Which One to Buy

Twenty-five years of production, and the differences between one end and the other are larger than newcomers expect. A 1972 /5 and a 1993 R100R share an engine layout and very little else — different brakes, different suspension, different ignition, different character.

What follows is the shape of the range, the years the long-standing names in this hobby single out, and the specific faults worth knowing before you hand over money. One caution before any of it: as one MOA member put it, there are no trouble-free airhead years. Every model has its warts — the question is only which ones you are willing to live with.

Every figure on this page resolves to one model and year in the book. Pick your bike and the rows that apply to it come forward, with the rest marked.

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The eras — what changed, and when

Era	Years		Character	Notes
/5	1970–1973	R50/5 · R60/5 · R75/5	light, simple, sought-after	The classic shape and the lightest of the range. Short wheelbase early, longer from 1973. Points ignition, four speeds, and the least braking of anything here — charming rather than capable in modern traffic.
/6	1974–1976	R60/6 · R75/6 · R90/6 · R90S	five speeds, front disc	Five-speed gearbox and a disc front brake arrive. The R90S is the collector bike of the era and priced accordingly.
/7	1977–1980	R60/7 · R75/7 · R80/7 · R100/7 · S · RS · RT	the touring range arrives	The R100RS fairing defined a genre. Still points ignition, still the older crankcase design — see for what changes at the end of 1980.
Twin-shock, post-redesign	1981–1984	R65 · R80 · R100 range	electronic ignition, better brakes	The September 1980 changeover: new crankcases, plated bores, electronic ignition, lighter flywheel, and from ’81 markedly better braking than the seventies bikes. A 1983 R100 is frequently described as the sensible sweet spot — modern enough to ride, simple enough to own.
Monolever	1985–1995	R80 · R100RS · R100RT and others	arguably the peak	Single-sided swingarm. One specialist calls the 1985-and-later single-shock bikes the peak of airhead engineering, and notes they often sell for less than twin-shocks despite being the better machine. If you want a rider rather than an heirloom, start here.
Paralever	1988–1995	R100GS · R100R · R80GS	best handling, best brakes	The second pivot removes shaft-induced rise and squat under power. The R100R is essentially an R100GS without the off-road styling and ride height, and Paralever bikes are widely regarded as the best handling and best stopping of any stock airhead.

What the long-standing names say

Source	Their picks		Avoid	Notes
Oak Okleshen	1976, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, and 1990-on	the good years	1970 · 1974 · 1981	One of the most respected names in airhead work. Note that 1981 appears on his avoid list even though it is the first year of the improved engine — first-year-of-a-redesign caution, not a verdict on the design.
Tom Cutter	1976 R75/6, then 1979 R100S or R100T, then 1977 R100RS, then 1994 R100 Mystic	in that order of preference	—	A working specialist’s order of preference, which is a different question from what is most collectible.
Common forum view	an ’85-or-later R80	valve, brake and other issues addressed by then	monolever R65 (late ’85 on)	The R80 is regularly called the smoothest airhead — less stressed than the 1000, and the sweeter engine of the two. The twin-shock R65s are liked as compact town bikes; the later monolever R65 much less so.

The one defect to know by name: the missing circlip. Transmissions on models from roughly 1984 through 1994 were built without a circlip on the output shaft, and its absence can let a shaft bearing fail. The fix is not a bolt-on — it means splitting the gearbox and machining a groove to accept the clip. The factory resumed fitting it at some point during 1994. This does not make those years bad buys — they include some of the best bikes here — but ask whether it has been addressed, and price accordingly if the answer is no.

Choosing by what you want to do with it

If you want	Look at		Why	Notes
A first airhead to ride and learn on	R80, 1985 or later	monolever	forgiving, smooth, cheap	Smoothest engine, later brakes, sensible money, and the faults of the earlier bikes largely designed out. The one most people should buy and the one fewest people ask about.
The best road bike of the range	R100R or R100GS, 1991–1995	Paralever	handling and brakes	Late production, best suspension, best stopping. Runs on regular unleaded. Less romantic to look at than a /5 — considerably better to ride.
Long-distance touring	R100RT or R100RS	monolever versions	weather protection	Plentiful and often undervalued because they are common. Heavy with fairing and luggage, and geared for cruising rather than acceleration.
A custom or café base	R80 or R100, any post-1980	twin-shock for the classic silhouette	parts and precedent	Electronic ignition and better cases, without the collector premium of a /5 or R90S. Most of the builds in start here.
An investment or a period piece	R90S, early /5, R100RS	originality matters	collector market	Different game entirely: originality, matching numbers and history drive the price more than condition of the consumables. Modify one of these and you are spending money to lose money.

Before you hand over the money

Check	What you are looking for		Cost if wrong	Notes
Compression, both cylinders	even, and within the screening figures	bring your own gauge	engine money	See . A seller who will not allow this is telling you something. Uneven is worse news than uniformly low.
Driveshaft splines	service history, or evidence	the airhead’s classic expensive failure	high	No record means assume not done. . This is the item most likely to turn a bargain into a project.
Charging system	resting volts, then running volts	two meter readings	low to moderate	. Cheap to fix if caught, tiresome if it strands you a hundred miles out.
Gearbox, in every gear	clean shifts, no jumping	and ask about the circlip	high	Gearbox work is specialist work. Combine this with the circlip question above for 1984–94 bikes.
Rear main seal and flywheel area	oil where it should not be	a known airhead trouble spot	high — engine out	Listed among the primary airhead problem areas alongside valves, charging, transmission, final drive and brakes. Cheap part, expensive access.
Frame and engine numbers	matching, legible, documented	and which side of 9/80	varies	. Determines both value and every parts order you will place afterwards.
Steering head, forks, wheel bearings	play, notchiness, weep	the ride-quality items	low to moderate	Individually cheap, collectively the difference between a bike that feels tired and one that feels tight.
Paperwork and receipts	who did what, and when	worth more than paint	—	A scruffy bike with records beats a shiny one without. Paint is the cheapest thing on this list to put right.

Where these opinions come from. The year lists and model preferences above are attributed to their sources rather than presented as fact — they come from long-running discussion on the MOA forum and from Snowbum’s model-by-model notes. Experienced people disagree about which years are best, and a well-kept example of a “bad” year beats a neglected example of a good one every time. Condition and history outrank the calendar.

Which One to Buy

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