MZ Motorcycle Racing Two Stroke - Walter Kaaden - Ernst Degner. Featuring Robbie Coltrane.
Пікірлер: 52
@philrobinson81613 жыл бұрын
As a lover of the two stroke engine, and the owner of Yamaha RD350 & 500 LCs previously, and a Suzuki RGV250 that I bought new in 1993 and still own now, Walter Kaaden is a REAL hero of mine. Probably more than ANY rider. HERR KAADEN I SALUTE YOU! Such a shame that Honda pursuaded MotoGP to go "bore-stroke."
@jeynes144 ай бұрын
Great film, thank you for sharing this gift.
@pete7kcu10 жыл бұрын
Degner, Kaaden and MZ, one of the great engineering, racing and human stories of the 20th century. All in Oxley's book "Stealing Speed". The designs, the racing success the defection and ultimate "acquisition" by Suzuki et al. Begging to be made into a feature film... great video on here. Thank you yds250.
@TheWombat409 жыл бұрын
by acquisition I assume you mean theft? Theft not only of the bike and blueprints, but also something called "intellectual property"?
@pete7kcu9 жыл бұрын
You said it Argus :-) . An amazing story that still has some loose ends I believe ... Degner's final years and tragic death. You wonder if there were any regrets ...
@TheWombat409 жыл бұрын
Peter Kelly I'd say so, by all accounts Degner was Kaaden's golden boy. The fact that he suicided would indicate some regret. Not for the defection perhaps, but possibly for the theft of the blueprints. Surely the bike was enough?
@pete7kcu9 жыл бұрын
Eastern bloc bike history seems fascinating (what I hear of it) as they seemed to focus on practicality for much longer than in the West, where we had moved to cars with bikes as leisure items. Look forward to Mr McGregor's film if he ever makes it
@TheWombat409 жыл бұрын
I would disagree on one point with you. Kaaden worked for MZ, he put the 2 stroke on the map, he had no involvement whatsoever with any Japanese company (or any other European company for that matter)
@qwerty666tesla32 жыл бұрын
Muy buen video, gracias por recordar al genio Walter Kaaden.
@MARMELADIKAKKUAYFGA3 жыл бұрын
ERNST DEGNER 1931-1983... NICE TO WATCH IT.. WALTER KAADEN IS MY IDOL
@precertvideo4 жыл бұрын
This is a great TV series on different engines called “Coltrane’s Planes & Automobiles”, it was released on VHS & DVD & a book
@2stroketimebomb11 жыл бұрын
Walter Kaaden and Ernst Degner... I take my hat off to you both, without you two I would never have my RG 500! THANK YOU!!
@Team-fabulous4 жыл бұрын
Degner had nothing to do with the RG.... the mans a thief....
@mathiaskling61543 жыл бұрын
@@Team-fabulous Well technically if he hadn’t made a deal with Suzuki they would have never made the RG as they would never have known the technology.
@gfcm0ws9 жыл бұрын
Thanks for sharing! It means a lot to me, because on 02:05 my dad is in picture with his MZ (n° 149).
@crobulari23288 жыл бұрын
I bet you are pleased about the picture of your dad !!. Great photo my friend.
@joonaslehto36377 жыл бұрын
i wisd ID had mz
@aldofontanesi53364 жыл бұрын
And Luigi Taveri, Swiss hero, with No. 146 ;-)
@sencer-sari6 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the Walter Kaaden's wizard touches to the heart of the MZ & two stroke world . His name will never be forgotten. By the way psychedelic ambient music was also nice in the documentary
@tanaka_and_takahashi6 ай бұрын
His name remains as the name of a corner at the Suzuka circuit.
@nigel0205 Жыл бұрын
I've still got a badge my dad gave me in the early 60's Alan Shepherd the Matchless Champion.
@nigel0205 Жыл бұрын
Good to see my uncle Alan Shepherd.
@crasherror11 жыл бұрын
Another great video. Thanks again for the Upload!!!
@patmays73442 жыл бұрын
It's like he's back in James Bond? Take a hike, Olga!
@jasonull64584 жыл бұрын
This story would make a brilliant film script
@pippiperade40307 жыл бұрын
The BSA Bantam was not equipped with a Walter Kaaden MZ engine..
@bruceparr16786 жыл бұрын
1950 The Zschopau works begin production of the RT 125 model, developed before the war, under the trademark IFA (Industrieverband Fahrzeugbau). This model had become patent-free after World War II as part of war reparations[3] and was further developed in Britain (BSA Bantam), USA (Harley-Davidson Hummer), Russia (M-1A Moskva), Japan, Italy and West Germany.
@franktechmaniac74885 ай бұрын
The GDR didn't manage to use the enormous knowledge of Walter Kaaden for their serial products. Although most motorbikes and passenger cars in the GDR ran on 2 stroke engines, their engines were weak and inefficient. What a waste! Over thirty years, Yamaha, Suzuki and Honda build squeezed more than 400 HP/L out of natural aspirated racing engines while huge slow running Diesel became the most efficient internal combustion engines.
@bobmargaretrose23408 жыл бұрын
Such rubbish! The BSA Bantam engine was a DKW design given to BSA as war reparations at the end of |WW2. MZ has never had any links with BSA.
@bruceparr16786 жыл бұрын
1950 The Zschopau works begin production of the RT 125 model, developed before the war, under the trademark IFA (Industrieverband Fahrzeugbau). This model had become patent-free after World War II as part of war reparations[3] and was further developed in Britain (BSA Bantam), USA (Harley-Davidson Hummer), Russia (M-1A Moskva), Japan, Italy and West Germany.
@bruceparr16786 жыл бұрын
DKW ceased to exist in 1932. The RT125 was developed by Auto Union in 1939.
@albion27425 жыл бұрын
@@bruceparr1678 You are talking cars. DKW was making bikes in the 50-60s.
@bruceparr16785 жыл бұрын
@@albion2742 You are right but that was a different DKW that was started in 1949 (I think). The RT125 was designed in 1939 by Auto Union. The original DKW ceased at the merger that created Auto Union in 1932.
@daviddjerassi3 жыл бұрын
Sir you are 100% correct i have in my possession a 1938 / 39 DKW racing machine which BSA and the USA Hummer copied however placing the gear box on the opposite side to the Deek.
@OMENAKAKKU-pw1tj5 жыл бұрын
WHAT HAPPENED TO DEGNER IN WEST
@davidlax94545 жыл бұрын
He lived a miserable life in japan so I belive.a good book on this story is called stealing speed worth a read
@NOTAFULLUN5 жыл бұрын
I’ve read the book and although it is a long time ago I seem to remember he was scarred by burning fuel. The book suggests that he was quite a vain man and that there was an element of foul play in his accident. I gave the book away otherwise I would send it to you. It’s a very good read if indeed espionage and engineering pique your interest.
@clivedavies56183 жыл бұрын
@@NOTAFULLUN Alan Shepherd was scathing about Degner, "I never met a man so in love with himself." Alan was fiercely loyal to Walter both as a friend and as an engineering genius.
@clivedavies56187 жыл бұрын
A lot less Robbie Coltrane and a lot more about the racing and Alan Shepherd would be much better. Alan was a superb rider, sacked by MV shortly after joining for being "too good", his career was effectively ended when he suffered serious head injuries while testing a works Honda. He was caustic about Degner: "l never knew a man so in love with himself". Alan won the US 250 GP 1964 on the MZ.. At the end of 1964 Walter gave Alan the 125 and 250 racers he had used that season as payment for his services.
@COIcultist6 жыл бұрын
I only ever met Alan at the MZ winter camp in the 80s and 90s. He was that rarest of beasts an absolutely lovely top level GP rider. Somebody on this thread talks about making a film based on Mat Oxley's Stealing Speed.There is an old copy of Classic Bike with the story of Alan's US GP win. Now that is the basis for a film. Real "Boy's Own" Story. Truth is often stranger than any fiction.
@grahambrown82393 жыл бұрын
I bought my first racing bike a 125 bultaco from Alan in 1969 , nice guy.
@dougiequick1 Жыл бұрын
I believe a lot of this kinda overhyped in the book stealing speed because sure the expansion chamber was key but it was never like a magical formula explained exactly how to form the cones, that was admittedly in the book all trial and error. And seriously there was no real way of hiding those pipes from the competition who obviously could then duplicate a set and start their own trial and error along with every other variable thing. Besides which I assume MZ sold racing bikes and so examples could simply be purchased and reverse engineered. I think what Suzuki really bought for their money was not so much "stolen commie tech" but just a seriously great seat of the pants 2 stroke tuner and top level racer ....PLUS the added business boon of mortally wounding some of the most fierce competition ...I find no crime reading between the lines just typical everyday business both individual and corporate ...if MZ REALLY cared then they should have pulled out the stops to keep race teams well compensated and happy. But the book makes it sound like the Nazis had specifically developed the two stroke engine and then the russians rightfully owned that tech when really the whole harmonics thing was already a cat out of the bag if you think about it....I mean rockets were being developed in all sorts of places so the engineering aspects transferable to two stroke engines or whatever else already had to be part of the "Rocket Scientist" curriculim ....right? But again really it came down to trial and error and seat of the pants along with good dynomometers ....ALL the two stroke motor builder/tuners WERE figuring it out via monkey see monkey do anyway