DKW 75 cc two-stroke Pastime scooter

DKW 75 cc Pastime scooter

With Phil Aynsley

Within the Thirties DKW was the most important motorbike producer on the earth, with over 20,000 staff. It had been a quick rise since its founding in Zschopau, Germany in 1916 by Danish engineer Jørgen Rasmussen.

Rasmussen initially produced steam fittings earlier than turning his hand to a steam powered automobile which he named the corporate after (Damf Kraft Wagen – “steam motorized vehicle”).

Their first full motorbike, a 142 cc 2-stroke, appeared in 1922. By 1928 Rasmussen was doing so properly that he bought a controlling share of the small automobile producer Audi Work AG.

DKW continued to focus on 2-stroke motors for each bikes and automobiles (together with forced-induction V4s fitted to some automobile fashions within the Thirties).

In 1932 the Nice Despair compelled the merging of DKW, Audi, Horch and Wanderer into the Auto Union firm (the four-ring brand of which remains to be utilized by Audi right this moment).

After WWII the unique manufacturing facility in Zschopau turned the MZ works and the design of the corporate’s RT125 was given to the UK and US as conflict reparations the place it turned the BSA Bantam and H-D Hummer.

DKW continued manufacturing of each automobiles and bikes in Ingolstadt and 48,000 bikes had been made in 1955 alone.

Nevertheless the growth occasions had been over by 1958 and DKW merged with Victoria and Specific to type the Zweirad (Two Wheel) Union.

In 1966 the ZU was purchased by Fichel&Sachs with bikes made after that point bearing both the DKW or Hercules title.

One very talked-about mannequin from DKW’s publish conflict growth period was the Pastime scooter. Launched in 1954 some 44,000 had been constructed till 1957.

The tooling was then offered to Manurhin in France who continued to provide it with a number of modifications, notably an computerized clutch. In 1960 the scooter’s title was modified to the Concorde however manufacturing ceased in 1962.

The Pastime seen right here is from the ultimate (’57) 12 months of manufacturing and unusually for the time it employs wire spoked, reasonably than strong rims and a telescopic entrance suspension. DKW claimed it to be “the one two-wheeled automobile fitted with an infinitely variable computerized gearbox”.

A guide clutch was used nonetheless to allow the motor to idle as if in impartial, through a latch on the hand grip. Different options included a pull-cord starter and totally enclosed chain ultimate drive.

A Bing 14 mm carburettor fed the 75 cc 2-stroke motor which produced 3 hp at 5000 rpm, which enabled a high velocity of 64 km/h.

This specific scooter was offered by Pratt & Osborne’s Geelong dealership and spent most go its life engaged on the Geelong docks.