Great collection again, thanks. As a youngster in the seventees in Denmark, we got hold of some NSU Max and BMW 250, chopped of all not important stuff, and drove them where the police didn´t come. And the Max 500cc big brother. Good days..
It was exactly the same in Germany. And then in the 1990s the dumps that the OEM fenders and lamp pots were thrown into in the 1970s were dug up again to pull the stuff out completely rotted. I learned to ride a motorcycle in 1973 (14 years old) on a chopped Triumph BDG 250 and a 98 ccm NSU Quick in the field.
Only German bikes I've had was a DKW moped as a kid and later a 250 DKW from the fifties. Bought the 250 for around £20 just to have for transportation when the British bikes was down for maintenance.. Once did a 300 mile trip on it. Slow but reliable. Fun fact, many small machines in the fifties had upside down forks.
The main reason for the popularity of the 250 class in Germany was the class IV driving license at the time. Valid for tractors up to 25 km/h, for cars up to 250 ccm and for motorcycles up to 250 ccm. And 250cc was also a very popular class in Austria. To support their own motorcycle industry, the import of 250cc motorcycles was subject to high import duties. That's why the NSU Max for Austria had 297 ccm.
That NSU Max is reslly good looking especially in the single seat form - would make an interesting styling basis for a retro 250/350 commuter alternative to the scooters
A friend of mine (he's from Norwich) owns 2 Francis Barnett 250. I had never seen this brand here in Germany, before. And I'm 63, now. You bet I've seen a few ;-)
What you might not know is BMW had that exact engine ready to be used in a Scooter , the prototype was the R 10, at the last minute BMW decided to go for the Isette threewheeler
Germany always seemed to over engineer there machines everything thought out and everything served a purpose for ownership ease, the bikes you've mentioned are all superb and ahead of their time , I would love anyone of those 250cc bikes , I own a B M W K75c which is 35 years old , I've owned it for 15 years never let me down , can do my own services on it , great video really enjoyed it . Thank you 😊
The BMW R25/3 single cylinder engine was also used in the BMW Isetta bubble car. Initially (1955-56) it was of 250 cc, of which around 10,000 were produced. In February 1956 it was increased to 300 cc, with 161,360 being made before German production ended in 1962. Isetta of Great Britain - who produced right-hand drive versions from 1957 - also ended vehicle production at the same time, though the engines were produced until 1964. The Isetta, which was produced in both three-and-four-wheeled versions, was the vehicle that saved BMW from bankruptcy.
@@bikerdood1100 It served me well enough and stopped me freezing and soaking on the 75-mile-each-way commute that I'd previously endured all year round on my 250 Jawa. My RAF pay of seven quid a week ensured that a Mini was out of the equation in the early 1960's! The Isetta could be driven on a motorcycle licence, too, so I didn't have to worry about taking another test.
I´d be interested in some opinions about German motorcycles in Britain and vice versa, in those days. I´m German and have rarely heard of British bikes over here, except maybe Triumphs of the 70s and 80s or sports types used for racing (Norton Dominator). There were so many interesting makes but they didn´t even have own importers. Detlev Louis of Hamburg was a main import business. At one time an older neighbour told me of a Velocette he owned in the fifties, but couldn´t remember specifics. Probably one reason for that mutual reluctance was high prices because of taxes. Another one may have been the necessity of a complete set of extra tools (bolts and nuts metric/imperial units). And what´s more, foreign machines were probably deemed unneccessary, regarding the choice you had in either country. Which from today´s point of view is rather regrettable. We could have needed a good number of the British larger capacity fourstrokes since the majority of German motorcycles was smaller twostrokes. A 250cc would have already been deemed a substantial machine. The larger types that are pictured in every collectors book and magazine were in reality rare and costly. The standard bike in Germany in the 1950s was a 125-200 cc 2stroke. brands DKW and Zündapp DB come to mind. For a short period the 350cc Horex Regina led on the large capacity section, followed later by the NSU Max 250. 500cc BMWs and Zündapp 601 were elite and very expensive. That handful of 350s (except the Regina), Triumph Boss, Victoria Bergmeister, DKW RT350, Horex Resident, came in 1955-56 when the ship had already sailed and they made no impact anymore. For many of our proud companies the last courtain came in the years around 1958-1960. Some of them survived with 50cc lightweights. One brand that soldiered on quite a few years and is missing in your video is Maico (125 and 250cc), who did well in trial sports and - as army contractors! 2strokes, probably unheard of in GB (their tank badge was almost identical to Matchless!). Anyway, I´d like to hear what appearance German brands made in Britain - would a British motorcycle enthousiast have considered trying a machine from the continent? Were they even available? Oh, and if you have a chance to look at the 350 and 500cc NSU Konsul - wouldn´t THIS machine warm the heart of every British motorcycle enthousiast? Today much cherished for their "British" appearance, they were deemed obsolete for their unruly behaviour back in the day. They shook so hard that you had to fasten or replace all the bolts after every excursion. Btw, NSU started this model in the 1930s with the help of British engineer Walter Moore of Norton - Birmingham, which led to translate the brandname as "Norton Spares Used". One more British-German connection (besides Triumph).
Well I have featured the odd German bike but they are of course Rae sites here Did feature a Victory recently and have done the odd video on German machines Horex, MZ of course we own one after all Did a video on German 250s a few months back but they were expensive here so few brought them in the 50s but after that of course the bike market collapsed across Europe Dam you inexpensive cars 😂 I do plan a video on scooters which will feature the Maico scooters, shot a lot of film if then recently at a shoe but have only featured their Motor across bikes so far
Great video again. I didn’t know all of the bikes and miss the Horex Regina. Are you planning a part 2? Maybe featuring DKW although the finished building 250s in the late 30s afaik.
@@bikerdood1100 I see. So I hope for part two. Btw: 250cc was especially popular in Germany because of the fact that the car driver licence allowed people to ride motorcycles up to 250cc till 1954. Born in 1961, I had to do a proper motorcycle licence in 1980, because the car licence allowed only to drive 50cc mopeds with a Vmax of 40km/h.
Is the 3-wheeler BMW Isetta worth a mention? They redesigned the engine around a BMW one-cylinder, four-stroke, 247 cc motorcycle engine which generated 12 hp. The first BMW Isetta appeared in April 1955.
My dad had an Adler MB 250 , a two stroke machine from 1954 , it was originaly light green but sprayed black in the 60s . It was capable of 120 km an our . Extreme buildquality beqause it still lives with a policeman who baugt it from dad in 1995 .
You don’t think I only intend to do one video do you 😂😂 MZ are also covered in my videos on eastern bloc bikes And the DKW rt in most important bikes ever
All well engineered and good looking machines that I never knew existed. Fascinating!
That’s why we do the Chanel
We all learn together
Great collection again, thanks. As a youngster in the seventees in Denmark, we got hold of some NSU Max and BMW 250, chopped of all not important stuff, and drove them where the police didn´t come. And the Max 500cc big brother. Good days..
Sounds fun
It was exactly the same in Germany. And then in the 1990s the dumps that the OEM fenders and lamp pots were thrown into in the 1970s were dug up again to pull the stuff out completely rotted.
I learned to ride a motorcycle in 1973 (14 years old) on a chopped Triumph BDG 250 and a 98 ccm NSU Quick in the field.
wow only heard of a couple of those , really interesting and informative video thank you
Found the Victoria by accident when one turned up at a local meet
Absolute works of art. Great channel. Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it
Impressive engineering, and subtle beauty (BMW and Adler anyway). From a different world
Were those two the best bikes in the video ?
@@bikerdood1100 I don't know. I just like them.
Back in the 50's I had a Victoria Vicky III 50cc moped and my best friend had a NSU Quickly moped of the same capacity.
Cool
I have a mate who's still got an N S U moped with the little green tank on the back 😊
I see something ive never seen in every video , and learn something i did not know .
Brilliant !
Just glad you enjoy them
Another great video as always thanks for your effort.hi from New Zealand 🇳🇿
Thanks
Beautiful designs. My old man had a fully restored R27 back in the early 80's, it was a beautiful machine. Interesting as always. Thanks.
Glad you found it interesting
Only German bikes I've had was a DKW moped as a kid and later a 250 DKW from the fifties. Bought the 250 for around £20 just to have for transportation when the British bikes was down for maintenance.. Once did a 300 mile trip on it. Slow but reliable. Fun fact, many small machines in the fifties had upside down forks.
Very true
As did Scott in the teens
Which really proves that nothing is ever new
The main reason for the popularity of the 250 class in Germany was the class IV driving license at the time. Valid for tractors up to 25 km/h, for cars up to 250 ccm and for motorcycles up to 250 ccm.
And 250cc was also a very popular class in Austria. To support their own motorcycle industry, the import of 250cc motorcycles was subject to high import duties. That's why the NSU Max for Austria had 297 ccm.
Cool
That NSU Max is reslly good looking especially in the single seat form - would make an interesting styling basis for a retro 250/350 commuter alternative to the scooters
Suzuki did try something like that but they just built something that looked weird
Yes, Suzuki SW1@@bikerdood1100
@@besenwieslersepp1011 that’s the Bladger
A friend of mine (he's from Norwich) owns 2 Francis Barnett 250. I had never seen this brand here in Germany, before. And I'm 63, now. You bet I've seen a few ;-)
Well you don’t see too many on the road, but in the odd occasion on the summer they appear
@@bikerdood1100 Ha! About "the odd occasion": our definition of summer is: "when the rain is warm."
Great video
Well done 👏
Thanks
What you might not know is BMW had that exact engine ready to be used in a Scooter , the prototype was the R 10, at the last minute BMW decided to go for the Isette threewheeler
They have dabbled with scooters a little over the decades
Great vid as always. How about a video on vintage small displacement italian bikes?
Hold that thought for a few days
Germany always seemed to over engineer there machines everything thought out and everything served a purpose for ownership ease, the bikes you've mentioned are all superb and ahead of their time , I would love anyone of those 250cc bikes , I own a B M W K75c which is 35 years old , I've owned it for 15 years never let me down , can do my own services on it , great video really enjoyed it . Thank you 😊
The great thing about older bikes is ease if service
The BMW R25/3 single cylinder engine was also used in the BMW Isetta bubble car. Initially (1955-56) it was of 250 cc, of which around 10,000 were produced. In February 1956 it was increased to 300 cc, with 161,360 being made before German production ended in 1962. Isetta of Great Britain - who produced right-hand drive versions from 1957 - also ended vehicle production at the same time, though the engines were produced until 1964. The Isetta, which was produced in both three-and-four-wheeled versions, was the vehicle that saved BMW from bankruptcy.
It was indeed
Stylish but not particularly practical, thank goodness for the mini.
Pity the 300cc engine wasn’t put into a proper motorbike.
@@bikerdood1100 It served me well enough and stopped me freezing and soaking on the 75-mile-each-way commute that I'd previously endured all year round on my 250 Jawa. My RAF pay of seven quid a week ensured that a Mini was out of the equation in the early 1960's! The Isetta could be driven on a motorcycle licence, too, so I didn't have to worry about taking another test.
@@chrisweeks6973 ahh Government pay
I know it well
I´d be interested in some opinions about German motorcycles in Britain and vice versa, in those days. I´m German and have rarely heard of British bikes over here, except maybe Triumphs of the 70s and 80s or sports types used for racing (Norton Dominator). There were so many interesting makes but they didn´t even have own importers. Detlev Louis of Hamburg was a main import business. At one time an older neighbour told me of a Velocette he owned in the fifties, but couldn´t remember specifics. Probably one reason for that mutual reluctance was high prices because of taxes. Another one may have been the necessity of a complete set of extra tools (bolts and nuts metric/imperial units). And what´s more, foreign machines were probably deemed unneccessary, regarding the choice you had in either country. Which from today´s point of view is rather regrettable. We could have needed a good number of the British larger capacity fourstrokes since the majority of German motorcycles was smaller twostrokes. A 250cc would have already been deemed a substantial machine. The larger types that are pictured in every collectors book and magazine were in reality rare and costly. The standard bike in Germany in the 1950s was a 125-200 cc 2stroke. brands DKW and Zündapp DB come to mind. For a short period the 350cc Horex Regina led on the large capacity section, followed later by the NSU Max 250. 500cc BMWs and Zündapp 601 were elite and very expensive. That handful of 350s (except the Regina), Triumph Boss, Victoria Bergmeister, DKW RT350, Horex Resident, came in 1955-56 when the ship had already sailed and they made no impact anymore. For many of our proud companies the last courtain came in the years around 1958-1960. Some of them survived with 50cc lightweights. One brand that soldiered on quite a few years and is missing in your video is Maico (125 and 250cc), who did well in trial sports and - as army contractors! 2strokes, probably unheard of in GB (their tank badge was almost identical to Matchless!).
Anyway, I´d like to hear what appearance German brands made in Britain - would a British motorcycle enthousiast have considered trying a machine from the continent? Were they even available?
Oh, and if you have a chance to look at the 350 and 500cc NSU Konsul - wouldn´t THIS machine warm the heart of every British motorcycle enthousiast? Today much cherished for their "British" appearance, they were deemed obsolete for their unruly behaviour back in the day. They shook so hard that you had to fasten or replace all the bolts after every excursion. Btw, NSU started this model in the 1930s with the help of British engineer Walter Moore of Norton - Birmingham, which led to translate the brandname as "Norton Spares Used". One more British-German connection (besides Triumph).
Well I have featured the odd German bike but they are of course Rae sites here
Did feature a Victory recently and have done the odd video on German machines
Horex, MZ of course we own one after all
Did a video on German 250s a few months back but they were expensive here so few brought them in the 50s but after that of course the bike market collapsed across Europe
Dam you inexpensive cars 😂
I do plan a video on scooters which will feature the Maico scooters, shot a lot of film if then recently at a shoe but have only featured their Motor across bikes so far
Great video again. I didn’t know all of the bikes and miss the Horex Regina. Are you planning a part 2? Maybe featuring DKW although the finished building 250s in the late 30s afaik.
Just not enough room
There’s the scooters and MZ, Dkw too
Enough for another hopefully
@@bikerdood1100 I see. So I hope for part two. Btw: 250cc was especially popular in Germany because of the fact that the car driver licence allowed people to ride motorcycles up to 250cc till 1954. Born in 1961, I had to do a proper motorcycle licence in 1980, because the car licence allowed only to drive 50cc mopeds with a Vmax of 40km/h.
Surprised the awo simson 425 tourist not on the list 120.000 produced and a lovely bike and no mention of mz !!
Only room for 5 per video
Besides room for another video
Is the 3-wheeler BMW Isetta worth a mention? They redesigned the engine around a BMW one-cylinder, four-stroke, 247 cc motorcycle engine which generated 12 hp. The first BMW Isetta appeared in April 1955.
Is it a motorcycle
Cute yes but too many wheels 😂
My dad had an Adler MB 250 , a two stroke machine from 1954 , it was originaly light green but sprayed black in the 60s . It was capable of 120 km an our .
Extreme buildquality beqause it still lives with a policeman who baugt it from dad in 1995 .
Nice
How about looking at Italian motorcycles. My friend had a Gilera and it was brilliant.
Already done
I had hoped to see a Puch 250 like my 58 mod. I know, it's Austrian but they speak German.
Not the same
Americans speak English
Allegedly
One mustachioed guy back in the 30s thought differently.
Just a little tongue and cheek buddy. My way of making a suggestion that you asked for.
what about the DKWs and later the ? MZs
You don’t think I only intend to do one video do you 😂😂
MZ are also covered in my videos on eastern bloc bikes
And the DKW rt in most important bikes ever
MZ? Missing in action with the longest run of them all.
Only 5 bikes
Got to save something for another video
Also see videos on eastern bloc bikes if you like an nice MZ
Had an MZ at a time when I was destitute. I will always have a soft spot for them.@@bikerdood1100
An old work colleague had a mz 250 supa 5 bought when they were cheap to buy quite rare now dont see many even the etzs.
It’s been a surprising long time since MZ was in production
We have one we are preparing for the road currently
It’s a TS