This article was originally published in the paper version of Real Classic Magazine in November 2017(There is a link to their web page on the links sidebar).  The magazine version of this article is much better laid out than I can manage here, but the info is the same.  If you are considering long term ownership of an airhead, then hopefully a) you won't have a 1974 bike, and b) there might be something in here that you find useful.  Since I recently wrote about a starter motor problem I had had with this bike, I thought you all might enjoy the bikes back story.  It's a bit of a love/ hate thing.  Enjoy. _________________________________ There has been a lot written about BMW airheads in the last few years.   So, in the spirit of if you can’t beat them, join them, here are a few thoughts from my own perspective. Firstly, a bit about my own bike; a picture or two of which might even decorate/ desecrate these pages.   I boug...

There are advantages to running an old bike that was in production for over 25 years, especially ones as popular as the BMW Airheads.   For example, parts supply is good, and many parts were updated or improved over the years.   Often these can be retro fitted to older models either directly, or with a little ingenuity.   As an early example of the breed, my 1974 R75 thus has scope for improvement in a number of areas. Take starting.   On cold mornings, pressing the starter button would produce only a lazy response from the engine.   The reason for this lies in the technology of the time as well as in the bikes design.   The original starter motor in my bike (made by Bosch), used electro magnets.   This meant that to get the bike to go the starter motors coils had to charge up whilst still leaving enough current in the system to produce a decent spark at the plugs.   The compromise here is that to leave enough juice in the battery for t...