The American millionaire/publisher/tycoon, Malcolm Forbes buys his first Munch motorcycle, a 1200TTS ‘Münch 4’ Mammut.
Friedl Munch created the Mammut in 1966 when he fit an NSU 996cc, 55hp, overhead-cam, 4-cylinder automobile engine into his own tubular loop frame. The machine weighed a reasonable 480lbs, capable of a halfway decent (for the time) 115mph.
Totally unsatisfied, in 1968 Munch used an 1177cc, 88hp, NSU TTS car motor for his new beast, the Münch4 1200TTS. The new motor was prone to break the heavy-duty spokes on the rear wheel, so Munch developed a unique and much stronger cast magnesium 'turbine-style' rear wheel, while retaining a spoked wire wheel up front. That front wheel would be given a little extra stopping power by using a massive 10-inch diameter magnesium casting front brake. The fuel tank and side panels were made of hand-hammered aluminum, while the seat, headlight nacelle, wheels and brakes were magnesium. Despite the extensive use of lightweight materials, the Mammut weighed an elephantine 650lbs.
American motorcycle entrepreneur Floyd Clymer invested in the Munch brand from 1968, marketing the bike in US as Clymer-Munch Mammoth IV with the slogan "Built up to a standard, not down to a price". Clymer died before any serious production began. There were only about 500 ever built.
Malcolm Forbes owned two Munch motorcycles, one of which he allegedly gave to Elizabeth Taylor. All I can think to ask is, why?
Today in motorcycle history proudly supports the National Association for Bikers with a Disability (NABD). www.nabd.org.uk
Today in motorcycle history proudly supports the National Association for Bikers with a Disability (NABD). www.nabd.org.uk
