>   I personally would run, not walk, from a water cooled engine since they
> have a terrible history.  But you might get lucky with an '85, then again
> you might not.  Maybe some of the '85s on the list could remark on them.
> Good luck...

I have both.

I'd rather have the waterboxer, with its leaky heads than the airboxer with
a dropped valve seat.  Both engines have their problems, but the waterboxer
is a simpler thing to deal with.  I've so far been spared the head-leaks,
although my GL has 120k miles on it now and its a-drippin', so it will
need this sooner, not later.

But the dropped valve seats make a real mess out of the insides of an engine.
The seat material is *hard* and trashes heads and pistons like you would not
believe.  Done this twice in 50k miles on my '80 Westy.  I know that AVP
and Mark Stephens sell "lifetime" heads.  Maybe.

The '86-on waterboxers have better fuel injection and better ignition,
along with rear heaters, options like power windows available, etc.  They
have significantly more power, too.  They get my vote.

The airboxers are cheap, though -- my Westy cost me $800 five years ago.
It has taken me all over the country, too.

Flame on...

Malcolm