1975 BMW R-Series

4980492

Clear

1975, frame/engine #4980943.Manufactured January 1975. 36,110 appx. (I will still be taking short runs) original miles.Original Daytona orange paint. Garaged its whole life. If you are a serious bidder you already know about the importance of the BMW R 90S so I'll just describe my machine. This R 90S is in excellent condition all around. It runs as it should. Smooth and quiet. It needs nothing.A bike that can be used and admired in equal parts!The best handling twin shock airhead, I have ever ridden. I've owned 4 previously and swung a leg few in my 54 years!.I live at the foot of Angeles Crest for those who know LA.I ride it up to Newcombs ranch every month or out to Malibu,can't ride it as quickly as my Tuono, but surprisingly not far off! This machine benefits from many period correct modifications and upgrades that include:Rare San Jose aluminium top triple clamp.San Jose fork brace.San Jose braced rear swingarm.Progressive fork springs (also the forks have been rebuilt by ESP with new seals and fluids in the last 12 months).Rear subframe professionally crossbraced and plated to eliminate top flex from shocks, another San Jose mod ive been told.Koni Rear shocks.Twin spark plug heads.Large capacity BMW engine sump, cooler running.Stainless steel brake lines, rubber coated black to look stock.Copper battery starter cable upgrade.Shorai lithium dry battery-saves 14lbs and adds more cranking power (405).Stainless steel hardware throughout.Period Tomaselli grips with Napoleon bar end mirrors.Ceramic coated OEM Zeuna exhuast system, flat black to look like the AMA Butler & Smith bikes. The Michelin Macadam tyres (which perform very well), petcock seals, cylinder gaskets and pushrod seals, new front rotors ($650 from Germany), new OEM steering damper ($150), steering head bearings, have all been replaced by me in the last 18 months.Additionally the bike has just been fully serviced and tuned by Vladi's BMW ($650) with all new filters, fluids etc.Included with the machine are the BMW toolkit, shop cloth, tyre pump, handbook, sales brochure along withall the stock parts, including original cad plated hardware, mirrors, the front fender bracket, grips, front and rear side reflectors etc.(I think the bike looks cleaner without them).I also have a bunch of odds and sods, new spare back up cables, filters etc, etc these will also come with the bike. I am the third owner, the second owner bought the bike from the original owner's estate with all the period San Jose modifications in place.San Jose BMW were the premier BMW performance shop throughout the '70's, Englishman Reg Pridmore won the inaugural AMA Superbike Championship on his Butler & Smith prepared R 90S in 1976.These period modifications not only make the bike handle, perform and stop better they also add to its value.While I have owned the bike I have only serviced/ replaced worn parts and made practical rider upgrades, so that, when you go out to the garage on a lovely Sunday morning, you know the bike will fire up and take you to your favorite hangout with the best possible riding experience! I am not a BMW expert but I noticed when I bought the bike (according to Ian Falloon's book about the R 90S) that the gas cap fitted to this bike was the one fitted to some '76 model bikes not '75's. This was, as the previous owner told me, how he acquired the machine from the original owner.The Daytona orange paint is very, very nice it has no fading or wear spots just a few little nicks, chips etc as is expected for a machine of this age. The right side panel does have a hairline crack near the top front corner. There are also some splash marks, from battery acid, behind the battery area on the front bottom of the rear fender. Barely noticeable unless they are pointed out. I have seen this on dozens of airheads over the years.These are minor imperfections I feel compelled to point out, but really the paintwork is far too nice to think about repainting over an original factory paint job.As another seller pointed out in his listing "they're only original once".I have tried to show these marks in the photos included here in the listing. If I had more space I would not sell this machine, I believe the value of these machines will keep going up.It really is the Vincent or Velocette Thruxton of the '70's.I have tried to inform you honestly to the best of my knowledge, everything including defects, about the bike.I'm very anal about my bikes (ask my wife!).But in reality there are no disappointments with this beautiful 90S. It is a special bike.Feel free to call me at 818 207 2808 if you have any questions.I also welcome any inspections prior to auction's end. The machine has no warranty and is sold as is.A $1500 deposit must be paid within 48 hours of the auction end, with the balance within 7 days.I would be happy to drop the bike off at Forward Air LAX, or you can have the bike picked up from me in the Los Angeles area. If shipped, make sure that the shipper you use transports the bike in a covered trailer, I will not release the bike to be transported uncovered.I had a friend who thought he'd got a smoking deal on shipping until he found out that the bike was coming from the East coast in Winter on an open flatbed. Beware.I've had good luck in the past with Forward Air and Federal.Thanks for your time and good luck.On Dec-01-12 at 18:49:30 PST, seller added the following information: PS Please contact me if you need any specific shots of the machine's paintwork as I notice on the listing that the close ups have a lot of reflections etc that are not actually imperfections. Cheers, MartynOn Dec-02-12 at 19:03:22 PST, seller added the following information: Oh I forgot to mention.... the Shorai Lithium battery is 3 months old and under warranty-It should be for $280! It does work fantastic though. I run them in my motocross bikes and they are STRONG with no possibility of leaking..