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Armor/AFV: Axis - WWII
Armor and ground forces of the Axis forces during World War II.
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Best German motorcycle kit?
SpeedyJ
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Bangkok, Thailand / ไทย
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Posted: Wednesday, October 30, 2019 - 09:53 PM UTC
Thanks Robin for this nice list.

Kind regards,

Robert Jan
RobinNilsson
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Stockholm, Sweden
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Posted: Wednesday, October 30, 2019 - 10:58 PM UTC
Hi Jan,
The list comes from the book 'Kraftfahrzeuge und Panzer der Riechswehr, Wehrmacht und Bundeswehr' by Werner Oswald. Motorbuch Verlag, 16th edition 1998.
Originally written 1982. ISBN 3-87943-850-1.
The Bundeswehr part obviously ends many years ago.
Werner was born 1920 and he left us in 1997.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werner_Oswald_(Automobilhistoriker)
The Wikipedia article lists some other books that might be interesting.

/ Robin
Bozothenutter
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Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
Joined: December 06, 2017
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Posted: Wednesday, October 30, 2019 - 11:00 PM UTC
Know nothing about motorcycles...
But do know a trick to make the spokes look more 3D.
Carefully put some thick superglue on them.
Surface tension will let it dry more rounded.
Headhunter506
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New York, United States
Joined: December 01, 2007
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Posted: Thursday, October 31, 2019 - 06:24 AM UTC
Real is better.

Making real wire wheels in all scales
Nate_W
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Missouri, United States
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Posted: Thursday, October 31, 2019 - 07:51 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Yes there were solo bikes, lots of them.
There were light solo bikes, medium solo bikes and heavy solo bikes.
The thing with the R-75 and K-750 was that they were specifically built with sidecars. A normal heavy bike can have a sidecar added. The R-75 and K-750 were built like a trike with the sidecar wheel also being powered, differential on the rear axle.

Light bikes (only as solos)
DKW RT 125 (125 cc)
Triumph BD 350 W (350 cc)
NSU 251 OS (250 cc)

Medium (only as solos?)
BMW R 4 (400 cc)
BMW R 35 (350 cc)
Victoria KR 35 WH (350 cc)
DKW NZ 350 (350 cc)

Heavy (these could also have sidecars, the gearboxes had different ratios with/without sidecars)
Zündapp K 500 W (500 cc)
Zündapp K 800 W (800 cc) only used with sidecar when on the eastern front, just as good as the R 12
Zündapp KS 600 W (600 cc)
BMW R 12 (750 cc) very popular machine
NSU 601 OSL (600 cc)
Victoria K. R. VI (600 cc)
Victoria KR 6 Bergmeister (600 cc)
Victoria KR 9 (500 cc)

Heavy with powered sidecar (differential needs blocking if sidecar is removed)
BMW R 75 (750 cc)
Zündapp KS 750 (750 cc)
These two were specifically developed for the Wehrmacht

The table above shows that there were other heavy bikes built without sidecars, one of them also had a larger (by 50 cc) engine than the R-75 or KS-750

By the looks of the "fender" on the front wheel and the position of the headlight I would say that the bike in the image above is a BMW R 35.


The R 75 had a support for the "fender" which extends in an arc above the sheet metal, protecting the front edge of the registration plate.

The KS-750 has a fender which does not extend so far down on the sides of the tire.

The front forks are also totally different.
/ Robin



This is easily the most helpful thing I've seen for new guys, like myself, to help understand Germany's bikes. Thanks alot Robin!
Nate_W
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Missouri, United States
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Posted: Thursday, October 31, 2019 - 07:54 AM UTC

Quoted Text



That's incredibly impressive and he's absolutely right. The wheels look very real because they essentially are spoked out like real ones. The difference is night and day. It takes bikes to a whole new level. Very interesting, and definitely not for the beginner.
SpeedyJ
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Bangkok, Thailand / ไทย
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Posted: Thursday, October 31, 2019 - 04:23 PM UTC
Thanks again Robin. Interesting list of publications...

Robert Jan
covkid
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United Kingdom
Joined: March 13, 2015
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Posted: Thursday, October 31, 2019 - 09:59 PM UTC
Hi, one bike that doesn't seam to have been mentioned Vision Models Zundapp KS600. Available solo with rider or as a combination with a nice sidecar.

Regards Jason
RobinNilsson
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Stockholm, Sweden
Joined: November 29, 2006
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Posted: Thursday, October 31, 2019 - 10:17 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Hi, one bike that doesn't seam to have been mentioned Vision Models Zundapp KS600. Available solo with rider or as a combination with a nice sidecar.

Regards Jason



Which kit number was that?
Vulcan Scale Models did the K800 (solo and two different sidecars) and K500
https://www.scalemates.com/brands/vulcan-scale-models--674

Don't know if Vulcan is still around though ...

/ Robin
SpeedyJ
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Bangkok, Thailand / ไทย
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Posted: Thursday, October 31, 2019 - 11:22 PM UTC
Just bought 3 Vulcan kits. K500 & K800 (2).
After some personal debating I just had to.

Robert Jan
covkid
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United Kingdom
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Posted: Friday, November 01, 2019 - 11:05 PM UTC
Hi, my mistake, you are correct about the bikes. I was going from memory.

Regards Jason
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