section swept Posted September 6, 2018 Report Share Posted September 6, 2018 (edited) Well I’ve just read about Gustav Franke and his impressive efforts riding a Zundapp Trials bike. I knew that they entered Enduros but had not considered Trials, even though most of the events were in my youth when I was totally Trials and Scrambling mad. All things considered this may have been a subject that’s already been covered on this website so directions please. I have seen and read the discussion about a Zundapp Trials bike being on eBay and noted some of the comments, does anyone know if these works bikes still live on? Looking on Google doesn’t give much more than I have read in a recent publication. To me Gustav appears to have been an excellent rider often beating Miller and Smith on many occasions and riding the SSDT with a broken foot....three open fractured metatasles. Any information please. Edited September 10, 2018 by section swept Spell checker got it wrong on name Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b40rt Posted September 6, 2018 Report Share Posted September 6, 2018 Zundapp's, Cz's and mz's are still in use in Germany, very successfully. @pschrauber any pictures you can post easily ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
section swept Posted September 6, 2018 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2018 2 hours ago, b40rt said: Zundapp's, Cz's and mz's are still in use in Germany, very successfully. @pschrauber any pictures you can post easily ? Thanks b40rt I was aware about the Continentals using those makes, but it is the ‘works’ bike that I was particularly interested in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majesty Posted September 7, 2018 Report Share Posted September 7, 2018 Found these photo's in my photo reference collection, but can't recall any details about them. Plus a photo of my ex Army ISDT Rickman Zundapp Enduro - a little belter it was 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
section swept Posted September 8, 2018 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2018 Thank you majesty, nice photos showing some alternative mods. Like the slide through kickstart pedal. The frame looks very wide at the bottom rails, but the engine is no slimline. I seem to remember the Rickman Zundapps being advertised in MCN years back. From your comments I guess that you no longer own the Rickman Zundapp, was it 125, 175cc or bigger? Really like the bungalow. ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b40rt Posted September 8, 2018 Report Share Posted September 8, 2018 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QhmWzJNWisI 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majesty Posted September 8, 2018 Report Share Posted September 8, 2018 10 hours ago, section swept said: Thank you majesty, nice photos showing some alternative mods. Like the slide through kickstart pedal. The frame looks very wide at the bottom rails, but the engine is no slimline. I seem to remember the Rickman Zundapps being advertised in MCN years back. From your comments I guess that you no longer own the Rickman Zundapp, was it 125, 175cc or bigger? Really like the bungalow. ? Yeah, dim and distant past. It was a 125 and the thing that sticks in my mind was how well it handled.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pschrauber Posted September 9, 2018 Report Share Posted September 9, 2018 On 07.09.2018 at 12:41 AM, section swept said: Thanks b40rt I was aware about the Continentals using those makes, but it is the ‘works’ bike that I was particularly interested in? They where all works bikes and custom made so non of them where similar in build, the early Franke owned where 200cc models, later they had 250cc. Not only Franke rode them also Felix Krahnstöver from Celle. (Felix was 11 times German trials Champion, wrote a very good book about trials riding and was founder and editor of Trialsport now the oldes Trials related Magazine). Anyway here some pics, the first is a 200cc I thin which is very much likewise the Franke bike photo taken from beginning July in Lüneburg: Another one, from Brockhöfe in March 2015 or 2014: Also very interesting a Hercules with Sachs engine, they are kept in much original shape here A good article is in Trialsport #501 where a complete portrait of Gustav Franke and his Zündapp is reported in Trialsport Magazine as he turned 80 on 4.12.2017, The Zündapps where very modern in their days, the engine had very improved porting, carb was with Bing with accelerator pump, (Bella scooter) the fork had already hydraulic components with progressive dampning, then the super long swing arm and steep fork angle surplus the light weight. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
section swept Posted September 9, 2018 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2018 (edited) pschrauber, Thank you so much for taking the trouble to provide the very interesting information. TBA Zundapp pictured on the back of the transport doesn’t appear to have much front fork suspension travel and the rear sprocket looks like it might be 60 teeth at least, very low gearing! The table top carrier to transport the bike looks the business and an ideal working height, someone has obviously put a lot or thought into this. The Brockhofe pictured bike looks to be really well developed on from the previous bike with longer travel forks. The bike immediately behind looks very interesting too, can you say what it is. The Hercules with Sachs engine is a lovely looking, what I call proper trials bike. Had a look on line for Trialsport Magazine but no luck, have to have a better try later. Thanks again for the information? Edited September 9, 2018 by section swept Added name Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
section swept Posted September 9, 2018 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2018 23 hours ago, majesty said: Yeah, dim and distant past. It was a 125 and the thing that sticks in my mind was how well it handled.. That’ll be the Rickman frame geometry I suspect. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
section swept Posted September 9, 2018 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2018 On 08/09/2018 at 3:33 PM, b40rt said: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QhmWzJNWisI B’dang dang dang, (my version of that engine noise) so slow revving and obviously fairly torquey. Thank you for posting that clip? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jc2 Posted September 10, 2018 Report Share Posted September 10, 2018 I have a keen interest in these too - in fact anything from the euro manufacturers that got little/no coverage in the UK press back in the day. Some fascinating machines Here's some pics to get you going: Franke again Sengfelder's bike Said to be Jacky Ickx's 1964 works 125 The other side of one above Another nice one And a Rickman Zundapp trials 3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
section swept Posted September 10, 2018 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2018 (edited) Rickman do seem to make their bikes look just right, no modding needed. This looks as ‘right’ as the Puch engined Dalesman. The Zundapp ‘other side view?’ looks excellent and reminds me of the 70 and 80’s when development seemed to gather pace. Is that a CZ behind? Gustav Franke (apologies spell checker changed his surname to France, now corrected). On a personal opinion I would rate Gustav Franke’s as good as Sammy Miller both in the riding skills and engineering application. Than you for wetting my appetite even more ?? So when Villiers decided to do the dirty on a great many small to medium sized competition bike manufacturers and stop supplying their engines, I ask this question, why did the Zundapp engine range get overlooked? The Russians were quite happy to supply complete bikes into Asia and just engines to the TRX concern in the UK. I also understand that CZ did not like to be seen being so successful with their scrambles/ motocross machines, Eastern block trade embargo? Or other reason. I think even Greeves missed an opportunity with not marketing their own engine to other bike companies, quite how suitable that engine would be for Trials I’m not sure. I had a new kit form Sprite Trials 1967 with Villiers ‘latest’ 37A engine from Frank Hipkin not too shabby either, might have been the last of many around that time. I managed to blag an Alpha Stepha full circle crank assembly with polished knife edge connecting rod, but it didn’t plonk like it would with the original Villiers crank. Wonder where the many companies that used Villiers engines would be now if things had been different and Manganese Bronze Holdings hadn’t got involved or kept away from AMC and then Norton Villiers. ? Edited September 10, 2018 by section swept Addition 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majesty Posted September 10, 2018 Report Share Posted September 10, 2018 I love the Rickman Trials. I remember with great "affection" those handlebar grips that hardened up in the cold Yorkshire winters, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
section swept Posted September 10, 2018 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2018 (edited) On 10/09/2018 at 10:12 AM, majesty said: I love the Rickman Trials. I remember with great "affection" those handlebar grips that hardened up in the cold Yorkshire winters, Palm killers, you knew when you were gripping too hard, thank goodness someone invented gloves! Those levers look to be quality items, possibly Madura? Just noticed spell checker changed my wording, not Madura it’s Magura the levers of choice in the late 60’s and 70’s. Edited October 3, 2018 by section swept Spell checker error Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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