Here I go replying to myself again.
I guess it isn't that different from talking to myself, which I do all the time . . .

Anyway, today I shoved a camera down where I was looking in between the fairing and the steering head, to get a better look at that bracket.
Turns out it ISN'T welded to the frame after all.
It was the spot welds in the bracket itself that I was seeing (green arrows in attached picture.)
The attachment to the frame is by two bolts that live down in between the sides of the bracket (red arrow in attached picture).

Also discovered that, mounted between the sides of that fairing mount is a pretty standard looking headlight bucket, which the headlight is already mounted in.
I'll just need to remove, clean and paint that bucket, as it appears to be flat black now.

So, I will proceed to plan for my R80's "nakedness".
Need to find some headlight stays, turn signals, and associated rubber mounts, and I'll be ready to go!
Oh, and some mirrors. And a mount for the keyswitch (maybe the fork ears will have a hole for that?)

I've seen this attempted before on an R80RT, and the guy gave up leaving a mess of the bike.

Having removed an RT fairing and changed it over to an RS, I feel competent to answer some of your questions.
• Yes, the fairing is supported by a sub-frame that bolts onto the main frame with 2 bolts. Those 2 bolts can be tightened or loosened through the 2 access ports, but to gain usable access to them you'll need to remove the fairing and then the HL shell.
• The hard part is not going to be mechanical or metalwork, it's going to be the electrical system. The RT type harness has the remote ignition switch which must be moved from the fairing into the HL shell.

All things considered, if you simply need more wind in your hair, the better route is to remove both fairing lowers and use a saber saw to make a windshield that only comes up to your mid-chest. You'll get lots of air, and if you decide to sell it, you're only out the price of a windshield.

Good luck with whatever you decide. 😉

Scot,
I wasn't commenting on any lack of forum feedback, only on my own rush to ask a question before fully researching the issue and determining that the question was moot, therefore answering myself.

As for modifying motorcycles, your initial statement sums it up very succinctly.
"It's your bike, and you should feel free to do with it whatever you like . . ."

Thanks for that.

Beemers are rarer than hens teeth in my region, and finding a good running, reasonably well cared for bike is maybe a once a year thing, so when one came up available only 5 hours drive away (each way), I went to look at it prepared to bring it home, and did so for what I'd deem a very good price. I haven't seen a decent basket case or even a dead frozen-up motor barn-find bike come up for sale in as long as I can remember, unless I wanted to buy sight unseen from across the country and ship it to my location. It may have more plastic on it than I like, but it does have great road manners, nice cast wheels and a bullet proof airhead engine with plenty of hop-up potential.

I think the R80 will make a very nice road bike for me, regardless what some purists may think of modifying what they may think is "one of the best bikes BMW ever designed" (a designation I think only really applies to the R90S, or some of the true classics like the R69, but that is just me).
Having owned and ridden many many thousands of both on and off road miles on some fine BMW machines, from an R1100RT to an R80G/S to an R75/5 and an R60/2, I am comfortable with the R80 as the basis for a purpose-built personally equipped bike that has lots of potential.

I'll apologize in advance for not keeping it stock.

Thanks, Wobbly. I don't foresee any of the needed modifications being particularly challenging, and must assume the poor chap you refer to was quite a hack.

By the way, the lowers are already in a box on the shelf with the associated hardware.
I'll probably wait until winter to get serious about the rest, allowing myself some time for collecting the needed components to do things cleanly, and keeping the bike in service for the great fall riding season to come.

Thanks, Wobbly. I don't foresee any of the needed modifications being particularly challenging, and must assume the poor chap you refer to was quite a hack.

I never met the guy. The local boxer shop was selling it for him. He had removed the fairing and sawed off parts of the fairing support frame. Then he took the dangling electrical pieces and wrapped everything into a ball with electrical tape. A posted photo got me to go look at the bike, but the in-person details were very scary. Basically he had fixed it were you couldn't take it back, and I didn't have enough R80 knowledge to take it forward.

Your efforts seem ever so much better thought out. Good luck.

I have seen one of these that was so well done, you couldn't tell that it ever was an RT. I think it may have had a K-model instrument cluster with the key switch integrated into it, otr maybe the key was in the clip on pad that covers the handlebar risers. It has been a while since I talked with that owner. Also, he bought the bike that way so he might not be much help regarding the "how to".... Still, it can be done and made to look good. Best of luck to you,Steevo

Well I’d vote yes on the conversion. And, yes the wiring can be an issue. I have a R80RT conversion myself and enjoy it with out the fairing.

good luck

Every time I see this title it makes me think of the old Lewis Grizzard joke...
" Naked is when you don't have any clothes on.
Neck-ed is when you don't have any clothes on, and are up to somethin'. "

😆

Oh...so we're not talking about riding in the nude! Oops

I don't think this is a good idea. There are lot's of Airheads without fairings, Why sacrifice one of the few that have em?

Hello; I went the other way, and made a R80 into a R80RT, to extend my riding season. I agree go ahead and modify
your bike as you see fit. There is several online businesses that sell Airhead parts, just buy R80 mirrors etc. I think
whether to modify or not is a personal choice. Enjoy the process and you will have a good motorcycle. The Airmail magazine
has a quote I like [ The only test of a motorcycle is the satisfaction is gives the owner.] Good Luck and have a good time.
Jim

Well, with apologies in advance to the “never modify anything” crowd, I have moved forward with my “de-RTing” of the R80.

I started by removing the RT fairing and all associated mounts, brackets, wiring, etc.

Then, I found some fork ears for sale, and bought them, cleaned them up and painted them.
I ordered new rubber mounts for the fork ears.
I bought some NOS T/S stalks on eBay for a good price.

Then, I found a guy selling a lot of parts from a 1983 R100CS on eBay. Headlight bucket, with headlight, all internal relays and terminal board, complete wiring harness, front turn signals with stalks, etc. I bought that stuff.

I removed the RT wiring harness, and plugged in the CS harness. This gave me the T/S wiring, and eliminated the RT-specific front connectors.

I painted and installed the fork ears and headlight bucket, and put it all together:

While I was at it, I painted the starter cover:

This derelict forum software forced me to break here and make another post . . .

So, here is some more of it . . .

And replaced all of the front brake lines with stainless reinforced lines:

With the aid of these fittings (5 each) from pegasusautoracing.com. I was able to adapt the splitter and caliper fittings all to standard AN3 fittings:

And used all lines from Earls, purchased from Holley.com:

More in post three . . .
(lame forum software)

And now you get . . . . . the rest of the story ;

It turned out about as close to a stock R80/7 as it could be:
From this:

To this:

With a few polished parts . . .

Not a wire was cut, nor a connector modified. All parts except the brake lines are stock BMW airhead components.
All in all, I am very happy with it, and it rides SOOOOO much better without all that rattling, echo chamber Tupperware stuff on it.

And now the search is on for an affordable "S" fairing . . .