I had a thought today ,, What would be the Ultimate "real World " Fantasy Airhead. I have a personal preferance for the R100GS. Everything else is up for grabs. A Guy i know , and respect his opinion ,Its you Rob, Once said he couldnt understand why all these Mods were necessary on an R***GS because they were "just Fine" leaving the factory. I think they can be made better with a few sensible mods. Let me paint the Picture .. Average height shall we say 5ft10" , Average build , average level of fitness, Planning a road trip , and whatever that throws at you. Lets say , Seattle to Usuashia .So ,mostly paved surfaces ,but a little rough thrown in just for good measure. Lets be having ye !
I am pretty happy with the standard R80GS, that is the 800cc version of the R100GS which was never sold in the US. The only mods are removal of the fairing replaced with the old style headlight and fitting of an R100R rear shock which lowers the seat height by about an inch and I believe improves shaft life, the last one did 104,000 miles. I also have and R80G/S so can do a direct comparison and the G/S does feel more nimble the GS, but with its bigger tank, better forks, tubeless tyres, longer subframe and seat think the GS is a better bike needing little modification to make it as good as it can be.
twin shock, why? because when a mono fails, and I have had them fail, you go nowhere, but with twinshocks, when one fails, you can still get down the road. But not a foot of travel, just a decent amount. Don't need it to be a motocross bike. 17 inch rear, 19 inch front gives you great choice of modern dual sport tires. nice modern front suspension, again, don't need a foot of travel, but maybe a little more than the /5,6,7 bikes. I do like the tubeless spoke wheels, so might as well have those. modern radial mount brakes and master cyl. maybe a modern take on a 10 gallon heinrich, with the toolbox! beefed up subframe for alum luggage for real world travel. NO PARALEVER! too fragile, complicated, and heavy and not needed if you know how to ride smoothly. a transmission made in japan, able to go forever without worrying about the damn bearings, shift spring, etc. charging and ignition systems that have parts availability at local auto parts stores, less chance of being stranded. basically, I want a bullet proof, comfortable, and capable bike that will handle carrying 2 people and their luggage around the world and give the least amount of trouble. in the end though, be cheaper to just buy a yamaha super tenere, not exactly what I want, but pretty damn close!
i was going to comment bikerfish that you were describing a standard Jap bike till I read the last line & we reached the same conclusion. Plenty of Jap bikes have transmission issues. I prefer simple & the modern bikes have way too many electronics for this kid. I love my airhead but I think a simple chain conversion kit would be a great alternative.
I flirt around with other bikes and have a couple of Paralever gs's but I always end up going back to my 78 100/7, love the thing despite the 200k + miles on it. It's so usable and a pleasure to ride. I have a project bike on the go so have a prime opportunity to build my ideal airhead, I'm getting some nice bits together. it will be a Twin shock but I fancy a few modern parts (forks, brakes etc). we'll see how it pans out.
I may be a tab bit prejudiced but I've been renovating G/Ss for the last 15 years or so. The last 5 I've built were for people who sold their R1200 Adventures or KTMs to put the money into stone age technology with mods. Lighter, maneuverable, 9 gal tank, multiple engine options, same for charging systems, upgraded brakes and suspension, 2 sets of driving lights, GPS, heated grips, seat, and jacket, options of metal or plastic bags, can fix on the side of the road with standard tool kit...or get a bigger rock. The only part of the GS i like is the extra length. The paralever is a PITA at times but nicer for high speed running. http://gregsgssite.shutterfly.com/
That's telling. Quixotic Moto-Persuits Part I Pros The GSPD rides like a cloud. Airhead motors spoil you with smoothness. They handle pretty well in stock form. Cons Marginal power and poor fuel efficiency. Gearing's too short for expressways. Suspension's limited off road. But they're worth improving! Chassis: *Full HPN'esque frame gusset mods. *Complete WP Extreme 50mm front end. *Oilhead swingarm/paralever/final drive/disc brake and suitable shock. Electrical: **Enduralast charging system. **Warmfit heated grips. (Kiwi made, NLA, the finest I've tried). HID main lamp and **secondary spot. Drivetrain: **Completely re-engineered top end to improve power and efficiency. *Oilhead 2.91 gears to improve high speed usefulness. More or less have the motor where I want it, just needs a freshen up and a few additional details (though I may investigate a different avenue with that, too, if time and ca$h allow). At this point it's a long term plan and there's a few other projects in line ahead of it. I gotta be realistic. *Have the parts. **Done.
Ive had a lot more motorcycles than most and you just cant beat the R100GS.The one i restored with 9 gallon tank added good suspension and the lower first and higher fifth gear will just Purr down the highway at 80 or go just about anywhere that any other DS bike can go. I have had three HP2's and i really think its a better bike than even it sure it has more power but sorry as hell suspension seat of a KTM dirt bike tank that will only take you a little over 125 miles and you still have to lay down 15 Grand for it. Greg said it all he has been building them for years for people that could afford the HP2 or the Kant Take Much.
