Another view of the same bike, this time illustrating the rear passenger footpeg. Early R75s used a straight footpeg, as seen in this photo.

Here's what the later (and more common) rear footpeg looks like. This is also a nice view of a very-very-very late R75 kickstart lever, which unlike the two types used before it, folds out of the way when not in use. An original spark plug cap (less metal shielding) is still on the bike.

Speaking of foot pegs - I thought this would be a good place to introduce a listing of R75 changes by serial number. It's something that I've compiled over a number of years by noting any references in R75 parts books, service manuals, and owners manuals to changes. You'll notice that the changes stop about 5,000 bikes from the end - until I find some later manuals, this is all I could gather. jl

                  R75 Changes by Serial Number

Serial Number	Description of Change	Comments
750101	Change to new front brake cable adjuster
750601	Change to new camshaft
751300	Change to new rear brake pedal
"	Change to new rear motor mount bolt and footpeg spacer	Now longer, for use with new brake pedal
751301	Change to new sidecar driveshaft lock (slider) and keys	Heavier to prevent wear/breakage
751591	Change to new trans output shaft	New profile
752350	Change to new foot shifter return spring in trans	Larger diameter wire
754541	Change to tank shifter lever mounting system
755040	Change to new foot shifter anchor lever
755585	Change to new seal design on rear wheel drive gear	Improved design
755901	"Sperren" lever changed to new self-locking design	Old lever could accidentally catch on your pants and throw the bike into two-wheel drive at speed, causing you to go straight off the road at the next curve, or blow up the rear drive unit
756001	Change to Bosch sparkplug caps	Siemens caps before
"	Change to new  front fork springs	Larger diameter wire
756522	Brake light discontinued
"	Sidecar rear light discontinued
757010	Change to improved lower fork leg covers	Spring-loaded buttons now lock them in place
757501	Change to front fork dampening	Dampening improved
758001	Tow hook added as standard equipment
"	Sidecar heating system became available
758015	Trans changed to 4 forward off-road gears	was 3 forward before
758356	Change to front fender	Modified to eliminate 'flap'
"	Change to new front fender lower brace	For modified fender
"	Front fender lower brace bolted to fender with standard nuts	Wing nuts were used before
758600	Change to new 160mm front fender
"	Change to new front fender upper brace	Longer brace for 160mm fender
759050	Sidecar frame left side leaf spring mounting bracket made to be removable	Was welded on before
759580	Battery strap bolt changed to new style	Was standard  bolt
760704	Change to curved  left rear footrest bracket for more ground clearance	Was straight before
760800	Front license plate no longer installed	License plate brackets are still there though
761001	Change to new right rear footrest bracket	Rubber pad now 'ahead' of mounting holes rather then 'over' them for easier access to mounting nuts
761250	Change to 160mm rear fender
761504	Sidecar drive unit brake backing plate changed to cast iron	Was aluminum before
762260	Change to rubber fork gaiters on front forks	Were steel before
762337	Sidecar drive unit inner housing changed to cast iron	Was aluminum before

This photo of an R75 was taken in a vehicle park just after the war. By the look of the tank and front fender, this bike saw a little action. Note the damaged and destroyed cars in the background.

The same fellow as in the previous photo, this time trying out a military R4. This fellow had a real appreciation for German bikes, and owed several of them for decades after the war.

I found this KS750 for sale at a swap meet in Germany in 1999. All in all it's a great find, and ready for restoration. The parts sprinkled around the back of the photo give you an idea of what you can find there if you know what you're looking for. Most of the parts are for smaller displacement bikes, many of which were not widely imported into the USA.

Another bike for sale in Germany was this French military Gnome Rhone. Darn few of these ever found their way to North America, so they are a real treat to see in person. Note the interesting shape of the flat twin engine.

In the last 10 years a lot of German bikes have come out of Russia, but this has got to be the best one I have seen. Whoever restored this bike sure knew what they were doing. The missing front fender brace and skid pan are the only faults I can find. Even many of the minor details are the right mix (for example: 180mm rear fender with later 160mm front fender with early style rear foot peg with air filter tank with screw on emblems [but no kneepads] - this mix is dead-nuts right for a short range of serial numbers).

Most folks think that foot boards were fitted to all R12's, but late in the run (around 1941) BMW switched to a simpler footpeg setup. It's just a continuation of the rear motor mount bolt. To keep the riders toes away from the hot pipe, the factory fitted these simple stamped steel shields on each side. This is the first original set of heat shields that I've seen still mounted on a bike (in person I mean).

A good friend of mine bought this R12 "kit" bike not too long ago. It has some repro parts on it, but it was compete with everything you'd need - just add restoration! Hopefully I'll have an "after" photo in a year or so.