My spy in Dingolfing reports:

Posted by Fall Guy from pool0238.cvx21-bradley.dialup.earthlink.net on June 12, 2000 at 02:39:32:

In Reply to: Re: Hmmm: posted by Doc on June 12, 2000 at 01:12:05:

: : : : : Over at Indygear.com, the sidecar motorcycle in Last Crusade is listed as a Mercedes. Since Mercedes-Benz never built any motorcycles, that's gotta be wrong. The official supplier of bikes to the German Army in 1938 was BMW. The only problem is, the bike in the film doesn't look like either of the bikes used by the Wehrmacht (the BMW R12 and R75) before or during the war. If there are any old bike enthusiasts out there who can shed some light on the mystery of the motorcycle, let me know!

: : : : I have seen a bike that looks very similar: A 1938 German-styled sidecar cruiser. Check out the 'VSC Black Horse Sidecar Cruiser' at http://www.sidecarcruisers.com/models.html
: : : : I know next to nothing about motorcycles, but to me that bike looks very similar to the one Indy rides in LC! Hope that helps... Fall Guy
: : : : :
: : : : :

: : :
: : : My dad (a bike fanatic) mentioned that the bike in Last
: : : Crusade is most likely produced by Chang Jiang (SP?), a Japanese
: : : company that obtained all of BMW's (Bavarian Motor Works) molds and
: : : equipment after World War II. They still sell repro BMW bikes with
: : : sidecars that look much like the one in the movie, though they are
: : : notoriously unreliable. (and cheap!) I saw a picture of one in a
: : : magazine, but don't know where it is. You might look around on the
: : : web for details about the company. (Besides, no private collector
: : : or museum in their right mind would let Lucasfilm use authentic
: : : pre-war motorcycles in a movie like that, with everything they put
: : : them through!

: : : -Dale Dassel
: : :
: : That's a Chinese bike, but it is a likely candidate! It looks rather similar to the RE71 made by BMW. There are some pictures of these bikes at http://www.chang-jiang.com/bmw/welcome.html
: : I heard the motorcycle chase was filmed on Lucas's property in Marin. I have no idea if those bikes were available in the US in the late eighties. Someone should know... Fall Guy
: : :
: : :
: If I had to guess, I'd call the sidecar bike used in Last Crusade a BMW R71. The frame is right, and the cylinder heads are a pretty good match, too. And since it was made between 1938 and 1941, the R71 fits the bill. The only problem is that it was never adopted for use by the Wehrmacht. (Unless it's a Zundapp...Zundapp was a smaller motorcycle manufacturer who also supplied bikes to the German army. But I know zero about Zundapps, so I'm hoping it's a Bimmer!)
:
:
After consulting some buffs I report this: The bike in the movie has a boxer (horizontally opposed twin) engine. It probably has a chain drive. The frame seems too light for a wartime BMW. The sidecar is definitely not a BMW. Reversed handlebars and the paralellogram fork point to a Zundapp. If it doesn't have those, then the bike must be a Chinese or a Russian copy. Fall Guy
BTW: In the WWII movie 'Hanover Street' HF made his escape in a stolen BMW.
:
:

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: : : : : : Over at Indygear.com, the sidecar motorcycle in Last Crusade is listed as a Mercedes. Since Mercedes-Benz never built any motorcycles, that's gotta be wrong. The official supplier of bikes to the German Army in 1938 was BMW. The only problem is, the bike in the film doesn't look like either of the bikes used by the Wehrmacht (the BMW R12 and R75) before or during the war. If there are any old bike enthusiasts out there who can shed some light on the mystery of the motorcycle, let me know!

: : : : : I have seen a bike that looks very similar: A 1938 German-styled sidecar cruiser. Check out the 'VSC Black Horse Sidecar Cruiser' at http://www.sidecarcruisers.com/models.html
: : : : : I know next to nothing about motorcycles, but to me that bike looks very similar to the one Indy rides in LC! Hope that helps... Fall Guy
: : : : : :
: : : : : :

: : : : 
: : : :          My dad (a bike fanatic) mentioned that the bike in Last
: : : : Crusade is most likely produced by Chang Jiang (SP?), a Japanese
: : : : company that obtained all of BMW's (Bavarian Motor Works) molds and
: : : : equipment after World War II. They still sell repro BMW bikes with
: : : : sidecars that look much like the one in the movie, though they are
: : : : notoriously unreliable. (and cheap!) I saw a picture of one in a
: : : : magazine, but don't know where it is. You might look around on the
: : : : web for details about the company. (Besides, no private collector
: : : : or museum in their right mind would let Lucasfilm use authentic
: : : : pre-war motorcycles in a movie like that, with everything they put
: : : : them through!

: : : :                                          -Dale Dassel 
: : : :
: : : That's a Chinese bike, but it is a likely candidate! It looks rather similar to the RE71 made by BMW. There are some pictures of these bikes at http://www.chang-jiang.com/bmw/welcome.html
: : : I heard the motorcycle chase was filmed on Lucas's property in Marin. I have no idea if those bikes were available in the US in the late eighties. Someone should know... Fall Guy
: : : :
: : : :
: : If I had to guess, I'd call the sidecar bike used in Last Crusade a BMW R71. The frame is right, and the cylinder heads are a pretty good match, too. And since it was made between 1938 and 1941, the R71 fits the bill. The only problem is that it was never adopted for use by the Wehrmacht.  (Unless it's a Zundapp...Zundapp was a smaller motorcycle manufacturer who also supplied bikes to the German army. But I know zero about Zundapps, so I'm hoping it's a Bimmer!)
: :
: :
: After consulting some buffs I report this: The bike in the movie has a boxer (horizontally opposed twin) engine. It probably has a chain drive. The frame seems too light for a wartime BMW. The sidecar is definitely not a BMW. Reversed handlebars and the paralellogram fork point to a Zundapp. If it doesn't have those, then the bike must be a Chinese or a Russian copy. Fall Guy
: BTW: In the WWII movie 'Hanover Street' HF made his escape in a stolen BMW.
: :
: :

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