BMW Airhead Road Trip: The Outer Banks

[@LEGENDoha9876]

Our grandparents fought in WW2 and now here we are. I am enjoying to watch you drive a German motorcycle in this wonderful and peaceful landscape on the American website "KZbin". Just a little appreciation comment. Nice video!

[@ihutch92]

The only certain thing over time is change, I suppose! Glad to provide some entertainment. :)

[@maximusmeridius3519]

Hahahaha, I've been going down the outer banks for 20 years and within a minute you express you're distaste for 95. Welcome to the club!

[@ihutch92]

The Venn diagram of people who use 95 and hate 95 is a perfect circle with no overlap haha

[@patrickposey5284]

Your rides inspire me to take out my R65 for longer rides other than my usual 2-3 hour runs to the north Georgia mountains. Keep up the great content!

[@ihutch92]

The best adventure bike is the one you have in your garage, so they say. :) enjoy the ride!

[@bunshoft]

Saw your article in Airmail magazine! Congratulations. The video is awesome, but there is something satisfying about leafing through a glossy magazine... really cool. I'm planning some overnight tours on my R65 this summer and your content is inspirational.

[@ihutch92]

Thanks! And it truly is better to see it in print hehe, very exciting

[@cspark9186]

That was well done. Thanks for ride.

[@jfp2922]

Greetings from Ireland. Lovely work with the video, bringing out the gracefulness of a trusty airhead. Having the clocks and controls in view is a nice touch. The smoothness at all speeds is very evident. A fine motorcycle. Still going so well after so many years! I've been fortunate to own an R45 from new (1985). I replaced the cylinders and pistons with those from an R65... straight swap.... when I returned to Ireland from the bike's first three years of action in Zimbabwe, Africa. It really has been a steady companion for all this time, with a character all of it's own. Thanks for the nice reminder of how special such a motorcycle can be.

[@ihutch92]

A chara, that's wonderful, glad it's been a faithful companion over the years. I'd love to hear more about those years of action in Zimbabwe, I imagine the roads there weren't exactly R45-friendly!

[@jfp2922]

@Ian Hutchinson Nice use of the Gaelic! Go raibh maith agat. (Thanks.) I could fill a book with the stories from Africa. The R45 turned out to be the perfect choice. Lighter, nimble, not too excited when opening throttle. Alloy wheels took the punishment on rocky roads, with repairable dinging of rim lips (tubes remaining intact, no deflation). I could easily brace with both legs when entering a sandy bank at speed and could drag both feet to stabilise in mud... not having too high a ground clearance. There was room for knobbly tyres, believe it or not, though there's evidence, to this day, of where they wore a track in the rear mudguard when bottoming out the suspension. The belly pan only received one severe blow. The robust construction meant I escaped with a chipped fin. It even coped with two-up and camping gear. (You couldn't decline to give lifts to less fortunate souls who faced miles-long trudges in the hot sun.) I could tell of facing up to Lions, Elephants and narrow escapes from Hippos and Crocs, but I'd be typing for ages. Perhaps the most memorable was one dark night racing at 70mph across the crests of undulations on a sandy dirt road when my headlight picked out the outline of a white concrete bollard (that would indicate a river bank or other hazard) . I slammed on both brakes and managed to come to a halt with the white shape directly below my headlight, inches from the wheel. In an attempt to catch my breath, I turned the kill switch, ready to relax and rejoice, when suddenly the white shape expanded to six feet wide, catching and reflecting the light in an astonishing spectacle. Then, in just a few silent beats of it's glorious wings, what was actually an African Eagle Owl took flight and soared over my head, no doubt quietly pleased with it's complete befuddlement of the madly racing Irishman.

[@donnut999]

I love your videos so much! Please continue to document your adventures :)

[@ihutch92]

Will do my best 🫡

[@patryk65]

Excellent video as usual! Always feels like I'm on the adventure with you! Also as a native Washingtonian, your videos remind of interesting ride options that are fairly close.

[@danielcarroll5667]

Nice ride to a nice place on a nice Bike , thanks !

[@rumbeard8688]

I lived on Ocracoke for about 3 years. It was extremely therapeutic, but also terrifying at time. The hurricanes and rapidly increasing taxes forced us to sell and move, leaving my with more debt than I care to admit, due to repairs. But it will always be home for us. Also, a little note on the British cemetery. They actually brought in soil from England so the sailors would be buried in actual British soil, long after the fact. There is a ceremony every year where they add a little bit of soil, and commemorate the island for their unconditional support and care. The islanders are hardy, caring, and a source of endless stories. If you ever go back, head down Howard street and stop in at the Village Craftsmen, ask for Phil Howard, and soak in the stories. Ocracoke is also Blackbeard's last stand, and they commemorate that every Nov with a pirate festival. There is more island history than I could ever put here, or even retain.

[@ihutch92]

That’s interesting about the soil, I didn’t know that! It really is such a charming little place, it’s evident even from a fly in visit. Hopefully I’ll be back soon to track down Phil for his stories. :)

[@PeterSmith-or3pq]

Took that ferry . Grateful dead . On the tour . Last truck on the ferry 😂😅 great concert 😊 .

[@johnwills9303]

Just found your channel and wow love the videos. I ride a 1979 bmw r45. As I watch it makes me want to read zen and the art of motorcycle maintenence for the 5th time... thanks for posting

[@frfrpr]

Thanks for a wonderful journey. I've always wanted a R65. Great filming and story.

[@jmespagnet599]

J'ai une 1200 GS et tes ballades me font rêver. Bonjour de Nouvelle-Calédonie

[@ridefree2403]

As rider of over 40 years in Australia I own a R805R & a R1200RT well done on your videos you are doing a great job keep it up Bob

[@benjaminwest2281]

With your larger engines, can you relate to the plight of a 650cc?

[@TheJim623]

Great cinematography, great storytelling. Nice job!

[@bencarpenter3785]

So good mate...cheers from Australia 🦘

[@ihutch92]

Glad you like it! Keep the shiny side up. :)

[@kyleleatherwood234]

I'm born and raised in kitty hawk it's very cool to see you on my stomping grounds. I'm currently riding a 2018 Kawasaki Versys 650LT great bike for getting around town.

[@angof]

Hi Ian, discovered your channel yesterday whilst searching for R65 content. Going to look at a R65 after Christmas that needs a little tlc to get it back on the road. Loving your videos. looking forward to watching the rest of them. Happy Christmas from Cornwall :)

[@ihutch92]

Good to hear you’re getting another back on the road! Doing the good work. :)

[@andymueller82]

Another great video! I used to live in Chesapeake, VA - would get down to Corolla, NC quite a bit, was literally able to follow along and brought some nice memories back of my own. Well done!

[@ihutch92]

It's a really beautiful part of the country, I plan to go back, hopefully soon!

[@franktechmaniac7488]

Very nice report. Thank you. I wish I could take my trusty GS over to the US and do a trip like this.

[@MrJE728]

Amazing trip! Here in Sweden it is to cold to ride now (woke up to 1c). Took a 600 km day ride with my R90 in August, was the highlight of my summer vacation. Keep up the good content!

[@ihutch92]

Oof that's cold. If the daily average is below 10C I usually pack it in. I'm a wimp. :)

[@OPV17]

love the videos. please keep them coming.

[@robertdickenson3486]

Fantastic work, you’ve got real talent! I can’t wait to learn to ride and go on trips similar. Definitely just added the outer banks to my bucket list.

[@ihutch92]

MSF is a great place to start if you haven’t ridden a motorcycle before. Good luck and be safe once you’re on the road! :)

[@timothyhille9506]

You need to ad a GS to the collection so you can ride the Beach Road on OBX next time.

[@ihutch92]

Got one to sell me, Tim? :)

[@kyleleatherwood234]

The "beach road" is paved unless you want to go as far north as possible to Corolla & Corova where you actually drive on the beach. About an hour north of kitty hawk

[@PeterSmith-or3pq]

Orichoch islands 🏝 the best iga . 😊

[@carolinacars739]

8:10 I've had both my 86 Honda Cb700sc and my 85 BMW K100 on ferries. It's a little nerve wracking, but as long at it is calm, there really isn't much of a chance of it tipping. I'm sure ferry crews will suggest tie downs or a no-go if the weather was poor.

[@carolinacars739]

Edit, I guess not haha.

[@ihutch92]

Yeah it wasn’t so rough that I was worried, but enough that when my attention strayed from the bike for a second, it tried to take a nap haha

[@carolinacars739]

@@ihutch92 I'll have to keep that in mind next time I'm on a ferry...

[@jimmarrer]

3:23,martin gourds.

[@ihutch92]

I was wondering what exactly they were! Thanks for the tip, the more you know. :)

[@ulhpilot7757]

Bodie Island Lighthouse. Pronounced ‘body’.

[@ihutch92]

@@ulhpilot7757 I learned something new today then!

[@Ohio_Motonaut]

Really enjoying your videos. I'm eyeing a '74 R75/6 as my first vintage bike. It's been converted into a brat bike. Only has 17k miles. Pretty good shape. Thoughts?

[@ihutch92]

Thanks man! In general, you can't go wrong with an airhead as a first vintage bike, there's a great community around them and as far as old machines go, they're really reliable! Obviously I can't really tell you whether that bike's a good option without seeing it, but the brat bike conversion would give me pause. There are plenty of well-executed conversions out there, but there's an equal amount of mechanical butcherings that have happened to airheads in pursuit of something that looks cool. This may sound macabre, but the best airheads you can get are probably the ones from guys who are getting too old to ride and are selling their very well-maintained bikes. They usually run like tops and have been very lovingly looked after.

[@richardroos5965]

Does your fiancé ever join you for such trips? This past Summer a number of my motorcycling friends and I spent a week riding in the Great Smokey Mountain area of NC. Even apart from "The Dragons Tail" in NC, I never rode so many bendy roads as in western NC.

[@ihutch92]

She’ll ride with me on short trips, but not longer ones in general. One of these days I’ll get down to ride the dragon. :)

[@gregory8282]

Cool trip... Can you tell me how far you usually get to a tank?

[@ihutch92]

If I’m doing state roads I usually get roughly 45-50mpg, so around 200 miles if I run the tank totally dry. I usually look for gas once I hit 150 or so on the odometer. :) I only get about 35 mpg when I’m commuting though on shorter stints.

[@ianbestor1528]

Great vid. Looking for an R Series myself to do the same thing as you. Have you considered a Big Bore kit or found you need more power or might someday?

[@ihutch92]

So my cylinders are plain iron, I think Nikasil showed up a year or two after mine. When mine wear out, I’ll possibly replace them with the 860 kit, but for now I’m happy enough. I ride like an old man, so I’m happy enough with 650 for now. :)

[@ianbestor1528]

@@ihutch92 Nice. I met a guy with an 860 kit and he told me it rips the R65 open given it's size compared to an R90 or R100.

[@Chaziedaa]

Absolutely LOVE these videos. Just bought an R65 and i love it. Do the lights behind your speedo and rev counter work? i’m riding blind when it gets dark!

[@ihutch92]

Hell yeah, welcome to the club! Definitely join a local airhead club, they’re a great resource. :) and well, those lights work for me, but not well. Enough I can see it in the dark though. Your bulbs might be burned out, they’re really easy to access and replace!

[@Chaziedaa]

@@ihutch92 absolutely love it! she’s a bloody old machine so definitely needs some touching up and replacing! thanks mate

[@BradinManheim]

Do your ears ring from the wind noise? I know ear plugs help but still allow plenty of noise.

[@ihutch92]

Not really. I got an AGV K6 last year and it’s very quiet, especially with earplugs. After a long day, I’m definitely ready to get the thing off, but I don’t find my ears ringing usually!

[@BradinManheim]

@@ihutch92 BTW, I really enjoy your videos. At 72 it makes me want to get an airhead.

[@hawaiisidecar]

As soon as you started with the climate change I tuned out.

[@benjaminwest2281]

Do you have stock bars?

[@ihutch92]

Yup! BMW offered a high and low version and these lower euro bars. Makes for a sliiiightly more forward riding position, but it’s still comfy

[@benjaminwest2281]

@@ihutch92 Thank you. You have done well maintaining your motorbike. I have the 1983 r65. Becareful on the road. Take care. Ben