BMW on parade?

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

Thanks to Dipsydoodle for posting a link to a bunch of WW2 color photos.

Here's one, riding through Paris after the liberation.



That motorcycle looks like an opposed-twin cylinder engine, either a captured BMW, or there were a number of BMW clones built by Harley Davidson during the war. Either way, nice ride on a nice summer day.

[tk2kewl]

1. looks like a beemer to me

I had a similar '78 with a sidecar for a while. the gas tank looks most certainly like a BMW tank. Also the only American made boxer engine i can even think of was in the Chevy Corvair.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

2. Pic of a 1942 Harley Davidson XA

from wikipedia:
... The U.S. Army also asked Harley-Davidson to produce a new motorcycle with many of the features of BMW's side-valve and shaft-driven R71. Harley largely copied the BMW engine and drive train and produced the shaft-driven 750 cc 1942 Harley-Davidson XA. ... It remains the only shaft-driven Harley-Davidson ever made.

So I don't know if the soldier in the OP is driving a "liberated" Beemer or a limited edition Harley.

[tk2kewl]

3. so they did have a boxer... cool

but that tank is much more of a teardrop than the BMW

much later model but this was pretty much the general shape of a beemer tank for a very long time


the WWII pic even looks like there is a bit of an indent in the tank where the BMW badge would be attached.

[ge26252se]

4. +1

[Robb]

5. Stumbled across these snaps this morning:

Argh, can't seem to bring any of them over. Ah, well, here's the link:

Harley-Davidson's WLA - The Bike That Won the War

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

6. Yeah, they made a brazillion of the WLAs

these were "normal" Harleys - 45 cu in, V-twin, chain-drive, flat-head.

Those BMW-looking boxster clones were a strange departure for harley engineering. Maybe that's why they never went to full production.

I'll take one of each, please. (Although, at my age, I'm beginning to appreciate an electric starter )