1985 bmw r80rt

[Glenn]

my bud just aquired a 1985 80rt with everything including the paint original. with only 20,000 miles and from the original owner. Any hints or trick for the bike or books available to keep it running and stock.

washed it last night changed the oil and gas and battery and put around 100 miles on it today runs good sounds good anything to look out for?

thanks

[Rubone]

Glenn,
Nice bike your bud got! Very little goes wrong on that era airhead. The biggest issue is electrics which were always weak. Diode board failure, rotor failure, and starter relay failure are the biggest issues. The engine is very under-stressed so not too much to worry about there. Change oil and filters regularly and it will go 200K! Look at the IBMWR site and the Airheads site for the best info. i have several BMWs as well as my other junk and have nothing but praise for airheads. The R80 is underpowered but not an issue and easily upgraded to R100 specs.
Robbie

[Glenn]

thanks for the info. by the way he paid $500 bucks for it. I'll put some pictures up next week I did tell him the saddle is too tall for him and he should give it to me

[darrylri]

I put 92,000 miles on an '85 R80, before I sold it. Rub is right about the electrics being a weak point, but it's not like they fail every other week. In that 92k, the diode board failed once. The charging system doesn't really start to put out until well above idle, so as a result, airheads do not like stop and go traffic. Your friend's best bet is to go for long rides on it and use a smart charger in between times.

[Glenn]

thanks I'll tell him the info but of course I'll tell him he should not ride it but give it to me.

[Chris Haynes]

thanks I'll tell him the info but of course I'll tell him he should not ride it but give it to me.

Have you told him about the Gypsy Curse?

[darrylri]

thanks I'll tell him the info but of course I'll tell him he should not ride it but give it to me.

Of course he should give it to such a good and caring friend as yourself. Pretty much goes without saying.

(Good luck!)

[HarleyCreation]

On my R76/6 I mounted a photo-voltaic panel on the bike to top off the battery when the bike was sitting. Bike always lit off with a strong "vroom" and batteries seemed to last longer too. The only electrical problem I had with it was a broken wire that I re-soldered into place.

Kept away the gypsy curse too.

[darrylri]

The photo cell seems like a good solution if the bike is outside.

I have a 6V and a 12V Battery Tender and I just move them from bike to bike each time I go into the garage. If you get even one extra battery lifetime from it, they have been worthwhile.

My batteries last a long time this way, I got at least 9 years out of the battery in my R90S (it came with the bike), and I only replaced it because I just couldn't believe it was still good.

[HarleyCreation]

At home I have a 5 watt PV charger mounted on the outside of my motorcycle garage to keep the battery topped. (No powerline). The one on the bike was mainly for when I was on extended trips and when the bike was often parked outside. Sit outside in the sun for an hour and that battery was perky and raring to go. I too have had batteries last MANY years that way until you feel you gotta replace them.

On my '85 K100 the $100 BMW battery that came with it was only 2 years old but degraded from sitting. Even sitting on a PV trickle charger and de-sulphater unit all winter couldn't restore it. So I modified the K100 battery tray to accept a $30 garden tractor battery like I have always used in my R76/6. Good powerful battery made by Johnson Controls and I've never had one abruptly fail.

[Glenn]

thanks he put a tractor battery in and a battery tender should be fine. Already put about 500 miles on it