Hi guys, I've had this in my collection for a while but still haven't been able to identify what it came off. Every visit to a museum involves scouring every Pak/Flak gun, generator, motorcycle etc. but still no luck. I'm leaning towards German based on the colour and the quality of the engineering although it lacks the plethora of stamps usually associated with German equipment. The cylindrical handle spins independently of the rest of the shaft and the folding mechanism still works perfectly. I've also been trying to figure out why it folds, is it removable and needs to be packed? Does it come from a compact, portable machine? Is it just over engineered? Any thoughts would be most welcome, thank you for your time.
A starting handle possibly? Might only be needed in emergencies otherwise packed away in the toolkit or with the Jack.
A starting handle had crossed my mind, the 'handle' end is very similar to that on my King Tiger starting handle both in shape and operation, although most starters I have seen are inserted into the engine as opposed to fitting over a pin. That being said, with Germany using so many different vehicles of different nationalities, it wouldn't surprise me if it was a starting handle.
If a stand you'd have to prop the bike up to fit it - somewhat misses the point. If a foot rest folds no need to be able to attach/detach it "Would you like a lift?" "Yes" "Just hold the bike whilst I find the foot rests and fit them"
Thanks for the replies so far. One thing that makes me dubious of the bike theory is that the handle unfolds with minimal shaking. Seems as if it would just unfold when driving along thus defeating the point of having it fold in the first place. Also to fold it, you need to pull the joint apart laterally, then fold the handle down, not something you could do with a foot.
Who, except you, said they were designed to be detachable? All parts are detachable. OMG someone's detached the bike! Anyway my original post was just a suggestion rather than stating the obvious that it looked like a starting handle which the O/P had already considered. That's why I put a ? Tim
"It's a ticklish sort of job making a thing for a thing-ummy-bob Especially when you don't know what it's for But it's the girl that makes the thing that drills the hole that holds the spring that works the thing-ummy-bob that makes the engines roar. And it's the girl that makes the thing that holds the oil that oils the ring that works the thing-ummy-bob that's going to win the war.
And why would one be detachable? All the one's on my bikes were fitted and I'm pretty sure that they didn't rotate