1975 BMW R-Series

4980671

Clear

This is a relisting. I am sorry. When I listed this originally, I put it into the wrong category, and I was looking at a standard 10% eBay commission. By the time I had this figured out, eBay would not let me edit or delete the posting. The bike continues to sit in my shop, and I have the title in hand. Again, I am sorry. I have no intention of making this mistake again J. To my previous bidders, please bid again. Tom Overview: Up for bids is a truly remarkable, meticulously restored 1975 R90S. The VIN is 4980671, and it was manufactured in December of 1974. The restoration included a very thorough mechanical restoration, as my intent is that this bike is to be ridden the way we rode them when they were new. I have put about 100 miles on it to shake it out a bit, and I am confident that it is ready to be ridden anywhere. The restoration included all original BMW parts purchased from Sandia BMW in Albuquerque, except for a few bits that are no longer available from BMW. I have attached a very thorough description here. If you have the commitment to slog through it, I commend you. If there are any questions not answered here, drop me a note and I’ll get back to you ASAP. The History: This bike belonged to my friend and customer Ken for many years. He bought it around 1990 as a clean, low mileage R90S that he wanted to make perfect. By 1992, he had disassembled the bike and had the frame powder coated. The bike then sat idle for almost 20 years, while he was raising a family, working too much, and riding newer bikes. In 2013, I acquired it from him and began the restoration in earnest. This is a matching numbers bike that is currently titled and registered in my name. I feel it has been restored to the highest standard, and has been restored to be ridden, not tucked away in a museum or private collection. I have spent a great deal of time and effort to assure its mechanical reliability as well as its aesthetic beauty. When I got the bike, I found that the odometer had been reset to 0. Ken thought he remembered the original mileage being in the 20-30K range, but please use this only as a reference. This low mileage is consistent with what I see when I look at the bike. I look at things like the rear brake pedal, which wears at a predictable rate and is almost never replaced. The pedal on this bike shows almost no wear. I also look for things that have been serviced improperly: rounded nuts, teeth marks from pliers or vice grips, or hammer marks. This bike has none of that. The Paint: This bike has been faithfully repainted in the original Silver Smoke paint scheme. The paint was purchased from Kent Holt at Holt BMW, who is a Glasurit paint dealer, and has re-formulated the original paint colors in contemporary paints. I have seen a lot of R90Ss that have been repainted silver and "smoked" with black, and they just don't look right. The correct "smoke" has tones of green, and has a unique character that is difficult to duplicate. The paint was applied by Rick Ferrier, the renowned motorcycle painter. The pinstripe is hand painted, and is under the clearcoat. (The '74 R90S had a tape pinstripe, but he '75 and '76 had painted stripes.) Rick actually borrowed another R90S with original paint on it so that he could study it to make sure the paint was applied as it was at the factory, an indication of his attention to detail. Riding impressions: As when it was new, the choke is required on a cold start, but can be shut off very quickly once the engine is running. The idle is a bit low until the end of the street, but then is very stable across the entire engine temperature range. The exhaust has a slightly raspier tone than the /6 bikes, and the engine responds more quickly to throttle input due to the Dell’Orto pumpers. The electronic ignition and dual pugging combine to give a good idle, good throttle response, and no pinging even on a 100F day. Dropping into first gear is met with the usual airhead clunk, and the clutch grabs in a linear and repeatable way. Upshifts are less clunky than when new due to the updated shift kit, but not like a late-model Ducati. On acceleration, power is delivered smoothly, with no noise from the clutch or gearbox. The gears all shift smoothly, and the engine has only the light ticking of well-adjusted valves and the voice of the pipes. The R90S has a deliciously wide powerband, minimizing the need for constant shifting. I tend to run these bikes at fairly high RPMs, where they are ready to pounce. This one is still in its break-in period, so I kept it a little lower. The complete absence of pinging is a wonderful improvement. The handling characteristics are similar to most airheads, but the Toaster-Tan billet upper triple clamp and the San Jose fork brace tighten things up considerably. The old undulating feeling in a fast sweeper has been controlled to a great extent by these mods. The braking is also vastly improved by the stainless brake hoses and EBC pads. The lever is firmer than any other airhead I have ridden. People all seem to know that this bike is special. It draws a crowd up at the coffee shop, and the guys who don’t wave to me on my Ducati wave when I’m on this R90S. It is truly the iconic BMW of the 1970s. A detailed description of the restoration, by BMW Main Group: 11 Engine: The engine was completely disassembled, cleaned, measured, and re-assembled. The case was vat cleaned and all of the oil gallery plugs were removed for better cleaning. The oil filter bypass valve was removed and replaced. The oil pressure control valve was disassembled and cleaned. The case was not bead-blasted, as I feel it is impossible to remove all of the grit. The cam and crank were both sent out for polishing. The main bearings were pressed out of the case and front bearing carrier, and new standard bearings were installed. The Proper procedure was followed to drill oil passages and pin the front bearing in its housing. Although the timing chain measured OK, a new endless chain was fitted. Crankshaft endfloat was at the low end of spec. The connecting rods were sent out to be reconditioned, and were re-fitted with new standard rod bearing shells and new rod bolts. The cylinders showed approximately 0.0004" of wear, and were honed. The outsides of the cylinders were bead-blasted and painted with high-temp semigloss black as original. The pushrod tubes were ugly, so I sent them out to be replated in zinc. I still wasn’t happy with them, so I made up a set of new tubes in polished stainless steel: exact duplicates of the originals. The cylinder studs were removed from the case and re-installed with Teflon thread sealer and set at the correct depth. The pistons were carefully cleaned and a new set of Total Seal rings installed. The heads were disassembled and bead blasted. Aside from a bit of carbon, the valves appeared as new. I had to beg my machinist to grind the valves and cut the seats, as he said it was unnecessary. (He did eventually touch the valves to the stone and cut about 0.002" from each seat. He described the guides as "perfect".) The exhaust threads are in as-new condition. Of course, all new gaskets and seals were used throughout, including the modern rear main seal with no spring. The flywheel was installed with new bolts. The original valve covers have not been dragged on the ground and have not been welded. The "BMW R90S" emblems on both sides of the top cover were replaced with new ones. 12 Engine Electrical: The ignition system is a Dyna III electronic system, powering Dyna dual-output coils. The plugs are new NGK, and the plug wires are new from Dyna. The stock advance mechanism has been modified to reduce the total amount of advance. This modification is reversible or could be modified further as desired (there is a ton of theory, fact, and conjecture regarding dual-plug timing online.) I have always tended to leave the plug wires loose, but some folks like to tie them up. The alternator was cleaned and the commutator and seal track on the rotor were polished on the lathe. The brushes were >80%, so I left them alone. The diode board is now mounted on solid mounts, and the stock voltage regulator works perfectly. The starter was disassembled and cleaned. The bushings and drive were lubricated with a bit of synthetic grease. Like the alternator, the brushes were in excellent condition and were left alone. The starter drive (Bendix) works fine and never slips. The starter works crisply, and does not groan on deceleration as many do. 13 Fuel System: The stock Dell'Orto PHM38 Carbs have been completely rebuilt. They were completely disassembled, and all of the metal parts were soaked overnight in a carb dip-vat. All gaskets, seals, O-rings etc. were replaced, as were the needles and seats. The fuel filter screens were replaced. The idle and mixture screws were replaced, as were the choke housing screws and the top screws. The threads on the original (now unavailable) nuts that hold the float bowls on are in excellent condition. The choke lever was disassembled, cleaned and re-assembled with new choke cables and rubber boots. These carbs do not drip at all, even if the fuel taps are left on for a week at a time. A new (BMW) air filter element was installed. The rubber ring connectors on the air tubes were replaced, along with the stainless hose clamps that secure them. Please note that while the carb tops are the original aluminum type, the cable nipples are the later, straight style that are compatible with today's throttle cables. The original curved nipples are NLA (with good reason, in my opinion.) 16 Fuel Supply: The tank was in excellent condition when I got it. There were no dings or dents, just the usual jagged paint scratches from careless contact with the seat cowl when the tank was being removed. The inside of the tank shows no signs of rust, and the red factory coating is completely intact. There is no filler or Bondo in this tank. The filler cap is in beautiful condition, and shows no signs of pitting or scratches. The roundels were replaced after the paintwork was completed. The taps are the original Karcoma taps, cleaned and installed with new seal rings. They do not leak at all. The fuel lines were replaced with high-quality German braided fuel hose, as original. 18 Exhaust System: The stock exhaust system is original, and in good condition. There is a small ding on one muffler, and a scratch on the other (See photos.), but I couldn't justify replacing them (I'd rather keep the original BMW parts with a scratch than install new aftermarket parts.) The mufflers, head pipes, and crossover were all sent out and polished, and look close to new. The exhaust nuts were bead blasted, and have excellent threads inside. They were installed with a liberal application of Anti-Seize and torqued with the proper wrench. The exhaust system was properly adjusted so that the stands do not bump or rub against it. 21 Clutch 23 Manual Transmission: The gearbox was rebuilt by Mark Smith in Albuquerque, who has done dozens of these boxes for members of the local BMW club. He is particularly diligent about properly shimming the 3 shafts. He replaced all of the bearings, and all of the seals. He reported that the upgraded shift kit had been installed previously, and that the shift cams and forks were all in good condition. He also replaced the pawl spring and the centering spring, as well as the detent roller and spring. A new neutral switch was fitted. The clutch splines on the input shaft show almost no wear. A new rubber was fitted to the shifter. 31 Front Axle & Suspension: The forks were disassembled and serviced. I use the fork leg to verify the straightness of the fork tube. (I verify that the fork tube can pass all the way through the leg; I find this is a very effective way of assuring straight tubes.) The tubes were cleaned and the seals replaced. The copper seal rings , crush washers, and rubber rebound dampers were all replaced before refilling with BMW 7.5 weight fork oil. The steering head bearings were replaced, packed with synthetic grease. The flat stamped steel upper triple clamp was replaced with a CNC machined billet aluminum clamp from Toaster-Tan for better handling. A San Jose BMW fork brace is also fitted for the same purpose. New rubber bushings were installed at the top and bottom of the headlight ears. 32 Steering: The original handlebar had some scratching on the chrome from moving the levers around or perhaps tie-down hooks, so the handlebar was replaced with new. The handlebar clamps were stripped and re-coated. (These are the correct R90S clamps with the raised polished centers.) The hand lever perches were stripped and re-coated, and look like new, not the graying look that most old BMWs have. New pivot bushings were installed along with new grips. New throttle, clutch, and brake cables were installed, with all new rubber boots and felt cable cleaners. All cables were pressure lubricated with light lithium grease prior to installation. The aluminum cable adjusters were carefully cleaned with a small wire brush, and appear as new. The steering damper was disassembled, cleaned, and lubricated. The check detents and springs are properly in place, and the gears were properly timed. The hydraulic damper unit tested fine, so it was re-installed with a new safety clip at each end. A new handwheel was fitted, as the original ones are prone to shattering when rotated. 33 Rear axle, Rear-wheel drive, Suspension: The swing arm was removed and the driveshaft was taken out prior to powder coating. The driveshaft was then properly torqued, and new bearings and seals were installed. The proper procedure was used to center, pre-load the bearings, and torque the locknuts. New dust caps were fitted. There was only one shock supplied when I bought the bike, so I opted to fit a new pair of Hagon shocks and springs. I decided that these were the ideal shock based on recommendations from other riders. I also like their general appearance. The final drive was removed and disassembled. Everything was inspected and cleaned. Like the engine case, I do not bead blast the final drive housing, as the grit cannot be removed to my satisfaction. All the seals, gaskets, and O-rings were replaced, including the pesky seal on the right that is a bear to get to. Tooth engagement and backlash were properly checked using the procedure outlined in the BMW service manual. The splines on the crownwheel were in very good shape, so I did not send it out to be re-splined. New fill plugs were installed along with all new seal washers. 34 Brakes: The front rotors were removed and the alloy centers were bead blasted. The rotor thicknesses are both well within spec. There are no signs of uneven wear or grooves. New rotor bolts were installed for safety reasons. The calipers were cleaned up and re-painted with black caliper paint. The bleeder valves were bead blasted and sent out for re-plating with the correct yellow zinc. New EBC organic brake pads were fitted, and the caliper eccentrics adjusted. New bleeder caps were installed. The rear shoes showed minimal wear, so they were retained. The pivot pin and brake cam were lightly lubricated. The brake rod, barrel, spring, and clip were re-plated in clear (silver) zinc. The brake pedal was cleaned and the pivot pin was re-installed with proper lubrication. The lever was adjusted so that it does not drag on the exhaust system (like many old BMWs do.) The master cylinder was completely disassembled and cleaned. The exterior of the cylinder was bead blasted and repainted. The bore was lightly honed, and no rust was found inside. The cylinder was re-assembled with a bit of Girling brake assembly lube. I was unwilling to trust the original brake hoses, so these were replaced with some very high quality vinyl over braded stainless hoses from Hel. The black covering makes them look like the original hoses, and provides paint protection to the front fender that bare stainless braid doesn't. The original front brake pipes, which run down the fork legs, were sent out and re-plated in zinc. 36 Wheels and tires: The wheels were completely disassembled. The hubs were bead blasted and the rims were polished and inspected for cracks. New German stainless steel spokes were fitted, and the wheels were trued by Ken Harris, formerly of Buchannan's. The wheel bearings were cleaned and re-shimmed, and new seals installed. New tires, tubes, and rim strips were installed. As I intended this bike to be ridden, I chose the Pirelli Demon Sport matched set over some of the currently reproduced tires with a more vintage look. 46 Frame and mounting parts: All of the black chassis components on this bike have been either sand blasted or bead blasted to bare metal, and powder coated with a lustrous coating of semigloss black. These include: frame, subframe, swingarm, centerstand, seat rail, fork brace, and license plate bracket. All the holes and threads in the frame were masked before coating, so there are no unduly tight fasteners. The original steering head tag has been re-attached with the correct rivets, and the VIN stamped in the RH frame gusset is clearly visible through the powder coat. The center stand has very little wear on the legs, and (amazingly) the toe hook is still there. Both stands were installed with new springs and a new rubber bumper. The "S" fairing was installed with new rubber eccentrics and rings, as well as new distance pieces and slotted washers. The windscreen is new OEM BMW (not one of the cheap aftermarket ones), and was installed with new copper rivets, plastic push-rivets, and a new windscreen seal. The flexible molding trim at the rear edge of the windscreen (now NLA) is correct and in perfect condition. The fairing was carefully adjusted so that it does not rub or rattle against the mirror stalks. The footrests have been restored. The front footpegs often discolor due to their proximity to the battery vent hose. These were sent out and re-plated with the original rough unpolished chrome look. New (correct for '75 and later) square footpeg rubbers were installed. The rear footpegs had the rubbers removed (as close as any man will come to childbirth), then they were bead blasted and replated with the original zinc. The two shafts which pass through the frame and the engine were also re-plated, as were the spacers and shackles for the stand springs. 51 Body Equipment: The original type plate was re-attached to the steering head. The ignition and the seat are keyed alike, but the steering head lock takes a different key (supplied). Mirrors are new, the ones currently available from BMW. I believe the original ones were curved a bit and sell for ridiculous money in deplorable condition. I think these are fine. 52 Seats and Seat bench: The seat cowl was in exceptional condition except for paint scratches. It was stripped and repainted, and a BRAND NEW seat was fitted. These are NLA from BMW; I had to bring this in from Germany. It has the correct "stripes" in it (unlike the smooth seat on the '74.) (Apparently, owners of the '74 bikes complained about sliding back on the seat during hard acceleration.) The seat was fitted with all new rubber bumpers, a new roundel, a new R90S emblem, and a new foam seal on the underside that covers the rear toolbox. The front toolbox (over the battery) and its gasket are both new. The seat grab rail, freshly powder coated, is installed with polished stainless oval head screws, so no more rust. 61 General Electrical System: The main wiring harness was in extraordinary condition. There was a bit of damaged sheathing on the harness that leads to the instrument cluster, which was covered with good quality electrical tape. (This cannot be heat-shrink repaired without removing the molded plug for the cluster, which I wasn't willing to do.) All of the wiring is properly color coded, and all of the electrical systems on the bike are working as BMW intended. The battery bracket was also sandblasted and powder coated in black. All 5 of the rubber mounts for the battery box are new. I have opted for an Optima sealed (gel) battery, so no more acid leaking on the frame, footpeg, and exhaust. This is a top-terminal battery, so a custom PVC (non-conductive) hold-down was made and installed. (The original steel one was powder coated and is included.) There is a bit of extra room in the battery box now, just enough for a 1040 Pelican case. The switches on the handlebars work perfectly and do not show the graying sun-faded look that is common. They are not brand new, but they look and work great. The left switch is the European type, allowing the lights to be switched off. The clutch switch is new. The horn is original and works very well. 62 Instruments: The PO had sent the cluster out to be serviced (and the odometer set to 00000), but I didn't know when or by whom, so I had it gone through again. The instruments were both cleaned and lubricated. In operation, both instruments are smooth, not bouncy or undulating like many old instruments. Before re-assembling the cluster, all the bulbs were replaced as a preventive measure. The circuit board is in good condition and all of the bulbs work when they should. Both the speedometer and tachometer have new cables. (This is the only way to buy the special rubber grommet where the tach cable enters the timing case.) The speedo cable has a new boot at the transmission. The fairing holds the original clock and voltmeter, which (amazingly) still work. These are the correct white face instruments, not the green face (quartz) instruments commonly retrofitted. The clock does seem to require periodic re-adjustment, as I have not made an effort to regulate it. These instruments have new bulbs as well. 63 Lights: The headlamp is in exceptional, original condition. The reflector is in perfect condition, and the lens is not chipped. The chrome bezel is also in good shape. A new H4 bulb and a new park lamp bulb have been installed. The turn signals are all new: housings, reflectors, lenses, and gaskets. (This is the only way the gaskets are available from BMW.) The rear turn signal mount is also new, as I didn't get one from the PO. The tail light is in good condition and has a new bulb. I had considered painting the case and buffing the lens, but thought it looked too good to need "over-restoring". The rubber grommet for the wiring was replaced. All three of the red reflectors on the plate bracket and the rear fender are new. Spares: A few items are also included: the original pushrod tubes (replated), the original upper triple clamp, and the original pressed stainless front fender bracket. About the restorer: I have been working on interesting cars and motorcycles for over 30 years. In my teens and 20’s, I worked as a professional mechanic, largely working on BMW, Audi, and Mercedes Benz cars while I put myself through college. I have been employed full time as an engineer for the last 19 years, all for the same company. In my spare time, I have done many award-winning restorations on European cars and motorcycles, including the “Best British” trophy at this year’s Motorado show. I bought my first BMW bike at age 18, a 1973 R60/5 “toaster” in Monza blue. By 20, I had bought a ’74 R90S, which I still own. My garage also houses more modern bikes, a BMW Isetta, a Messerschmitt KR200, and a Fiat 600 Multipla. I have a large shop that is equipped for everything except painting, with a large lathe, mill, welding equipment, plasma cutters, bead blast, etc. I base my restorations on the premise that all vehicles should be used, raced, enjoyed and loved. I focus on building lasting relationships with my customers and providing beautiful, reliable restorations. The boilerplate: This bike is 39 years old. It does not come with a warranty. If you have any issues with it in the first 30 days, I will try to make it right. I will continue to offer advice, loan tools, and try to help long beyond that. This bike is for sale locally, so I reserve the right to end the auction at any time. I have a pretty good idea of what this is worth, and so do you, so don’t wait until the last minute. I’m a nice guy, but don’t expect a fire sale price when the hammer falls, as this is not a fire sale bike. I will assist you with shipping by delivering the bike (on a trailer) to any shipping terminal or address in the metro Albuquerque area. Longer delivery may be possible for additional money. If you fly in, I will pick you up at the Albuquerque airport. I highly recommend that you come and see this bike in person before bidding. Hop a cheap Southwest flight, and I will pick you up. If you have friends nearby, have them come check it out. Dig out your Anonymous Book and have some kindly club member come and make sure it is the real deal. I have a web page with 90 high resolution photos on it. Send me a message with your email address, and I will email you the URL. A $500.00 deposit is due within 48 hours (PayPal is OK) with the balance due within 7 days of the auction end. Your winning bid is a contract, not an invitation to come for a look to see if you want it (you can have the invitation for free, before you bidJ.) Balance to be paid in cash or wire transfer, or we go to your bank together. Do not bid if you aren’t able and willing to complete the transaction. I have 100% positive feedback and I want to keep it that way. About the photographer: The photos were taken by Alan Mitchell. He is an avid car / bike guy, and also does landscapes and theatrical performances. He has done photo shots for me on a multitude of other cars and bikes. His website is alanmitchellphotography dot com. We were trying to do this shoot for about 2 weeks, but we were having our monsoon rains here, so the light wasn’t good. We did the shoot late in the afternoon, looking east toward the Sandia mountains. All of the post-production (resizing, cropping, and light levelling) was done by Alan. None of the photos have been digitally altered or “touched up.” If there are any special views that you want and are willing to accept photos from an amateur like me, let me know and I will make my best effort to get you what you want.