Found a 1976? BMW R90/6 around the corner where I live... owner open to offers; opinions? yay/nay?

[p6x]

12 hours ago, fotoguzzi said:

Run, don't walk away.. unless you have endless time and even more money I see it as a complete waste of your time. Why would you want to spend hours working on that heap when you have a Lemans to ride?

but yeah $3-400 sounds reasonable.

The philosophical thinking is to actually have a side project, besides riding my MG which I do, but so far, I have been restrained in my distance endeavors.

I think there is some reward in giving a second life to something that has been neglected.

I do not have access to unlimited funds.

But after reading all the comments, including the first impression from MPH Houston, I think I am going to side with you. I have been back in the motorcycle riding world only very recently, and it seems that the lyricism procured from my Le Mans got me carried away. I was dreaming to be the savior...

After looking at it with new eyes, including the comments on this page, I am going to curb my enthusiasm... I feel bad to have been deterred so easily though; but on second thought, I agree with your assessment.

[p6x]

12 hours ago, Pressureangle said:

I was just composing my post saying the same thing. You'll be in it for $2500 just to get it roadworthy. If it was complete with title, $500.

Yes, you stopped me from making a mistake.

I think the BMW was just an excuse to start setting my garage into a workshop. Obviously, a project of this magnitude would have been a good reason to fight the good battle to get it.

Come to think of it, my MG has spent more time immobilized than on the tarmac. So I should start with that before I venture and lose myself somewhere else.

[bbolesaz]

Having restored several Airheads myself and also being a V11 owner, I can make the following comments.

1. The bike pictured is a POS, most worrysome is the obvious rusting and Alu rust on the engine cases.  Odds that the internals are in good working shape are low.

2. On the + side, BMW is VERY GOOD about parts availability for old bikes.  That is why I switched over to BMW from Honda.  When I needed to restore my Honda GL1200A, being more than 10 years old, Honda basically told me to pound sand for parts.  Ebay helps, but there is only so far it will go.  I have never ordered an old BMW part yet and been told NLA.

3. The V11 will literally run circles around an Airhead, mostly because the Airhead spends so many more miles wobbling as is goes down the road.

4. A well sorted Airhead is STONE reliable.  Absolutely unbreakable.  Easy to fix if you manage to break something.   My Airhead R100GS is simply an awesome bike for touring and exploring in Mexico, it will never let you down.

If the motor turns and the gearbox shifts, maybe spend $250 on it.  Expect to spend 3-4K and many sweat hours to restore.  When done, it will be worth about the 3-4K you put into it.

Recommendation, many Airhead owners are past their riding days or dead.  Look for a nicely maintained one being sold by a spouse who hasn't checked the KBB valuation.

[p6x]

12 hours ago, docc said:

 

 

"Why would you want to spend hours working on that heap when you have a Lemans to ride? "

 

 

Where has all the fantasy gone nowadays? we used to get married four hours after having met a lady hanging around the pool in Vegas... we used to take risks back in the days; or was it only me?

[p6x]

19 hours ago, Lucky Phil said:

Whatever happened to the "right price" being "whoever drags it out of my sight and doesn't charge me to do so". Seems to me what it's worth in the harsh light of day. Maybe a case of beer, cheap beer that is. Valuing old shitters like this is about what you want it to be. A part it out exercise, full resto, old rat bike, what? and of course the hidden mysteries within.

Ciao 

I don't think this guy drinks beer... discovery of the hidden mysteries is part of the fun... I am guessing you are married :-)

[Pressureangle]

3 minutes ago, p6x said:

Where has all the fantasy gone nowadays? we used to get married four hours after having met a lady hanging around the pool in Vegas... we used to take risks back in the days; or was it only me?

The risk, it would seem, is in owning the Italian motorcycle instead of the German one.

[p6x]

18 hours ago, Scud said:

Put $400 a month in jar till you have enough to buy one that runs. You will spend less money and have a running bike sooner.

Did you notice the spoke wheel up front and the mag in the back? If it had a pair of good condition "snowflake" wheels, it could be worth $400 just to get the wheels. If it was an R90S, I might sing a different tune, but there is nothing special about a /6.

This is exactly what MPH said to me. You will spend less money getting one that runs already. What about the "pride" feel that you did it "all by myself"!? is that worth nothing any more?

I am not very familiar with the BMW's, it was just the opportunity to get one a few hundred feet from where I live, and getting a tool box together. And of course, you are right, rebuilding a sorry bike always turns out to be more expensive than buying a running one.

The clincher is time. I just don't have enough time to dedicate myself to it. It was a good excuse to test my faded skills.

[p6x]

18 hours ago, footgoose said:

No. As it is it's junk. In the best of shape it's mediocre. If you have the vintage-bike-resto-itch, I get it. There are better choices for that.

I am not that type of guy that needs to bring back to life the remains of the day. It was more the opportunity of having this skeleton in a closet super close to my front door.

My Le Mans may feel lonely later on, when winter returns and black out resumes.

 

[Chuck]

Quote

I think there is some reward in giving a second life to something that has been neglected.

There is that. I've done in on antique airplanes.. and just old airplanes.. for years. There is a *great* amount of satisfaction on returning a pile of rusted parts to a living breathing machine.

As our friend Bill says though

Comma but.

That is a POS when restored to running condition. If you really want to put the sweat equity in a project.. make it a good one.

Just MHO.

[Scud]

2 hours ago, p6x said:

This is exactly what MPH said to me. You will spend less money getting one that runs already. What about the "pride" feel that you did it "all by myself"!? is that worth nothing any more?

I am not very familiar with the BMW's, it was just the opportunity to get one a few hundred feet from where I live, and getting a tool box together. And of course, you are right, rebuilding a sorry bike always turns out to be more expensive than buying a running one.

The clincher is time. I just don't have enough time to dedicate myself to it. It was a good excuse to test my faded skills.

Hey - I've spent a lot of time and money bringing back bikes that started in better condition, and I was proud of that.

I've never started with a basket case bike, although several people here have. I think all we are saying is that if you're going to start with rough and incomplete bike, make sure it's something you will love when it's done. A BMW /6 is what you settle for if you can't find one of the more desirable models. Then you tell yourself, it's basically the same as an R90S (it's not), or all airhead BMWs are inherently valuable (they are not).

[po18guy]

3 hours ago, p6x said:

Where has all the fantasy gone nowadays? we used to get married four hours after having met a lady hanging around the pool in Vegas... we used to take risks back in the days; or was it only me?

This explains the LeMans-Airhead dichotomy.

 

[p6x]

The owner just sent me a text. He will let me have the ruins for $1500; I politely declined.

Since the bike is parked in front of his house, I am going to monitor how long it takes before he manages to find someone to purchase it.

[p6x]

2 hours ago, po18guy said:

This explains the LeMans-Airhead dichotomy.

 

Which technology do you prefer?

[footgoose]

14 minutes ago, p6x said:

Which technology do you prefer?

Now there is the rub. Technology is only a piece of the puzzle. One thing is sacrificed for another, and it changes every year.

[po18guy]

12 minutes ago, p6x said:

Which technology do you prefer?

All I know is that "never the 'twain shall meet'