Vintage BMW Motorcycle OwnersAirhead Technical Library
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The Airhead Technical Library

Robert “Snowbum” Fleischer spent twenty-five years writing the most complete technical reference the Airhead world has. This is that work — every word of it, unchanged — reorganized so you can actually find what you need, filtered to your own motorcycle, and with the numbers pulled out where you can see them.

174Articles
1,192,907Words preserved
530Figures & diagrams
3,387Specifications indexed
41Models covered

Browse by system

5

Getting Started & Buying

Buying, inspecting and identifying an Airhead, and what to know before the money changes hands.

3

Routine Maintenance

The recurring jobs: schedules, oils and filters, plugs, valves and synchronizing.

16

Fuel System

Petcocks and tanks through Bing and Dell’Orto carburetors, jetting, air filtration and fuel quality.

19

Ignition & Charging

Points, modules, timing, coils, and the whole charging system from rotor to battery.

21

Electrical & Instruments

Wiring, grounds, relays, switches, lighting and instruments — plus how to test them.

33

Engine

Top end to bottom end: heads, valves, cylinders, pistons, cams, oiling and break-in.

9

Clutch, Transmission & Final Drive

Clutch, gearbox, driveshaft and splines, and the rear drive.

6

Chassis, Suspension & Steering

Frame, forks, steering head, shocks and swingarm — and the causes of instability.

12

Wheels, Tires & Brakes

Wheels and bearings, rims and spokes, tires and tubes, drum and disc brakes.

4

Bodywork, Seats & Luggage

Fairings, seats, luggage, mirrors and finish work.

13

Sidecars

Rigs, subframes, set-up and the very different business of driving three wheels.

9

Tools, Shop Practice & Chemicals

Tools, fasteners and torque, chemicals and cleaners, and how to work safely.

9

K Bikes & Later Models

The Classic K bikes and later machines, where Snowbum covered them.

7

Reference, Data & Manuals

Data, factory literature, part numbers, terminology and outside resources.

8

Riding, Touring & Safety

Touring, safety, visibility and the practical business of using the motorcycle.

Members see the library. Everyone keeps the original. Snowbum’s site stays online exactly as he left it, free to the world, for as long as the club exists. What is behind the member login is this layer of work on top — the reorganization, the model filters, the specification index and the search. How this was built, and on whose authority.