As you will have seen in the stripping section, the frame of the KS601 is really beyond saving. A custom swing arm was installed rendering the frame unusable. This is a nice view of what what was done to the frame:
At this piont one of the strange side brackets has been removed. If you open the full size photo you can see that the frame was cut in half just behind the engine. So this is a tricky situation and for my skills and wallet beyond saving.
The only positive thing about the frame is that it has a proper identification number. The type shield is missing, but the identification number is clearly original:
As the KS601 came without papers; this is a challenge. It means a replacement frame has to be found.
I am very lucky in this regard as I have two spare frames. The first one I was able to purchase with the KS601 and I gladly did so as on the photo’s before its arrival it was already clear this would be necessary. However, when it arrived there was a surprise: no frame number! It is clearly an original frame with the original type shield on it (which has a frame number included), but on the frame itself there simply is no frame number to be found. I suspect this may have to do with export by Zundapp outside of Germany. So that’s tricky…
The other frame is a rarity; a New Old Stock (NOS) frame that was sent by Zundapp to the USA as a replacement frame for accidents. It wound up in the UK after the administration of Domiracer in the USA where all their stock, including much Zundapp NOS parts was auctioned off. There was no type shield on it and no frame number and it was clearly in its original paint.
Now this is a key piece of advice; if you have any issues with identification of a bike, do NOT work on it, paint it, change or do anything else until you have taken it to your local vehicle authority to ensure it can actually be given new papers. My authority (RDW) has an option of doing a frame number identification or a pre-viewing before your start restoration. They do this so they may view the vehicle in its original state, with patina etc. Also, it would be a shame if they needed to grind away paint on a newly painted frame or other parts to find a frame number!
So I took the whole KS601 to the vehicle authority (RDW) and asked whether the frame number of the KS601 could be transferred to the NOS frame. Luckily, this was possible. The RDW marked the NOS frame with the frame number of the KS601 and once its ready to be tested and get its papers, I need to hand in the part of the old frame that has the frame number on it. They documented it properly with lots of photographs. Here you can see the remainder of the old frame that has gone to recycling. The front part with the frame number on it is safe in my workshop.
So that’s great; a valid frame available. Here it is back from the powdercoater:
The other frame I also took to the RDW. Again, in its original state and patina. Luckily it has an original typeshield still on it:
The RDW was great in this case, just like the last time. Sometimes they get a reputation, but they were incredibly helpful. I think we spent maybe 15 minutes trying to find a frame number. In the end the outcome is that the frame has been judged as genuine and that the lack of frame number may have something to do with export practices. In any case they found that the frame was not tampered with (no frame number was ground off etc), so when the bike is done they will put the frame number on it with an engraving machine and for the time being they have labelled it with a tamper proof seal so you can continue with restoration. Great service! They actually have two versions; one that can survive an acid bath (on the photo); looks like a small bell and one that doesn’t (looks like a small padlock).
The used frame did need some initial work; the brake pedal was so stuck it needed serious heat and force to remove it and the bushing bearings in the frame for the seat bolt and the brake pedal bolt were partially rusted away. Getting them out took a lot of patience.
So the good news is that a replacement frame is available that will have no problems getting the right paperwork when the time comes. It being a NOS frame also means that the bushings will be perfect and that I don’t need to take it to a specialist to ensure its straight.