This Retro BMW Airhead Bobber Is A Minimalist City Hopping Dream

Screenshot: Blackbird Moto – Douglas Sonders on YouTube

BMW’s R80 is already a seriously cool motorcycle to ride around in the city in stock form. It’s the picture of simplicity with a boxer cylinder layout and shaft drive for easy maintenance and smooth riding. BMW proved these motorcycles were some of the most reliable and trustworthy with the off-road conquering G/S variants, and the RT versions, like this one, were made for long-distance highway cruising. The folks at Brooklyn Speed have built something altogether different, possibly the perfect city bopping bike.

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I couldn’t possibly bring myself to endure the daily horrors of living in New York City, but this bike might help.

1986 BMW R80 Airhead Bobber – Quick Ride Review

The R80 doesn’t need much to be a great point-to-point bike. The alloy wheels, softly sprung suspension, torquey powerband, and dual front caliper braking do that already. But once you strip everything ancillary off of the bike, from the giant fairing and pillion seat to the aero bodywork and back half of the exhaust, the bike reveals itself to be both vintage and modern underneath. This bike is nothing you don’t need and everything you do. It’s an engine, a seat, wheels, and a handlebar. Sit down, shut up, and twist the grip.

City riding requires a tight and nimble bike with good visibility. Trying to negotiate the mean streets with a full fairing and pannier cases is never any fun, but with all of that stuff gone you’re riding on easy mode. For cities where driving is a pain in the ass, like New York or Chicago, I would vastly prefer riding this little machine. And it would look cool as hell parked outside the coffee shop while you work on your manuscript or whatever.

The key to building bikes like this is to keep them softer than you think you want, and put more tire on it than you think it’ll handle. Then you can just pull all the stuff off that doesn’t touch your hands, butt, or feet, or make the damn thing run. What more do you need?