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If you end up getting the bike, be sure and investigate the services (if needed) of Tom Cutter at Rubber Chicken Racing Garage in Yardley, PA. He's a BMW trained mechanic, races the S1000RR, and has earned the coveted Friend of the Marque award. He's the real deal.
[QUOTE=20774;828387]If you end up getting the bike, be sure and investigate the services (if needed) of Tom Cutter at Rubber Chicken Racing Garage in Yardley, PA. He's a BMW trained mechanic, races the S1000RR, and has earned the coveted Friend of the Marque award. He's the real deal.[/QUOTE]
thanks kurt. that's only 15 minutes from where the seller is located.
Just a question about the swingarm.
The early LWB swingarms had a 2" piece welded into them to lengthen the swingarm. All R90/6 where LWB models.
When I looked at the picture & blew the page up to 400 % I couldn't really tell if it in effect was a LWB swingarm. To my eye, with the more up & down angle of the rear shock & I couldn't see the welded seam on the swingarm, I had some thoughts that it might be SWB swingarm.
I have a R75/6 engine in a R50/5 SWB frame so I'm very familiar with the difference.
Just passing it on for what its worth, maybe I'm all wet.
Also there are some R90/6's for sale in the MOA magazine for less money. Can't comment on them but you might want to have a look.
Since you've owned an R75 before and probably have quite fond memories of it, the R90 will be a suitable candidate to fill the void. Bigger engine, more power, same size. I have both (and more) and enjoy the R90 immensely.
If you're comparing prices, bikes like the R65 will be cheaper and the RS/RT will be more expensive. So, even though they look similar, there are different ranges of prices for different models. $3900 for a clean R90/6 is not too far off.
As far as maintenance, since this bike is already in good shape, you should be fine as "maintainer and not engine builder." After resurrecting my three /6's, they're ridden hard, put up wet, and still only need the simplest of maintenance.
..and any minute lkchris will say that only airheads after 1981 should be considered, but don't worry, a lot of us still ride and like the old bikes.
[QUOTE=23217;828238](2) Check the space between the frame and the swing arm on both sides. If there is a difference this means (a) the swing arm was not adjusted correctly; or (b) the bike was wreaked and and the frame is bent. To get it to drive decently, they have to move the swing arm over. If this is the case, I would walk away from the bike.[/QUOTE]
You have a bunch of good advice, but this one is a little out there. You can recenter a swingarm in 5 minutes.
[QUOTE=cycleman2;828400]Just a question about the swingarm.
The early LWB swingarms had a 2" piece welded into them to lengthen the swingarm. All R90/6 where LWB models.
When I looked at the picture & blew the page up to 400 % I couldn't really tell if it in effect was a LWB swingarm. To my eye, with the more up & down angle of the rear shock & I couldn't see the welded seam on the swingarm, I had some thoughts that it might be SWB swingarm.
I have a R75/6 engine in a R50/5 SWB frame so I'm very familiar with the difference.
Just passing it on for what its worth, maybe I'm all wet.
Also there are some R90/6's for sale in the MOA magazine for less money. Can't comment on them but you might want to have a look.[/QUOTE]
This is a later /6, so the weld is no longer necessary to have a LWB.. and you can tell it's longer than a SWB in this picture:
[IMG]http://images.craigslist.org/3K13L13H55Nc5If5Efcae1fee17a837a8187a.jpg[/IMG]
I like to interview the seller a good bit about his ownership of the bike. If the owner hasn't had the bike long and/or doesn't have any history of the bike, then my valuation of the bike and interest in purchasing drops rapidly.
If the owner has kept the bike up the value is higher than if not. This is easy to determine very quickly; consider the owner's attitude and looking at other bikes in garage, looking at maintenance records, and looking at the bike for sale should all give a consistently good vibe. A bike that won't start or has obvious signs of neglect will get a bottom valuation from me (and I'm very unlikely to be interested in purchasing such a bike).
[QUOTE=Lmo1131;828026]Looks like a $3,900 bike to me! I'd be checking it out. Take cash!
[IMG]http://images.craigslist.org/3K73Jd3N85G65U05J3cae1f9eff9ff0c71516.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://images.craigslist.org/3K93Nd3H95O15E95W1cae3f1d4aa1ecdf1b63.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE]
lew, those images aren't from the listing i'm looking at. this one looks a bit cleaner. the listing i'm looking at is:
[url]http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/mcy/3332297142.html[/url]
thanks,
-eric
[QUOTE]lew, those images aren't from the listing i'm looking at. this one looks a bit cleaner. the listing i'm looking at is:
[url]http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/mcy/3332297142.html[/url][/QUOTE]
Look again eric. The links you posted are identical (http: ... 3332297142) . I pulled these images from the first link you posted.
And definitely a LWB bike. It's easy enough to spot the extra tube length (previously welded in) once you get used to looking at them.
Early production "extended" swing arm
[img]http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=30390&stc=1&d=1323567366[/img]
Later one-piece /6 LWB
[IMG]http://www.redlandcycles.com/public_html/motorcycle/2012_08_02/010.JPG[/IMG]
SWB for reference.
[IMG]http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRH8AVDosXQ3wH2p67WAe0xnDme_TQDwR5zeLLbKQ2xL-D6xHvwL4pykqXc[/IMG]
well i waited too late and that one got snatched up a couple of days after my original post... no surprise.
i did get a hold of another '76 R90/6 in black, but it';s definitely more of a "20-foot" bike, maybe even 30-foot. it needs some TLC but i got it for a price that reflects its condition. now i have a project for over the winter. i just wan to make it a reliable solid rider, i'm not real keen on restoring it to perfection, but i will be doing some cosmetic work as well as the mechanical requirements.
i'll be posting a lot of requests for advice here, i hope that will be ok.
thank again,
-eric
[QUOTE=ezwicky;836698]i'll be posting a lot of requests for advice here, i hope that will be ok.
thank again,
-eric[/QUOTE]
Uh, yeah! That's what the Airhead Tech Forum here on the BMW MOA web site is all about. Honestly, I've learned as much or more from others' questions than I have from posting my own.
Good Luck, and many of us really appreciate it when people post progress on their projects here.