Famous German motorcycle manufacturer, the Zundapp brand, completely disappeared from circulation in the 1980s. Yet without warning, the brand made a surprise comeback at the Intermot Fair in Cologne with a real motorcycle.Born in 1917, it was only four years later that the brand adopted its current name before launching its first motorcycle, the Z22, the following year.
Production took off pretty rapidly, and eventually reached 100,000 motorcycles in just ten years. Zundapp then launched into the big leagues with 400cc and 500cc flat-twin-powered machines, and even an 800cc flat-four machine. After World War II, Zundapp turned its attention to smaller-displacement machines—mainly scooters and mopeds, as well as small cars like the Janus. However, it gradually disappeared from the landscape before definitively bowing out in 1984.
Although out of the limelight, the brand had resumed its activity in the German market, albeit in a very discreet, under-the-radar fashion. It no longer made any large, performance-oriented machines, but instead focused on the 50cc and 125cc segment with motorcycles and scooters, mostly of Chinese origin slapped with the Zundapp logo. This is all about to change, however, as in Intermot, the brand surprised the audience with its first high-capacity machine in decades, the ZXA Adventure 500 prototype.
Alright, fine—it isn’t exactly a high-capacity machine, as it’s packing a 476cc engine designed to meet A2 license regulations. Plus, it’s also made in China. Regardless, it’s undoubtedly a step forward from the mopeds and scooters, and who knows, maybe it could just get more people on two wheels aboard a Zundapp-branded machine. Speaking about performance, the engine is a parallel-twin unit, which likely has a lot of mechanical similarities with the Honda CB500X. It churns out 47.6 horsepower, slotting in nicely with A2 licensing restrictions.
Other features include an inverted front fork, a rather burly set of wire-spoke wheels, LED lights, a full-color TFT display, and even aluminum panniers and crash guards as standard. Given its ADV proportions, it’s a bit heavy, tipping the scales at 196 kilograms. That said, its 18-liter fuel tank should be large enough to give you miles of coverage in between fill-ups.
Now, it’s important to note that the bike is still in its prototype phase, and will still likely undergo a few design and styling revisions before being launched publicly. As such, it’s expected to be priced competitively in comparison to the likes of the Benelli TRK 502, Voge 500DS, and Honda CB500X.
