Many thanks to Ron Cantor for submitting his fascinating bio which follows
below. It is really a love story!!!
Thanks for sharing Ron!!!!
Mac Kirkpatrick
From Ron Cantor:
I read Mac's request to biographical info on our readership. Here is my R90S
story with related two-wheeled background. I am 52 and have been riding the
Heritage Springer for over three years. And, " if I have to explain that you
wouldn't understand" but probably you all would. A friend of mine (he can
identify himself on the list if he wants!) turned me on to this venue and I
am sorry I missed the rally. I look forward to next year. Anyway,
I recently took delivery (well, actually I had to pick it up 90 miles away)
of my 1975 R90 S (TT Silver Smoke). For the second time around. I was the
original owner and in 1986 I gave it to a person (an old friend of my
father's) who, 24 years earlier (when I was 14) gave me his Vespa 90 to use
at my disposal. He needed a garage to store it for his occasional ride. Our
house had a garage, his house, I found out later, was a garage.
This Vespa was like part of my body. At 14 years of age, I drove it,
illegally, everywhere, in all weather, rain or shine. The only time I ever
"dropped" it was on Mermaid Lane, in the snow! It just could not negotiate
the turn. It slid out from under me, but I held on and in true road racing
fashion, I kept my left foot out, sort of like a snowplow and somehow didn't
get hurt. The clutch, transmission or brake cable broke at least once a
week. I mastered the pit stop fix for those cables and used all sorts of
replacement material when a real cable (it was the soldered ends that broke)
was not available. I could perform the equivalent of "flat shifting" that
thing all day long. It was always "floored". The headlight rim "springs"
that held the headlight straight and in the housing were forever coming
loose. It was a crazy time and "Rotary Ron" became my nickname because of
my love of my that Vespa and my first "mini bike" that I convinced my father
to let me reconstruct out of a frame that I got and a new Briggs and
Stratten motor that he actually bought me when I was about 12. I loved two
wheels.
At 16 I got a 1962 (I think that was the year) Honda 305 Super Hawk, with
the chrome tank panels that I wish I could find today. My IQ must have been
less than the cruising speed I used to push that thing to back then, but
triple digits was the goal whenever the road was clear.
A 650 BSA Lightning Rocket, and one half of a Norton 750 Commando where my
next rides while I was still in high school. My closest two-wheeled friend
became a Yamaha Motorcycle dealer in Philadelphia and then in 1974 he got
the BMW franchise. Soon after he ordered me the R90S. It was a magnificent
time to be on two wheels. It was unfortunate that he died a few years later
in an unrelated accident in his home, but I drove a brand new R100S behind
the hearse at his funeral.
The title says I originally got my R90S in May of 1975. I drove it for fun
and only put about 8,000 miles on it and then really just stopped riding it
except for special occasions. After all, I had entered the business world,
had responsibilities and also was in and out of a few cool cars back then. I
did not make time to keep riding. Plus, the "she" back then was not really
into it.
Later, in 1988 with my fortunes improved, my father's old friend in my
employ and with my first-born child due, I decided not to ride anymore. For
a while, anyway. However, it occurred to me that I could never "sell" my
bike, so I just stored it. One day I realized that the right thing to do was
to give it to this person, Al, in return for being generous to me in my
youth. He could not believe it, but took it just the same and quickly
transferred the title that I gave him to his name.
Eleven years went by and I did not see or hear from him. My dad died and my
thoughts turned to the recipient of my generosity. I located him in Maine,
were he was spending his monthly week there. On his return to Philadelphia
he brought lobsters for my wife and three kids on that cold winter night and
we reminisced. We made plans to visit the motorcycle last spring with a few
BMW enthusiasts that I still knew. It was a 90-mile ride into the country
where he kept the bike in his woman friend's farm's heated barn.
The visit never happened as he died in April. I was contacted because his
nephew knew that we had been speaking a few times this past year and he
found my number in Al's wallet. I spoke at the funeral of my memories of
this man from when I was literally a kid and on.
The next day the family phoned me and told me that they wanted to give me
the motorcycle back, and "come and get it." Wow, what an amazing feeling.
There are still only 8000 miles on it, but it needs to be refurbished. I do
not think he really ever rode it
I have been out of the BMW world for some time, but I reminded my friend who
invited me to join this list, that I was into BMW's 26 years ago, I still am
and I really enjoy the postings Keep it up.
PS I need the battery compartment side panels. Anyone have an extra set?
Ron Cantor
