Frank...that's another enjoyable story.??
I fear I've already taken the R90S group 'off topic' by mentioning the R69S, but if there was ever another bike worthy of similar acclaim (at least, in its day), the R69S surely would merit consideration. ?

?I had moved? to Boston, in mid 1974, I think), and moving about mostly by foot or via the MBTA (successor to the old "MTA" that the Kingston Trio made famous); that is, until a? desire for more exploring led me to look for a motorcycle.? I'd been gifted, some years before, with a 200cc 1965 Bultaco Metralla, by a roommate-friend; but had left that in my hometown city in Central N.Y. and wasn't really the answer to my needs.??? So I went to a bike shop with a small inventory of used bikes, and quickly zeroed in on two bikes: the first was a Triumph (Trophy?); and the other an R69S.? Both 'fit' me well, but the Triumph required a fair amount of effort to kickstart; whereas the R69S started on the 1st easy kick, in part owing to the positioning & motion of the kick start lever.? A brief spin later, and I was hooked on the Beemer.? It seemed 'made for me'.? Smooth in all the ways you mentioned, plenty powerful for the kind of riding I'd ever likely do; quiet, stable and sturdy (with a frame & suspension perfectly set up for a sidecar).? In short, an almost perfect bike.? I'd somewhat differ in opinion on the brakes, however.? The front worked pretty well, but the rear drum wasn't particularly powerful...at least I could never seem to adjust it properly.??

It also came with Wixom front fairing and saddlebags, and a Denfeld tail rack ; so it was a fine tourer.? And the riding position and comfort were superb.

One problem did crop up.? The bike I bought had aftermarket silencers (brand unknown) and possibly they had contributed to even better performance (I never rode a different one for comparison, so that's just a guess.)? But when rust forced replacements, I opted for a pair of Campbell's silencers- which seemed to be look-alike to OEM ones.? However, once installed, the bike lost a lot of power.? Not a mechanic, and without a reliable one to go to, I struggled to troubleshoot that.? I figured the new silencers just were too restrictive - not allowing it to 'breathe'.?? This was much worsened when I moved to Colorado, at about 5000' altitude.? Trips to the mountain passes were frustrated by the problem.? ? I tried drilling holes around the back of the cone,? but to no avail.?? I also tried changing the carb. jetting, but still no luck.?? I have a feeling that the bike had been tuned to the silencers that were on it when I bought it, and the Campbells were probably also the wrong choice. Had I had a knowledgeable BMW mechanic and less stingy habits, I'd probably have had it sorted out, and in retrospect should have.? But as i didn't, that aided my decision to part with it once I had acquired the R90/6.?? As I said, one decision that I've often regretted.? I'd love to have one today, but they're more or less now out of reach, market-wise.?

Anyway, none of my praise for the R69S does anything to lessen my appreciation for the R90/S, which was a major step forward. ? I can't think of any deficiency.? Despite the fact that the model's HP pales in comparison with today's bikes, it's as perfect a motorcycle as i can imagine. Truly a bike that has stood the test of time, like fine music that never gets old but seems even to improve with age.?
?~Roger.?
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