Are Airheads the last restored BMW bikes there will be?

[Ken in Oklahoma]

I was perusing an old July '04 issue of Road and Track when I stumbled on an article by Peter Eagan (yes, the Peter Eagan of our literary acquaintance). The article was entitled: Restoring Yesterday's Cars Tomorrow. The premise of the article is as suggested by the title, namely that the wonderful, desirable sports cars of today will not be restorable (in the sense that we think of restorable) in the years ahead. More to the point, those cars of today are not even repaired. Whole whole assemblies are replaced with the faulty ones discarded. Moreover, they couldn't be repaired except for the most simple and obvious of problems. (If it's not a broken wire there's no refurbishing chip controlled electronic assemblies.) This sort of thing will be the show stopper for future restorations.

But rather than me interpreting what Peter Eagan said, here's the starting link to his article, which I found on the internet. You can get to all three parts of the article from the link.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/column/rest ... s-tomorrow

What struck me is the direct comparability with our cherished BMW motorcycles. (Direct to my mind anyhow.)

It would appear to me that BMW motorcycles later than airheads and perhaps the early K bikes will fall into disuse when they are no longer supported with spare assemblies by BMW. For a while there will be assemblies available from the motorcycle breakers, but eventually they too will disappear. There will be no way that it would be economically rewarding for cottage industry entrepeneurs (sp?) to tool up and manufacture complex assemblies at anything resembling an affordable price.

On the other hand, our airheads will continue to become even more "collectable" and there are enough of them that entrepeneurs will continue to be attracted to the manufacture of NLA components.

Since my passion is for airheads, I don't feel a sense of future loss. But then my generation (as all generations really) is in the process of diminishing. I just don't imagine that, say, 40 years from now we'll be seeing many K1100 LT's on the road, being used for functional transportation. There will, of course, but K1100LT's to be seen as stationary exhibits in various collections or museums.

Anyhow, peruse the link. I kinda hope that a lot of you will disagree with me. Personally, either way, I'm OK because I will have my airheads as long as they stir my passion.



Ken

[Major Softie]

New unforeseen technologies continually change the horizon on this stuff. It is quite possible that there may be new computer technologies that make the electronic components much cheaper to build than the originals were. I wouldn't give up on them yet.

I have more concerns about the long-term availability of gasoline. At some point, gasoline has to cease being the standard energy source for transportation. I don't know if it will be in 20 years (very unlikely), or 50 years (entirely possible), but it's going to happen some day. When it does, gasoline will become ridiculously expensive, as there will be no huge infrastructure producing it in vast amounts.

I just hope I'm done riding when it happens.

[She'llbe]

New unforeseen technologies continually change the horizon on this stuff. It is quite possible that there may be new computer technologies that make the electronic components much cheaper to build than the originals were. I wouldn't give up on them yet.

I have more concerns about the long-term availability of gasoline. At some point, gasoline has to cease being the standard energy source for transportation. I don't know if it will be in 20 years (very unlikely), or 50 years (entirely possible), but it's going to happen some day. When it does, gasoline will become ridiculously expensive, as there will be no huge infrastructure producing it in vast amounts.

I just hope I'm done riding when it happens.

I feel safe in saying I don't think I'll have to worry about the price or the availability of petrol in 50 years, or even 25 years.

[Sibbo]

Come on She'llbe , we can make 25 years , just .If it not too heavy and maybe with a chair bolted on .

[2valve]

hi She'llbe, that should be a walk in the park for you. She'llbe plus the R90S = 25 years plus and still cruising the highway ! ( oh by the way She'llbe and SteveD, i have moved but you can still contact me on the same phone number if your ever in the area /staying over please look me up )

[lrz]

This has been on my mind for quite a while now as may be evidenced by my recent posts.

It's beyond "planned obsolescence", it's amazingly well engineered finite lifespans for not only vehicles but most electronic devices and even heretofore mundane power tools; the notion that a well-made product which endures erodes the Bottom Line.

Why sell the consumer 1 car every 20 years when you can sell him 3?!
Pricepoint seems to make no difference either, though there was a time when one could "buy" quality.

Though it disgruntles me to be made a cash-cow, this philosophy of throw-it-away-buy-another( some try to disguise this as "Green") disturbs me on a deeper level: it lacks soul.

However, as Mjr Softie points out( and as I often underestimate ), humans are a resourceful bunch.
Shades of blade runner...

[Chuey]

Isn't there a modern BMW that has a shaft drive without grease fittings and they say that it doesn't need them, yet that assembly breaks down with some regularity? Isn't there a person or company that has figured out a modification that remedies the problem and installs grease fittings on the parts on an aftermarket basis? For me, that is an indicator that newer bikes will be able to be restored if enough people want to restore them.

Chuey

[Ken in Oklahoma]

Isn't there a modern BMW that has a shaft drive without grease fittings and they say that it doesn't need them, yet that assembly breaks down with some regularity? Isn't there a person or company that has figured out a modification that remedies the problem and installs grease fittings on the parts on an aftermarket basis? For me, that is an indicator that newer bikes will be able to be restored if enough people want to restore them.

Sure, that would be the sort of part that could and probably would become available even on the newer bmws. But what about that integrated instrument cluster which has no instruments? Instead there is an LCD panel or panels driven by a computer which gets its information from various sensors. And what if that same computer controls the ABS needs and runs the characteristics of the motor according to whether touring or sport or race performance is wanted?

Of course I have no knowledge about what is being done with current bmw's, but if not now I suspect that level of integration and complexity will soon exist on BMW motorcycles. It does on BMW cars (unsupported claim on my part).

But hopefully I'm wrong in my take on such things. I don't have a particularly good history of forecasting the various trends BMW motorcycles might take. Hell, the first time I saw a picture of a R80 gs I thought it was a joke, perhaps a ratted out airhead for the fun of it or maybe even an eclectic piece of art/wild ass custom. I mean, a 500 lb street bike with knobies actually capable of going fast in the dirt. That would be like putting tennis shoes on a sow and racing her on the greyhound track.


Ken, posting in ignorance in Oklahoma

[DanielMc]

That would be like putting tennis shoes on a sow and racing her on the greyhound track.

Now that I'd pay to see...

[Zombie Master]

Eventually internal combustion will be replaced with electric motors and fuel will no longer be available. As far as restoration is concerned: As the old guys are moving on, I'm seeing the market getting flooded with restored older machines, and except for the truly rare bikes (Broughs, Vinnies, ect), I see prices coming down.

Personally I'm looking forward to some great new technology to use. Better suspension, power, brakes, and far less maintenance would be most welcome. These characteristics are what attracted me to BMW's in the first place. I'd rather be riding than wrenching.

I'll keep riding my R bike till the end though. I've been riding Airheads continuously since I was 18.