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Zündapp (a.k.a. Zuendapp) was a major German
motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike; uni (if one-wheeled); trike (if three-wheeled); quad (if four-wheeled)) is a lightweight private 1-to-2 passenger personal motor vehicle Steering, steered by a Motorcycle handlebar, handlebar from a saddle-style ...
manufacturer founded in 1917 in
Nuremberg Nuremberg (, ; ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the Franconia#Towns and cities, largest city in Franconia, the List of cities in Bavaria by population, second-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Bav ...
by Fritz Neumeyer, together with the Friedrich
Krupp Friedrich Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp (formerly Fried. Krupp AG and Friedrich Krupp GmbH), trade name, trading as Krupp, was the largest company in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century as well as Germany's premier weapons manufacturer dur ...
AG and the
machine tool A machine tool is a machine for handling or machining metal or other rigid materials, usually by cutting, Boring (manufacturing), boring, grinding (abrasive cutting), grinding, shearing, or other forms of deformations. Machine tools employ some s ...
manufacturer Thiel under the name "Zünder- und Apparatebau G.m.b.H." as a producer of
detonator A detonator is a device used to make an explosive or explosive device explode. Detonators come in a variety of types, depending on how they are initiated (chemically, mechanically, or electrically) and details of their inner working, which of ...
s (Zünder- und Apparatebau is German for Igniter and Apparatus). In 1919, as the demand for weapons parts declined after World War I, Neumeyer became the sole proprietor of the company, and two years later he diversified into the construction of motorcycles. Following World War II, Zündapp expanded into the
microcar Microcar is a term often used for the smallest size of cars, with three or four wheels and often an engine smaller than . Specific types of microcars include bubble cars, cycle cars, invacar, quadricycles and voiturettes. Microcars are ofte ...
,
moped A moped ( ) is a type of small motorcycle, generally having a less stringent licensing requirement than full motorcycles or automobiles. Historically, the term exclusively meant a similar vehicle with both bicycle pedals and a motorcycle eng ...
and scooter markets. The company collapsed in 1984.


Early history: 1919–45

The first Zündapp motorcycle was the model Z22 in 1921. This was the ''Motorrad für Jedermann'' ("motorcycle for everyone"), a simple, reliable design that was produced in large series. Zündapp's history of heavy motorcycles began in 1933 with the K-series. The "K" refers to the type of drivetrain that these models used, ''Kardanantrieb'', meaning enclosed
driveshaft A drive shaft, driveshaft, driving shaft, tailshaft (Australian English), propeller shaft (prop shaft), or Cardan shaft (after Girolamo Cardano) is a component for transmitting mechanical power, torque, and rotation, usually used to connect ...
with two
universal joint A universal joint (also called a universal coupling or U-joint) is a joint or coupling connecting rigid shafts whose axes are inclined to each other. It is commonly used in shafts that transmit rotary motion. It consists of a pair of hinges ...
s. Zündapp introduced the enclosed
crankcase A crankcase is the housing in a reciprocating engine, piston engine that surrounds the crankshaft. In most modern engines, the crankcase is integrated into the engine block. Two-stroke engines typically use a crankcase-compression design, res ...
(then a novelty). The series encompassed models from 200 to 800 cc
displacement Displacement may refer to: Physical sciences Mathematics and physics *Displacement (geometry), is the difference between the final and initial position of a point trajectory (for instance, the center of mass of a moving object). The actual path ...
and was a major success, increasing Zündapp's market share in Germany from 5% in 1931 to 18% in 1937. The
Zündapp KS600 Zündapp (a.k.a. Zuendapp) was a major German motorcycle manufacturer 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." ...
, first released in 1938, had a horizontally opposed twin cylinder engine with overhead valves displacing . The KS600 was often coupled with a Steib sidecar, the BW38 (''Beiwagen'' 1938). The BW38, fitted with the B1 (Boot no. 1) sidecar body was produced between 1938 and 1941 and supplied exclusively to the
Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...
. While the KS600 was discontinued and eventually replaced by the purpose-built KS750, its motor was to be the only remnant to live beyond the destruction of war. When Zündapp returned to motorcycle production in the late 1940s, it chose to reuse the KS600's motor to power the KS601 with few modifications. The Zündapp K800 had
unit construction : ''For the vehicle design where the vehicle's skin is used as a load-bearing element, see Monocoque.'' Unit construction is the design of larger motorcycles where the engine and gearbox components share a single casing. This sometimes includes ...
, flat-four engines with shaft drive (a layout adopted by Honda for the
Gold Wing The Honda Gold Wing is a series of touring motorcycles manufactured by Honda. Gold Wings feature shaft drive and a flat engine. Characterized by press in September 1974 as "The world's biggest motor cycle manufacturer's first attack on the over ...
in 1974) and were the only 4-cylinder machines used by the German armed forces in World War II. From 1931
Ferdinand Porsche Ferdinand Porsche (3 September 1875 – 30 January 1951) was a German automotive engineering, automotive engineer and founder of the Porsche, Porsche AG. He is best known for creating the first Petrol engine, gasoline–Electric motor, el ...
and Zündapp developed the type 12 prototype ''Auto für Jedermann'' ("car for everyone"), which was the first time the name
Volkswagen Volkswagen (VW; )English: , . is a German automotive industry, automobile manufacturer based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Established in 1937 by German Labour Front, The German Labour Front, it was revitalized into the global brand it ...
was used. Porsche preferred the 4-cylinder flat engine, but Zündapp used a water-cooled 5-cylinder
radial engine The radial engine is a reciprocating engine, reciprocating type internal combustion engine, internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinder (engine), cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. ...
. In 1932 three prototypes were running. All three cars were lost during the war, the last in a 1945
Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...
bombing raid. From 1936 to 1938 Zündapp produced the KKS500 model. This was the first Zündapp with a foot gear change, and 170 examples were built. From 1940 onward Zündapp produced more than 18,000 units of the Zündapp KS 750. This is a sidecar outfit with a driven side wheel and a
locking differential A locking differential is a mechanical component, commonly used in vehicles, designed to overcome the chief limitation of a standard open Differential (mechanical device), differential by essentially "locking" both wheels on an axle together as ...
, supplied to the German Wehrmacht. Zündapp also made aircraft engines including the 9-092, which was used in light aircraft, including the Braunschweig LF-1 Zaunkönig (1942) ''ab initio'' trainer aircraft.


Postwar: 1945–1984

After World War II the company transitioned to smaller machines, notably the "
Bella Bella is a feminine given name. It is a diminutive form of names ending in -bella. ''Bella'' is related to the Italian, Spanish, Greek, Portuguese and Latin words for beautiful, and to the name Belle (given name), Belle, meaning ''beautiful'' in F ...
" motor scooter, which was a relatively heavy machine for its type. In 1951 Zündapp released the last of its heavy motorcycle models, but one of its most famous: the KS601 (the "green elephant") with a 598 cc two-cylinder engine. From 1957 to 1958 the company also produced the Zündapp Janus
microcar Microcar is a term often used for the smallest size of cars, with three or four wheels and often an engine smaller than . Specific types of microcars include bubble cars, cycle cars, invacar, quadricycles and voiturettes. Microcars are ofte ...
. In 1958 the company moved from Nuremberg to
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
. Subsequently, the company developed several new smaller models, discontinued the development of
four-stroke A four-stroke (also four-cycle) engine is an internal combustion (IC) engine in which the piston completes four separate strokes while turning the crankshaft. A stroke refers to the full travel of the piston along the cylinder, in either directio ...
engines and only produced
two-stroke A two-stroke (or two-stroke cycle) engine is a type of internal combustion engine that completes a power cycle with two strokes of the piston, one up and one down, in one revolution of the crankshaft in contrast to a four-stroke engine which re ...
models. Zündapp experienced enormous success in off-road motorsports winning thousands of Gold-Silver and bronze medals, many Championships. The American rider Dave Ekins won an overall victory at the 1967 Greenhorn Enduro aboard a 100cc Zündapp, defeating competitors on much larger motorcycles. Belgian rider André Malherbe rode a Zündapp to win the 125cc European
motocross Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom. History Motocross first evolved in Britain from motorcycle trials competi ...
championships in 1973 and again in 1974. Initially, Zündapp scooters and mopeds sold well, but later sales declined and in 1984 the company went bankrupt and closed. New legislation had destroyed the market for Zündapps high-speed 50 cc "Kleinkrafträder": to reduce noise and to reduce the accidents especially young riders had on those bikes, the new "80 cc" class was introduced. That made it much easier especially for the Japanese manufacturers to break into the previously protected market as they could easily downsize the 125 cc engines. Kreidler shared Zündapp's fate and went insolvent in 1982.


Post bankruptcy

After the bankruptcy, the entire production line and intellectual properties were bought by Xunda Motor Co.,
Tianjin Tianjin is a direct-administered municipality in North China, northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the National Central City, nine national central cities, with a total population of 13,866,009 inhabitants at the time of the ...
, China. They produced small Zündapp motorcycles from 1987 until the early 1990s. Zündapp later produced Honda-based four-stroke motorcycles and electric mopeds in the 2010s. Zündapp also had a technical collaboration with
Royal Enfield (India) Royal Enfield is an Indian motorcycle manufacturer, headquartered and manufactured in Chennai, India. Royal Enfield is the oldest motorcycle manufacturer in continuous production.Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
) in the early 1980s to manufacture small, lightweight two-stroke motorcycles to be offered along with their flagship
Royal Enfield Bullet The Royal Enfield Bullet is an overhead valve, single-cylinder, four-stroke motorcycle initially made by Royal Enfield in Redditch, Worcestershire England. It is now produced by Royal Enfield at Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, a company originally ...
. Enfield launched two 50 cc motorcycles first, the step-thru Silver Plus and the three-speed Explorer motorcycle. Later, Enfield Fury 175 (based on Zündapp KS175) was introduced as a performance motorcycle. It had five-speed gearbox, a hydraulic
Brembo Brembo N.V. is an Italian manufacturer of automotive parts that most notably produces braking systems, for high-performance cars and for the sim racing series Gran Turismo. Its operational head office is in Curno, Bergamo, Italy, while Amst ...
disc brake and a sleeveless hard chromed cylinder barrel, all were a first on a motorcycle in that country. That being said, sales of these models were very low in the country. In 2017, the Zündapp name returned to German hands after being purchased by Dieter Neumeyer, the grandson of company founder Fritz Neumeyer. The newly owned company subsequently produced e-bicycles and later revealed a new motorcycle concept, the ZXA 500 Adventure, at the 2022 Intermot Show in
Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...
.


Notes


References

* Reiner Scharfenberg, Günter Sengfelder, Siegfried Rauch: ''Zündapp im Bild.'' ** Band 1: ''Die Nürnberger Jahre 1922–1958.'' Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 1998, . ** Band 2: ''Die Münchener Jahre 1953–1984.'' Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 2000, . * Siegfried Rauch, Johann Kleine Vennekate (Hrsg.): ''Zündapp.'' Neuauflage ''Zündapp: 60 Jahre Zündapp-Technik.'' Kleine Vennekate, Lemgo 1996. * Thomas Reinwald: ''Nürnberger Motorradindustrie.'' Podszun, Brilon 2002, . * Frank O. Hrachowy: ''Kleinkrafträder in Deutschland – die ungedrosselten 50er der Klasse 4.'' Kleine Vennekate, Lemgo 2006, . * Uwe Frensel: ''Zündapp Modellgeschichte von 1952–1984. Ein Leitfaden für Sammler.'' Heel, Königswinter 2009, .


External links


Official page
eBikes and Scooter producer
Film : Zündapp Z 200 - Subtitles: German and English- production: www.OldtimerbazaR.pl

Registry: Zündapp Wartime Motorcycle registry and database

German KS 601 Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zundapp Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1917 Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1984 Moped manufacturers Motorcycle manufacturers of Germany Motorcycle trials Scooter manufacturers Sidecars German brands Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of Germany Manufacturing companies based in Munich Manufacturing companies based in Nuremberg Military motorcycles Zündapp