1973 BMW R75/5 Motorcycle Review

The BMW R75 is a global Conflict II-era motorcycle and sidecar combination produced by the German company BMW.

Within the 1930s BMW were creating a volume of popular and impressive motorcycles. In 1938 development of the R75 started in response to a need from the German Military.

Preproduction models of the R75 were driven with a 750 cc area valve engine, which was based on the R71 engine motor. However it was quickly found essential to design an all-new OHV 750 cc engine motor for the R75 unit. This OHV engine unit later became the basis for subsequent post-war twin BMW engines like the R51/3, R67 and R68.

The 3rd side-car wheel was motivated with an axle connected to the rear wheel of the motorcycle. These were installed with a locking differential and selectable highway and off-road products ratios through which all four and reverse gears did the trick. This made the R75 highly manoeuvrable and with the capacity of negotiating most floors. Additional motorcycle manufactures, like FN and Norton, provided an optional drive to sidecars.

The BMW R75 and its own rival the Z?ndapp KS 750 were both broadly used by the Wehrmacht in Russia and North Africa, though after a period of evaluation it became clear that the Z?ndapp was the superior machine. In August 1942 Z?ndapp and BMW, on the urging of the Army, agreed after standardization of parts for both machines, with a view of eventually developing a Z?ndapp-BMW hybrid (chosen the BW 43), when a BMW 286/1 side-car would be grafted onto a Z?ndapp KS 750 motorcycle. They also agreed that the produce of the R75 would cease once production reached 20,200 models, and from then on point BMW and Z?ndapp would only produce the Z?ndapp-BMW machine, making 20,000 each year.

Since the aim for of 20,200 BMW R75's was not reached, it continued to be in production until the Eisenach manufacturing plant was so badly harmed by Allied bombing that development ceased in 1944. An additional 98 devices were built by the Soviets in 1946 as reparations.

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