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

[velofish]

On 7/13/2021 at 10:42 PM, p6x said:

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.

Unlike others here, I like airheads. Easy to fix, reliable, good parts supply and, god help me, I like the looks of them.  

 

I have no illusions- they handle terribly and do attract the human equivalent of undescended testicles.  

 

And those humans do tend to overvalue the bikes when they are in a shit state.  $1500 is too much.  

 

 

 

[Vic]

In my collection I  own the V11, just bought a 74 Eldorado, and have owned the  R90/6 for 20 years. Love them all, don't see it being fair to compare the V11 with the /6 totally different time of production. 

To compare the Eldorado to the /6 is a more direct comparison. The Eldo is a cooler bike,but which one has an oil filter,which one has an alternator vs a generator .Like I said love them both,but in some ways the /6 is probably a more advanced,  reliable machine, and the parts new and used are easier to come by.

Hopefully some one will bring this one back from the dead and turn it into a bobber that seem to be so popular these days.

But as it sits,it's a $200 parts bike, just my 2 cents.

[Kevin_T]

Having owned a 1984 RS /7 I can confirm a lot about what people are saying. What they aren't saying is bikes from that era although parts are available they can be very expensive. Sometimes BMW will surprise you and they'll be reasonable but not often and net engine parts. Then there is the problem of working on them true simple maintenance is pretty good but if need to dig deep into them your going to need a special tool to do almost anything. I mean it, its like some kind of sick German humor. What would take a few hours might take days because you'll be building a special tool or buying one.

The technology is just different not better or worse just different. A Guzzi you could keep workshop manual on the self and never use its intuitive. Not a beemer, if you don't study your manual (and it better be a good one) you WILL SCREW something up.

Handling? I guess they earn the name "Rubber Cow" but if you were smooth on it. It was a good handling machine for the time period. Better then my loop frame that's for sure.

 

 

[p6x]

On 7/22/2021 at 1:24 PM, velofish said:

Unlike others here, I like airheads. Easy to fix, reliable, good parts supply and, god help me, I like the looks of them.  

 

I have no illusions- they handle terribly and do attract the human equivalent of undescended testicles.  

 

And those humans do tend to overvalue the bikes when they are in a shit state.  $1500 is too much.  

 

 

 

The guy selling it owns a company which is in foreclosure. According to him, this bike was given to him, no title.

My Guzzi shop told me they could probably harvest a tank and a seat, for about $700, but they said this is only the tip of the iceberg. The expenses can be hidden in what is not known, and when all costs have been considered, you get to the price of a running one.

Besides, NADA proposes 1500 for one in a "fair" status. This one is not even running, and missing parts. It is obvious the seller has no clue, or if he does, then he is unreasonable.

[p6x]

1 hour ago, Kevin_T said:

Having owned a 1984 RS /7 I can confirm a lot about what people are saying. What they aren't saying is bikes from that era although parts are available they can be very expensive. Sometimes BMW will surprise you and they'll be reasonable but not often and net engine parts. Then there is the problem of working on them true simple maintenance is pretty good but if need to dig deep into them your going to need a special tool to do almost anything. I mean it, its like some kind of sick German humor. What would take a few hours might take days because you'll be building a special tool or buying one.

The technology is just different not better or worse just different. A Guzzi you could keep workshop manual on the self and never use its intuitive. Not a beemer, if you don't study your manual (and it better be a good one) you WILL SCREW something up.

Handling? I guess they earn the name "Rubber Cow" but if you were smooth on it. It was a good handling machine for the time period. Better then my loop frame that's for sure.

 

 

It is no secret there that older stuff is coming back. Manufacturers are selling bikes that mimic the 70s, so NOS parts are available from Europe at cutthroat prices. 

I was never a big fan of BMWs. I always seemed to gravitate towards Italian production, until the arrival of the Japanese two strokes.

It was just opportunistic to have a bike for sale just a few yards away. But the first moment of lust has gone, and I am just looking at the bike which has not moved from its resting space.

[gstallons]

All the airhead bikes are a "safe" motorcycle for the old fart's club . Good looking ,reliable , a good membership network . Just like this one , it is divided between professionals and non-professionals . It would be a nice bike to have . 

[footgoose]

4 hours ago, gstallons said:

All the airhead bikes are a "safe" motorcycle for the old fart's club . Good looking ,reliable , a good membership network . Just like this one , it is divided between professionals and non-professionals . It would be a nice bike to have . 

Agreed.

I have one, a '78, in pieces, on the shelf. A person has priorities is all I'm sayin. If that's what the OP want's to dig into, I support it. We all gotta learn somehow.