Amazing day

I rode shotgun with BMW friend Charlie Parsons today as we drove 244 miles down to Sturgis, Miss. and Craig Vechorik’s Bench Mark Motors to pick up Charlie’s 1939 BMW R12.

The bike needed transmission work and new tires and, in the process, Craig fixed a whole bunch of other things that weren’t right, including the exhaust headers that didn’t let the centerstand fold up properly.

Vechorik is the premiere restorer of pre-1970 BMW motorcycles and his personal collection is a wondrous thing to behold.

The first thing I noticed when he led us into his display room was this 1942 R75 with sidecar done up in the livery of the Craig Vechorik's 1942 BMW R75 in the livery of the 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler.

It’s painted a panzer gray with a special flat finish paint.

 

Here’s the distinctive sign out front of Craig’s place.