Airhead Love

Over the years I’ve owned a slew of wheeled mechanical contraptions. Cars, bikes, scooters— mostly of the European persuasion, some quite nice, others.. not so much. I enjoy restoring and tuning on them. Many years ago my fascination was Italian cars. Lately it’s been German motorcycles.

I bought my first BMW about 20 years ago. I’m now on my sixth, all of which have been R-bikes with the distinctive “boxer” engine. But the most recent is a classic BMW motorcycle from 1984, and very different from the fuel injected, ABS-equipped machines I have previously owned.

Meet Yuma, a 1984 BMW R65LS that was in need of a little love, and a lot of reconditioning. We hauled it back to Tulsa from Yuma, AZ (thus the name). Seven months later the 650cc twin roared to life after a fresh top-end overhaul and reseal! There’s still a good deal of cosmetic work to be done, but overall the little Beemer is fully functional and runs like a nähmaschine.

The LS was an attempt to compete with mid-size Japanese sport bikes of the era. BMW added dual disk brakes up front, warmer cams, black exhaust pipes and bodywork designed by Hans Muth. While popular, the R65LS was not a big seller and was only produced from 1980 to 1984.

Airheads (a term for the pre-1995 models) are fairly simple, but have a funkiness that goes well beyond quirky. Hmmm, I guess that could also refer to their owners? The classic BMW motorcycles were popular enough back in the day to garner a devoted following, the factory support for these “Oldtimers” is quite impressive and online documentation and advice is quite plentiful.

This plethora of information is one of the reasons I chose to restore a BMW. A variety of sources offer tips and details on almost every aspect of restoring these machines. Parts availability is so good you could almost build up a bare frame from mail order! After all, it’s only money.

BMW Restoration Resources

• Snowbum’s Archive a vast repository of information from the late Bob Fleischer
• Brook’s & Branden’s Airhead Garage detailed restoration guide & videos
• Airheads Beemer Club international club for classic BMW enthusiasts