A 1934 Zundapp K650 grabbed the attention of visitors at an international motorcycle show in Bengaluru on Sunday. The vintage bike is one of two available in the world and the only one in India.
"The vintage model was brought from German-Nazis, it was a gift from a Nazi official to my grandfather who was a priest in Germany during the war," explained Varun, the owner of the bike.
The bike was transported to Hyderabad in 1936. "My grandfather faced a lot of problems maintaining and preserving it. My dad followed it next and now I am responsible to hold on to it," said Varun. He has been participating in shows and rallies with the bike since his childhood.
The bike shows its kingship over others with its glossy finish and massive engine sound even after years of rolling. The carrier is completely in a working condition with all the factory tools intact. The bike fuses in it a power of 650cc, hand gear, shock driven, boxer twin-engine which makes it a masterpiece.
Even though an antique, the classic cruiser has been bringing in fame to its name by winning Cartier shows, India Bike Week Shows, VCCI races in Mumbai, Chennai, and Pune from 1985. The bike is so strongly built that even after eighty years of service; the parts barely need a change. The factory set bike is still in the original condition with a heavy, non-corroded iron body.
Varun states that the only regular servicing required is the hard chrome plating, the nickel-chrome plating for the engine head and the bolts and the oil change. He claims that the carrier can compete with any other luxury bikes of the present generation because of its power and supreme engine.
"I keep it in my room. It is the next closest thing to my heart after my grandfather," said Varun. He explained that he has been fascinated by automobiles. He has a collection of bikes like Hayabusa, Aquilla, Triumph, Yamaha R3 and a Honda 1000RR; but still loves riding the Zundapp because it gives him the feeling of uniqueness and royalty. He loves the bike because it has the touch of his ancestors and the labour of his father to retain its magnificence till date, he added.
One can understand the aristocratic feel of riding the lone antique available in the world. Though there is a second motor available in the Berlin museum, the working condition of the bike in India gives it a greater grandeur.
