Posted on 08/13/2026 12:13:46 PM PDT by woodbutcher1963
History continues to resurface as unprecedented heatwaves and droughts in Europe push the Danube River to its lowest levels on record. In addition to the dozens of World War II Nazi naval vessels near the Serbian town of Prahavo, archaeologists in Hungary have located an extremely rare Wehrmacht military motorcycle, along with the bodies of its two potential crewmembers. Due to the area’s unique conditions, both the vehicle and the soldiers’ remains are remarkably well-preserved even after over 80 years underwater.
The vehicle and possible remains were found in an exposed section of the Danube riverbed near the Hungarian Parliament building in Budapest. A combination of mud mixed with gas and oil ensured the finds didn’t succumb to deteriorating conditions usually experienced in aquatic environments. Because it is still nearly intact, experts quickly identified the vehicle as a DKW NZ 350-1 motorcycle, often known as the “Kräder” (which means wheels)). The Nazis built around 12,000 of these combat units towards the end of WWII, each featuring a single-cylinder, two-stroke engine providing 11.5 horsepower with a top speed of about 56 mph.
(Excerpt) Read more at popsci.com ...
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A field-day for metal detector enthusiasts.
(If you find Nazi gold - don’t tell anyone!)
“Ran When Parked”
Based on the picture the motorcycle seems to be incredibly well preserved. Even the seat seems to be intact.
Stuck in the mud for 80 years.
NAZIs
I would wager that when they clean that thing up it will run.
Those Germans knew how to build things back then.
Isn’t that the one that Steve McQueen rode into the barbed wire fence in “The Great Escape”?
I looked at the picture, based on what you said. Future archeologists (of whatever species) will find motorcycles and dinosaurs. I can only imagine their descriptions.
he rode a 1962 Triumph TR6 Trophy ...
Bikes Made Weird.
Amazing....
That’ll buff right out PING!......

"I'm sorry - $750 is the best I can do."
> Those Germans knew how to build things back then. <
They sure did. But fortunately for us, they didn’t have the oil to run everything that they built.
Maybe Derek from Vice Grip Garage can get it running again.
Rhapsody from Hunger(y)
Spike Jones and His City Slickers
https://secondhandsongs.com/performance/677600/all
I recall my HS history teacher telling us how the Germans would taxi their new jet aircraft to the runway using horses in order to conserve fuel.
“However, the actual stunt of the motorcycle hitting the fence was performed by McQueen’s friend and stuntman, Bud Ekins, not McQueen himself.” (search results)
I’m grateful he didn’t live to meet the cancel culture.
Hungarian Goulash No. 5
Allan Sherman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nds16kijS9w
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