Old school rides: Let's see 'em!

[bmwhacker]

Originally Posted by Lornce

How could you do that?

Guess I got bored.
This thing has got my undivided attention lately:

(I raised it from a "pup".)

[JHovel]

The 'Slug '(posted by bmwhacker) seems to be a Zündapp KS601.
Where on earth did you find THAT?
Now that was a great piece of engineering evolution: It had a 4-speed gearbox without gears: it used 4 sets of duplex chains instead. The beaut of that for sidecar riders of the day was that you could buy a pair of aftermarket gears to replace first gear and have a low speed reverse - whih of course left you with only three forward gears, but that wasn't all that uncommon in the day.
Just for interest sake: Zündapp also made a 4 cylinder 800cc boxer along similar lines - not entirely successful due to the poor cooling of the rear cylinders. But they had a go at it. From memory, it had a pressed steel frame and was last used by the German military during WWII.

I'd love to get hold of a KS601 - alas they would be very difficult to find here in Australia.... I've only ever seen one, in about 1972...
Cheers,
Joe

[JHovel]

I guess it's my turn to show my first ride:
It was a 1955 Horex Imperator, 400cc twin, SOHC, twin carbs, 4 speed unit geabox. The model I had was a 30Hp variant. Excellent telescopic fork and double loop frame and rear swing arm. Brilliant handling in it's day.
I 'cafe'd' it in 1969 (the term wasn't in use yet back then of course), using some Honda CB72 bits form a mate's crashed bike.... I wish now I hadn't - and kept the bloody thing :) or even just the parts I took off!

Sadly, the company went belly-up in 1956 - along with most German motorcycle manufacturers..... Daimer-Benmz bought the assets in 1960 for a song.
I've been told the designs were sold or stolen and resurfaced in one form or another in early Yamaha and Honda twins.


Cheers,
Joe

[Reryder]

Originally Posted by JHovel

I've been told the designs were sold or stolen and resurfaced in one form or another in early Yamaha and Honda twins.


Cheers,
Joe

The tinware and seat sure as hell look like they came straight off a 1960s Honda, interesting it turns out the other way around!
Neat bike.

[bmwhacker]

Originally Posted by JHovel

The 'Slug '(posted by bmwhacker) seems to be a Zündapp KS601.
Where on earth did you find THAT?
Now that was a great piece of engineering evolution: It had a 4-speed gearbox without gears: it used 4 sets of duplex chains instead. The beaut of that for sidecar riders of the day was that you could buy a pair of aftermarket gears to replace first gear and have a low speed reverse - whih of course left you with only three forward gears, but that wasn't all that uncommon in the day.
Just for interest sake: Zündapp also made a 4 cylinder 800cc boxer along similar lines - not entirely successful due to the poor cooling of the rear cylinders. But they had a go at it. From memory, it had a pressed steel frame and was last used by the German military during WWII.

I'd love to get hold of a KS601 - alas they would be very difficult to find here in Australia.... I've only ever seen one, in about 1972...
Cheers,
Joe

A friend has had the 1954 KS601 Sport in his family since the 60's. Its' been sitting a long time "resting". His uncle parked it one fall and it wouldn't start in the Spring so it has sat in the garage for 30 years. He finally decided to part with it due to too many projects and not enough time. Poor thing needs some TLC.
I have my work cut out for me.

[MrBob]

Cheers,
Joe[/QUOTE]

Superhawk tank, right?

[Lornce]

Originally Posted by bmwhacker

Guess I got bored.
This thing has got my undivided attention lately:

Another great looking bike.

How do you like that leading link front end? I bought a project Velorex recently that included an English made front end that looks exactly like that.

[traebbe]

Our 79' R100RT
All original

[Lornce]

Originally Posted by traebbe

Our 79' R100RT
All original

Looks like a grand tour standing still!

[Rathlindri]

Originally Posted by BluRoad

During a 3-week visit to Arizona last month I acquired this gem...



A gorgeous '79 which the previous owner cosmetically modified to look & sound like a '69 650. This bike runs great, has the look, and was perfectly at home on the smooth 22-mile twisties up & down Mt. Lemmon outside Tucson, where these photos were taken.



Here's the happy moment of transfer, celebrated with a cold one...



The plan: I'll fly back to AZ in May and embark on a 2500-mile tour back to WI; The Long Way Up.



Stay tuned.... and wish me luck. Should be an adventure.

Beautiful looking Trumpet!! When does the trip take place? If it's as good mecanically as it looks you'll do it no sweat....here's mine...

[delftvanp]

Thanks for the Horex pictures and story.
Back in The netherlands where I grew up,My 5 or 6 year older friend had a Horex, and I must have been 11 or 12 my job was to hand them the wrenches etc ,I really got the motorcycle bug then and never left me.
He finally sold it after many times trying to get the charging system to work ,next owner told it was only a ground wire in the headlight.
Another friend of mine in Holland got himself a Horex 350.
Paul

[Brandoro]

I've had this one since it was two. 1975 model. Still original except for the Hannigan fairing.

[Lornce]

Originally Posted by Brandoro

I've had this one since it was two. 1975 model. Still original except for the Hannigan fairing.

Lovely bike.

Did you know Dave Hannigan was originally from Saskatchewan?

[Brandoro]

Originally Posted by Lornce

Lovely bike.

Did you know Dave Hannigan was originally from Saskatchewan?

I did know that, I live about 30 miles from where his parents and one brother still live. Years ago I helped Dave muscle an old Sunbeam motorcycle out of the loft in his uncle's barn and load most of it into the trunk of his 2002Tii. Amazing it fit in the trunk of that car, mostly disassembled that is.
Dave is in Kentucky now still building interesting things and riding motorcycles.

[Lornce]

Originally Posted by Brandoro

I did know that, I live about 30 miles from where his parents and one brother still live. Years ago I helped Dave muscle an old Sunbeam motorcycle out of the loft in his uncle's barn and load most of it into the trunk of his 2002Tii. Amazing it fit in the trunk of that car, mostly disassembled that is.
Dave is in Kentucky now still building interesting things and riding motorcycles.

Knew Dave and Ruthanne beyond motorcycling, but have seen them only a few times since they left for the US. Met his brother Neil while he was studying medicine here in Hamilton in the early '90's.

An interesting family.

cheers,
Lawrence