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Why Incomprable?

The place to discuss the R 90 S as well as the R90S Worldnet archives!
MikeL46
Posts: 151
Joined: Fri Jan 01, 2016 1:58 pm

Why Incomprable?

Post by MikeL46 »

I mean I like my R90S. I like that it had 140,000 miles on it and my daughter and I could just take off and go from CA to PEI and back. But, I could have done that with my R100RS, or my old R90/6 or nearly any old BMW.

The R90S is special because it was BMW's first real performance bike; but it doesn't really do anything better than other period BMW's.

Like most of the BMW's I've owned, it likes to cruise at 80-85mph. Like most of them it returns mid 40's fuel economy at that speed. It has the same suspension, tires, transmission, electrics and basic engine. The seat, tank, fairing and carburetors are the only real differences.

So what makes my R90S special?

Mike
67 R50/2 w/R100 engine/trans and Ural Sidecar
69 R60/2 76 R90S 78 R100RS
70 Triumph w/Spirit Eagle Sidecar

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Twocams
Posts: 781
Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2014 8:42 pm

I dont know. Never had one

Post by Twocams »

I dont know. Never had one and probably never will. I do like the Orange color tho. Never thought I would ever have a earls fork bike either...but one fell in my lap.

twocams
Twocams
92 R100RT/69 R69S
2004 Aprilia Atlantic 500cc single cylinder Scooter
83 Honda V65 Magna, fastest production bike in1983
2015 Can Am Spider SE6 1,688 miles
2018 Moto Guzzi V711 Special

khittner
Posts: 369
Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2012 8:45 pm

I've owned two, the last one

Post by khittner »

I've owned two, the last one nearly 20 years ago, so I've probably just forgotten how much better either of them were (so Super-bike-ish!) than the R90/6, or the monoshock R80, that I had between them---but I don't think so.

A small critical mass of comfortably well-off middle-aged guys have bought and sold them for irrationally large sums of money ("Hey--nice paint does cost some real coin!"), so they are, by definition, very, very, um---incomparable.
Konrad

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RickR90s
Posts: 87
Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2016 4:54 pm

R90s Incomparable?

Post by RickR90s »

I mean I like my R90S. I like that it had 140,000 miles on it and my daughter and I could just take off and go from CA to PEI and back. But, I could have done that with my R100RS, or my old R90/6 or nearly any old BMW.

The R90S is special because it was BMW's first real performance bike; but it doesn't really do anything better than other period BMW's.

Like most of the BMW's I've owned, it likes to cruise at 80-85mph. Like most of them it returns mid 40's fuel economy at that speed. It has the same suspension, tires, transmission, electrics and basic engine. The seat, tank, fairing and carburetors are the only real differences.

So what makes my R90S special?

Mike

As a long time owner (going on 37 years now) of my '74 R90s, what makes it "special" is certainly in the eye of the beholder.

For me, the first one I saw was my wife's older brother's version. The Tamiya 1/6 scale (remember those) R90s that was on his dresser. I remember it stopping me cold in my tracks. The way Peter Egan once described the realization of an instant classic. "Like one look at Lauren Bacall. you don't have to describe it. It just is".

As a long time Harley fan back then I came to appreciate the long distance capability and the trips I took. Florida Keys in '81, West Texas in '83, Yellowstone and the Tetons in '86, all in all accumulating 140,000 miles and 40 different states.

Yes, other BMW's could do that, have done that. But the R90s has the racing pedigree that no other /6 has, or /7 for that matter. The Styling, looks, appearance are without parallel, IMHO. The R90s can garner an audience in the middle of winter, heating up the garage and just turning the lights on to go out and admire it's beauty. Sorry, my R100RT never did that for me. :)

Incomparable? Maybe. The word to me comes in comparing similar models of that era. The R90s always provided the better "balance" of performance than none other had. IMHO of course.

Some good reading here by the esteemed "Incomparable" Peter Egan.

http://www.cycleworld.com/2015/09/23/bm ... peter-egan

RickR90s




RickR90s

brownbmw
Posts: 92
Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2009 2:50 pm

The R90S was the first

Post by brownbmw »

The R90S was the first modern-era (post-WW2) BMW Superbike, but not "BMW's first real performance bike". I believe that distinction goes to the R37 of 1925.

From one point of view the R90S is not very different from the R90/6 or other boxer models. It is, however, historically significant in several ways.

*First BMW with dual front disc brakes.
*First BMW with factory cockpit fairing.
*First BMW over 750cc (R90/6 came a couple of months later).
*67HP, 124MPH top speed (approx 10% better than the 60HP, 116MPH top speed of the R90/6).
*It marked a return to racing success for BMW motorcycles since pre-WW2 (although short lived).
*1 - 2 finish at the first ever AMA Superbike race at Daytona, 1976 (Steve McLaughlin, Reg Pridmore).
*Winner of the first AMA Superbike championship in 1976 (Reg Pridmore).
*Many international wins including 1976 Isle of Mann 1000cc Production TT (Helmut Dähne and Hans Otto Butenuth).
*A sporty appearance that caught the attention of otherwise BMW-averse riders.

And that last point is probably the most important. Those few differences of the seat, tank, fairing (and paint scheme) made a huge difference in how this bike (and BMW) was viewed by riders.

khittner
Posts: 369
Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2012 8:45 pm

RT Incomparability

Post by khittner »

The Styling, looks, appearance are without parallel, IMHO. The R90s can garner an audience in the middle of winter, heating up the garage and just turning the lights on to go out and admire it's beauty. Sorry, my R100RT never did that for me. :)

RickR90s


Rick--you just need a nicer RT.
Konrad

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RickR90s
Posts: 87
Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2016 4:54 pm

I did like my '93 RT except

Post by RickR90s »

I did like my '93 RT except for the anemic performance (60hp, 8.45:1 compression and small port heads) and "hot oven" fairing that roasted my legs, torso at anything above 70F.

The handling, brakes and overall ride was very, very nice and I did a lot of trips on it, but for overall enjoyment, it's hard to beat a R90s.
RickR90s

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San Arthur
Posts: 577
Joined: Sun Apr 22, 2007 2:08 pm
Location: San Antonio, TX.
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Desirable

Post by San Arthur »

For me the R90S is special because is a desirable BMW model, they cost more then the sticker price and the value should increase with time.
While I enjoy riding my R90S I would rather put the miles on a less desirable bike, but that is me.

Mike why did you get a R90S?
San Arthur in San Antonio, Texas
'58 R26 '76 R90S '88 R100RS '94 R100GS/PD

MikeL46
Posts: 151
Joined: Fri Jan 01, 2016 1:58 pm

I bought my R90S in '77. I

Post by MikeL46 »

I bought my R90S in '77. I was riding Triumphs at the time. Took it for a test drive in a crowded business district. 1st gear, 2nd gear, 3rd. Holy Crap I'm going 60 in a 25 without even trying! No real noise, no real vibration, hope to keep my license. I didn't like the Daytona Orange color.

The bike is great, but an R90 or even an R75 would equally impress.

Mike
67 R50/2 w/R100 engine/trans and Ural Sidecar
69 R60/2 76 R90S 78 R100RS
70 Triumph w/Spirit Eagle Sidecar

Bikeeuro2
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2017 8:44 am

Three years , two colors

Post by Bikeeuro2 »

Distinct, low volume, all hand-painted and signed under the tank by painter...........and constructed for THREE SHORT YEARS.

Folks that know motorcycles can quickly ID an R90S from a distance. The history with RP's Superbike Championship is interesting. Also,.....now that the RR is track bike extraordinaire, the history looms larger.

When you see one coming at you, it's usually pretty darn obvious........particularly a DO bike.

if I'm really going to rack up some miles, I'll take an R100RS for the fairing. If it's mid-summer in PHX, I might be on an old K bike. Other than that,............I'll be on an R90S.
Wm. Rinaudo Phillips

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