John Z. Goriup Posted July 31, 2014 Share #1 Posted July 31, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) In the mid-'60s, German retired motorcycle racer Friedel Münch designed a large. heavy, hand built, and very fast ( for the time ) road machine, the Münch 'Mammoth'. The first few models had a 4-cyl. NSU OHC engine that produced 55hp and gave about 120mph top, but then, based on orders from the Company's new American owner and demand by his clientel he installed a larger, higher-revving 1200cc, 80+ hp NSU motor, made a few more changes to handle the additional horsepower and had the fastest, most luxurious, and by far most expensive raodbike in the world on his hands. Only about 20 were ever produced and few survive to this day. I had heard & read about them, but never saw one in the metal until the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours, where I ran across this magnificent 1968 specimen, the documented first of the 1200 cc series of bikes, owned by a collector from the mid-West. I had just purchased my new M9-P the week before after seven years without a Leica and the entire digital rangefinder photography process had not yet become second nature, but nevertheless, I was amazed to see the sharpness, IQ, color fidelity and the unmistakable and world-famous Leica rendition the combination of this body and a new 35mm f2.0 Asph. Summicron yielded. JZG Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/231443-was-this-the-first-superbike/?do=findComment&comment=2640841'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted July 31, 2014 Posted July 31, 2014 Hi John Z. Goriup, Take a look here Was this the first ' Superbike '. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
pauledell Posted August 1, 2014 Share #2 Posted August 1, 2014 John, An impressive series of that monster. Yes, your IQ, with the colors and sharpness are excellent. Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuny Posted August 1, 2014 Share #3 Posted August 1, 2014 Beautiful photos and a useful narrative. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Braelyn Hampson Posted October 14, 2014 Share #4 Posted October 14, 2014 Hi, wow! I definitely would say also that it is a "Superbike". Actually, It is the first time for me to see this kind. Munch Mammoth is undoubtedly one of the most innovative. Its heavy built and design prove it all. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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