New to the Forum, old to the "brand"

[ScruffyDroid]

Hi everyone

I have recently joined the forum, but have had an interested in Airheads, since the R90S was introduced. Living in South Africa, it was a schoolboy's dream - the early to mid-1970's was an interesting, if not tricky time. No money, but the big Beemer featured heavily on this boy's dream wall. I had to make do with a Honda Monkey (I was 11 and my father turned a blind-eye to me taking it over as a field bike). When I turned 16, a Yamaha SS50, became my legal transport. Once I started work after military conscription, a KDX 200 was next, and all things KDX became a lifelong love. I bought and rebuilt a KD 220R, five years ago.

I purchased a 1990 R100RT 4 years ago in the UK, where I have lived for 21 years. It was in "oily rag" original condition, with 40 000 miles under the clock, with regular servicing, but general neglect. I found myself using it less and less, since the bulky touring package deterred from the abundance of country lanes and relatively slow speeds and potholes. Highway motoring isn't any fun here - motorway lane discipline is horrendous and the HGV's engage in elephant races in the first two lanes of all the motorways.

With that, I decided to start a project to make the bike useable for my intentions - remove the touring package and make it more suitable for bimbling through the countryside. I coincidentally came across a Belgian guy (and his brother) on YouTube (Thomas C & Ruben C) who converted their R's into "street scramblers". I know that this subject is hugely controversial, and the "brown seat brigade" are looked down upon by the "traditionalists".

I am about to raise the ire and convert it for my personal use case. I am sorry if that offends some people, but rest assured, if anyone wants to make use of the RT bits, they will be sympathetically removed and stored for future re-use by someone who wishes to restore an RT.

Take care and ride safe!

[gspd]

Take off everything you don't need, street scramblers rule! (at least for short rides)

[ScruffyDroid]

[Steve in Golden]

"Scramblers" and "Bimbilers": good.

Airheads converted to "Cafe Racers": feeb.

Welcome to the forum Scruffy!

[Zombie Master]

Function first...like fork boots.

[ScruffyDroid]

Thanks for the welcoming messages.

This is the one that inspired me to convert it.

[kmisterk]

Quite the story. Love how you wrote it. Little hints of back story that tease a much larger story than provided. Love it.

Also, I have an '80 R100T that is essentially what you'd end up with once you remove extras like Fairing and Panniers.

Looking forward to seeing progress, and welcome to the forum!

[ScruffyDroid]

Quite the story. Love how you wrote it. Little hints of back story that tease a much larger story than provided. Love it.

Also, I have an '80 R100T that is essentially what you'd end up with once you remove extras like Fairing and Panniers.

Looking forward to seeing progress, and welcome to the forum!

Thanks for the nice comments. It will end up pretty much identical to the one that is in the linked YouTube video, other than the colour, which is up for debate at the moment. Ideally, it will be a muted colour, but then again, I am tempted to go for a "KTM Pumpkin Orange".

You can see from my spelling, that I am from Over the Pond...

[kmisterk]

Ideally, it will be a muted colour, but then again, I am tempted to go for a "KTM Pumpkin Orange".

You can see from my spelling, that I am from Over the Pond...

I am inclined to agree with a muted color. I can’t imagine KTM Orange going over too well in the kind run. But it also just as easily could start a trend.

And yes, I managed to pick up your location from when you said you moved to the UK in your first post.