BMW had been making horizontally opposed flat twins for many years, and had always been regarded as well put together machines for long distances, but a little "utilitarian" and lacking that certain something to make them capable of exciting the rider.
At a time when motorcycle manufacturers seemed to be constantly upping the stakes in terms of performance and handling, BMW decided it was time to up their own game. The "5" series had been a typical BMW effort and had sold well in 1973, and had succeeded in getting the motorcycle division back into profit. Now, in 1974, the company had a chance to cement its motorcycling future.
Enter the "6" series. New cranks, new electrical system and roller-bearing rockers were added to what was still an essentially "5" series machine, and this was the first BMW to be equipped with a front disc brake and 5-speed gear box. Top of the range was the 900cc "S". With 90mm pistons and a 70.6mm stroke and larger carburetors than the standard R90/6 version, the "S" had a top speed of 124mph.
Stylistically, the bike was a gem. A beautifully shaped bikini fairing with a standard clock built in, the bike came in a variety of colour schemes, most notably the silver fading to black, often considered the most striking. There was also silver fading to red and yellow/orange. Famous British bike expert LJK Setright described this new machine on its launch as "Possibly the best production motorcycle in the world". Praise indeed.
In fact this bike was not the most powerful or fastest bike of its day. But when you took the sum of its parts, it added up to a machine that could scratch with the best, or take one off on long journeys in complete comfort. A true superbike.
At a time when motorcycle manufacturers seemed to be constantly upping the stakes in terms of performance and handling, BMW decided it was time to up their own game. The "5" series had been a typical BMW effort and had sold well in 1973, and had succeeded in getting the motorcycle division back into profit. Now, in 1974, the company had a chance to cement its motorcycling future.
Enter the "6" series. New cranks, new electrical system and roller-bearing rockers were added to what was still an essentially "5" series machine, and this was the first BMW to be equipped with a front disc brake and 5-speed gear box. Top of the range was the 900cc "S". With 90mm pistons and a 70.6mm stroke and larger carburetors than the standard R90/6 version, the "S" had a top speed of 124mph.
Stylistically, the bike was a gem. A beautifully shaped bikini fairing with a standard clock built in, the bike came in a variety of colour schemes, most notably the silver fading to black, often considered the most striking. There was also silver fading to red and yellow/orange. Famous British bike expert LJK Setright described this new machine on its launch as "Possibly the best production motorcycle in the world". Praise indeed.
In fact this bike was not the most powerful or fastest bike of its day. But when you took the sum of its parts, it added up to a machine that could scratch with the best, or take one off on long journeys in complete comfort. A true superbike.
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→Classic Motorcycles - The BMW R90RS
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→http://vaughneames.blogspot.com/2012/04/classic-motorcycles-bmw-r90rs.html
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