I recently came across a Heinrich tank in a R90S paint scheme. I’ve done some research and found some general information about Karl Heinrich and the period he was making tanks. This is one of his late ones with the flush cap. It came from an estate sale. The original owner purchased it for his R90S, used it for a short while then put it into storage. Long story short, the purchaser of the R90S did not want the tank and I was able to purchase it.
I’m hoping someone here may be able to give me some more information on these later tanks. I’m curious who did the paint as it is spectacular. I originally purchased it with the idea of repainting it to match my 77S but I hate to sell such a beautiful paint job get painted over. One person with a website devoted to these tanks (and Hoske) said Heinrich had the tanks painted and that this one appears original but that he had never seen one in this paint scheme.
I can't tell you anything you don't already know about the tank itself. It is very well done and very pretty.
As for the paint job, there are paint shops who can do this quality of work. I found one by concentrating not on car paint shops but bike shops asking custom bike shops who does their paint work. Not knocking the BMW specialty paint shops that advertise but this is not a singular skill that could only be done right in the factory or a "BMW" shop.
The paint itself, Glasurit, is still available not in the same 70's formulation I would imagine. PPG, also makes paint that matches. St.
I won't go so far as to say Glasurit is far better than PPG or others. I just had my bike painted a BMW color by a Harley painter. The results were as good as the factory perhaps a bit better as this guy is fussy.
My first paint job was to replace the original job done at the factory with Glasurit products. After five years my fairing looked like someone had shot it with a shotgun, there were so many stone chips and dings. First repaint was a very good car shop friend who used Dupont products. That job lasted from 1989 until 2022, when I finally had the bike totally overhauled and repainted again. The new paint is PPG and as a said, looks just as good or better than the original.
Two biggest keys issues; find a painter who does bikes, not just a car guy who does bikes on the side. Use the paint product the painter is comfortable with.
Unless you really need a concourse super show paint job, you will be happy with what you get. No one has taken points off my bike for not using Glasurit, then again I don't enter it into shows I ride it. St.
IMG_3212 by peter mcmahon, on Flickr
