• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

1943 German Army BMW R75 w/sidecar and trailer. 1/2.

Taurus454

New member
61
47
0
Location
Bel Air/MD
Really, because I've driven down the street with live mounted weapons and nothing happens.

Please let me know the next time you roll, I'd like to follow you and see what happens. Though I hear you can't have any firearms at the MV Show at Ripken Stadium. I don't know for a fact but that is what I heard. I thought about displaying a non-working MG42 next to the Dnepr.

Tom
 

deuceaid

Banned
915
149
0
Location
Yucaipa CA
Must burn through the clutches with all that crap in tow.

Are there any photographs actually showing such a setup?

I've seen photos of jeeps towing 2-4 1/4ton trailers.. but not many motorcycle-ammo cart-ammo cart-PAK combos.
In a book I have (mostly about the Zunndapp KS750---- the near twin of the R75) there is a picture of 5 troops riding on the bike and towing a small cannon, I was impressed! but that couldnt be a daily thing......dont forget they had a hi-low gear set aside from the 3 forward and 1 reverse main gears.....and 2 wheel drive(sidecar wheel was driven) with a locking differential.
 

Wolf.Dose

Active member
1,062
9
38
Location
Boehl-Iggelheim, Germany
To my understanding the BMW R75 is a BMW and not a Swiss Condor 650, not a Ural or Dnjeper or something Chinese. Ural, Dnjeper and Chinese use different locking carbs. Ural can be used to fake a R12, however the cylinder is slightly different, the rear susspension is different etc.
The pintle is the Protzhaken Wehrmacht and to my understanding not the Swiss version. The Infantrieanhaenger is the late version and not the Swiss version. (Swiss never would built the box without properly folded edges of the box rim). German material saving from 1944.
If anyone has the idea to purchase a running Kettenkrad in good shape, prepare some US$ 150,000 plus.
Wolf
 

paulfarber

New member
1,081
20
0
Location
Gordon, PA
Beijing Sidecar - Custom

"WWII restoration details: We have it all. Engine guards, shock covers, jerry cans in two sizes, light cover, double stacked wheels, pannier boxes, shovels, etc. You can order kits for restoration or have a complete Chang Jiang WW II bike made according to your specefications.

We can turn your CJ 750 into a perfecet copy of the classic BMW R75. Pinstripes and all."

Now this is just a web sites claim... but who knows how close they are...
 

11Echo

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
2,225
92
48
Location
CT W. R.
Beijing Sidecar - Custom

"WWII restoration details: We have it all. Engine guards, shock covers, jerry cans in two sizes, light cover, double stacked wheels, pannier boxes, shovels, etc. You can order kits for restoration or have a complete Chang Jiang WW II bike made according to your specefications.

We can turn your CJ 750 into a perfecet copy of the classic BMW R75. Pinstripes and all."

Now this is just a web sites claim... but who knows how close they are...

The 2 bikes I posted are BMW's.
 

m880 unimog

Member
295
10
18
Location
england
simple to spot a chink vs a german-the chinese bike looks nothing like a bmw-

HIGH / LOW RANGE

DIFF LOCK

i have done plenty of happy miles on a BMW R75 outfit complete with period trailer- you could tow a jeep with one,not for mega miles and not up steep hills,but the real thing is a very accomplished machine.

a kettenkrad,however would pull a jeep up a muddy hill,great fun in the wet with wooden blocks on the tracks.

the chinese claim of a perfect copy -is hilarious-they should stick to what they do best-it comes in boxes and tastes good.

thanks for the photo,s .
 

Attachments

Last edited:

Wolf.Dose

Active member
1,062
9
38
Location
Boehl-Iggelheim, Germany
Paul Farber,
here in Europe we know the sources for BMW R75 parts, of which many are better than the original parts, better maschining due to better tooling. But a chineese bike will not be a replacement for a R75. The reason is very simple: No possibler registration here in Europe, exhaust emmission is far away from the requirements, brake equipment is good for the 50's, howevere far away from anything required nowadays. And no European type approval available due to the mentioned above and many other details.
Thanks God to EU regulations to prevent us from that scrap.
My 1938 bike is fine! Just rode it yesterday for some Kilometers.
How about to by a fake bike for US$ 50,000? I think, not a good idea!
Wolf
 

Attachments

rhinob

Member
429
0
16
Location
Ijamsville, MD
M880Unimog is right. They're very different motorcycles and there's no way to make a Chang into a perfect BMW R75 copy. The BMW R75 is much larger and heavier than the Chang Jiang CJ750. The cycle in the earlier photos was a BMW R75. I've had 4 of them, and two of the Changs through the years. But I must admit, I preferred my Zundapp KS750's. Something, many things, even more substantial about them.
 

bob130ab

New member
50
0
0
Location
Brooklet, GA
For the desert campaign in Africa the US Army contracted with both HD and Indian to build a motorcycle with telescoping forks, rear suspension and a drive shaft. It was 1949 before HD put a telescoping front fork, 1958 for a rear suspension and never a drive shaft on civilian production motorcycle.
 

Guyfang

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
16,917
24,533
113
Location
Burgkunstadt, Germany
Most every"R75" you see here in germany is a fake. Or maybe the frame is real, the rest Ural. Or anything in between. I know two people with a real R75. Both spent mega bucks to restore them. One guy twice. The first time he let someone do it for him, and got ripped off. 6 years later he found someone to help him do it. Its right! Oh is it fine. The other guy went to Poland, (work related trips) and started buying parts and junk bikes. Took him 10 years to make one. He also went to East germany right after the wall fell and bought a Ural from a russian "officer". Who it was is anyone's guess. But what a nice bike! If he drives it to the Bike and Music Festivel, (first weekend of Aug.) this year, I will take pictures. And yes, you can still find treasures here. My son has a 1938, BMW R23, 250CC he found in the attic of a mill, near Nürnburg. He got it, another for parts and a 1954 Victoria KR125 BI-FIX for 1,200 euro. He parked the R23 in front of his desk and will not restore it. I want to ride that dude before I die!
 
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website like our supporting vendors. Their ads help keep Steel Soldiers going. Please consider disabling your ad blockers for the site. Thanks!

I've Disabled AdBlock
No Thanks