Zundapp - I must be nuts?

Please buy it, then sell me that tacky Lucas tail light bracket.

: Mike

That transmition can't be too bad. There's been a Zundapp with a Corvair engine in it running around Mpls for years.

Pictures please?

The Corvair powered Zundapp in Minneapolis is mine. It was built in the mid sixties by my father. I can't say how good the Zundapp gearbox is because mine uses the corvair torque converter connected to a single speed gearbox.

Here are some pictures others have taken of my bike.

https://twofastdogs.smugmug.com/Mot...45251_MTouZ/1/555030922_7V3D2#555030922_7V3D2

http://westbankmc.com/photoalbums/2008/rides/20080615_BlindLizard/img_2206.html

Nice little bike.

For corzapp.

Seems to bmwahacker something like this means you can't go wrong. If something can't be done with the Zapp motor or trans , just slip in a Corvair and torque converter.

Lucas? I didn't know what kind of fenders those were must be English?...I wonder what year?

An old forgotten Zundapp:





Think Zundapp parts are hard to find? Try an Opel Motorcycle.

I didn't know that Opel still made cars...

If I won the lottery and had the dosh the first bike id buy is an original (or close to) Wermacht issue Zundapp KS750 hack. Way over engineered for a bike of the era but sweet. Tank enveloped by huge frame, 2wd, 4 spd road gearbox and low 4 spd "gelande" gear box..
It's engine is a slight Vee (not flat). Lots of $$ for a good example.

I believe the KS 601 was the go to bike for early Elefantreffen runs. GO FOR IT!

Hmmm, post 1000

If I were to guess, the mods look like they were performed sometime in the early 1960's, not a bad job really, its period correct and looks well done. The fenders could be from Wassell as they made a ton of stuff in the 50's & 60's. I am not a purest, if it were mine I would do a mechanical restoration of the engine and transmission and just ride it while I collected parts for the cosmetic aspects of the bike. either way it is a very interesting motorcycle.

: Mike

thanks.

This '54 KS601 was given to me by the original owner:



It looked like this when I received it:





While out travelling I met Mr. Morales (I'm fairly sure that's his name) in Goa, India, just north of Margao. He had built this KS601. It had quad rear shock suspension, custom tank and numerous other unique bits. The tank he made custom out of a car bonnet or dickey lid. Sketchy here, he said it was a '61 Chevy sheet metal panel, as there was a batch of those sold there still in abundance.

A sampling of his amazing shop:



The machine:





A pic of the machine in its day of glory:



Carl

Quote> If I were to guess, the mods look like they were performed sometime in the early 1960's, not a bad job really, its period correct and looks well done. The fenders could be from Wassell as they made a ton of stuff in the 50's & 60's. I am not a purest, if it were mine I would do a mechanical restoration of the engine and transmission and just ride it while I collected parts for the cosmetic aspects of the bike. either way it is a very interesting motorcycle.

: Mike <QUOTE<!-- message --><!-- sig -->


That is exactly what I hope to do...Address the mechanics of the bike and do only what's necessary for the aesthetics. From what I'm finding a total restoration on this bike would eclipse the value of the completed bike. I'll need to do some serious clean up but would like to keep the original patina alive if possible. I'll have to do something with the "Costa Rican Maroon" fenders though...

I saw one pristene KS-601 which sold for $17.5k but likely cost more than that to complete. The one below, with a Stieb sidecar sold for the paltry sum of $15k at the las Vegas MC Auction in January. The bike had to have $25k invested from the looks
of it.




So the Zundapp quest continues.
Have found that my new bike is a KS-601 Sport. The "sport" model has a couple more horsepower, higher compression and there were fewer of them made according to some knowledgeable Zundapp guys. I'm in AZ. and the bike is in MT. so I'm itching to get up there and pick it up. I haven't laid eyes on the bike for 3 years or more. It has not been touched or moved since I saw it last, when these photos were taken, just has collected 3 more years worth of dust.
I've also found that the "Red" Denfield seat is an original one. ?Red?




My long owned BMW R75/5 is going to a new owner in Phoenix later this week and it looks like I'm dragging home a clean R65 BMW in the deal. Never been a R65 fan but maybe it will be fun to ride for a change. The newest bike I've ever owned was a 1981 model so the 1982 BMW R65 will be the most modern bike for me.

I've been furiously digging around the Internet and am finding a kind of "Underground" Zundapp network around the planet. Nothing much shows up quickly but kind of like peeling an onion, you finally get through layers of links and find a parts source. Have found complete reproduction exhaust systems, many engine parts and have connected with a few more Zundapp dealers / owners. Many parts sources are in Europe and some in Austrailia.
The original fenders, tool box and air tubes the previous owner found came from Costa Rica.

This is going to be a real interesting process, finding the few obscure missing parts I will need. Maybe I can get my wife to take on a night job to fund this thing. oser...................

Good luck! Old, niche bikes are fun. I started with a conventional new bike and let it age to an old niche bike...

This was at Rhinebeck '09.

I've been studying the Zundapp KS601 Service Manual.
Some seriously "Old School" engineering going on here::eek1
(Good thing I still smoke occasionally)

"If too much material is ground off the big end when adjusting, attach 1.5mm wide tinfoil strips to these parts of the connecting rod (27) as a chuck. Cigarette tinfoil is about 0.01mm thick. Tinfoil may under no circumstances extend into the bearing tracks or protrude at the sides."

Figure 27 -> = here tinfoil




Connecting Rod Adjustment:

"For the adjustment remove the connecting rod as specified. Put a piece of polishing cloth on the surface plate and on that whet the joints of the big ends one after another (25). One face has to be on the polishing cloth and one on the blank plate (25). Count every stroke to get even abrasion on both sides. Recommended are 20 strokes on each side before reinstalling the connecting rods.
In most cases this procedure has to be done 4 to 5 times to achieve an optimal fit."




A lot of the tools seen in the manual look like old carpentry tools.

I'm starting to get a little scared. My woodworking skills are pretty poor.

Finally made it to MT. last night to retrieve the old bike. We'll need to clear a path out of the barn.

Needs to be in Afrika Korps colours with an MG34 mounted on the side car.

Finally picked up the old bike today. Come to find out it is a 1953 Model, rather than a 1954. Checking the steering head number I.D. plate shows "H COM ENGINE"
From what I read this must be the KS601 Sport which has 34 horse power rather than the std. 28 HP. Whoopee!

The numbers throughout the bike all match. The steering head plate, frame stamps, engine block, cylinders & heads were all stamped with the same numbers. I think that is good.

The headlight was peering out at me from where the bike has set for 22 years.



We easily roller her out of the dark and into the light of day. At least it rolls easily. First time its' seen the light of day since 1989. License tag sticker reads "1968".

Good Lord she's rough...



We still had 175 miles to drive so I loaded it into my enclosed cargo trailer. I would have likely left a trail of parts all the way home bouncing around on the little trailer. The bikes patina did match my old trailers patina.


One of the mufflers was laying on the floor. I dumped out a big stash of mice chow.......didn't see any rodent evidence on the bike, but I'll dig deeper of course. The throttle slides were still free. That surprised me.



Cool old stove out of a Rail Road Caboose. A buddy of mine saw it in a photo I took and said he might want it. $100.00 and it's his. Nice Patina....It lived next to the Zundapp for 22 years ...





What a heap. Beauty is definately in the eye of the beholder....I think it is beautiful!


I got a stash of original parts...fenders, braces, toolbox, front center shock, speedometer. The front forks are sprung, but NOT damped. The Dampeniing is performed by a seperate center shock absorber which rides on the top of the front fender. It bolts to the top triple tree.

Let the fun begin!