Boxerworks.com

I am a reasonably talented "Hobbyist" wrench with much experience on Universal Japanese Motorcycles, BMW Oilheads, K Bikes, BMW 650 GS singles and twins, vintage VW's and Porsches… I have owned my first Airhead, a 1989 R100RT, for two years but it has been in storage since my purchase. Obviously this means I have had little hands on mechanical experience with Airheads.

In a few weeks I will be completing a full service of this bike, including replacing it's "notched" steering head bearings. I have researched what is required to complete this job and also have the "special tools" that are recommended… The one single thing I truly hate to do on bikes is to remove the tupperware for the first time on a fully wrapped bike like the Airhead RT. I find it very tedious and time consuming and I usually lose my patience with it…(ie; Finding all the hidden brackets, the hidden screws, finding the dropped and lost screws, and experiencing the inevitable scratch in the glass that happens even if one is extremely careful)...SO…. Can anyone advise if it is possible to complete the work of replacing steering head bearings after removing only the center front parts of fairing? I am speaking of the louvered section in front of the engine and the section above that, that has the fork tubes running thru it, up to and including the headlight and center portion of the windshield???

Yeah…I realize I am probably looking for a non-exsistant magic wand, but I thought I would ask anyway…

If the best way is to remove the whole fairing then I will bite the bullet, take a Xanax ( not really) and will remove all the plastic… I just would like the experts on this Forum's thoughts before I start that part of my work...

Thanks….

LSKBike
Southeastern Indiana

LSK---I haven't done the job yet on my '84 RT (it's handling fine, and the fork turns smoothly from side to side when the bike is on its center stand, so that's a sleeping dog that I've left alone so far), but I've kicked it around briefly in the past with Steve Strickland over at Motoworks, in Chicago. Steve didn't indicate to me that the labor involved would require complete fairing removal, so I'd think not. The two center panels should get you where you need to be; I'd think the headlight surround and bucket would stay put, too.

I'd want the bike on a lift in a well-lit workspace, and, since I lack both, I'll leave it to skilled labor.

If your 89 is the same procedure as my 81.........

Remove centre lower, unscrew left and right lowers so they can drop down a little, then remove centre upper. The lowers prevent the centre upper from sliding backwards and down.
Drop the fork assembly down and observe the small loom that is not long enough to allow the tree to drop out.
Open headlight and Disconnect three wires from that loom. Your tree can now come out of the headstem.

That's what I do anyhow.

Thanks ME109…. I was hoping that would work…

LSKBIke