Hello gentlemen, Please bear with me on this. I got into trouble looking at and reading this site for the last few years off and on - after owing some 20 street bikes (sell one to buy one) since 1973 I had convinced myself that I wanted a dual sport. Sold a perfectly good 2007 Triumph Speed Triple, bought a new 2010 KLR, then quickly discovered I had bought a boat off road, then sold that and bought a low mileage XR650L and farkled it out - just to discover, I hated dirt riding. Oh well, live and learn. Fast forward to now. I'm 59, ride daily, and do my own wrenching. I am on my third Buell XB. Quirky, clunky, obnoxious - but boy does it go around a corner! Steep rake, short wheelbase, and a great chassis makes for quick wonderful handling in the mountains above LA. They got a pretty bum rap by being ridden by guys who didn't take the time to set them up correctly. Once set up right, they are cornering Nirvana. As much as I love staffing the canyon apexes on the XB, I have had an itch for more of a classic bike for quite a while. An out of the mainstream bike with longer legs for some longer rides, and hopefully good motor reliability. My Buell currently has 21,000 miles on it without a problem, but reading about numerous Buell trans issues initiated by a tight unadjustable belt final drive design has me worried that the output shaft bearing will self destruct at some point. The only fix for that would be splitting the (vertical) cases and repairing at great expense something that may not have been the greatest design in the world. On the ownership front, let me say that two bikes are not an option. I can get about $4,000 for my XB and I was thinking mid seventies R90/6 - until I was reading today about a common trans issue (sigh) pertaining to the clip that keeps things from walking on the mainshaft and bumping into one another in the night. When I started fishing around for R90 info and pics, my wife even commented that she liked the looks of the 'old school' ride I was thinking about getting (though she doesn't ride with me). So, tell me if I'm thinking correctly - I would be moving away from a great handling, quirky, fun, Buell with possible upcoming trans issues, to a longer-legged, quirky, classic bike with a documented factory built in trans issue? The Buell's motivation is basically a hopped-up sportster based motor and isn't known for seeing high mileage before rebuild or destruct. I do want to have as much confidence in my horse as I can, and hearing about the 100,000 - 2000,000 plus miles on some BMW motors, I was very encouraged that the R90 was the way to go at the onset of my investigation. But now I'm kinda in a quandary. Is it possible for $4K to move into an airhead that has the possibility of being that 100,000 plus motor. Sorry for the long post, but I thought of all the places to ask a qualified opinion - this would be the place. I understand it would be a big change from the scalpel sharp handling of the XB, but I'm thinking I will also enjoy a comfortable unhurried ride up the California coast on a classic bike that I can just ride and ride, and not worry if the tire compound I picked is sticky enough in this peg dragging hairpin I just flew into way too fast. Maybe it's from being almost 60 years old and wanting to enjoy clicking it down a notch. Sorry for the long post. I'm looking forward to hearing back from anyone that can give me some helpful advice or a swift kick as needed. Thanks again! Joe
If you get an airhead I suggest the 1973 long wheel base R75/5. I had a 1977 r100s also but there is just something about a /5...maybe the speedo in the headlight,very old school. I switched to a 1973 Moto Guzzi Eldorado and would not go back to the Airheads. BOTH are fine machines and a lot of people own both,but at 6'3" 250lbs I found the Eldo more my size. $4000.00 should buy you a very good example of the Airhead...The Eldorado would be $1000-1500.00 more for the same condition bike. Owner support for both bikes is GREAT...parts support goes to the Airhead. Shop Around the prices are ALL over the place!!!!!......Alan
JD - I did something similar last fall--bought a 74 R60/6 and sold my Ducati. I first saw BMW motorcycles when living in Germany as an Air Force crew chief. I had just sold my Kawasaki H2 and Honda CB a few months before going yo Germany. I was mesmerized by the "bike with an airplane motor" in it. Since that time 30 years ago I always wanted one, but never seemed to be the right time--until last fall. Craigslist survivor bike with 20 years of not being registered. Sometimes I wish to hear the throaty rumble of the Ducati between shifts, but I absolutely love the leisurely loping of the boxer motor. The low-slung weight and substantial flywheel remind me of playing with a gyroscope as a kid. It's definitely the kind of bike to enjoy on a lonely country road. I have only replaced the tires, changed the oil twice, and adjusted the valves. And it LOVES AVgas!
