Moped love: How Bautzen’s two-wheeler experts continue to grow with Simson and MZ
The AKF company in Bautzen has long been more than Europe’s largest shipping logistics provider for spare parts for the GDR cult two-wheelers. The company is now showing what else it can do at the barbecue.
The Simson Albatros was originally used by the post office. Now it has found a home at AKF-Fahrzeugteile in Bautzen – much to the delight of managing director Alexander Kalkbrenner (l.) and authorized officer André Koch. © Steffen Unger
Bautzen. All 80 employees of the Bautzen-based company AKF-Fahrzeugteile probably have a little bit of two-stroke mixture in their blood. “It’s not a prerequisite for employment, but there are a large number of two-wheel enthusiasts,” says managing director Alexander Kalkbrenner. He founded the company in his parents’ garage more than 20 years ago. Since then, the signs have been pointing towards growth. His specialty: traditional brands such as Simson, MZ and exotic vintage vehicles. All fans of these motorized GDR classics can take a look behind the scenes at the barbecue on September 21, 2024.
Alexander Kalkbrenner’s passion for slightly older two-wheeled models began with a Simson Sperber SR 4-3. This was built 80,000 times between 1966 and 1972 in the renowned VEB vehicle and hunting weapons factory “Ernst Thälmann” in Suhl. With a top speed of 75 km/h and a displacement of 50 cc, the motorcycle is a piece of two-wheeled and family history. After all, Kalkbrenner’s mother rode that Sperber to her training in her youth – and then the vehicle ended up in the shed or barn, like so many former Simson lovers, until it was rediscovered by the next generation.
2010 Move to the Bautzen location
The sparrowhawk brings freedom to the 16-year-old, a feeling he shares with many children from the village. But the flashback also takes us back to the time around 2000. “Back then, apprenticeships were in short supply. I completed a school-based training course to become an assistant for business information technology in Dresden, which combined two interests: computers and their programming and business,” recalls the now 38-year-old. And again, his mother comes into play here. He should look for an after-work job and not spend so much time sitting around in front of the computer, she told her offspring at the time.
The designers Klemens Kretschmer (l.) and Sebastian Tittelbach sit over new designs. © Steffen Unger
Pressure makes you inventive. A third passion is added to these two interests – Kalkbrenner’s self-taught knowledge of mopeds. So the idea of buying a Simson on eBay, which was still cheap at the time, dismantling it into individual parts and then selling it again came up. The initial investment was 200 euros, and the founder and his father were able to sell the manifold, the cable and the like for twice that amount. The money was reinvested. Two mopeds could now be purchased and dismantled, and the first employee had to be hired soon. The company moved to the Bautzen location in 2010.
Mother’s sparrowhawk as start-up capital for the company
The starting capital for Kalkbrenner’s company is his mother’s restored and rebuilt Sperber. It is the time when GDR two-wheelers are being brought out of their deep sleep. The demand for new spare parts is increasing, wholesalers in Germany have to be found and online trading has to be professionalized. The rest is history and a lot of work.
Authorized representative André Koch smiles. “From today’s perspective, this beginning is astonishing,” says the 45-year-old. His first model as a teenager in the Meissen region was an MZ. He has been looking after the company’s figures for four years now and knows the market inside out.
With almost six million motorcycles produced, Simson was the largest two-wheeler manufacturer in Germany. Its advantage: the maximum permissible speed of 60 kilometers per hour in the 50cc class. According to today’s regulations, these small motorcycles are only allowed to travel at 45 kilometers per hour. But the oldies still whiz along the streets at 60 km/h.
“And you create mobility for young people in rural areas,” says André Koch. But it’s not just trainees who ride mopeds. Customer analysis shows that Simson are father-son/daughter or often even three-generation projects. Even people in their mid-forties are rediscovering old passions with help from the Bautzen paradise for Simson mechanics.
In April 2023, the AKF company in Bautzen opened a new logistics hall. © SZ/Uwe Soeder
AKF has long been more than just a shipping logistics company for spare parts, from engines to speedometers to tuning elements. In the design department, parts are designed, reproduced and manufactured in small series. The designs are created using 3D simulations and sometimes on a 3D printer. “In recent years, we have built up great expertise in software development, production and logistics. We can respond quickly to requests and trends. Our success depends on customer satisfaction,” says Alexander Kalkbrenner. Deliveries are made primarily to the DACH region – i.e. Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
2022 AKF will be Company of the Year in Saxony
In 2022, the company AKF Fahrzeugteile from Bautzen will be named Company of the Year in Saxony by the East German Savings Banks Association (OSV). A milestone two years later is the implementation of the new online shop. Interested parties can now immerse themselves in the AKF world in ten languages, including Polish, Danish and Norwegian, and the AKF app is also being updated. In addition, the visionaries are already thinking about another new building. Production is now bursting at the seams. Initial discussions are currently being held with the construction company.
But that is a thing of the future. On September 21st, the end of the two-wheeler season will be marked by a barbecue. If the weather is good, up to 1,500 cult two-wheelers and up to 5,000 enthusiasts with two-stroke racing in their veins are expected to attend. “Our idea is to get into conversation with the community and introduce ourselves as a local employer,” says Alexander Kalkbrenner. The Sperber enthusiast is now driving a Sperber again. It is a father-daughter project.
Barbecue on September 21, 2024 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at AKF in Dresdener Straße 70A in Bautzen
