Pop Quiz: R90S

[DanielMc]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... AUS%3A1123

Seen this one yet Garnet? It's in Seattle. All always liked the smoked black bikes best.

Very nice - TT Silber Rauch is my favourite colour scheme, but I wonder why the non-original handlebar clamps and fuel taps...

[George Ryals]

Did the '76 R90S,s have gaiters on the forks?

[Deleted User 62]

Did the '76 R90S,s have gaiters on the forks?

Nope!

[Garnet]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... AUS%3A1123

Seen this one yet Garnet? It's in Seattle. All always liked the smoked black bikes best.

Very nice - TT Silber Rauch is my favourite colour scheme, but I wonder why the non-original handlebar clamps and fuel taps...

Not original bars or grips either......... but still very tasty.

[mattcfish]

Boge not Koni. Obviously the whole suspensions been gone through. Some put gators on the forks to help preserve the tubes and seals. Fuel taps ware out whether you use them or not. Bars and clamps...maybe the whole front end was swapped at one time.
Come to think of it, I'm glad I own a /6 over a 90S. It would be very tedious to keep one "original."

[Kurt in S.A.]

Come to think of it, I'm glad I own a /6 over a 90S. It would be very tedious to keep one "original."

And embarrasing to be picked apart by this crowd!

Kurt in S.A.

[Major Softie]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... AUS%3A1123

Seen this one yet Garnet? It's in Seattle. All always liked the smoked black bikes best.

Very nice - TT Silber Rauch is my favourite colour scheme, but I wonder why the non-original handlebar clamps and fuel taps...

I'm more a fan of the Blood Clot.

Oh, sorry, I mean "Blutgerinnsel."

[DanielMc]

There's nothing wrong with doing whatever you want to whatever you own. I am no slave to originality at all costs, and as parts wear, break or require enhancement changes can and will and should be made to keep old bikes on the road.

However when a seller is offering a bike for sale which, because of rarity, collectability or desirability commands, in original condition, a premium price well above what might secure a more common example of the marque then it behoves the purchaser to satisfy him or herself that the seller's description accurately matches the item for sale. If, as in the latest example shown, the bike is supposed to be a low mileage example in original condition then I would be curious to know why certain exclusive parts (grips, rear grab rail and bar clamps) along with rebuildable items like fuel taps have been replaced on a machine with less than 14,000 miles on the odometer. Likewise I am curious as to why someone would comprehensively rebuild such a lightly used engine. These are changes that could well enhance the value of a 75/6 but for peace of mind I'd like to have my concerns addressed when the bike in question is an R90S being sold for around twice what a decent R75 would make.

Over here in the UK an early R90S that had featured as a press bike and was then owned by Lord Lichfield after he famously photographed it sold recently for £8,250. What I suspect we're seeing is the start of a serious price rise for very good R90S bikes that marks their move from cheap transport to inflation proof investment. Increasingly a lot of sellers will try to get a piece of that sort of action with honesty becoming a casualty to expediency and buyers looking for lightly used original machines will need to start knowing what to look for.

[ME 109]

I'm more a fan of the Blood Clot.

Major! Shhh!

[chasbmw]

My R90/s replica started off in life as an 82 RT!

I think that the only original S parts are the fairing and the carbs.

Funnily enough very few people seem to mention that it is not original it could be that they are too polite, or no one looks past the fairing and the daytona paint job.

If I ever sell it, it will be described as a replica, especially as all the improvements make it a bike that goes much better than the original!