Just a quick aside here, we now have *27 members* on the
R90SWORLDNET@egroups list!!!!! We only just started Oct 17!!!!!
From Ron, RZacc@...: Does anyone know how I can tell which paint was
the original equipment color
for my R90s? It's been repainted all black.
From Mac: Ron, the only sure way is to contact BMW AG (Germany) and give
them the serial number, from that they can tell everything about your bike,
and some of us are trying to do that right now. I will keep the list up to
date on how this works progresses.
Neither a dealer nor you can determine the correct color from the serial
number or anywhere else, unless you can find the original owner of the bike.
Even the CO for the bike from the factory did not say the original color.
You may be able to determine the first color from physical evidence. First,
look at the interior of the tank with a flashlight. It should be a "red
lead" red in the interior, and look for rust in the very bottom of the tank
near both fuel petcocks, the lowest part of the tank. If water was in the
tank it pools here at the bottom of the tank (water is heavier than gas) and
rusts the tank. If the bike was left on its' sidestand a lot with water in
the tank, it will rust more on the left side of the tank.
So now you have an idea of the condition of the tank inside. I hope all is
well there!!!
It may not be a good idea to repaint a tank with rust in it, first repair
the rust if possible.
I just looked at my two TT Silver Smoke and Daytona Orange bikes for you to
see what I could find in the way of physical evidence of the original color.
One Daytona Orange bike had the entire interior "neck" of the tank painted
silver, the base paint. This would lead me to believe that the original
color was Orange, which it is. However, the other 3 bikes all had black
paint inside the neck of the tanks in spite of one bike being Orange and the
other two Silver Smoke. So nothing conclusive here.
I would take the gas tank off and look under it for telltale colors, maybe
even scraping some black color off to see what you can find underneath.
Caution: When removing the tank you can scrape the tank very easily on the
seat cowl, so use a blanket between the seat and the tank when removing the
tank.
Take the battery covers off too, and remember the R90ss had the rear fenders
painted too, the Orange bikes' fenders being Orange when viewed from the
side, but when viewing the fender from the top, with the seat open, the
Silver is very visible on top of the fender. On the Orange bikes the fender
is solid Orange from the side, but when the seat is lifted the Silver is
clearly visible on top of the fender also. Maybe scrape some black here
too.
I believe both colors are first painted silver and then the black or orange
is painted over it. Not sure of this though. Anyone else know for sure?
From Ron: Also, does anyone know if the Daytona Orange is still available?
Thanks
From Mac: Yes and no it is/is not available. Goofy answer, but true. Here
goes......
I spoke to Kent Holt at length about this about a month ago. He is probably
the best and most well known painter of BMW motorcycle colors in the US. He
owns Holt BMW/Ducati in Athens, OH, 740/593-6690. (BMW NA has him paint
their bikes in the next year's colors so pictures of next year's bikes
can be taken and then the dealer brochures can be printed. After all BMW
must announce their new model bikes prior to receiving any new bikes with
the new colors from the factory.)
Anyway, the paint pigments that were allowed in the '70s are in many cases
no longer allowed to be used due to "EPA" type considerations in Germany. So
the original colors are technically no longer available. What Kent does is
mix a new recipe of pigments or colors now available to obtain the same
original color in look.
When I spoke to him he was going mad trying to come up with a match for
the'77 RS color "gold metallic". That was the very bright gold color you may
recall. A guy I know in Chicago had a very nice gold metallic RS that
needed only the tank repainted due to some scratches, the rest of the bike
was fine. (BTW this guy wanted I think $12,000 for this rare low mileage
bike.)
Kent had mixed up many recipes but had not come up with a perfect match.
(Kent will not paint a bike until it is right. "We will sell no wine before
its' time" applies here. But his work is fabulous.)
The short answer is that you definitely can repaint an R90s any original
color and it can look right if a good painter does the work. Kent charges
close to $2,000 for a smoke color but I suspect most of the very best
restorations of BMWs are painted by him. And painting a TT Silver Smoke or
Daytona Orange is tough.
From Ron: NOt sure which was original, and Im not sure which color I'll
paint it.
From Mac: The most popular color is Daytona Orange. BUT many folks LOVE the
TT Silver Smoke. Both are quite unique.
You say toematoes, I say tomotoes......
I fell in love with the TT Silver Smoke first and thought the Daytona Orange
looked like a pumpkin rolling down the street.
But now I slightly prefer the Daytona Orange.
Just my opinion.
You do have to watch out when buying an R90s to verify that the paint is
original as many are repainted. If a repaint, then you have to ask what the
original color was. Many are switched to Daytona Orange.
Best,
Mac Kirkpatrick
Glenmoore, PA USA
