Kiat Que is… Well: Actually a motorcycle collector with a very changing collection from what is actually the 'knakenhoek'. Plus the keeper of an unlikely heap of stuff they would call 'Vintage' in the Randstad. You often find the strangest things there. Oh yes: Kiat has a predilection for art and attributes from Papua New Guinea.
Between Art and Kitsch
What we found on our recent visit was for purists a poignant case of between 'Art and Kitsch'. Because what else would you call a Zündapp KS 600 with a Ural engine block. Steampunk? Industrial heritage? A ravaged survivor? The latter seems the most obvious. Because after WWII, the Soviets made grateful use of all kinds of German war materiel left behind in haste. And they kept that going for about fifty-sixty years with the possibilities they had.
We also saw a 'headless' Kettenkrad pass by. Without a front wheel and with a Lada four-cylinder, that machine was put to work in the farm after the war. For example, this veteran must have run into a Ural 650 cc overhead valve block somewhere along the route. And whether that is a brackish free-range or a sought-after restoration object? Who knows may say. But that the machine has lived a long and effective life? That is undeniable.
The Zündapp KS 600
The Zündapp KS 600, first released in 1938, had a 28 hp overhead valve boxer engine of 597 cc. The KS 600 was often coupled to a Steib sidecar, the BW38 (Beiwagen 1938). The BW38, was then fitted with the B1 (Boot no.1) sidecar box. The boxers were produced between 1938 and 1941 and delivered exclusively to the Wehrmacht. After production of the KS 600 was discontinued and the combination was eventually replaced by the purpose-built KS 750, the KS line would be the only remnant to reasonably survive the destruction of the war. When Zündapp returned to motorcycle production in the late 600s, it opted to repurpose the KS 601's engine for the KS XNUMX.
The heavy work
From 1940, Zündapp produced more than 18.000 pieces of the Zündapp KS 750. The KS 750 was a sidecar combination, with a driven third wheel and a limited slip differential, for the German Wehrmacht. And those machines, together with the BMW R75, are now worth gold.
For a two-wheel drive Zündapp or BMW, amounts up to a ton are now paid. A good KS 600 is apparently worth something like € 15.000-20.000. But then of course there should be no Ural block in it.
Wanted stuff
Germany is bravely looking for these types of machines on the Internet. There are now many new parts for sale for the large BMWs. Some of it is of extremely dubious Chinese quality. The main prize is asked for good things.
The practicality of these types of motorcycles has deteriorated significantly since 40-45. But what remains is that they are survivors from a dire time. They have actually become museum pieces because these noble Germans are considerably more sensitive than the Harley side valves and the IMZ / KMZ M72s. They have an easier daily employability due to their simple technology. In terms of prices, those in proper war uniform are above € 20.000 and below € 10.000.
More articles about classic engines you read here.
Also read:
- Found in France: A Zündapp KS 750
- Arnhems Oorlogsmuseum 1940-1945. Eef Peeters, the collector
- Army motorcycles. 75 years after WWII
- The CJ 750. A takeaway Chinese. BMW´s R71 Mk III
- M72: Almost half as expensive as an HD
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Nice thing Dolf, did it also have a price tag?
Asking price 3250 e
Quite a Bitza: the only Zündapp is the front fork, which is not even from a KS600 but a much smaller type. Frame, tank and luggage rack are from an EMW, engine block, shaft drive, wheels, mudguards and saddle are from a Ural, the (too small) headlight from a Voskod or something like that.
A fun and interesting thing from a historical point of view that nicely reflects the inventiveness behind the Iron Curtain. Especially as the Ural cardan is tied to the EMW plunger, no easy feat. But it's really not worth serious money.