Feldgrau.net

Hello
I would like to know - were the bikes used in motorized units of the Wehrmacht manufactured only by BMW or were other companies involved? Thnks in advance.

BMW only provided a percentage of the combinations, along with Zundapp. Arguably, the troops preferred the Zundapp! Singletons included BMW, but also smaller marques like Adler, Triumph (not the British company lol) Puch etc.

Are these companies still existing Phylo?

Zundapp came back in the late '40s with the "Elefant", their factory-built combination powered by a big flat-twin. This lasted into the late '50s, but Zundapp didn't continue for-stroke development much, instead put all their efforts into two-stroke commuters and mopeds. They still exist, and Zundapps are "quality" mopeds and learner bikes on the European mainland.

The GERMAN Triumph company - actually, the British company was a offshoot of IT at the start of the 20th century! - eaked out a living making domestic tinware after the war (when I was a kid, my primary school canteen had big Triumph aluminium pans LOL the name must have stuck in the forebrain until I made the mistake of watching The Great Escape!) but later went into of all things typewriter production! I think they lasted in this until the very late 1970's but didn't move over to the production of wordprocessors etc. like so many typewriter companies did to carry them into the PC age. Adler went back to producing motorcycles, along with of course NSU - I forgot about them!!! - producing a beautiful range of two-stroke twins while NSU specialised in fourstroke performance singles; NSU single-cylinder 250s and 350s were class leaders at a time, both on the road and on the track. NSU went into cars for a time, but both companies' motorcycle production died in the face of the 1960's Japanese onslaught.

As for Puch.... they went back to their field of expertise VERY quickly - small two-strokes up to 125cc - and as well as rivalling Zundapp, Kriedler etc in Europe in the sales of 125 sporty two-strokes....were the first company in the world to take the stylistically-brave but OH-so finacially rewarding step of...putting a shopping basket on the front of their 50cc mopeds...and the rest is history. You meet the nicest plagiarists on a Honda! LMAO

And add to that the fact that many foreign types of motorcycles were used as well. Like almost al materiel, bikes were pressed into Wehrmacht service too after being captured.
Just found this site that has a list of books that deal with motorcycles in WW II:

http://www.benvanhelden.nl/armybikes/boekenpagina.html

Maybe you'll find something worth buying there.

Cheers,

Paul

There are photos of German soldiers with captured British motorcycles. I know of one showing a Feldgendarme on a Norton by the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. I have a modern print of a wartime shot from Leros in 1943 showing Fallschirmjäger with a BSA and also a colour shot of German dispatch riders in Russia with at least one BSA 250 in-shot. Some years ago, I owned a 1934 350cc Monet-Goyon sports single with both the French requisition tag in place on the handlebars and the subsequent German requisition numbers stamped into the frame and engine. The French drab and German grey paint over the original civilian finish was still there, under the coats of black gloss slapped on by the farming family from whom I bought it.

PK

Hello to all ; a little query here...................

The Aufkl. Abteilung 5 in action!

Source: Album Reichswehr Deutschland Österr. Sudetenland Krad BMW NSU Motorrad Zündapp

What types of motorcycles are these in the pictures? TIA. Cheers. Raúl M .

Hello to all ; a little more...................

The previous post top (possibly) - NSU 501 OSL,
bottom (possibly) - Zündapp K 500 W.

Motorcycles in action!

source: http://www.ebay.de/itm/BUYMUC-PHOTO-EIN ... 0732308302

What type of motorcycle is in the foreground? Any idea of the license plate IA? TIA. Cheers. Raul M .

Hello to all ; a little more...................

Motorcycles in action!

source: https://www.ebay.de/itm/LANDSER-Heft-Nr ... 56aa83bdee

Cheers. Raul M .

Hello raul,
A Zundapp K 500 W
http://www.kfzderwehrmacht.de/Homepage_ ... 500_w.html
Kindly regards
Prosper

Thanks Prosper . Cheers. Raúl M .

Hello to all ; a little more.....................................

Eastern Front - Fight in the mud!

German motorcyclists receive help from their comrades to be able to continue the march ...................

Source: http://au.gotfreeshipping.com/store/german-ww2

Anyone risk the type of motorcycle? Cheers. Raúl M .