Welcome the new airhead to the club!!

Looks like you got a good deal! Dose it run?

Yep, runs fine. It does need a new battery and fork seals replaced.

Love the red

Join the Airheads and attend a local tech day to learn all about maintaining your bike.

I'd say you got a helluva good deal! If it runs as well as it looks you got a real winner!

Welcome to the club, and fill in your profile so we can see where you hail from.

Sounds like you need a bigger stable.

Nice bike! Congrats.

Wow!! Nice Airhead!

You made a pretty good choice! The R90s had many of the niggling problems taken care of, they make good power and they're true classics. All that said, I'll give you two cases of beer and my Playboy collection for it!

Yeah. Join the Airheads and hang around here. you'll be an expert in no time.

PS: you don't see a lot of red R90s but that one looks nice. Enjoy!

Is that bike red or it's just the lighting? I thought the color that year was a sorta rusty brownish red color.

You can paint it black later. Welcome.

Charlie

My first BMW was an R60/6 that was painted maroon, which is what the rear guard looks like. Maybe it`s the light on the tank that makes this one look red.


Edit: I just did a bit of googling and apparently the maroon was called Bol D`Or red. There were a heap of colours produced, but not all went to all markets.

Man, that was a bargain. Welcome to the fold. It'll probably take some getting used to the "character" of your Airhead if you've never had one before, but they have a strange way of worming their way into your life -- forever! Riding an Airhead on a long tour really is a sort of meditation. If I'm not mistaken, the Dali Lama owns an Airhead....

Very nice! I think 1975 was a good year too!

Well the back fender, from what I can tell, seems to be the original color, the tank, side plastics, and front fender have been repainted to very closely match the original color.

I added this question to my original post, anything I should check before starting to ride this thing other than fluids? Should I check the tranny splines? What else?

The drive line splines do require attention. If you have doubts about the service history of your new ride, the issue of when the splines on the clutch were last lubed should be a high priority. If they are neglected, you're looking at an expensive repair. How does the bike shift? When the splines are dry, the clutch doesn't work all that well and shifting is not smooth. You should also check the valves. There are a lot of how-to posts on adjusting valve lash. It's not difficult for someone who has moderate mechanical skills. Pay close attention to torquing all the fasteners when you check the valves. If you strip a head bolt, that too can be expensive. Get a chart and follow the recommended torque values or you'll be sorry. I'd offer this additional tip: don't exceed about 26 ft/lbs on the headbolts, no matter what anyone tells you!
And after you've gotten the valves sorted, balance the carburettors. The airheads I've owned (all R100s) were sensitive to both carb. balance and valve lash. The engines all began to vibrate more when either one of those adjustments was not just right. Once properly set up, on going tuning isnt difficult at all. I suppose it varies from rider to rider, but typically I don't need to adjust valves or balance the carbs more than once a year. After you've sorted those things, you may wish to clean the connectors on the wiring harness if the bike has been in anything close to a humid environment. If you maintain good corrosion free connections, the electrical system will serve its purpose. If you ignore it, you may find the bike is not as reliable as you had hoped. My R100 airheads both are able to run reliably with the heated grips and heated jacket liner working. I have a high output voltage regulator, but otherwise the systems are completely stock. Do your maintenance and you're gonna be rewarded with a very satisfying bike

Nice bike.

My first BMW was a 75 R90/6 I bought in 1984.

Any idea if bike was not in service recently? For how long? If it runs you can begin riding it right away but looks like you are not lacking for two wheeled vehicles so what 3threat said is a good place to start. The trannie thing really requires removal of trans and does take several hours but you can wait on this till you have time or it seems it is needed. However, not being an Airhead experienced rider you won't know the difference between the clunky shifting of a trans that needs the splines lubed and the clunky shifting of a healthy trans.

Charlie

Awesome thanks for the detailed post. I will check on all those items before starting to ride it.

Unfortunately I didn't get much info as far as maintenance is concerned. The only thing I was told is that all the fluids were changed last year and not ridden much at all since. The potential spline issue sounds scary and expensive so I will check that before I actually start riding it.

Here is the few things I know for sure I need to do to it:
-Check splines
-Oil change
-Fork seals are leaking
-new front tire
-check valve clearances
-sync the carbs
-check out electrical system connectors

How are the steering head bearings on these? Something I should look at? Thanks for all the help.

If anything, you may just need to clean and regrease them. Grab the wheel as you stand facing the headlight, pull the wheel towards you then push it away (towards the rear of the bike) If there is no movement, you'll probably be fine. But once you start riding you may notice a "clunk" which could indicate yucky grease. If you're going to be cleaning everything else up, I'd pull them and clean/regrease for good measure. Clutch splines, everybody has an opinion. I've pulled my trans just 10k after a clean and lube, and saw none left. It isn't as huge of a deal as some make it out to be. Nice bike!

The transmission input spline often costs 0. It is not very difficult and gives you the opportunity to start collecting or making the special tools that you will be using. This tool I mention here is the turned down 27mm socket. If you have a lathe make your own. I have even made them on a bench grinder. This socket is used to get the lock nut off the swing arm bearings so the swing arm can be removed. Many try to do this job by not removing the swing arm and it actually takes longer (short cuts are sometimes not any help). So when this goes back together you will have lubed the rear wheel bearings, the swing arm bearings, the rear wheel splines and the trans input splines.

The steering head bearings do need grease sometimes. We don't usually hear about them until they get so dry they are causing problems. The steering head has to be dropped and then bearings cleaned and greased. If you have compressed air it will help with this job. If the bearing races show any shadows or the bearings seem notchy when turned they may need replacing. There is a hook wrench in the on board tool kit that is used on the /6es. It has two pins on one end and the hook on the other. It's should be a Heyco tool I think. Do you have this wrench in the kit? I've been trying to buy a new one for a year and keep getting out bid like crazy on Ebay. They are available from Hucky at a reasonable price.

Another tool that you will need sooner than you think is the finned exhaust nut wrench. There are many styles. Get the one from Cycle Works dot net when you get the turned down 27 mm socket. Notice the address is dot net, dot com will find you a bicycle store.

There are many sources for info on your new bike on the web. Here is a link to get you started;

http://www.airheads.org/

You do not have to be a member there to use most of the site but they also publish a very nice monthly paper that most say is worth the cost of membership. There is also info on the Airheads Email Club that is popular.

Charlie

I forgot to mention a major source of tech. information: Robt. Fleisher (?) aka Snowbum. His website has enough data to make your head swim. When I go there for help (often) I am always astounded at what the man has done. :eek1 The site is an encyclopedia.