New Guy

[TipsyMcStagger]

New guy here.  I know NOTHING about airheads but I've always been intrigued.  I've got a Ulysses in NYC...by far, the best bike I've ever owned.

I've got a place in FL and I've been wanting a cafe project.  An airhead buddy in NYC told me about a very clean (have only seen a few pics) 1983 R65 with 11000 mile for about $2200 (in NY).  I'm thinking about taking the plunge.  

I've ridden NYC to FL many times but I'm not sure I'd want to ride the R65 down here.  I'm 6'1", 215 lbs and as stated, I know nothing about airheads, so I'm a bit reluctant to road trip on an old bike that I'm not mechanically familiar with.

I've done a bunch of reading over the past couple of weeks and I see that the R65 is the red-headed step child of the airhead world, insofar as parts commonality.  But I guess there are still plenty of parts available.

Well, that's it.  No real question at this point.  Just trying to decide whether or not to take the plunge!

Tipsy

[tvrla]

Welcome to the forum!

Most airhead owners are pretty honest, and if you tell him what you're considering, will tell you if he'd trust it around the block or to California.

Eleven thousand miles is nothing for these bikes - barely broken in.
The problem with so few miles in so many years is how it was stored and judging the current condition. Got any pix to offer up???  

I bought a 14K 1972 model and even though it runs ok, it needs a total cosmetic restoration. Or it could be the other way around.

If it runs well, doesn't smoke or make horrible noises, doesn't have water in the transmission oil - or anything more than soft fuzz on the magnetic drain plug, and runs out smooth, I'd ride it home.

[montmil]

...  I'm 6'1", 215 lbs...  Just trying to decide whether or not to take the plunge!

Tipsy

Welcome to the herd, Tippsy. Sounds like a deal on the R65. I have 1981 and 1983 R65s. They are great road bikes and parts are available from multiple sources. That's not a problem at all.

My '83 R65's PO was my buddy in Austin, Texas, Larry Chabira. He bought the bike in Connecticut and rode it home to the Hill Country; first stopping at Vech's in Sturgis -No, the one in Mississippi- for fresh tires.
   Couple weeks later, "my"bike joined in with the Ride Texas Magazine crew for a ride to Copper Canyon, Mexico. No problemo.
   When I bought it from Larry, it had a Corona bottle cap opener bolted to the fork lower, a bull fight arena sticker on one side panel and a Lucha Libre action figure zip-tied to the other. Larry said that was for security.

Oh... You might want a foam pad to cushion the R65's seat. My wrestling weight-in weight is 153 and the stock seat seems to get narrower after about 200 miles; a factory wedgie.  Crenshaw says I begin looking like two small hams hanging on a rail. YMMV

[Ed Miller]

What a cool screen name.

[nhmaf]

Welcome aboard!

The R65 - if in OK shape and with full fluid change (I wouldn't trust oil - or especially brake fluid - that has been sitting around for years) can certainly get you to Florida.  I'm 6' 2" @215 and rode my R65LS from up here in NH to the BMW MOA rally in Johnson City, TN a couple years back.  I took mostly back roads down and got there in 3 days, came back in 2 days doing more slabbing.   The limiting factor may be the position of the pegs to seat relationship - my legs get a bit cramped, and I use the passenger pegs as "Rearsets" on some long straight highway stretches.
These bikes are definitely more oriented to the narrower, twistier roads than the slab, but they can do that too - they rev/spin faster than the bigger airheads, but the shorter stroke engine is fine with that, assuming you aren't planning to run flat out for hours at a time.    My LS will run 80-85 for 4 hours straight with no problems - I will get too tired of the wind blast by then.

[TipsyMcStagger]

Thanks for the replies, guys.  Bike sold before I could get there.

The search continues

Tipsy