Zündapp The company was originally founded in 1917 in Nuremberg by Fritz Neumeyer, together with the Friedrich Krupp AG and the machine tool manufacturer Thiel under the name "Zünder- und Apparatebau G.m.b.H." as a producer of armourments, but in 1919, as the demand for weapons parts declined Neumeyer became the sole proprietor of the company and two years later, he produced motorcycles until the company ceased in 1984.

The first Zündapp motorcycle was the Z22 in 1921, the motorcycle for everybody, a simple and reliable design that was produced in large numbers. Zündapp introduced the K-models in 1933. The "K" stands for "Kardanantrieb" or enclosed driveshaft and the range had models from 200cc to 800cc. This was a major success, increasing Zündapp's market share in Germany from 5% in 1931 to 18% in 1937. From 1940 on, Zündapp produced more than 18'000 units of the KS750 which had a sidecar with a driven side wheel and a locking differential for the German Wehrmacht.

After World War II, the company gradually shifted to producing smaller machines, for instance the "Bella" motorscooter, still a relatively heavy machine for its type. The last of the heavy motorcycles, and incidentally also one of its most famous models, was released in 1951: the KS601 (the "green elephant") with a 598 cc two cylinder engine.

In 1958 the company moved from Nuremberg to Munich. They then developed several new smaller models and gave up on four-stroke engines in favour of two-stroke models. Initially, Zündapp scooters and mopeds sold well, but later sales declined, and in 1984, the company went bankrupt and closed.

Zundapp models were taken over and built in the 1980s by Enfield India at a factory in Ranipet, near Chennai. Enfield India launched a range of light weight machines. The 50cc Silver Plus step-through, Explorer motorcycle and the Fury 175. These bikes redefined the entry-level segment. The Fury with a five-speed gearbox came fitted with a hydraulic disc brake a first in the country.

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Zundapp 1951 KS601

Zundapp 1953 Comfort B
196cc

Zundapp 1954 DB234

Zundapp 1954 KS601

Zundapp 1955 200S
197cc

Zundapp
175cc

Zundapp 1957 201S
197cc

Zundapp 1961 Combinette
50cc

Zzundapp 1972 KS50
50cc

Zundapp 1973 Enduro
125cc

   

 

Zundapp Bike Review

200S 1955-58, 197cc, 2-stroke single, 289lb, 62mph, 12hp

KS50 Super Sports 1972, 50cc, 2-stroke single, 55mph, 6.25hp