1942 BMW R75 | Germany 
The BMW R75 motorcycle was designed for cross-country roads with the ability to carry 3 soldiers and to tow a light artillery gun, or a trailer with ammunition.
The powerful 746 ccm OHV engine, 4 speed gearbox, shaft-driven rear wheel and sidecar wheel drive with demultiplier and differential lock made it fast and reliable, but still not sufficiently prepared for the roads of the Eastern Front.
As a result of our tests it became clear that in the conditions of the East European area in the spring, autumn or early winter driving on these motorcycles is possible only on roads with a hard surface. R75 can't ride dirt and even a slight rise makes the crew hasten. Attempts to move on stubble, which is always drier than the road, instantly lead to the sticking of mud on all the wheels, which must be cleaned every 50-100 meters. We are sure it's impossible to carry any significant amount of ammunition in such conditions. And if the bike rides only hard road, does it reaaly need a sidecar wheel drive? It's expensive and complicated.
In the end, the high price, lack of unification with another mass military motorcycle Zundapp KS 750 and technical complexity of the motorcycle has led to the fact that it could not become a mass model. From 1940 to 1944 only 16,510 copies were produced. For comparison, its direct competitor, the American Jeep Willis, was produced in 380,000 units!
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