Zündapp KS750 1943 751cc 2 cyl ohv combination

Manufacturer: Zündapp

Model: KS750 combination

Founded at the height of WWI to manufacture armaments, Zündapp found a new role post-war as a producer of motorcycles under the direction of new owner, Dr Fritz Neumeyer, building its first machine, a Levis-powered two-stroke, in 1921. The firm began making its own engines in 1924, selling more than 10,000 machines that year, and in 1933 introduced the first of the four-stroke flat twins that it is best remembered for. The initial 398cc and 498cc sidevalve models were followed in 1939 by the 598cc K600, the latter, like its predecessors, employing designer Richard Küchen's un-conventional all-chain four-speed 'gearbox' and shaft final drive. A frame and girder fork made of pressed steel were advanced features. Zündapp's first overhead-valve twin, the KS600, appeared in 1939 and would provide the basis for the KS750. Developed specifically for service with the Wehrmacht, the KS750 motorcycle combination featured shaft drive to the Steib sidecar's wheel, reverse gear, hydraulic brakes and interchangeable wheels. During WW2 the KS750 saw service on every front, its production outstripping that of the similar BMW R75 with some 18,600 built before production was discontinued in 1944.

The machine was used by the Luftwaffe during WWII and remained in Neugablonz, Germany after the end of the war. There the machine was driven by the village priest for about 2 years. The priest then later gave the machine to two men who drove the machine. She then sold the machine to a butcher in the neighboring village. Fritz Kummerer, Dettenhausen, Germany acquired the machine in 1987 and restored the Zündapp from ground up. The Zündapp has had an eventful history. She runs lovely and is ready to ride.