1942 BMW...presumably from Hitler's Nazi forces?

[MontereyDave]

This beautiful bike really caught me eye in Carmel, CA. I've seen some old BMWs before but I believe they were all post war era. However, this one has 1942 on it's fender putting it smack dab in the middle of WWII. Seems like it would be a strange feeling to ride around on a bike that must've been a tool of the Hitler's Nazi forces - likely originally adorned with a swastika. Your thoughts?

[Rascus]

That was a nice restoration on that bike.

[Nightfall]

I've actually thought of stuff like this as well.

Like what some American WWII soldiers think of/about like Japanese cars for instance, or Italian cars and or bikes, and German, etc, etc ..

Here is my opinion on it, for instance let's take Mitsubishi, they made the Zero fighter airplanes for the Japanese Imperial Army, also land vehicles such as troop transports, but they were making such things before WWII, they could've been forced into production relunctly but in the end had to, or maybe not, they could've just went with the flow of the times. Usually in the end it's something they had to do, like it or not, take the Ford Motor Company during that time for instance. Or in the case of this thread, BMW, they were making bikes before WWII and guess what their country was in a war and they HAD to support their country's war effort, like it or not.

But then again think of what some people in other countries think when they see a Ford or Chevrolet, probably the same thing.

but this day in age things are different, people change with time, sometimes a little, sometimes alot. You don't have the same kamikaze pilots willing to die for their walking and breathing god (emperor) or the purist nazis trying to cleanse the land of the non pure weak races, sure not everyone changes but in general the masses have changed, it's a new era of people.

But yeah when I think of this older BMW you've posted I just think of it this way, Nazis didn't build that bike, human beings built that bike, nonetheless it's a fine piece of machinery from a pretty grim era, so yeah, I would ride it and not feel odd.

[MrR2009]

I know what you mean, I restored my grandfathers k98 Mauser from 1944 it still has all the swastika stamped all over the rifle. I always wonder if that rifle has ever taken a life...

Btw
my grandfather bought the rifle after the war. He wasn't a German soilder.

[R1100S-Rider]

Hmm, not really sure if it's a BMW or not. Looks like a Dnepr with a Ural Sidecar on it... I'm like 99% sure thats a Ural sidecar. Looks exactly like the one on my dads Ural.