Clymer Manuals (www.Clymer.com) got a close-up look at David Howell’s 1976 BMW R90S at the 2013 HoAME (www.HoAME.com) Vintage Motorcycle Rally. This Bavarian superbike, sibling to the one which Reg Pridmore used to win the first AMA title, was part of the 70’s and 80’s superbikes display at the event.
The BMW R90S was their flagship sport bike from its introduction in 1974, with its distinctive bikini fairing and two-tone fade paint job. The engine was an evolution of the older 75/6, but with a larger bore, higher compression, better breathing, and Del’orto carburetors fitted with accelerator pumps. In the special Dayton Orange paint, this bike really woke up the staid conservative BMW lineup at the time.
For more on the BMW R90S check out Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_R90S).
Clymer Girl and the crew didn’t have to go far to attend the HoAME show and rally, as it was just up the road at the Kansas City Airline History Museum (http://www.ahmhangar.com/) in the Downtown Airport. The show was packed with classic vintage and antique motorcycles including British, German, Japanese, Italian, and American makes, all on display. Manufacturers represented include Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Harley-Davidson, Triumph, BSA, Norton, Indian, Laverda, MV Augusta, Ducati, Matchless, Moto Guzzi, AJS and more. There were 100% perfect restorations, well worn bikes daily riders, full-on customs, cafe racers, choppers, bobbers, dirt bikes, road racers – any type or style of motorcycle you could image. Also on display were vintage propeller driven passenger planes, including a Douglas DC-3, a Martin 404, and right outside the hangar was a 1958 Lockheed Super Constellation.
If you’ve got a classic air-cooled BMW boxer, Clymer has you covered, with manuals going all the way back to 1955 (https://www.clymer.com/bmw-500-600cc-twins-1955-1969-m308). You’ll find the R90S in our 1970-1996 BWM 500-1000cc manual (https://www.clymer.com/bmw-r50-5-through-r100gs-pd-1970-1996-m502-3).
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