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R90S barn find

ruzneb

New member
Found the bike of my dreams- an R90S, 1976. It is a barn find that has been stored for 20 years. Unfortunately there was no ignition key, but I couldn't begin to get it going since the tank is filled with crud. However, the engine wasn't seized which is encouraging. Front brake on right size was frozen, brake fluid leaked down onto wheel rim. Master cylinder is a mess- lots of corrosion.Aside from the brake problem, the bike is in very good shape overall. It was stored under a cover. I know it's a long shot, but does BMW maintain a database for keys so that I can order a replacement, or do i have to remove the lockset and have new keys made? Also, does the same key work in the fork lock and seat lock? Many thanks!
 
Welcome to the forum! Nice find...what color is it, Sliver Smoke or Daytona Orange?

One key is supposed to work all things. Have not heard of any such database...they keys are old school and there's no chip or coding to help out. I wonder if you couldn't remove the seat lock (easy to get at) and have a good locksmith make a set of keys.

Have a look through Snowbum's page which discusses keys...there might be some resources out there:

http://bmwmotorcycletech.info/locks-caps-etc.htm
 
The Key!

Any competent locksmith can make a new key to fit your locks. Don't bother taking in a BMW steel key. Instead, ask for an "ILCO" Y61 key to use as a blank. This key blank may have been discontinued but there are still some available and it is a perfect fit. It is brass so the locksmith won't reject it for ruining his grinder.
 
R90S color and ID

Welcome to the forum! Nice find...what color is it, Sliver Smoke or Daytona Orange?

One key is supposed to work all things. Have not heard of any such database...they keys are old school and there's no chip or coding to help out. I wonder if you couldn't remove the seat lock (easy to get at) and have a good locksmith make a set of keys.

Have a look through Snowbum's page which discusses keys...there might be some resources out there:

http://bmwmotorcycletech.info/locks-caps-etc.htm

Great idea about the seat lock Im going to try it. The bike is all black which is confusing. It also has adhesive pinstriping. I don't know if the former owner had it repainted but whoever did the work was a real expert. I did see a vintage advertising photo of about 50 bikes lined up and one was all black. Another issue is the valve covers which are black with silver fins. I do know the bike is definitely a 90S because its clearly marked on the engine. Also, the fairing includes all the original instruments. The seat pan is marked R90S as well. And has Delortto carbs. Right now I'm doing a lot of just looking at the machine before I pick up a wrench. I did start removing the master cylinder/front brakes and have my fingers crossed the parts can be rebuilt. The brake lines are pretty much locked up at the master cylinder.
 
Any competent locksmith can make a new key to fit your locks. Don't bother taking in a BMW steel key. Instead, ask for an "ILCO" Y61 key to use as a blank. This key blank may have been discontinued but there are still some available and it is a perfect fit. It is brass so the locksmith won't reject it for ruining his grinder.

What a miracle- I even have the key number! Many thanks hope this works! Want to have the bike up and running by September. Im being very patient.
 
Enter the engine VIN into this page to confirm the model/year:

http://www.bmw-z1.com/VIN/VINdecode-e.cgi

AFAIK no R90S models were all black. Could be this was either highly customized or it's really an R90/6 in black that's been "tarted up".

I'm going to do that vin check. When I first saw the bike I thought it was an R100S since it had a full black paint job and black valve covers. Here's what made me change my mind: R90S emblems on engine block sides, brake mc mounted on top tube, very weathered R90S emblem on seat pan and delortto carbs. If it has been tarted up someone went to a lot of trouble.

The bike sat for 20 years and during that time the paint around the fuel tank filler bubbled up. A real sticky mess. I began removing the paint and it appears there is a layer of orange under the black. This could be a primer, but the first layer of paint is light green. It's going to get a new paint job but I can't decide which color scheme to go with.
 
R 90S seat removal for access to seat lock

Any competent locksmith can make a new key to fit your locks. Don't bother taking in a BMW steel key. Instead, ask for an "ILCO" Y61 key to use as a blank. This key blank may have been discontinued but there are still some available and it is a perfect fit. It is brass so the locksmith won't reject it for ruining his grinder.

Well by gosh the ilco y61 key is still available. Biggest problem was getting the seat off to gain access to the lock. With the seat up, I removed the two upper pivot screws. The lower screw is not accessible with the seat up so I closed the seat and from underneath I was able to access the bottom screw. Took 5 mins. Found an old school locksmith who is going to cut the keys for me.
 
ruzneb, If ever a project warranted photographic documentation, then it is yours. Take many pictures and please post some here. I vote for Silver Smoke. :thumb
 
R 90 S further info

ruzneb, If ever a project warranted photographic documentation, then it is yours. Take many pictures and please post some here. I vote for Silver Smoke. :thumb

There was some question about it being a real R90S or a wannabe. Took the gas tank to John Landstrom here in Atlanta for a redo and he told me that tank style was only used on the R90S, which is a dead giveaway as to its real heritage. The bike was repainted some time in its life, but I discovered orange paint on the tank where the paint was eaten away by old gas. John has an incredible collection of BMWs and is a real expert on BMWs. He's got prewar and WW2 vintage bikes- some including the sidecar complete with machine gun mount. Anyway, I feel confident the bike is an R90S based on his expertise.

I really like the Silver Smoke but he told me that if it was repainted in the original orange, it would be worth about $5000 more. Not a difficult decision to make. Right now I have to decide how far I want to go on the restoration. Once I get the tank back I can hopefully get it started and then evaluate what needs to be done mechanically. I think I may end up getting it on the road asap and then get it painted over the winter. I do plan to take lots of pix. Really excited about this project.
 
Just type in the VIN number. Instant identification, date manufactured etc. Looks like an orange repainted. Also check the headstock for corresponding/matching VIN number. The web is yer friend.
 
If the locksmith makes you a key to fit the seat lock, it still won't open the other locks (ignition and steering lock). The seat lock only uses four pins, while the ignition lock uses five. You can take him the ignition lock along with the seat lock, and tell him the key should fit both of them. If he does it right, the key he makes may fit the steering stem as well. Good luck.
 
I'm not sure where you are located but I know a guy that duplicates the Orange R90S paint exactly!
 

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