From the Toronto Star, Nov. 17th 2001, Nathan Jacobson, #12

If bikes could talk
Collector has World War II bikes shipped from Russia

Donna Jean MacKinnon
STAFF WRITER

"This ZŸndapp was a POW. It was taken at Stalingrad," says Nathan Jacobson, as he fondles the World War II German motorcycle. "Some poor German at Stalingrad was captured on this."
The 1939 ZŸndapp is one of six World War II motorcycles, newly arrived from Russia.

As the sexy six, fresh from customs, were rolled into the warehouse at Jacox Harley-Davidson dealership for restoration, the boys at Jacox's on the Queensway were transfixed. There were even oohs and ahhs.

Jacobson, a motorcycle aficionado, collector and the importer of these fascinating machines, is as seduced by their history as much as their inherent two-wheel charms.

"If these bikes could talk," muses Jacobson.

His collection includes three light green Harley-Davidson WLAs, (The "A" designation indicates army.) a H-D with the remains of original dark green paint, a khaki Indian and the black ZŸndapp.

The 1942 Harleys are outfitted with tin ammunition boxes, Tommy gun holders, fish-shaped exhausts and black-out lamps, fore and aft, to avoid detection by planes. And on the split tanks, for oil and gas, the "Daily Instructions," spelling out maintenance, are engraved. The bikes also have suspension-sprung seats.

The 1942 Indian, used as a scout, has an exhaust guard, a feature seen on military motorcycles.

The 750 cc H-Ds were sent to Josef Stalin by U.S. president Franklin Roosevelt as part of the United States' $50 billion lend-lease program, designed to aid the Allies in their fight against the Nazis.

"They went from Springfield and Milwaukee to the Soviet Union. I've repatriated them," Jacobson says.

Jacobson, originally from Winnipeg, opened the first GM dealership in Moscow 13 years ago. Currently, he is chairman of The West Group of Companies, the largest gas and oil company operating in Russia.

"I've survived 13 years - the (Russian) mafia, everything. That's very unusual," says Jacobson, who was described in a Toronto Star business profile, as "a capitalist cowboy in Russia."

For years, Jacobson had heard stories about WWII motorcycles surviving in Russia. Finally, he mentioned this to a Moscow "friend" in high places - he works in intelligence and is in charge of anti-aircraft rockets and the like. The friend promised to get Jacobson some old motorcycles and he did. The bikes were rounded up, from back gardens and barns, within 320 kilometres of Moscow. As the motorcycles came in, Jacobson was sent photos on the Internet.

"When I saw the first Harley-Davidsons in real life, I knew the urban legend about American motorcycles was true," he says.

In Russia, "big presents" change hands and Jacobson has been known to ship new Harleys as largesse.

"In Russia it's all about relationships and knowing people," he says.

Jacobson says he also has information about a field in Khazakstan, the size of a football stadium, piled with World War II Jeeps and Studebaker pickups and other fields full of crumbling World War II aircraft - old Yaks, P51s and the like.

Jacobson believes the 250 cc ZŸndapp (DBK250), was a dispatch rider's bike; thus it has no weapon carrier. It does have a detachable leather passenger seat, with a little wooden handle, and a monogram featuring a thunderbolt, sword and a dagger.

"Very Prussian," Jacobson says.

The German bike, made in a Nuremberg (NŸrnberg in German) factory that folded in 1966, also has a beautiful, low-slung sleek profile, with a flattened fuel tank and a rocket-shaped exhaust pipe.

"The ZŸndapp is so much better engineered than the American bikes," comments Jacobson.
In Moscow, Jacobson rode one of the Harleys rather gingerly as it has a tank shift. Even the most experienced bikers (used to foot gears), gaping at the World War II golden oldies at Jacox's, admitted they were intimidated by the tank shifts. They are referred to as ``suicide" shifts because you have to take your hand off the handle bar.

The Indian, has a right-hand shift, while the H-Ds are southpaws. Until 1951, the left-hand shifter was a H-D feature and it remained an option until 1954.

Jacobson had the Indian and the ZŸndapp restored in Russia. The H-Ds aren't pretty, but they are all in running condition. At least three of the Harleys are gifts for friends. He's not sure what he's doing yet with the other bikes.

Pat Jacox, the recipient of the dark green Harley, plans a ground-up restoration. This means stripping the machine down, searching out original parts, if need be, and polishing all the bits.

"We plan to work on it over the winter," he says.

Jacox's sales manager, Bill Lanouette, describes the H-Ds as perfect for a nice little trip around town on a Sunday afternoon and admits these babies are unlikely to be "chick magnets" as they have no fancy frippery.

The parts were machined and stamped out in a hurry for the war effort. And like an old Singer treadle sewing machine, they are indestructible. Lanouette likens the wartime H-Ds to a 10-piece jigsaw instead of a 1,000-piece puzzle, like today's motorcycles.

They are basic machines, with no suspension, but outfitted with flathead engines that "go on forever." ( In 1946, H-D switched to pan heads.)

"They were made to be strong; made to carry men to war and back," exclaims Jacobson, himself a former warrior, with six years in the Israeli army.

According to Dr. Martin Rosenblum, historian at Harley-Davidson Inc., 90,000 WLA (army) models were built during the war years. The company also manufactured 20,000 WLCs - Canadian army issue. The WLC had a few minor differences like an auxiliary box on top of the fender and clutch on the right side. They were all a dark military green when they left the factory.

The bikes were all given a serial number indicating they were manufactured in 1942.
"This was done so the other side would not know how many we made," Rosenblum says.

About a third of the WLAs were sent to Russia. The tough, reliable Harleys participated in reconnaissance and they were often seen at the head of an infantry column, scouting.
There are two WLAs, in the Harley-Davidson museum in Milwaukee, similar to Jacobson's. Both were found in Russia.

During World War II, H-D also made 1,000 XA models, designed to negotiate the sands during the North African campaign.

"But by 1942, the Nazis had been chased across the Sahara, so these were shipped, but not utilized," Rosenblum says.

The Indian Motorcycle Co., meanwhile, built about 30,000 motorcycles, through 1942-43, for the Canadian forces.

Jacobson's current car is a supercharged Jaguar Vanden Plas in a ritzy Champagne colour. He also owns a beloved E-Type convertible in British Racing Green. "It's a beautiful object and oozes sex," he says.

Meanwhile, in Russia, he has two more vintage motorcycles ready for shipping. One is an Indian in its original crate and the other a Harley that Jacobson plans to paint in Red Army colours.