Year: 1941
Make: Zundapp
Model: KS750
Body Type: Motorcycle with Sidecar
VIN / Chassis: 1941 / 12515
Engine Number: 610000
Where do you find em?
Well, if it’s a very rare 1941 Zundapp KS750 that you are looking for the answer is likely only at Burns & Co. We are very privileged to be offering this beautiful 1941 Zundapp outfit.
Being offered as part of a deceased estate, this motorcycle was purchased by its long-term owner sight unseen in England during 1969. Having been a Zundapp devotee for years it was a chance for the new owner to get their hands on this rare military model. Despite being purchased in the late ’60’s it took until 1975 to get the machine to Australia as the original owner required a lot of prompting and prodding to get the machine packed up and ready to send to Australia. Finally, a friend visiting the UK took matters into his own hands and got this wonderful piece of motorcycle history organised for delivery.
Upon arrival to our shores, it consisted of a solo bike plus a sidecar chassis (minus a wheel) and a spare motor. The new owner restored the bike solo in 1977 and rode it to many rallies, where it drew lots of interest. Early in 1979 he managed to buy a pair of matching wheels, one for the sidecar and one as a mounted spare, these were in West Germany and were R75 BMW wheels and were exactly the same as KS750 Zundapp wheels. In the same year he negotiated to buy a Ural sidecar direct from Moscow, there being no one selling or importing them in Australia at the time. Germany stopped making Steib sidecars after the war, but the Russians continued, using the same specifications, to make the sidecars for their motorcycles. The sidecar arrived later in 1979 and the body was quickly separated from the chassis and then modified in the axle shaft arch slightly and then fitted exactly to the original Zundapp Steib sidecar frame.
The Ural is an exact copy of the military Steib models BN40 and BN43 and except for the missing boot lid under the spare, it could have been made on a Steib press!! As part of the careful restoration several other chassis parts had to be made, as did a complete mudguard. The restoration was then completed with a final coat of Afrika Korps paint and the insignia of the 21st Panzers etc. So finally, in 1979, all was reunited to as close to the original as he could get it.
Prior to the his ownership the previous owner advised this bike was smuggled out of Africa by some RAF people and transported back to England where it was subsequently divorced from its sidecar and civilianized to black and chrome. The same machine, according to that owner was the one written up in Motor Cycling Magazine on March 23, 1944, titled “Complete with desert dust”, written by a Captain J.J. Hall which must have been revolutionary reading in 1944.
This particular Zundapp featured in a few scenes of the popular comedy show Fast Forward when they compiled a skit that featured comedian Magda Szubanski in the sidecar where they parodied the Shell television commercial that took its lead from scenes in the famous movie ‘The Great Escape’. It has also featured in the classic Australian series the Sullivan’s during the 1980s
With sidecar drive, these machines can go where most other 4WD will not manage. The rear and sidecar wheel brakes are hydraulic powered and provide a most effective stop. Pegs were originally fitted to the front axle left and right as a type of axle extension, they were fitted to enable troops to straddle the front wheel when climbing steep gradients, to prevent the machine from turning turtle.
A car type Solex single carburettor is fitted with a cold start device, the motor is designed to run on any grade of fuel and is marked OZ75, compression ratio is about five to one, and at 750cc, the motor develops 26BHP of the draught horse variety. Top speed is 100 km per hour which is slightly quicker than its sister BMW R75, it has a slightly better climbing ability also.
This motorcycle and sidecar were involved in a shed fire at owner’s home in the 1990’s. Fortunately, most of the motorcycle collection was saved. The outfit has been restored since then, but due to increasing age and restricted ability to work on the vehicle, the owner was unable to get it to running stage. The motor turns over and the bike can definitely be made operational.
There are many spare parts that come with the outfit as well as a folder of manuals/magazine articles and photographs.
Link to videos the Zundapp has featured in:
This vehicle is located in our facility in Melbourne, for further information please contact Dave Hosking 0474 182 002 or Mason Hibbert 0455 191 035.
To protect your investment vehicle bidders should consider at a minimum replacement of fuel, oil, fluids, filters and thorough brake inspection as vehicles may have been stationary for some time. Vehicles are sold as is off the floor – unregistered. Please check photos carefully for vehicle condition. No warranty expressed or implied, sold with all or any faults, and where applicable sold with Australian Government Import Approval.
