Zundapp Motorcycles

The Zundapp motorcycle was an underdog
for its entire life. Having to run second best to
the much larger BMW company in Germany.
The Zundapp Motorcycle Company was founded
by Fritz Neumeyer and Friedrich Krupp. The Krupp
Arms Company was a major supplier to the
German war machine in both World Wars. The
new motorcycle company started manufacturing
in 1917, but it wasn't until 1921 when the first
cycles were sold to the public. By 1930 Zundapp
had 18% of all motorcycle sales in Europe. The
Zundapp Company was also instrumental in
assisting Ferdinand Porsche in the development
of the VW automobile. From 1936 through 1939
Zundapp supplied the German Army (Wehrmacht)
with 18,000 units of its model KS750 with sidecar.
The Zundapp featured an air-cooled twin cylinder engine
with its pistons opposing each other, a design
similar to the BMW Boxer engine. That also helped
fuel the fire between these two companies. At
the conclusion of World War II Zundapp moved
toward the scooter business and cut back on
production of motorcycles. Scooters and Mopeds
were aimed directly at a younger customer base.
In 1951 Zundapp produced the last of its larger
motorcycles and closed down the assemble line
as the company moved from Nuremburg to Munich
in search of a larger market. In 1980 Zundapp
models were moved to Ranipet, India and produced
by the same company that makes the Royal Enfield
bike. Even this move could not save the company
and in 1984 Zundapp declared bankruptcy and
closed down its operations.
I was in the 8th grade in 1958 and rode a Triumph
to school. There were a couple of guys that had
Zundapps and they had a sound all their own. They
did not have the power to challenge the Triumph
but they were distinct in their own way.