Throwback Thursday: 1973 BMW R75/5 #tbt #motorcycle

I'm going to be lazy today (feeling a little bit down and exhausted) so have asked my husband to post about his beloved 1973 BMW for Throwback Thursday. He has such enjoyable memories of his first street legal motorcycle.

1973 BMW R75/5

In the spring of 1973, I got my first big street bike, a BMW R75/5. Before, I had ridden dirt bikes mostly and my regular commuter was a Honda 350. The BMW was a real step up. I now owned a bike that I could jump on and ride to California, if so inclined. It was a beautiful green with hand painted pin stripes on the tank and fenders. The tank sported a large chrome panel that looked somewhat like a common kitchen appliance and earned the name "Toaster Tank" by motorcycle enthusiasts. I had the dealer install a Vetter fairing and later, a larger 6 gallon tank for more range. It had a shaft drive like a car rather than a chain, a rarity 40 years ago.

A "mom & pop" store in Western North Carolina

That's the owner of the store (now deceased) in the photo.

A few months later I sold my car and the BMW became my only source of transportation. I commuted to work, grocery shopped, dated and vacation traveled on the bike. I became expert at dealing with adverse weather conditions from torrential rain to sub freezing cold. It was my trustworthy traveling companion and, if it was possible to love a machine, I fell hard for this one. I never tired of finding a reason to ride and at work's end on Friday would often leave for the weekend with no particular destination in mind and nothing but my tent, sleeping bag and a change of clothes strapped to the back of the seat. These travels most often ranged to the mountains of Georgia or North Carolina where the cooler weather, lovely scenery and challenging roads made riding such a joy. My "Bimmer" never let me down and was totally reliable for all the years I owned it; never needing anything other than routine maintenance. 

In a moment of lust for new scuba diving gear, I sold the bike. Watching the new owner ride away filled me with regret as though I had betrayed a friend. 

Many bikes have come and gone since but none have ever left a mark like the "Bimmer" did.

Ride Safe,