Boxerworks.com

Hello everyone
just joined the forum and wanted to say hello. I have had a few motorcycles in the past and hoping to add a BMW to the list. A few years ago I went to a vintage motorcycle show and fell in love with a vintage BMW. After I went home and did little research turns out it was a R50. I am A BMW auto technician and happen to come across a R90/s for sale. I'm going to look at it this weekend. I don't have much info on it yet but I know it hasn't ran in a few years. I wouldn't mind a protect bike and I'm hoping this bike will fit the bill. The seller is asking $1000 and seems to be firm on the price. I'm not sure what a non running R90/s is worth but hopefully it will not take a whole lot to get this bike back on the road. I have worked on older Hondas but I'm sure the BMW will be a new challenge that will require lots on money to restore. Any insight on what I should be checking out on this bike before I buy it?
Thanks
Lee

Unless the seller is clueless (and that's possible), a $1000 R90S (or is it an R90/6?) would have me wondering whether the engine is seized. A title with a matching-number frame and engine block are probably worth $1000, though.

It may very well be R90/6 or possibly R75/6. I'm figuring that their has to be something majorly wrong with this bike at this point. Which is why I'm being careful before I invest a grand in something that doesn't run. I know the basics that I need to check. oil leaks, suspension, master cylinder leaks, ect. But I'm worried about the engine or transmission. I figure I can place the bike in gear while it is on the center stand to turn the wheel to see if the engine is seized. I was reading in another post that if I roll the bike in neutral and hear noises that their may be transmission issues. This is why wrote a post before I buy the bike to helpfully get some tips on what I need to check. But I'm guessing worst case I could part the bike out and make most of my money back.

A real R90S would have an orange or grey smoked paint job, small fairing, Dellorto carbs and dual disc front brakes. A R90/6 of the same era would be solid color with pinstripes, no fairing (or aftermarket), Bing CV carbs and single disc:

If the title is clear, it is a buy it unseen. Even if the numbers don't match up, it is still worth far more. Even if the engine is seized up, it is worth far more.

I might break my arm reaching for my wallet so quickly. There is a lot to check on the bike, but that is such a bargain that I would run, don't walk to that deal. In the worst case, it can be parted out and sold on eBay for a big profit.

There is a special forum for the R90S and I think that it is a Yahoo group.

My website has some articles that you might check. w6rec.com

So lets say it is a R90/6 with a seized engine. Would it still be worth buying at that price? I'm sure I'm not lucky enough for it to be a R90/s. I do believe they have the title.

Before you do anything else look up the numbers on the title, the frame and the engine block. All these numbers should match. It is a 7 digit number. Once you have the number or numbers then check this number on one of the many sites that have the info about what bike that number goes to. Looking it uyp will tell you if it is an R90S.

If the numbers come back what the seller is saying I'd fork over the money lickity split. Try not to act too eager maybe.

If it comes back as something else you may still have a good deal.

Here's one place that has the info you need; http://www.realoem.com/

All I can add is that Duane is right. Looking forward to hearing about your next steps. Btw, I bought and older Bmw airhead and learned to get it up to snuff by studying Duane's and others' helpful sites as I learned how to work on it.

And I'd like to add that the members of this site have been super helpful all around, steering me through a reconditioning of my R75/5.

As you clearly suspect, it sounds too good to be true. Even so, as Duane has pointed out, if it's a genuine R90S, with matching numbers, then it's hard to imagine how completely destroyed it would have to be to not be worth a grand.

I guess I could see maybe a bike from a fire not being worth that, but it would have to be a pretty bad fire....