thinking of switching from a K to a boxer

[She'llbe]

Welcome aboard, Philip.

Old boxers ooze soul and are very easy to love. My old sweetie makes me grin every time I see her. I pat her seat each time I pass her on the front porch, and my wallet and toolbox are always open if she is having difficulties. Unlike Ken in Oklahoma, I'm not a boxer slut. Only one for me.

I'm not biased, but ain't she purty? Grin.

Be careful of Charlie, he thinks he's polite!!!!!

[bbelk]

Just don't sell your LT first, unless you want to get rid of it for another reason.


Ken

Always listen to Ken. Except when he tells you NOT to sell something. He doesn't know much about selling bikes.

I have two Airheads. One is mostly for road trips and one is mostly for in town trips. If its not raining - I am riding and they have never left me anywhere although they both require lots of lovin.

[Major Softie]

I'm with Godot. If you stick to the really late models, you'll have reliability close to the unbreakable brick you're riding now, and better brakes and suspension. Any later Airhead is reasonable transportation, but will demand some attention. The R100R (the last model) is the only one that I would consider to be in the same class as the K1100 in reliability.

[dougie]

FWIW.
The Monolever airheads ('85 and newer) have a front end similar to the K bikes. The forks, and I think the axle also, are beefier.
I have never had to do any of the fork aligning stuff that seems to be necessary on the older ones.

[bronzecrow]

Hay Thanks Guys for such a great welcome and realy helpfull info.
As to relibilty the K isnt perfect and it has only done 70,000 miles and was from the last year of manufactur, broken clutch cable, and intimitent fault on the side stand cut out oh and the eletrcic screen stoped working (just needed the connector cleaning) trivial things but the clutch left me stranded and the side stand switch could of too as it was when id first got the bike so didnt know enough about it to fix on the road side.
I am prety handy with the spanners i built the sporty chop it started life as a yamaha xs650 (man that thing vibrated!)

The K is boring and im never going to love it ive had it for over 2 years now, and the deal breaker is its just to heavy, i dont like that greasy feeling worrying about parking it because if its the wrong way up the camber i wont be able to move it!

i dont like modern bikes to much plastic and styling and as has been said airheads realy are great value for money compaered to prety much any other calssic bike ther a bargin.

Im going to start saving up because so i dont have to sell the K first as buying a bike like this in a hurry seems like a recipie for disartster!

What ive ben looking at is base model r100 what i would realy like is decent after market (or home made) fairing for the winter and naked for the summer, best of both worlds.


I think the advice about a very late model R100 is sound, though i prefer the looks of the older bikes

[bbelk]

Welcome aboard, Philip.

Old boxers ooze soul and are very easy to love. My old sweetie makes me grin every time I see her. I pat her seat each time I pass her on the front porch, and my wallet and toolbox are always open if she is having difficulties. Unlike Ken in Oklahoma, I'm not a boxer slut. Only one for me.

I'm not biased, but ain't she purty? Grin.

It might be the wine, but I found myself stairing at your picture for awhile. There is a nice modern rip-stop nylon tent and one of those spiffy camp chairs in the background - the helmet cost a third of what the bike did new. You have what makes you comfortable. The old guy and the old bike (same year as mine) - well they just seem to go well together.

Thanks

[Steve78RS]

Hi Phil

You won't regret coming onboard. You're right about the early airheads. They are a thing of beauty (to my eyes anyhow). My bike always gets admiring looks from others on the road.

I really got to know my 78RS during the rebuilds. By the time I finished rebuilding forks, clutch, brakes, drive shaft etc., you couldn’t help become more intimate with the airhead. That familiarity brings with it knowledge of maintenance schedules and the idiosyncrasies of your bike. It all gets easier after a while. Especially when you have the extended boxer family to bounce ideas off.

Charlie; you and Brunhilde are a match made in heaven.

Steve from Dubbo

[Chuey]

Im going to start saving up because so i dont have to sell the K first as buying a bike like this in a hurry seems like a recipie for disartster!

What ive ben looking at is base model r100 what i would realy like is decent after market (or home made) fairing for the winter and naked for the summer, best of both worlds.


I think the advice about a very late model R100 is sound, though i prefer the looks of the older bikes

That bike that godot linked to is a newer model and a very nice example. May be worth looking into.

Chuey

[ME 109]

Welcome Philip. An airhead is a companion.
I have never had a problem with my 81 RS, although I have had lots of things go wrong with it, many of those things caused or exacerbated by myself. but that's ok.
I couldn't imagine ever selling it.

[richard t]

The K is boring and im never going to love it ive had it for over 2 years now, and the deal breaker is its just to heavy, i dont like that greasy feeling worrying about parking it because if its the wrong way up the camber i wont be able to move it!

i dont like modern bikes to much plastic and styling and as has been said airheads realy are great value for money compaered to prety much any other calssic bike ther a bargin.

Im going to start saving up because so i dont have to sell the K first as buying a bike like this in a hurry seems like a recipie for disartster!

What ive ben looking at is base model r100 what i would realy like is decent after market (or home made) fairing for the winter and naked for the summer, best of both worlds.


I think the advice about a very late model R100 is sound, though i prefer the looks of the older bikes[/quote

look at a K75 they are a lighter than the K1100 lt and near bullet proof, then buy a airhead too the K75 fits well in the shop with the airheads, several of us in the group have both