Zündapp KS 601

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Zündapp KS 601

The Zündapp KS 601 is a motorcycle designed by Ernst Schmidt that the Zündapp -Werke GmbH, Nuremberg, built in the period from 1950 to 1957 "in almost 5,000 copies". The machine was mainly driven with a sidecar . Because of its weight and the powerful engine as well as its typical green paint finish - other colors were also available - it was given the nickname “The Green Elephant” in a test report in the German magazine Das Motorrad (issue 25/1951), which has become a household name has been. In January 1956, KS-601 drivers - among them the motorcycle journalist Ernst Leverkus , known as "Klacks" - met at the Solitude race track for the first elephant meeting , which has been taking place every year since then.

"KS" originally stands for "Kardan Sport", the KS 601 was the last Zündapp model with a cardan drive . This common abbreviation was later used for other constructions at Zündapp.

general description

Zündapp KS 601 at the 2005 classic car rally in Recke

The KS 601 has a 2-cylinder boxer engine with hanging valves and a camshaft (OHV) below , displacement 597 cm³, maximum output 20.6 kW (28 PS) or 24.8 kW (33.5 PS) for the "KS 601" model S ". In contrast to the previous model KS 600 with pressed sheet metal box frame , the KS 601 has a double tube frame with four attachment points for the sidecar. A special feature of the telescopic fork is the central hydraulic shock absorber , which is placed between the two fork legs in front of the steering head . The rear wheel has straight travel suspension with "rubber shock absorbers".

KS 601 EL

A version with a rear swing arm was available towards the end of production under the designation "KS 601 Elastic" or "KS 601 EL" for export to the USA . The cardan shaft ran in the right swing arm. This version had 18 "wheels and a wider, raised handlebar, typical of the USA; in advertising, the importer stated a compression ratio of 8: 1 (optional), an engine output of over" 35 HP "and a top speed of over 100 mph. In In the USA advertisement it was called "600cc Supersport" and was also available with a metallic blue paint finish. This data also applies to the model with straight-way rear suspension that was previously exported.

Technical specifications

Zündapp KS 601 KS 601 Sport
engine 2-cylinder boxer engine
Displacement 597 cc
Bore × stroke 75 mm × 67.6 mm
Valve control lower camshaft (OHV)
Power at 1 / min 20.6 kW (28 hp) for the 4700 23.5 kW (32 hp) at 5500
Compression a 6.7: 1 7.3: 1
cooling Air cooling (airflow)
Electrical system Battery light ignition system Noris 6 V
Carburetor Bing (left 1/25/1, right 1/25/2) Bing (left 1/25/3, right 1/25/4)
transmission 4-speed duplex chain transmission with foot switch
coupling Multi-disc clutch
Power transmission Double joint cardan shaft with needle bearings
frame closed double tube frame
Front suspension Telescopic fork with central hydraulic shock absorber
Rear suspension Straight suspension
wheelbase 1415 mm
tires 3.50–19 front and rear,
with sidecar: 4.00–19 rear
Brakes Drum brakes (Ø 230 mm)
Empty weight 224 kg 208 kg
tank Saddle tank , capacity approx. 14.5 l
Standard consumption b 5.3 l / 100 km 5.8 l / 100 km
Top speed (solo) c approx. 140 km / h approx. 155 km / h
price 3,125.00 DM 3,225.00 DM
a In the German manufacturer's brochure “Zündapp Motorräder 1955”, the compression ratio for the KS 601 is 1: 6.5, and the suspension is referred to as “telescopic all-wheel suspension”.
b The actual consumption in trailer operation was approx. 10 l / 100 km
c The German manufacturer's brochure "Zündapp Motorräder 1955" states "Top speed up to 130 km / h (sitting), up to 140 km / h (lying), with SW up to 100 km / h" and for the KS 601 Sport "up to 140 km / h (sitting), up to 150 km / h (lying), with SW up to 110 km / h ”.

Motorsport

"The ... KS 601 demonstrated its class especially with a sidecar and won the German off-road championship in the large sidecar class without interruption from 1955 to 1960".

swell

  • Ernst Leverkus: The great motorcycles of the 50s, 8th edition. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1993, ISBN 3-87943-849-8
  • Catalog 100 motorcycles in words and pictures , Verlag für Handel und Wirtschaft - Müller & Co., Munich 1952

literature

  • Reiner Scharfenberg: Zündapp KS 601. A Legend on Wheels - The Green "Elephant". Schiffer Publishing, 2001. ISBN 978-0-7643-1291-5
  • Reiner Scharfenberg: Zündapp KS 601. A legend - The "Green Elephant (= MOTORRAD Profile, No. 1), publisher: Flugzeug-Publikations GmbH, Illertissen.
  • In particular the works anniversary books that are listed in the Zündapp article .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Ulrich Kubisch : Zündapp - rise and fall. Nicolai, Berlin 1986, ISBN 3-87584-176-X , p. 123. - According to Scharfenberg, however, 5003.
  2. Zündapp brochure (leaflet no.2265) from 1957
  3. Ulrich Kubisch shows a picture of a KS 601 with rear swing arm dated February 1954 in his book: Zündapp - Aufstieg und Niedergang, 1986, ISBN 3-87584-176-X
  4. Ulrich Kubisch: Zündapp - rise and fall. Nicolai, Berlin 1986, ISBN 3-87584-176-X , p. 115