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new member with R90/6

ezwicky

Member
howdy all,

i had a cherry '76 R75/6 back in the '80s and sold it for down-payment money towards our first house. now that our son is in college and our daughter is fixing to go next year, i have re-joined the ranks of airhead owners.

i just took delivery of a '76 R90/6 via an internet posting from a seller in florida and it has turned out to be much more of a fixer-upper than a "daily driver" as was claimed in the ad. live and learn i guess, so now i have to just accept my losses and start fixing the things that are wrong.

1) front brake is binding. adjusting the caliper cam pin did not help, so i think i am looking at a caliper rebuild. possibly also a master cylinder rebuild. right now it's difficult to roll the bike around in the garage.

2) poor compression. 100psi R cylinder, 75psi L cylinder.

3) pushrod tube seals leaking.

4) runs rough. at the moment won't even start. could be plug wires, they are rotten inside. i have a set on the way from max's bmw. i replaced the plugs, adjusted the valves and point gap, made no difference. hopefully plug wires will help. i have a harmonizer carb-sync tool on the way, but until i get it running at all that won't be of much help.

engine oil, trans, rear drive and drive shaft fluid levels are good and fluid looks clean, so that's a plus i guess. tank looks good inside and out. tires still have some life left.

i'm pretty bummed that i bought this bike on the strength of some pictures and the seller's description. i should have had more patience and waited for something closer, but i wanted a bike exactly like my old 75/6 and this thing is the spitting image. i'd been following ebay, the classifieds here, walneck's, and the IBMWR classifieds and finally saw this one in the IBMWR classifieds and jumped on it.

i'll send updates in the airheads forum on my progress in getting this thing back into road-worthy condition.

nice to join you all,

-eric
 
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Hi Eric,

Welcome to the club. After reading your bikes details the way you described.....
I'm sure you'll get it right & we'll all want one like it!
See you at a rally.

travel'in john
 
Look what followed me home. . .

This one found you, and it sounds as if you're the right guy to bring it back to life. Once the sting of the misrepresentation passes. . .you're in for some rewarding fun -- you clearly have the skills to make this one right, and the thrill of having a smooth running creature that brings back memories. . .priceless.

Attitude toward a project bike is everything, and unless you REALLY got soaked on the price, just accept the fact that this is going to cost a few bucks to get right, and also know that it WILL be right one fine day. Forget about economics, and just go for it.

You've got a lot going for you with this one, mostly that you have a real connection with the model, and -- as you know, that 750/6 has a lot of fans. "Almost" anyone purchasing a used bike (especially from afar) has got some work ahead, and usually some parts purchases along with the garage-time. Sometimes you get lucky, and sometimes not so much, but from your description, this is far from a total disaster. Trust me, you are not the first guy to buy an old machine that needs more TLC than was represented -- DAMHIK.

The 750cc engine gives you some "room to work" if you have to go slightly oversize. IF that's necessary, MotoBins in the UK is a great place to shop for some of the big bits.

+1 on Max's as parts supplier. Rusty in the NH store is THE man when it comes to the parts for airheads -- we're very lucky that SO much stuff is available for these old marvels.

Plenty of help available on the Airhead forum, and you might look into membership in the Airheads Beemer Club.

Welcome.

Walking Eagle
 
thanks for the good words, john and walking eagle!

i'm sure i will get over the sting of getting the short end of the deal. i am actually learning a lot more about these old bikes now that i have to do some work on mine. my old 75/6 was such a good runner that i never did much other than change the fluids. also i had an ace mechanic in richmond (gene walker, RIP) who did major maintenance if it ever needed anything. so this one here is a good learning experience and the project aspect of it is definitely fun.

i have the clymer's and haynes manuals as well as the forum here to rely on, and forum member barron W has sent me a ton of really excellent tech tips already, which is how i got as far as i have with the front brake. and the fact that winter is pretty much here means that i am not too impatient about riding. this makes it easier for me to take my time and do things right. BTW, this one is a 90/6, but it's in every other respect the image of my old 75/6.

i did join the airheads last week, but am having some difficulty subscribing to the mailing list. i'll figure that out eventually :). the PA chapter has a weekend-long tech session every spring that is supposed to be well worth the time, so i am looking forward to that as well.

thanks again for your votes of confidence guys, and i hope to meet you one day out on the road.

happy thanksgiving,

-eric
 
Can't add much to what has already been said, but I will say "Heya HI! And welcome to the MOA." As a novice owner of a 76 R90/6 the forum has been a great resource, it's helped me on many occassion. Educational and entertaining all in one. Have fun with your winter project -- oh, and share a few pics if you get a chance. :thumb
 
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