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LOT 358

The Anthony R. East Classic Motorcycle Collection 1954 IFA BK 350 Registration no. not registered Frame no. 850823 Engine no. 1600820

Sold for £3,220 inc. premiumLot to be sold without reserve
Lot 358

The Anthony R. East Classic Motorcycle Collection, 1954 IFA BK 350

The Anthony R. East Classic Motorcycle Collection
1954 IFA BK 350
Registration no. not registered
Frame no. 850823
Engine no. 1600820

When motorcycle production recommenced at DKW's Zschopau works in 1946, the now East German state-owned factory badged its DKW RT125-based machines as 'IFA'. IFA's first all-new, post-war design, the BK 350, arrived in 1952 and would be badged as an 'MZ' when Motorradwerk Zschopau (Zschopau Motorcycle Works) adopted that name a few years later. The BK (the initials stand for 'Boxer Kardan' - flat twin, shaft drive) was a piston-ported two-stroke that produced 15bhp (17bhp from 1956) and was good for a top speed of 71mph (75mph). A duplex cradle frame, telescopic front fork, plunger rear suspension and generously sized brakes made up the cycle parts. Although the company produced an English-language brochure for the BK 350, it seems unlikely that more than a handful of machines was sold in the UK. Production of this technically interesting and most unusual motorcycle ceased in 1959.

This IFA has been restored throughout but it is not known whether it has been run since completion. A letter on file states 'all parts are original including the saddle, tank, rims, and exhaust pipe even the number plate should be original'. Other documentation includes the following: photocopied sales literature and manufacturer history; photocopied parts catalogue; photocopied instruction manual and parts list; German Fahrzeugbrief dating from 1981; and a quantity of photographs of the machine pre-restoration, one of them annotated 'one of the 32 prototype motorcycles number 23 of the original type plate'.
Offered with key

Footnotes

If purchased by a UK resident, this machine will be subject to a NOVA Declaration, which Bonhams will undertake at no cost to the buyer. This declaration facilitates the registration process with the DVLA in the UK.

All lots are sold 'as is/where is' and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness and originality prior to bidding.

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