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#14 Pim van den Bergh

Winona, MN

1944 Zundapp KS750

Pim van den Bergh – In 1982, I graduated from high school in Medellin, Colombia. Three months before I returned to Holland, my native country, I traded my Bultaco Metralla for a Zundapp basket case. All I knew was that it was cool looking and bigger that any Zundapp I had ever seen before, I had no clue what I had gotten myself into.

My dad thought it would be a good idea to take some pictures of the “before” on this project. I never got these pictures until a few years back after his passing. He wrote on the back: “The proud owner!” Followed by the words: “Will this ever be a nicely restored bike? “

I quickly realized that restoration on a student budget is unrealistic. Taking the advise of my parents the bike was packed up again and stored in the attic. Focus on your studies was the advice. Learn a trade, earn money and then restore!

In 1989, the last year of college, one of my professors discovered my passion for old bikes. I had told him about my KS and its location. He asked me if I would be willing to part with it. At the time, still the poor student, I agreed to sell him the bike.

I still remember walking in to the kitchen of my parents house and telling my mom that I was going to get the Zundapp from the attic to sell it. She looked at me and said, “Are you nuts!! Over my dead body! You are not selling the Zundapp. Why would you sell it? How much money do you need? I’ll give you the money you need, but the Zundapp stays!”

In 2012, 31 years after the last time I rode it, I was finally able to start my KS.

I now live in Winona MN and am the sales director for UEM Pistons and in my spare time I am the Zundapp Fool ….