Age, Occupation and location:
My name is Taz and I’m 29 years old. I am a heavy vehicle mechanic spending many years working on busses but now I’ve jumped over to plant mechanics, i work on landfill gas powered generators. i am located in Brisbane which is on the east coast of Australia.
Other bikes you currently own, Airheads and otherwise?
I currently own 2 other BMWs they are a 1980 r80g/s and a 1976 r90/6 which I’ve had both for 6 years. i also have a 1967 Moto Guzzi v700 and a 1974 Honda cb 750
What started your affair with 247 Airheads?
After owning a very problematic Honda cx500 about 10 years ago i was in the market for a bike I could ride reliably ride back then. As a mechanic I could really appreciate the aesthetic of the boxer engine with the cylinder coming out the sides. seeing them on the road always entertained my interest in bikes. Shortly after selling my Honda I bought a 1985 r65 which was the first bike I rode allot. It started a love affair riding the local mountain roads in my area. It was very common for me to leave before sun rise and explore for most of the day on my r65 what roads I could find
Other riders in your peer group- are they fans of the classics bikes or do they scoff at you wrenching on these old timers?
The first few years of riding old bikes I did it by myself I didn’t have any friends that did it or have a past in the field. As time went on my brother purchased a k2 cb750 and we have done some amazing rides togethers. I guess it snowballed as I attended more bike shows and rallies I met some really incredible people I’m really grateful for. The only time people scoff is when I break down and need a ride home but its always in good spirits
How did you find the 81 RT ?
I guess with all great deals it started from a late night scrolling the internet on marketplace. I messaged about the bike and he sent me a paragraph of direction to get to a farm almost 2 hours away.
Was there a back story, work history or receipts with this RT or did you buy it just hoping for the best?
The farm I bought the bike from had recently been bought by a bunch of farmers and the previous owner had left the bike behind there. The farmers knew the owner and said he was planning of doing some touring on the bike back in the day and never got around to it. Unfortunately I never actually met the last owner to ride the bike but it seemed very original, it even had the factory tool kit under the seat.
What did you find that REALLY needed attention?
When I purchased the bike the air filter was engraved to be changed in 1998 which at that stage it was 2021 so needless to say it needed allot. The biggest thing I found was the brakes. All the rubber hoses where blocked due to the internals breaking down. Both front and rear master cylinders where seized and the callipers needed to be rebuilt all round.
What surprises did you come across when putting the bike back to roadworthy?
I had the dream and I think most people do when they find a bike that it was in good running order when parked. In my case it wasn’t exactly that. Initially to get it running I rebuilt the carbys and removed the sump to clean any dirt that was in the engine. Not long after I started riding it I noticed to smoked a few bit so I removed the cylinder heads and found extremely worn out valve guides. I rebuilt the heads and refitted them to find the timing chain was stretched and the ignition can worn. New chain and a wedgetail ignition system saw me into a great road trip covering 1200 kilometres over a long weekend and many more great rides after that
How do you get along with the RT fairing and windscreen ?
I love it. What really changed my mind on the fairing was the first time I rode the bike in the rain and I stayed dry tucked under the screen. I think for function the fairing and screen in a great thing and have had allot of thought and engineering put into them
You could have gone a number of ways with this bike: refresh and repaint to stripping it down to a standard bike – why did you choose to stay with original paint and configuration ?
When I first connected the battery on this bike the bmw clock in the fairing started to tick about like it was new. Over 20 years of sitting and all the components worked on this bike so there was no need to do any more. I have a great appreciation for how well bmws are made. I think for me the bike tells a story and I love continuing it.
What is the appeal for you with keeping a bike original conditions ?
Over all the BMWs I’ve owned I have found they just work so well in original form. Most things on bmws are rebuildable so I have a blast working and riding these bikes. I do take my bikes camping on rallies so original paint is great for me. Allot less to worry about when riding up dirt roads. All my bikes are older then I am so I do try keep there history alive the best I possibly can.
