Whenever I see a vintage looking BMW sidecar, I feel like 90% of the time it’s a Chang Jiang knock-off. Today I’m glad to report that it’s an actual vintage BMW hack. This BMW R12 Military Sidecar was typical of the bikes utilized by the German Army in the late 30s-40s for recon and communications. By 1941, BMW had sent the Wehrmacht 36,000 R12s – making it the highest produced bike ever!
The R12 got the ubiquitous BMW boxer engine, this one displacing 745cc and producing 18-20 horsepower. It might seem low, but this was sufficient to get the bike (and its unpowered sidecar) up to 62 mph. Total weight was 413 pounds. The sidecar was capable of housing a 7.92mm MG34 or MG42 machine gun. Want to learn more? Check out bmwr12.com to start your journey.
This specific BMW R12 Military Sidecar (VIN: 88568) is a matching numbers example with three original leather courier bags. The bike is good running shape, though it’s spent most of its recent life as a show piece. The seller says it could use a new set of plugs, and a basic tune up. This is a great example of a very rare bike – bonus points for previous military service!
Find this BMW R12 Military Sidecar for sale in Denver, Colorado with bidding up to $20,000 and the reserve not yet met (or a BIN of $33,750)
