“American Pickers” has Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz flying all over the country to check out hidden gems in the most unexpected of locations. One of the most infamous finds was a Zundapp KS-750 motorcycle in Season 10’s “The Italian Job Part 1,” which had them soaring overseas for the first time in the long-running series.
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In this special episode, Wolfe and Fritz were convinced to meet a friend in Italy after being promised an especially rare motorcycle. It ended up being a 1943 Zundapp KS-750 with a sidecar, a military motorcycle meant to trek through the craziest of conditions. The German armed forces used these fast and gritty vehicles during World War II, with one soldier driving and the second soldier manning a machine gun in the sidecar. According to Classic Motorcycle Consignmentsthe exact motorcycle found by Wolfe and Fritz was left behind in Italy when the German army was retreating at the end of the war. It was then used for transportation, but by the time the American Pickers arrived on the scene the Zundapp was in rough, rough shape.
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Despite being in such a poor state, the American Pickers duo ended up buying the collectible motorcycle and selling it for quite an impressive amount. And it’s only become more expensive from there!
American Pickers buy Zundapp KS-750 for $10,500
When Wolfe and Fritz met up with their friend in Italy and saw the Zundapp KS-750 motorcycle he presented, they were immediately impressed and knew they had to leave with it. After learning more about the bike, the American Pickers ended up paying $10,500 for the motorcycle plus shipping.
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Since the motorcycle was nowhere near pristine, Wolfe and Fritz estimated during the episode that they could get $15,000 to $18,000 for the motorcycle. The goal was to make $7,500 max profit. This is definitely a worthwhile endeavor, but nowhere near the most expensive motorcycle that Wolfe and Fritz have purchased or sold on “American Pickers.” Season 6 had the duo buying a Von Dutch motorcycle for $21,000. In Season 17, the two collectors purchased a 1922 Ace Sporting Solo motorcycle for $40,000, and it later sold at auction for $198,000. Their record-breaking purchase, however, was paying $135,000 for a lot of five rare motorcycles from the 1930s in Season 24.
How much is the Zundapp KS-750 motorcycle worth?
The American Pickers ended up buying the rare and historical motorcycle for $10,500 due to its super rough shape. But ever since the two sold the Zundapp KS-150, it has become more and more valuable.
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Blue Moon Cycle was the company that ended up purchasing the bike from the American Pickers all those years ago. Their team ended up putting a lot of effort into restoring the motorcycle, with essentially no part left untouched. It has a replacement 750 cc engine, was repainted to match how it appeared back in 1943 (including adding insignias from that time period), was given reproduction license plates from that era, new bearings, seals, and gaskets, and a 4-speed transmission and 12 speeds was installed.
Once the 1943 motorcycle was completely restored, Blue Moon Cycle put it up for auction at an auction house in Las Vegas, with the price then being listed as $45,000 to $55,000. That was back in 2015 and the Zundapp KS-150 has been spotted at other recent auctions since.
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