1976 BMW R90S

Before the R90S, BMW motorcycles were what your dentist rode. Competent, reliable, a little boring. Then Hans Muth — who would later design the Suzuki Katana — drew that bikini fairing and that incredible Daytona Orange smoke paint scheme, and suddenly BMW had a motorcycle that stopped conversations. But the R90S wasn't just pretty. It was the biggest, most powerful boxer BMW had ever built, with dual front discs, a five-speed gearbox, and real sporting intent. Reg Pridmore took one to the first-ever AMA Superbike Championship in 1976, proving it wasn't just a show pony. The R90S invented the sport-touring category — a motorcycle that could embarrass sportbikes in the corners and then ride 500 miles home in comfort. Every BMW S-model since is chasing what Hans Muth drew in 1973.

Here's the thing about the R90S: that Daytona Orange smoke paint is the whole show, and it's a nightmare to reproduce correctly. The original paint was a complex multi-layer airbrush job that transitioned from silver to deep orange, and no two were exactly alike because they were done by hand. Faded original paint — even with chips and road rash — is worth more than a repaint to serious collectors. The silver-smoke version ages more gracefully since the contrast is subtler, but it'll never command Daytona Orange money. The bikini fairing yellows slightly on silver-smoke bikes. The Dell'Orto carbs develop a gorgeous verdigris patina on the float bowls. Engine cases on high-mileage examples get a deep, almost charcoal oxidation that looks like they've earned every mile.

The R90S is the most expensive airhead BMW to buy and the most demanding to maintain, but it's still a BMW boxer — which means it's still fundamentally simple and robust compared to Italian or British exotics of the same era. The Dell'Orto carburetors are fussier than the Bing CVs on lesser BMWs, requiring careful synchronization and more frequent attention. The engine runs hot in traffic because it's making real power from that 898cc displacement. The five-speed gearbox is a genuine improvement over the four-speed /5 unit. The dual discs actually stop the bike with authority. Touring range is excellent — the 6-gallon tank gives you 200+ miles between fills. The community is deep and knowledgeable, and Bob's BMW alone could probably rebuild every R90S ever made from their parts inventory. Just be aware: values have climbed hard since 2015, and a pristine Daytona Orange example is now a $30K+ motorcycle.