R90S

[Whip]

I have only seen a couple of these in person and they ARE beautiful bikes.

 

 

[hopz]

Yes, the "S" Models have been a favorite of mine since my R1100S departed the garage.... miss it... a lot.

[RPG]

My favorite bike of all time, too.

[TEWKS]

I didn't understand the allure of BMW motorcycles at that time but right around 1980, street riding came calling. Another S caught my eye but I didn't buy it. The cafe style bikes do remain my favorite lookers to this day. 

 

[Paul De]

For me the allure of BMW and the R90S in that era was all the butt kicking Reg Pridmore was doing to the Japanese brands.  Sure the in line fours went like stink in the straights but couldn't hang with the R90S in the turns.  I don't know how they were able to squeeze enough ponies out of that flat twin to keep the UJM's in sight, but it was just enough to make that bike super competitive on tracks with plenty of turns.  I will say Suzuki was the first of the Japanese brands that cracked the nut on good handling and UJM being able to be used in the same sentence.  And Wes Cooley on a race prepped GS1000S was able to lay down the law for a few years.

 

The bike from that era that was sneered at then is a prize to have in the garage today.  Technically inferior in every way to all other Cafe Racer replicas of the era the XLCR never sold well, so now quite rare and desirable.  Sort of wish I had bought one when the dealers were trying to scrape their shoe of them.

 

[big-t]

Someday I'm gonna put it back together...

 

 

 

Pulled it apart in 2005 to refresh it a bit.The next weekend I hit a deer and broke my knee.Its been on the back burner ever since..

 

 

Don't even start, Shawn....

[JamesW]

An R90S, oh yeah!  I would even swap my FeeJeR for one in primo condition and even through in some cash.   Might even toss in the R1100RSL for a really pristine one.  I'm serial!  Few years ago maybe 10+ I saw an R90S for sale that had never been ridden and stored in a nitrogen filled container.  Can't remember the price but it was up there I think around 20K which seems high but I would take it for anything built today.

 

Come to think of it I owned a '79 Suzuki GS1000E for a short time and it wa a pretty good motorcycle.  Even had a not bad seat.

[Paul De]

Dood that is a twelve pack or two and some BS-ing in the garage with some riding friends to have that beauty on the road.

 

On 3/4/2019 at 7:31 AM, big-t said:

 

 

[BarnRat]

I'd love to pick up a well-kept, all-original R90S.  Been on my list for ages.

[fourteenfour]

this was posted to reddit today, picture of his parents on their wedding day in  1983  https://imgur.com/vLGgKqJ       

[RPG]

On 3/11/2019 at 4:39 PM, CommuterChris said:

this was posted to reddit today, picture of his parents on their wedding day in  1983  https://imgur.com/vLGgKqJ       

Great shot.

 

My wife and I were also married in '83 and should have taken a similar photo.

But I did get this shot of our 6 yr. old daughter and I on Easter Sunday, 1996. Still have the bike too.

[wbw6cos]

On 3/6/2019 at 1:39 PM, BarnRat said:

I'd love to pick up a well-kept, all-original R90S.  Been on my list for ages.

 

 

My surfing affliction online has me sharing this fleabay listing.  Not bad looking.  Time to start rotating some inventory, eh?

 

 

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1975-BMW-R-Series/123690731349?hash=item1ccc8ac755%3Ag%3A4gsAAOSwuAVciuei&LH_ItemCondition=2|0

[BarnRat]

20 minutes ago, wbw6cos said:

 

 

My surfing affliction online has me sharing this fleabay listing.  Not bad looking.  Time to start rotating some inventory, eh?

 

 

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1975-BMW-R-Series/123690731349?hash=item1ccc8ac755%3Ag%3A4gsAAOSwuAVciuei&LH_ItemCondition=2|0

Thanks for that listing.  But rule # 1 for me when buying a used bike:  It must be within a reasonable driving distance, and for me (and my trailer) that is no more than 5-6 hours round trip.  And before I make that drive I require at least 4 high-def pics of the bike (from both sides, front and rear) and the seller and I must come to a virtual deal on price, a virtual handshake so to speak.   Sorry, but Chicago is just a bit too far for me.  But I appreciate the link -- no harm in looking at pics -- I can spend hours doing that.

[LBump]

4 hours ago, BarnRat said:

Thanks for that listing.  But rule # 1 for me when buying a used bike:  It must be within a reasonable driving distance, and for me (and my trailer) that is no more than 5-6 hours round trip.  And before I make that drive I require at least 4 high-def pics of the bike (from both sides, front and rear) and the seller and I must come to a virtual deal on price, a virtual handshake so to speak.   Sorry, but Chicago is just a bit too far for me.  But I appreciate the link -- no harm in looking at pics -- I can spend hours doing that.

 

 

That's a very clean looking ONE OWNER 90S.  Other than a butt ugly seat, I'd go for it.  You could always fly and ride (or ship).  Such a sale depends on availability and how much you REALLY want that model. Distance in this country shouldn't be an issue.

 

[TEWKS]

It's amazing how much a butt ugly seat & tall windscreen can change the appearance of a bike.

[wbw6cos]

Yeah, but once you own it, you can clean it up  I do like the look of the those bikes and agree with you on the seat.  To each his own. 

[Paul De]

Ha, I winced looking at my '99 RT with a Russell, but it always kept me smiling on long rides.  

 

Now that the R90s falls into a collector bike category, should I ever be lucky enough to own one, I would likely put it back to stock trim as the it would be more used for short 1/2 to 1 day rides and be retired from workhorse touring duty.