Post your Airhead pics

Obviously the early carbs must have been a reginal thing, all the R90s models in 1974 that we got all had ticklers. In 1975 they all had chokes. This was in British Columbia, that's why I say it must have been a reginal thing or maybe by country.

I was thinking that, too. Canada seems to get stuff we don't: 40mm carbed 100GS, the earlier return of the R100RS-in that gorgeous Henna Red, and the 1250cc, 5-cylinder K-Bike. (OK-I made that one up.)

OK, what's the background story on that? dd50

My '77 Guzzi LeMans has the factory race kit on it which included 40mm carbs with ticklers...
I like the process, no wondering if she is getting fuel!

My '74 90S, early 407.... SN, has no ticklers. Saw another couple years back, earlier than mine, no ticklers. FWIW.

Anecdotally, the June 1974 Cycle mag initial showing has choke cables on the Dels. Cycle World road test of Sept. 1974 shows the same. Two stents FWIW.

/5 nite!

Heizl, a factory gal

Two different modes of transportation, I like mine better.

This is very interesting, I never knew that the early Dells on the 90S had ticklers, and I would appreciate some clarification from the collective.


When did the R90S go from tickler carbs to choke cable carbs?


Was with a mate in August 1974 when he picked up his 90S (No. 407 4669) from Munich, and it had choke cables. BTW, he still has the rotten thing and has only done about 40K kms. If the price was right, he probably sell it.


Another mate had an even earlier model (No. 407 1561), and it also has the choke cables. Interestingly enough, the top plate of the triple clamp was slightly different than later models. In OZ, I’ve never seen Dells on an 90S with ticklers.


It may well have varied from region to region, but I don’t really know.


Any advice appreciated.

Yesterday went for a ride to Santa Paula, CA to see a friend then we took off for Santa Barbara.
That eucalyptus lined road is Central, to get from the 101 to the 126.

Not to blaspheme this thread, but I bought this bike last week. What I didn't know, until I read it on BMW Motorrad site, was that the parallel engine in this model was designed to replicate a Boxer engine. 360* crank, that fires every revolution, just like a Boxer Twin. And by damn, it really feels like and pulls like a boxer, too. Yes it is water cooled, but it really feels like my R65 Mono I had, but with more UMPH. Anyway, back to airheads, I thought it was cool, that BMW seems to keep their heritage in mind, even when it doesn't appear like it... tomp dd50

1975 Model Year, so starting in AUG 1974. (For MY74, the 90S had the earlier Dell Orto 38A without choke).

To repeat, each European country at the time had its own definition of Model year (it was July to June in France for instance, and August to July in Germany).

Which explains the recurrent misunderstanding if the US MY (matching calendar year) is followed: a "same" year seems to have a bike coming with different features. The bikes are actually two model years apart for BMW.

It's true. If you hear them coming but can't see them, they sound exactly like a boxer engine.

Curiouser and curiouser said Alice.


Spoke to another old mate today, who’s prepared to bet his left nut that all 90S models had choke cables. He reckons that the only tickler carbs on the 90S came from people replacing worn out originals with the units from a Guzzi. Apparently these units were cheaper.


PS. He’s now biologically redundant, and can afford to lose his left nut.

Just because they happen to be a twin with equally spaced firing intervals does not make it 'like a boxer'. The engine vibration, torque reaction when you blip the throttle and the crankshaft orientation all cause different effects on the chassis behavior (not to mention chain versus shaft drive).

So yes, blaspheme!

Guess take it up with BMW then. Was just repeating what I read on their site. Thought it interesting, that's all. dd50

I'm not really interested in the debate (I'm a Series 7 kinda guy anyway ), but I have only one word for your friend: SOURCE.
We live in a time where opinions become reference frames, but I'm from a school of thought which promoted the curious, sceptical, and inquisitive mind.