I just read an interesting article on the kettenkraftrad in the March 2014 issue of WWII magazine by Jim Laurier. It’s name means tracked motorcycle. It was built by the NSU and Stower companies totaling about 8,000 units. They were designed to be carried by gliders or the JU 52 transport. They could carry two soldiers ( riders faced the rear enduring mud and dust ), tow trailers or guns, lay wire or mount weapons. It was an excellent vehicle in the mud, but on flat roads it could reach 43 mph. It had a six speed transmission and the front wheel and forks could be removed so it could operate just on it’s tracks. It was powered by a 1.5, four cylinder liquid cooled engine. All in all, a very useful little vehicle.
A picture of the one in Saumur is my iphone’s opening background. Overall, this is a vehicle I would drive around town pretty regularly.
Also very popular with allied troops.
[QUOTE=flamethrowerguy;191737]Also very popular with allied troops.
Nice photos, thanks. 
I’ve never read anything on it, but I would have to guess that this vehicle in no small way influenced the post war boom in recreational and commercial use of off-road utility vehicles (ATV’s)…
According to Wiki, production was restarted post war, and about 550 were built for use in agriculture. Production finally ended in 1948 or '49…
You make a good point, the kettenkrad looks like a snowmobile / dirt bike hybrid. Sure looks fun to drive.
It was very useful, one of the few good ideas for light transport. There were others too, though perhaps not quite as practical for the Military. Modern Hyanide Sno Bike in the center.
They were temperamental to handle on rough terrain.-there is a youtube showing a guy tipping one over on himself.
Jeeps were similar and many a GI met his end flipping one.
During my hitch, we used the M-151 series Jeep, which had independent suspension on all wheels. They were so unstable on regular roads, and streets that the Army required 8 hrs of training to get licensed to operate one. Once they began to be replaced, the Gov’t required that they be torch cut into four pieces to dissuade people from using them. This plan didnt work very well, as people jigged them up, and welded them back together and drove them anyway.
Aw I heard a little about these. Quite useful they are. If I could get my hands on one of them I don’t need no drives license. Just a motorcycle license! 
I was in Missouri last fall and passed an overgrown yard that literally had piles of cut up jeeps.
There was a Gamma Goat out front that is said by users to be the worst vehicle ever made in terms of using it.
The Gamma goat was a handful,and awful to ride in the back of. it was adopted because it could follow tracked vehicles more ably than the Jeeps, and 1-1/4 ton trucks. All wheel drive, and 4 wheel steering made it somewhat nimble. It also was able to swim after a fashion. It could operate with only 5 wheels if needed, but was a maintenance nightmare. Just keeping up with the 80+ grease fittings would be a days work…
80 grease fittings??? That must be brutal ! :shock:
I bet it was, no one wanted to work on them. you’d get some serious muscles pumping grease every month.
Just read that it could take up to 5 hours just to lubricate all the points on this thing. Where the h### where the grease points
This is just a model, but may give you an idea, each articulated joint has at least one fitting to service, not to mention levers, and peddles, hinges etc.
So small yet the mechanics are so interesting…