1974 BMW R-Series

4071323

Clear

Offered for sale is this nice original paint 1974 R90S. This is a very early bike, being built in November of 1973 - almost two months before the start of regular US production. But you will notice that it is full US specification, including the one year only English speedo/tach housing. It is thought that this bike was used for US magazine testing and shows, however I checked with the BMW archives, and they could not confirm this because their records are not complete for this period. This is a matching engine/frame/frame ID tag bike with a clear matching title in my name, ready to transfer to the new owner. Other than the aftermarket rear luggage rack and the newer style Dell'orto carb tops, the bike is still in surprising original condition. It has almost all of the first year special features, including the curved mirrors, fairing with mystery holes (see photo), gold tape stripes, chrome fasteners, early style front fork leg without pinch bolt, Zeuna mufflers, and even the curved cable tubes for the throttle cables. I've seen many original paint R90S's selling in the $10k - $13+k range, but this one is listed at a much more realistic price. Unless you're considering a bike with only a few thousand miles on it that has been pampered all its life, most original paint bikes are showing their age when you get close - and those pampered bikes will be a LOT more money. Many bikes look good in photos, but when you get up close you can see where that 40+ years old paint is breaking down. The beauty of this bike is that for the money you save over other asking prices, you'd have enough to pay for a top-notch Holt paint job if you wanted, and still be ahead $$. Many folks are into hard core preservation, so you could also do some selective upgrades to this one over time and keep it as original as possible. It's up to you. True correct & mint R90S restorations can fetch over $20k, so you have a lot of room on this bike. Unlike most of the sellers out there who like to squeeze an extra $200 out of a bike by stripping off all the accessories, this bike includes the original 1st year owners manual and also the toolkit. It also includes a new seat cover (not shown) that I purchased in Europe, because this original seat does have a small hole in it. This bike runs and rides just fine. The clock & volt meter both work, and even the clock is the correct 1 year only original with the word VOLT at the top of the face, not in the middle like the 1975 and later bikes. The only known issue is that the exhaust crossover pipe has a crack in it, and will need to be corrected at some point. If preserving this bike, a good used pipe would blend right in - or replace it with new during restoration. Please ask all questions before bidding, and have your finances lined up too. Payment is expected with 7 days of auction end, and the bike should be picked up/shipped within one month of auction end (negotiable - but let me know what you have in mind before bidding). Overseas sales are welcome, but I cannot help with shipping quotes. Personal checks are fine, but this will delay pickup/shipment. Paypal payment ONLY if you agree to use the Friends and Family option (which has no fees for either of us if you are paying from a checking account or Paypal balance). Good luck! Note: I can deliver this bike to the AMCA National at Rhinebeck NY at the end of June at no charge if that is of interest. Thanks for the offers! Some have been pretty close. I just lowered the price a bit to see if we can meet in the middle. jl