Four stroke, two cylinder
horizontally opposed Boxer, pushrod operated 2 valves per cylinder.
Capacity
745 cc / 45.5 cu in.
Bore x Stroke
82 x 70.6 mm
Compression Ratio
9.0:1
Cooling System
Air cooled
Induction
2 x Bing constant depression carbutetors
Ignition
Battery ignition
Starting
Electric
Max Power
36.8 kW /50 hp @ 6200 rpm
Max Torque
60 Nm / 6.1 kgf-m / 44 ft lb @ 5000 rpm
Transmission
5 Speed
Final Drive
Shaft
Front Suspension
Telescopic hydraulic forks
Front
Wheel Travel
208 mm / 8.2"
Rear Suspension
Long swinging arm with strut. 125mm wheel travel
Rear
Wheel Travel
125 mm / 4.9"
Front Brakes
Single disc
Rear Brakes
200mm Drum
Front Tyre
3.25 - S19
Rear Tyre
4.00 - S18
Wet-Weight
210 kg / 463 lbs
Fuel Capacity
18 Litres / 4.8 US gal
Average Consumption
4.8 L/100 km / 20.8 km/l / 49 US mpg
Standing ¼ Mile
13.5 sec / 154 km/h / 96 mph
Top Speed
163 km/h / 101 mph
.
In 1974, BMW gave the 750cc R75/6 a five-speed
transmission and front disk brakes. The previous slash-5 series came with
drum brakes and a four-speed tranny. in 1974 was the first year BMW
introduced a separate, stand-alone tachometer as a standard item. Shortly
after the R90/6, R75/6, and R60/6 were introduced in 1974, the kickstarter
was deleted as a standard item.
The open road favorite likes the city life, too There*s something downright depressing about riding a BMW. You get the distinct feeling that there's nowhere to go from
here but down. A lot of BMW riders feel they own what is absolutely the best
motorcycle in the world. After my first extended ride on a new BMW R75/6, I can
honestly say I would be hard put to argue. There has been a feeling around for
years that the Bavarian product has been the best tourer you can buy, but
the touring qualification is not required anymore: the machine is at once such a
pleasure to ride in all conditions that any inference it is a special or
limited-purpose motorcycle is absurd
There is, of course, a reason the BMW earned its initial
reputation as the tourers' favorite. It has always been a clean, reliable,
shaft-driven, meticulously assembled motorcycle that you feel wouldn't break
down if you ran it out of oil. You could take extended trips with the peace of
mind that your machine was tenacious as your heart was adventurous. Let all
those other guys take their oily rags, extra parts and mechanic's tools along.
All the BeeEm rider ever needed was a little time off work and very few bucks
for the gasoline.
But what bothered some riders about the older BMW's was the
generally agreed-upon fact that they weren't exactly barnstorming performers.
Sure they were wonderfully built, exceptionally finished and ran quietly
forever, but they were heavy and accelerated like cows. Guys got off their
Triumph Bonnevilles and Nortons and Honda Super Hawks and Harleys and said har
de har, they're great for those stodgy old touring cats but who wants to die of
boredom.
No more, my man, no more. I haven't ridden the R60/6, but
trust that the new R75/6. and both R90s. reported on in these pages before
(see Rider, Summer 74 and Fall 75), set your heart afire with the kind of
performance that matches their overall quality. And that, believe me, is saying
plenty.
Riding two-up with my gal on our recent trip to San Francisco,
on an immaculate SCOOT BOOT LUGGAGE RACK
Available in two models. Large Model 16" longx27'/2" wide and
Small Model 14" long x 20'' wide. Suggested retail $49.95 and $39.95
respectively. Designed for easy mounting on any scoot boot. Unparalled
accessibility for tourers and campers. All necessary mounting hardware included.
"THE SCOOT BOOT BUMPER BASKET
An item redesigned for safety as well as practicality,
protecting the vehicle with the same quality steel as the guard rails. Designed
for sleeping bags, suitcase or eight six packs of beer. The triple chrome basket
mounts easily in minutes, without modification for the FLH 1200 Harley-Davidson.
Only $79.95 suggested retail.
late new monza blue R75/6 equipped with a perfectly
color-matched Spirit of America frame fairing and Krauser saddlebags, luggage
rack and safety bars (all official Butler & Smith stuff for BMW), we marveled
practically every mile about the way Herr Daimler's invention does its thing.
Above all. it is a motorcycle that is so well designed and conceived, suddenly
you begin to realize thai annoyances you just used to accept as part of riding
simply aren't there anymore. This realization is comprised of subtle
discoveries, but one gets the message rapidly
First, noise. Forget it. The R75/6 kind of whooshes along and
you can damn near converse quietly with your passenger. Second, vibration. It's
over You can look in the rear view mirrors at 70 mph and actually see a highway
patrolman's haircut a quarter-mile behind. Let me say while on this unfortunate
subject that we did get a speeding ticket just south of the little farm town of
Greenville. Part of the reason must be attributed to over-anxiousness for a
dynamite lunch of superb Mexican food, but most of the blame lies in the fact
that you swear there's speedometer error in the BMW No way you can be going that
fast so smoothly and noiselessly. Forty bucks "bail" says you are.
In the hills south of San Jose, the 463-pound touring bike
the same one that feels locomotive steady through the long, shimmering straights
of the Salinas River Valley suddenly becomes an agile, nimble cornering
animal. Bob is making like Kenny Roberts ahead of me on the lightweight Kawasaki
500, and I'm following him easily and I can see he's shaking his head a little.
That's another part of the BMW magic. It boasts a frame and
suspension that make it so comfortable it's renowned as the world's premier
touring bike, yet that same frame and suspension have the meat and the stuff to
afford control In the tu.ns that inspires total confidence. It's a marriage of
abilities that has been achieved very few times in the history of the motor
vehicle, but it is significant to note that the BMW automobile is reputed
to have it. too.
Maybe a guy with an expensive car doesn't give two hoots about
gas mileage, but it's of utmost importance to any rider, if only because good
touring range enhances the freedom of biking, and gas stops become an
inconvenience to be reckoned with if they come too close together. Throughout
our trip. I was often shocked to look over at Bill or Bob with the concerned
expression of a man riding on reserve and there I am on my R75/6 with a
hundred miles left in the tank. My machine got an honest, outstanding 50 miles
per gallon; with stock capacity of 4.8 gallons, that's a long time between gas
pumps. I checked the oil a couple times, and only toward the end of our near
1000-mile* trip did the top of the oil begin to stray slightly below the full
mark on the dipstick.
To give you an idea about how easy a BMW starts, consider that
a kick starter is an optional accessory "for use in extremely cold weather or
very rarely." I would say that with BeeEm's electrics a whopping 280-watt
alternator. 25-3mphour battery connected to a starter motor that boasts better
than a half horsepower the word "rarely" might deserve some extreme emphasis.
On one cold, damp morning, the engine needed a little coaxing from the choke,
but other-Winter, 1976 wise it was instant-start city every time.
In the tight, hilly, close, colorful, often traffic-choked
confines of the city by the bay, another quality of the amazing BMW comes to
light. Suddenly, a big touring motorcycle becomes a lightweight, ma-neuverable.
easy-to-handle commuter machine. The brakes (disc in front) stop right now, the
light, lean weight makes walking into curb parking in a narrow spot a cinch, the
bike literally pops up (well,almost) on its center stand, and I can hardly
believe that it feels as responsive and effortless to handle at snail's-pace
speeds. I'm riding at 2 miles per hour through the sensory wonders of Chinatown,
all the auto maniacs are streaming and blowing, and there I am digging on the
strange people, the ancient buildings, the kaleidoscope of color and motion and
the incredible, moist, refrigerated sea air that blows in, courtesy of the
Pacific Ocean. San Francisco is a captivating place, and you discover its heady
360-degree charm instantly from the seat of a motorcycle.
After a shower and clean clothes, there are some motorcycles
that wouldn't look inviting for use on a night on the town. Can you see rubbing
a clean pair of slacks on a greasy engine case or having a freshly lubed chain
do a stripy number on your wife's evening coat? Presto, the BMW becomes yet even
another vehicle: a shining classy two-wheel limo that's ideal for an
out-to-dinner, nightlife escapade. Its pristine, flawless finish and the
oil-tight integrity of its horizontally opposed engine are legendary and
absolutely gospel. And, of course, the shaft drive is an outright luxury. You
also discover that the fairing is a practical touch when you're trying to keep
your clothes presentable, and the lockable, easily removable Krauser "suitcase"
saddlebags are the last word in convenience.
Details, details, details. One could seemingly go on forever
about the desirability of riding a BMW. A quartz halogen light that turns night
into day, ultra-accessible switches and controls, finger adjustable rear shocks,
the best tool kit in the industry, the best owner's manual I've ever seen on any
product and on and on. Even at $3095. the R75/6 is worth every copper penny.
When one becomes lucky enough to be seriously considering the
purchase of a BMW. up rears the inevitable question of which model? The R75/6 is
a compelling choice for many. It costs approximately $900 less than the R90S and
about $300 less than the R90/6. Its slightly smaller bore and the fact it
develops its maximum torque at 500 rpm less than the R90s gives it a slight edge
in smothness, according to many BMW enthusiasts.
But one thing's for sure. If you buy a BMW, don't bother
looking up. Nothing else is there. The dominant use of the machine is
touring, there really isn't any contest. The GL-1000 wins without a struggle
The 750F is a quiet bike and vibration does not become even
noticeable until 5000 rpm (about 75 mph). Even then, it's not distracting. What
little vibration there is can be felt in the handlebars and minimally in the
seat almost negligible at the pegs.
Speaking of bars, we thought they could have been shaped a bit
differently. The rearward angle was not quite sufficient to be comfortable and
the arm spread was a bit too wide. Most bars on bikes aimed solely at the
sport-riding market are somewhat shorter. The Honda grips are serrated deeply
and are uncomfortable to the hands if the rider is not wearing gloves.
Another complaint is that the center stand is practically
useless. The leverage is wrong and/or it lifts the bike too high, which makes it
a two-man pb to get the machine up on the stand.
Aside from those complaints, the 750F does the job Honda
assigned to it and more, if the touring role indeed was intended to be
de-emphasized. The bike does a good job straight-up over long distances with
good stability on most.
Now, riding and long distance touring can be more
enjoyable with the aid of the Travel Ease Water Cushion. It utilizes the
hydraulic support principle of the water bed in conjunction with the stabilizing
effect and added comfort of plastic foam. Shift your weight. It's like changing
seats. It conforms to your new position. . .lets you ride relaxed without the
need for rest stops due to seat fatigue. The water cushion also: smooths out
bumps and vibration, has rider and passenger individual comfort adjustability,
has cooling "heat exchanger-' action, and is removed or replaced in seconds
without tools allowing it to be used as a bleacher seat or pillow while camping.
For winter use. hot water may be used for added comfort and warmth. The Travel
Ease Water Cushion Is only $24.95 postage paid. Send check or money order only.
Prompt delivery assured. Models available for the following between 250 thru 900
cc. HONDA. BMW. MOTO GUZZI, KAWASAKI, SUZUKI, YAMAHA, NORTON. TRIUMPH & BSA.
Send to: JML PRODUCTS. Dept. R. Box 3708-A, Milwaukee, Wis. 53217. Phone (414)
352-8848. When ordering give make, model and year of motorcycle.
Any corrections or more information on these motorcycles will be kindly appreciated.