems that one get a lot a wind noise on an RS, perhaps too much in the long run?
I don't mind doing some mechanics, that's part of the appeal of a vintage. A Concours is too new, in both looks and mechanicals, to have much charm to me. I don't mind dawdling, that's pretty much my speed.
I'm not on the fence to buy anytime soon, I'm mostly looking for ideas on bikes I may not have considered. No other brands but BMW or Honda?

Don't leave out Daytona



can't beat an RT though

Back in the day, two different times, I had a passenger fall asleep on a Hannigan-faired R100/7. Felt her slipping off and reached back to grab and wake her up.

Not amusing. But...apparently comfortable back there.:huh

The Moto Guzzi SP 1000 fits your description, especially because you will consider an R100RS. Guzzi's are arguably cheaper to run than a BMW and you can get a standard Guzzi T850, or Stone and put a monster handlebar windshield on it. Another bike would be a Harley Dyna Glide T-Sport, great bike for checking the scenery on mountain roads.

awesome RT, custom paint ?

no not really, just re-painted black.

Not that old school, not that exspensive and not that bad.
this is what you need imo.

<a href="http://s93.photobucket.com/albums/l68/weebrio/?action=view&current=100_0920.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.advrider.com/advrider-photobucket-images/images/w/weebrio_100_0920.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

I like it as well. It looks a whole lot less stodgy than usual. I'm also partial to the early RS blueish-silver, but I haven't seen the RT in that color.
Generally the RT color schemes is one step away from wood-paneling.

Yes, it's probably the sensible choice, but I can't muster any passion for it whatsoever.

Passion you say, hmmh?
Try one of these:

+1 for 1000sp

I've been half-heartedly looking for one of those but I've got to agree - nothing about them screams "passion". Just a good, reliable touring bike that I could rack up miles on while saving my other bikes from the daily grind of my 80 mile highway commute.

Ah, that's more like it! The fairing is strangely upright, but those angular quirky lines have a mysterious appeal. Funny how it so similar to a BMW that it uses the same bags.
Are they more like the RS or the RT? How does the wind protection compare? Are they hard to fine, or hard to keep alive?

This make and model has got to be in the top 5 name plates of all time...a very solid bike that does alot if not everything. I myself have 75000 of the best miles of my life on one.

I totally dig those:



Honda V65 Sabre with Hondaline fairing, classic lines, more than enough power, considered bullet-proof ...

That's actually a Rabid transit. Don Vesco had a sense of humor.
Robert