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Fri Oct 10, 2014 3:55 pm

Go figure:

http://www.bike-urious.com/basketcase-1965-volkswagen-apex/

Fri Oct 10, 2014 10:55 pm

Sat Oct 11, 2014 5:25 am

X2 :-k :-k

Sat Oct 11, 2014 8:13 am

cdennisg wrote: :-k

sixfootdan wrote: X2 :-k :-k

Pretty much exactly my reaction but sans emoji.
In a properly symmetrical world VW would have badge-engineered a BMW cycle, not a Gilera, but whadda I know.

Sat Oct 11, 2014 8:54 am

I want it

Sat Oct 11, 2014 12:06 pm

Its not really out of the question historically...is it?
Since 1969....VW has owned Audi. Audi was originally made of four company's...

NSU, DKW, Horch and Wanderer (Known as Auto Union from 1932) Horch was forced out and changed its name to Audi

NSU was a motorcycle manufacturer
http://www.supershowevents.com/magazine/articles/04nsu.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NSU_Motorenwerke

And so was DKW in the 20's and 30's
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DKW

And so was Wanderer in the early 1900's
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanderer_(car)

Ray

Sat Oct 11, 2014 12:12 pm

Except the bike in question is a Gilera from 1965. It predates all of the Audi/Auto Union stuff, and Gilera is Italian.

Sat Oct 11, 2014 12:53 pm

See, now this, a Zundapp, would have made a proper VW motorcycle.

Sat Oct 11, 2014 4:55 pm

Thanks, but I'll take the one Von Dutch did instead of that one:

http://www.bikernet.com/pages/VON_DUTCHS_XAVW_MOTORCYCLE.aspx

Sat Oct 11, 2014 5:55 pm

This one here?

It does have a strange appeal, plunger frame and all. Not quite so graceful as his Munch Mammut.

I still like the Zundapp better.

Sat Oct 11, 2014 8:35 pm

Other than the provenance, that bike (Von Dutch's) has little appeal. It's actually rather ugly.

Mon Oct 13, 2014 7:47 pm

Von Dutch built machines like the proverbial brick outhouses...because he was a machinist and all-around craftsman. I have an old mid-60s Rod & Custom magazine with a picture of a snubnose .38 Special pistol that he machined from scratch for Tex Smith....

Tue Oct 14, 2014 9:49 am

I believe someone has slapped some VW badges on a mid-sixties Sears 106 Super Sport (made by Gilera and sold in the Sears catalogues). There is a cap at the top of the triple tree right below the handlebar clamps that would normally be there. It is missing on this example. It would have a big old "SEARS" label on it if it were still there. The serial number of the bike will more than likely start with 106 and an asterisk. This indicates that it is a 106cc bike that was built fo Sears to be sold in the U.S. market. The Gileras built on this frame for the European market were 98cc bikes and their serial numbers begin with a 98 and an asterisk. I have googled with thing to death and found no evidence that there was ever any relationship between Gilera Motorcycles and Volkswagen. Easy way to prove me wrong would be for the seller to show a photo of the VIN plate, which will say "Gilera built for Sears & Roebuck Co." if it is what I say it is, or something entirely different if it was made/sold by/for VW. If the VIN plate is missing, then I would be quite confident that this is a hoax. I have the same bike, made by Gilera and sold through Sears, out in my garage.

Wed Oct 15, 2014 5:12 pm

Made by the Butterfield company in 1965 it hosts a 1600 cc motor in a BMW frame and yes it's kick started.

Same bike as above and the other one in this photo boasts a side car.

Wed Oct 15, 2014 5:40 pm

Three pages of Amazonas, a Brazilian made VW powered cycle --
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=585213&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Fri Oct 17, 2014 8:42 pm

Mr_Gently wrote: I have googled with thing to death and found no evidence that there was ever any relationship between Gilera Motorcycles and Volkswagen.

Me too, and the only mention I found was a post right here on this site a few years back.
It's an enigma wrapped in a mystery wrapped in a burrito....I dunno. Mysteries are cool, though.

Randall wrote: Three pages of Amazonas, a Brazilian made VW powered cycle --
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=585213&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Who said something about my really weird-looking bike? Wanna ticket, pal?

I'm familiar with the Amazonas motorcycle and to my knowledge it was the only more-or-less 'official' use of a VW engine in a motorcycle- there were many Amazonas police bikes built. Very strange bike; the VW-engined bikes like the Butterfield Fish posted on this thread are far nicer-looking.

Sat Oct 18, 2014 8:26 am

I sent the ebay seller a message asking about the serial numbers and the VIN plate. He never responded, which leads me to believe the whole thing is a scam. The bike sold for a little over a grand and it was only worth a few hundred dollars at most in the condition it was in. I guess they accomplished their goal.

Sat Oct 18, 2014 9:14 am

VW powered motorcycles? I can't resist joining the thread.

Just for Shifts & Giggles I will throw fuel on the fire.

The Black & Blue bike show in previous posts is a Butterfield & Pruitt bike. Originally sold as kits or complete bikes from Jacks MC of Fresno CA. The bike is a 1965 BMW /2 that turned into a VMW in 69 to 70. It is the prototype bike for that company. The bike belongs to me.

Another VW powered bike discussed is an Amazonas from Brazil. They made 450 of them in their 10 year production. I own # 134. After two decades of looking in the USA I found one last year. Non Runner, but complete. Of all things I found it 200 miles from my location. I have since made a runner out of it and have not changed the patina. It is all original except for those things that rot from time have been rebuilt. Now it rolls with ease, Stops, Runs, Shifts and gets people who see it sometimes show me their "WTF FACE" I always chuckle a bit when the look on their face comes up when I ride by or stop and they take look at it. It appears from what I have found out that just over a handful may have made it to the US. At this point I have found no others thru The Samba, motorcycle internet searches. The Cycle World story with Pee Wee Gleason drag racing one is suppose to be in the North East of the USA. If anyone knows someone with one? It would be a HUGE favor to me to put me into contact with them.

Here is the Amazonas.

Sat Oct 18, 2014 2:36 pm

Wo-o-ow, an honest-to-God Amazonas owner! You're kind of like a unicorn.

Thanks for weighing in. To benefit those ignorant of the Amazonas, meaning me, would you mind writing down your impression of the bike- what it's like to ride, whether there is a fan shroud, ducting, et al underneath that alarming fairing, how well does it stop, does it have reverse, things like that?
Plus more photos would be dandy.

And the Butterfield, too, if you could. I've long been curious of these; I own a couple BMW R60/2s and find the VMWs fascinating.

Sat Oct 18, 2014 3:03 pm

2weel wrote:

That's one badassed looking bike, more pics please!