Airheads Beemer Club Forum - Recent Posts https://www.airheads.org/community/ Airheads Beemer Club Discussion Board en-US Mon, 26 Oct 2026 23:11:38 +0000 wpForo 60 RE: '89 R100RT problem https://www.airheads.org/community/my-airhead-needs-help/89-r100rt-problem/paged/2/#post-17500 Mon, 26 Oct 2026 05:25:03 +0000 Glad you have your RT going again!  Hope you find the issue with old carburetors. 

]]> David Elkow https://www.airheads.org/community/my-airhead-needs-help/89-r100rt-problem/paged/2/#post-17500 RE: '89 R100RT problem https://www.airheads.org/community/my-airhead-needs-help/89-r100rt-problem/paged/2/#post-17499 Sun, 25 Oct 2026 16:56:32 +0000 Richard W, David, Thanks to the help I got here, yes it is sorted!

That's great news ! Ride safely, my friend. 

 

 

]]> Richard W https://www.airheads.org/community/my-airhead-needs-help/89-r100rt-problem/paged/2/#post-17499 RE: '89 R100RT problem https://www.airheads.org/community/my-airhead-needs-help/89-r100rt-problem/paged/2/#post-17498 Sun, 25 Oct 2026 15:34:37 +0000 A humbling experience - I chased a subtle carb issue on my ‘78 quite literally for a couple years. Sometimes i could feel it, most times not.  It felt like one side would run lean when cruising at steady throttle. Just a funny little slight hesitation. Of course, i had rebuilt the carbs.  I would work on it intermittently, then put up with it.  I double, triple checked everything. Replaced everything. Played with various needle jets and needle settings.  It was crazy. Then one day i was reading some carb material on Snowbum’s site, and it sparked a new thought.  I dug back in.  And i found the problem. There was a sharp edge at the top of the steel center post on one of my carb pistons. See picture. With a little lateral force, that piston would catch or “snag” in the bore in the carb top.  It was slight, but it was there.  I dressed the top of the post so it would slide smoothly and EUREKA!, my troubles were gone.

so, my theory is, when i had the carbs apart they were on a bench at a school i worked at in maintenance.  I believe that someone, probably a student in shop class, knocked or dropped that piston on the floor.  Of course, they put it back and said nothing.  Years later, i finally found it.

]]> David Elkow https://www.airheads.org/community/my-airhead-needs-help/89-r100rt-problem/paged/2/#post-17498 RE: '89 R100RT problem https://www.airheads.org/community/my-airhead-needs-help/89-r100rt-problem/paged/2/#post-17497 Sat, 24 Oct 2026 20:37:56 +0000 Richard W, David, Thanks to the help I got here, yes it is sorted! First of all, when I replied concerning the Pulse Air system, I was frustrated after dealing with it for several hours and replying without looking closely. (I haven't had one with Pulse air on it since my long departed R80ST) It HAS been deleted but appears to be very well done. The plugs on the air box are almost invisible and the ones on the heads are well recessed and hard to see. Thanks!  Now, the answer I was looking for was found here in your replies: Things are not always as the seem! The carbs were spotless, apparently new floats, float needles and seats. The diaphragms had no visible imperfections and the slide needles showed no VISIBLE wear. (I believe Richard W said it was hard to detect). So, after reading that and admitting my own assumptions about the carburetors could be wrong,  I switched them out with my "88RT non runner. Started right up, did a test ride, accelerates and runs smoothly at all speeds! Did a 100 mile ride today and the engine performed flawlessly, (although I'll be pulling the transmission to lube splines and possibly replace the clutch (I already have one on the shelf) as there was a problem with intermittent clutch slippage but the bike rides, handles, shifts and stops like new.

    Can't thank you guys enough for your help! I bought my first airhead new in 1976, with the nearest dealer almost 100 miles away, so I learned to work on them myself. Not as astute as I once was and perhaps too sure of my assumptions. Thanks again!    

]]> Rick Reynolds https://www.airheads.org/community/my-airhead-needs-help/89-r100rt-problem/paged/2/#post-17497 RE: LED signal lights https://www.airheads.org/community/my-airhead-needs-help/led-signal-lights/#post-17496 Fri, 23 Oct 2026 05:50:57 +0000 Hello Mike.  Apparently, the model year for your RS is the critical factor. 77 thru 80 is easy, 81 to 95 is not really possible. If you go to the Katdash.com website, click on F.A.Q., and scroll down the page - she has a nice section covering turn signal flashers and LED bulbs. For 77 through 80, you need an electronic flasher in place of the stock flasher (in the headlight shell). I installed the electronic FL3 flasher sold by Katdash in my 78 back in 2021. Then you can insert LED 1156 equivalent bulbs in the turn signals. However, starting in ‘81 BMW wired the turn signals in such a way that basically requires that they be incandescent bulbs regardless of the flasher. She says it’s not possible for 81 to 95 unless resistance is added to the circuits - so there’s not much point. 

https://katdash.com/

i will send you a link to the 1156 equivalent LED bulbs I used from Amazon. They are nice and bright, and have been working since 2021. 

]]> David Elkow https://www.airheads.org/community/my-airhead-needs-help/led-signal-lights/#post-17496 RE: LED signal lights https://www.airheads.org/community/my-airhead-needs-help/led-signal-lights/#post-17495 Thu, 22 Oct 2026 15:37:22 +0000 The LED bulbs are much brighter, but they have a different internal resistance, which the standard flasher module very much counts on having. So there are 2 ways around this...

1) Install an electronically controlled flasher unit. In this way the flash rate is controlled by an internal circuit board and NOT the physical bulb itself. (These will work with either type or even mixed bulbs.) The basic resistance type flasher unit is cheap, around $6. The circuit board controlled unit is usually around $25.

2) Add a "resistor pack" to the circuit. This adds the missing resistance back to the flasher circuit, so that the LED bulbs have the total resistance that once again match the older incandescent bulbs. This sounds easier, but the ones I've seen are rather large (about 4" long) and fitting under the tank or inside the HL shell looks to be an issue. 

]]> Richard W https://www.airheads.org/community/my-airhead-needs-help/led-signal-lights/#post-17495 RE: Bing 64/32/13&14 carb syncing process https://www.airheads.org/community/airheads-discussions/bing-64-32-1314-carb-syncing-process/#post-17494 Thu, 22 Oct 2026 15:20:35 +0000 I have a Harmonizer for sale. They really do make this job much easier. 

]]> Richard W https://www.airheads.org/community/airheads-discussions/bing-64-32-1314-carb-syncing-process/#post-17494 LED signal lights https://www.airheads.org/community/my-airhead-needs-help/led-signal-lights/#post-17493 Thu, 22 Oct 2026 11:58:26 +0000 Can someone educate me on what's needed to convert the standard signal light bulbs on R100 RS to LED? 

]]> Mike Buhler https://www.airheads.org/community/my-airhead-needs-help/led-signal-lights/#post-17493 RE: Intake manifold https://www.airheads.org/community/wrenching/intake-manifold/#post-17492 Fri, 16 Oct 2026 10:02:23 +0000 I'll look this "gasket maker" up on line and try it this winter when i do some carb work.  I thought that the Red Loc-Tite could be used in high heat situations. 

Just as the "thread locker" LocTite comes n all sorts of application grades and colors (green, blue, red, yellow, etc), so does the "gasket maker". You can go to the LocTite web page and read all about it, then decide which product number might be best for you. 

I'm talking in very "general terms". There may indeed be one specific grade of red LocTite that is not affected by temperature. 

 

]]> Richard W https://www.airheads.org/community/wrenching/intake-manifold/#post-17492 RE: Intake manifold https://www.airheads.org/community/wrenching/intake-manifold/#post-17491 Thu, 15 Oct 2026 21:25:59 +0000 Wobbly, This helps alot.  I'll look this "gasket maker" up on line and try it this winter when i do some carb work.  I thought that the Red Loc-Tite could be used in high heat situations. 

Thanks again.

rick 

]]> Rick Schroeder https://www.airheads.org/community/wrenching/intake-manifold/#post-17491