This is a 1974 BMW R90S, or at least it was before it was fully disassembled. The planned restoration stalled, and the bike is now being offered in boxes as you see pictured above.
TheBMW R90S has been called “the motorcycle that invented sport touring,” and while some may want to argue that point, there’s no denying that the R90S was a critically important model for BMW.
The stying of the BMW R90S was done by industrial design legend Hans Muth. The engine and performance side was completed by an engineering team led by Hans-Gunther von der Marwitz. Image courtesy of BMW Motorrad.
There was a time in the early 1970s when BMW, primarily an automaker, was considering doing away with their motorcycle division. Sales were down, and there was an onslaught of cheap, fast, and popular motorcycles pouring out of Japan and into Europe and the United States.
The BMW R90S: Origins
The BMW executive Bob Lutz, an avid motorcyclist and owner of a Honda CB750, is credited with kickstarting the project that would result in the R90S being produced. It was a daring move to create a modern, high-performance motorcycle, given the fact that BMW motorcycles at the time had a staid, somewhat old fashioned reputation.
Industrial designer Hans Muth was hired to lead the project, and BMW engineer Hans-Gunther von der Marwitz was tasked with taking care of the mechanical aspects.
Fortunately for BMW, and for the motorcycling world as a whole, Hans Muth designed a masterpiece. The R90S was modern by the standards of 1974 when it would debut, with a bikini fairing and a new tail cowling, with seating for two, optional clip-on hard panniers, and a striking two-tone paint scheme that misted two colors together.
The BMW R90S: Performance
The bike wouldn’t be all show and no go, Hans-Gunther von der Marwitz had been hard at work with his engineering team and they had increased the displacement of the BMW Type 247 horizontally-opposed twin out to 898cc, and it was now good for 67 bhp at 7,200 rpm.
BMW marketed the R90S as a high-performance bike that could carry a passenger when needed, and complete cross-country trips with ease. Image courtesy of BMW Motorrad.
75 bhp may not sound like a lot now, but it well and truly put the R90S into superbike territory by the standards of the mid-1970s. It had a top speed of 123 mph, it could do the 1/4 mile in 13.05 seconds at 103 mph, and it had a 4.8 second 0-60 mph time.
Despite the high cost, the BMW R90S sold well, but perhaps more importantly it began to change the reputation of BMW motorcycles from a producer of antiquated commuter bikes to a company turning out highly-capable superbikes.
The Motorsport Success Of The R90S
In 1976 the R90S forever cemented itself into the annals of motorcycle racing history, riders Steve McLaughlin and Reg Pridmore would take a 1-2 finish at the inaugural AMA Superbike race at Daytona International Speedway in 1976.
Later that year, Reg Pridmore would win the United States AMA Superbike Championship on his R90S, beating the best in the world in the process.
The Disassembled BMW R90S Shown Here
The frame, parts, and boxes you see here is a first year 1974 BMW R90S that was taken apart in 1993 by a previous owner, who planned a full restoration. Sadly, as is often the case, the restoration project stalled, and the bike has remained in bits ever since.
It includes Krauser magnesium wheels, as well as the frame, engine, 5-speed gearbox, forks, wheels, suspension, brakes, fuel tank, bodywork, and more. What it needs now is a patient pair of hands that can restore and reassemble it all.
The 1974 BMW R90S you see here in parts was disassembled in 1993 for a restoration. Sadly the project stalled, and it’s now being offered for sale in the hopes that the new owner will finish it.
It’s now being offered for sale on Bring a Trailer out of Indio, California.
It’s being offered at no reserve with period literature, a parts catalogue, refurbishment tools, and a clean California title in the seller’s name. If you’d like to read more or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
