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• We’re 16 again!
• KTM 50 RSW – expensive, loud and fast
• Every trip becomes a race
• Yamaha RD 50 DX – screaming fuffie
• Kreidler Florett RS-GS – almost like new
• "If it doesn’t ignite, then dap"
• Speedometer up to 140 – the blast
• Hercules Ultra II LC makes you look sporty and firm
• Back to the 50s
• The market is booming

84 photos

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Today we move out with six representatives of the last wild 50s generation (four of them already with water-cooled engines), before the authorities gave us the supposedly more sensible, less dangerous (what we laughed) 80-cubic derivatives back in the early 1980s.

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The small Yamaha RD 50 DX from Hardy Ruff holds the Japan flag high in the field and already shone with quality in its year of construction 1977.

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The pedal is only enough for a few turns of the crankshaft on the Yamaha RD 50 DX, pushing is easier and faster. Hearty, with a bright, sawing sound, the diaphragm-controlled two-stroke engine speaks out, the loudest of all 50s, by the way.

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None of the 50s owners, who all indulge in their 50s enthusiasm with passion, let themselves be present at the big get-together.

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Georg Wenzl, owner of the Hercules Ultra II LC: "I drive the Ultra because I am just as enthusiastic about the timeless look, its reliability, the good chassis as well as the powerful brakes and the high-revving motor as I was 35 years ago. I have now driven 31,000 kilometers on my first silver Ultra II LC, which I bought in 1979."

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The Ultra turns in really jaggedly, almost nervously the front, when rolling along with the allowed 50.

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Dismantled: The actually standard luggage rack does not hide the view of the successful rear end of the Ultra.

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The footpegs of the Hercules II LC engine.

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Even at the 6000 threshold, from which there is more noticeable progress, the KTM looks more snappy and turns more willingly over the 8000 mark, where the Ultra is already a bit tougher again. Only nuances, but every detail counts here.

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The Hercules can be started at civilian speeds and gets down to business earlier, but not so energetically.

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The structure of the cockpit and lamp cover of the Hercules Ultra II LC looks unusually high. Sporty, crouching behind the pleasantly cranked Magura-M handlebars, with the feet placed far forward on the pegs, the Hercules soon shows that it wants to be counted among the top sellers.

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The two wide mirrors even allow a good, practical view to the rear.

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Confident: The advertising of that time speaks of a visual and technical masterpiece.

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Seat cushions and spring elements make you feel firm, sporty hardness is the order of the day.

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Wide M handlebars, high, stylishly styled handlebar-proof fairing, but unadorned plastic rocker switches on the handlebars.

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A highlight in the 50s – the double disc brake not only looks important, it also decelerates great.

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Mass-produced goods: The water-cooled Sachs engine is also used in the KTM, among other things, and it received stylish new housing covers for the Hercules.

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You feel enthroned very high on the moped, sitting on the rather hard, angular bench bent over the chrome-plated 13.2 liter tank, very close to the pleasantly cranked M handlebar and you quickly realize that the expected wide usable speed range is probably Wishful thinking was.

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Sporty styled handlebars meet a sober (at least whitewashed in black) cockpit that only offers the most necessary lights.

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The operation of the Kreidler Florett RS-GS.

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Brand pride: The equipment is also world-class, with a standard luggage rack and crash bar.

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Air-cooled, but by no means an air pump: The proven Kreidler motor is at the top in terms of performance.

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The Kreidler is at the forefront with a howling engine (primary drive or cooling fins, or both?).

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You can always recognize a Kreidler immediately, and success in racing made the brand world-famous early on.

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The almost new Kreidler stands for the steadfastly pursued independent concept of the company from the Swabian Kornwestheim.

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The usual 6.25 HP are given for the series Kreidler, and the good starting behavior, which was once praised in the test, is also shown today when you have the bow (with gas / without gas).

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Who doesn’t like to think back to his youth and the time and the adventures with the nimble 50s??

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Herbert Engelhart, owner of the Puch Cobra 6 GTL: "I had a difficult youth – I had to drive my older brother’s Zundapp, but dreamed of a Cobra 6 GTL. In 2010 I finally bought an accident Cobra that had been gathering dust for over 20 years and meticulously restored it. My childhood dream came true a little late."

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The Cobra does what it looks like.

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Shapely and elegant – this is what a rear end can look like. And even with a practical tool compartment…

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Clever: spring struts that can be adjusted in five positions using an easy-to-use lever. The sporty styled Sebring exhaust sounds dull and discreet.

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Who Sachs? You can get a powerful, water-cooled two-stroke 50 (with 22 Bing carburetor) from Puch on your own.

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Small disc, big effect: the performance of the Tokico brake is impressive. The composite wheels too…

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The rear wheel of the Kreidler Florett RS-GS.

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Well-graded, neatly shiftable five-speed gearbox, stable chassis, clean handling without bitching or wobbling, even decent brakes with a bite that is easy to control – everything is there, there is little that one could blame the Kreidler for.

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The Zundapp two-stroke engine, equipped with a Mikuni carburettor, goes to work with its very own, bright metallic sound and, with its elastic characteristics, saves the driver one or the other gearshift process, which actually requires lifting the whole leg with its long gearshift travel.

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Anyone who builds such benches with textured leather and embossed company logo demonstrates a love of detail. Replacement original banks mutate into a real investment…

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The luggage rack of the Zundapp KS 50 WC TT.

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The noble brand emblems on the tank of the Zundapp KS 50 WC TT.

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The beautiful Zundapp 50 is a bit longer than the competition and does not need a water pump.

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The wheel of the Zundapp KS 50 WC TT.

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As sovereign as the KS 50 engine appears, the equipment and workmanship of the Munich-based designer are also sublime.

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At that time, Zundapp drivers had to listen to the stupidest sayings: If it doesn’t ignite, then dapp.

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The market is booming, and items that have been in good condition or restored have long been paid for up to 3500 euros or more.

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Alfred Lohner, owner of the Kreidler Florett RS-GS: "I belong to the representatives of the “Once a Kreidler, always a Kreidler” category and was already a Kreidler driver back then, something was already possible with the three-speed Flory. I bought my red RS-GS about three years ago, completely restored it and now it is driven regularly and is not spared. Problems? No."

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Robert Bauer, owner of the Zundapp KS 50 WC TT: "As a teenager I would have loved to drive Zundapp, but had to put up with a Honda CB 50. Today I make up for everything, I bought the green KS 50 three years ago, completely restored it and now it is ready to drive in the garage together with the other four KS 50s and the four 80s."

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Thanks to the Cobra’s last gear, which has a favorable ratio, you can suck up to the Yamaha and the KTM, use the momentum to pull past and get up and away.

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The Puch also proves its independence in terms of drive – of course, no Sachs motor is used here, but a self-developed water-cooled 50, which, like the Zundapp 50, does not have a water pump.

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Back then, KTM always had the reputation of being the classy athlete, expensive, loud and fast in the clique.

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The KTM almost defiantly competes in this discipline in unrestored original condition, not even wearing its small lamp cover. Has something too, honest signs of use.

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The KTM 50 RW starts moving, the two-stroke rattle adds up to a stately background noise, passers-by stare at us, sometimes in delight, sometimes shaken.

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We were all 16 times. And anyone who drives a motorcycle, collects and / or restores two-wheelers today has most likely started his two-wheeler career on a 50 cubic machine.

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Hardy Ruff, owner of the Yamaha RD 50 DX: "It is small, light and impresses me with the great design. In 1977 I bought the RD 50 new, sold it in 1981 and finally rediscovered my former moped in 2001. I had to buy it back, and since then I have always enjoyed driving the RD in its original condition, which has hardly changed, at meetings and 50s trips."

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Corresponding to its appearance, the RD drives as nimbly as the proverbial bicycle, but becomes a bit stubborn when turning in at a higher speed, as if it were suddenly rolling on a 19-inch instead of a 17-inch front wheel.

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The swing arm, the strut mount and the simple chain tensioner of the small RD are also delicate, almost fragile.

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The seat of the Yamaha RD 50 DX that turned out to be a bit too hard.

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The level of the one liter oil tank can be conveniently checked via the sight glass in the side cover.

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No frills in construction, but the membrane-controlled, air-cooled RD motor has it all behind its ears. At high speeds, it delivers power and volume.

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The operation of the Yamaha RD 50 DX.

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The (not standard) M-handlebar fits perfectly with the ultra-slim RD. Clear, accurate clocks are the Japanese standard.

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The RD appears incredibly narrow and delicate, the knees almost collide on the narrow tank, the narrow, hard seat provides just as little comfort as the suspension, anything over 60 kilograms seems out of place on the Yamaha, a moped for racing jockeys.

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In the first test in MOTORRAD 23/1978, the KTM earned praise for the luxurious equipment and the competitive price given the performance offered.

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Pleasant handlebar design and cooling water temperature display score points, wildly wriggling hands on VDO watches are annoying.

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The simple operation of the KTM 50 RSW.

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The Cobra by no means turns out to be toothless.

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Clear, easy-to-read and tidy cockpit with fidget-free needles but a simple ignition lock on the Cobra.

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Slim silhouette, powerful engine, six gears – the Puch was already surrounded by the myth of the fast exotic woman back then.

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Advantage and disadvantage at the same time. At least the Puch can claim that it was designed by Porsche and shows off a six-speed gearbox.

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With prices around or over 3500 marks, none was a bargain. The Puch Cobra 6 GTL lined up seamlessly here, but the Austrian clearly marked the exotic.

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As long as I keep the speed between 6000 and around 8500 rpm and stir quickly in the cleanly shiftable, perfectly stepped six-speed gearbox, the Puch Cobra 6 GTL is good at it.

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An almost identical 50s quintet was once beaten in a tough test across the Alps. High continuous speeds, high loads – not all of them made it through…

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Gerhard Eirich, editor and driver of the KTM 50 RSW: "The KTM has fascinated me before. It was rare, noble and expensive and exuded a sporty flair. Today it inspires me with the robust Sachs engine and the great equipment. It’s fast, but still comfortable. With a well-groomed RSW or RLW, I could get weak."

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When the clutch is disengaged to shift gears, the engine howls without my intervention – is the throttle cable hanging or what? As long as I drive full throttle, no problem.

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Full equipment: three-way adjustable spring struts, Brembo disc brake also at the rear, fully encapsulated chain – praiseworthy.

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You have to get used to the KTM first, because it doesn’t behave that perfectly.

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The well-known, water-cooled Sachs engine is a bit more powerful in the KTM than in the Hercules.

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If the moped is smoking, the driver is also allowed to smoke – there is space for the box in the compartment under the fuel filler flap.

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The Yamaha embodies the most blatant cliche of the fuffie screaming at the highest speeds.

50s from Hercules, Kreidler, KTM, Puch, Yamaha and Zundapp in comparison

We’re 16 again!

Content of

The 1970s were the last few years of the fast 50s before the 80s came. MOTORRAD Classic turned back the clock and experienced first hand how seasoned men in the moped saddle can become 16-year-olds again.

E.It’s not always fun getting older. At least today. In the past, however, every year counted, it couldn’t actually go fast enough. Finally 15, the moped was ready, it was a tough motorized start, but it was a start. The infinitely agonizingly slow year up to the 16th birthday was finally over, now at most the financial hurdle of high insurance premiums stood between us and the moped. With 40 km / h on the Mokick? No way. Adult mopeds were popular, with the official 6.25 hp, as was common at the time. Something works with that. In every sense.

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50s from Hercules, Kreidler, KTM, Puch, Yamaha and Zundapp in comparison
We’re 16 again!

On the trail of youth

Today we move out with six representatives of the last wild 50s generation (four of them already with water-cooled engines), before the authorities gave us the supposedly more sensible, less dangerous (what we laughed) 80-cubic derivatives back in the early 1980s. We have brought together the most important representatives from Germany, Austria and Japan. Yes, Yamaha had already sent a serious competitor to the moped market, which scored points with a neat exterior and an unbeatable competitive price. None of the 50s owners, who all indulge in their 50s enthusiasm with passion, let themselves be present at the big get-together. Only Uwe Stingel had to pass and packed his KTM 50 RSW buddy Hardy Ruff into the van, where his Yamaha RD 50 DX was already bustling. It’s okay, so I have the honor of moving the KTM on the photo rides.

Big hello in the parking lot that serves as a meeting point. The anticipation is written on everyone’s face, and the mopeds also shine in the finest quality for the special day. The KTM almost defiantly competes in this discipline in unrestored original condition, not even wearing its small lamp cover. Has something too, honest signs of use. The convoy starts moving, the two-stroke rattle adds up to a stately background noise, passers-by stare at us, sometimes in delight, sometimes shaken.

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KTM 50 RSW – expensive, loud and fast

I am amazed at the civil arrangement of the handlebars and footrests, the comfortably padded bench and the usable knee joint on the narrow but by no means puny KTM. At the time, a KTM always had the reputation of being the classy athlete, expensive, loud and fast in the clique. Buddy Chris had one like that, ridden down a bit. What did the rest of the gang smirk when they tried to start up the mountain with a wildly dragging clutch and stalled the box for the third time. Nothing going on without speeds. Even Soren was already over the mountains with the 50cc Honda Dax (which, by the way, is also great for three people, which we have proven often enough). Centrifugal clutch and semi-automatic – and bye.

Today it seems less dramatic to me. Sure, starting with less than 4000 to 5000 rpm does not work at all, even swimming in traffic hardly works, from 6000 rpm the power kicks in, the red area from just over 8000 rpm must be ignored, only at almost 9000 rpm switch min, this is how it works. Just to guarantee the connection in the next aisle, otherwise you will starve to death on the Austrian. I have to get used to the KTM first, because it doesn’t behave that perfectly. The fork pecks listlessly over every patch of tar and practically does not respond at all, the cooling water thermometer in the cockpit refuses to provide information.

Every trip becomes a race

I try to swim with the crowd behind the photographer’s car on the way to the first photo location. But it is already clear that different rules apply in the saddle of a fifty man and that different behaviors emerge. Driving behind with reserves in the throttle? No way. Anyone who shows weakness will be sniffed at. Strolling is barely tolerated, at some point almost everyone loses the 6.25 horses. Suck in, shear, peel off. This is how it works. Every trip almost inevitably mutates into a little race. I try to maintain discipline and already fight with the RSW that is not running perfectly. When the clutch is disengaged to shift gears, the engine howls without my intervention – is the throttle cable hanging or what? As long as I drive full throttle, no problem. The speedometer needle of the notorious VDO “water clocks" oscillates wildly between 60 and 95 km / h, the Kreidler and the Yamaha pull past me. The same problem when stopping at the first intersection – the engine speed leaps upwards unchecked.

That cannot be said of the Yamaha, which I switch to when I change my vehicle for the first time. The small RD 50 DX from Hardy Ruff holds the Japan flag high in the field and already shone with quality in its year of construction 1977. Like the Kreidler, the small two-stroke engine dispenses with the water jacket and relies on the airstream for cooling, but it mimics the pioneer in terms of lubrication and is the only one in the field to shine with advanced separate lubrication. The RD is inglorious, as criticized in the test back then, with the launch behavior via kick starter. The step is only enough for a few turns of the crankshaft, pushing is easier and faster. Hearty, with a bright, sawing sound, the diaphragm-controlled two-stroke engine speaks out, the loudest of all 50s, by the way. Big mouth, what’s behind it? Well, to start off you need speeds in the upper four-digit range.

Yamaha RD 50 DX – screaming fuffie

The Yamaha embodies the most blatant cliche of the fuffie screaming at the highest speeds. Only the range between 8000 and 10 000 rpm is possible for driving, honestly the red area only begins there. Fortunately, the gearbox proves to be appropriately stepped and easy to operate, and gear changes must be precise and timely in order to move forward quickly. The mounted, non-standard M-handlebars help to take the necessary crouched posture in order to be able to keep up. The RD is incredibly narrow and delicate, the knees almost collide on the narrow tank, the narrow, hard seat provides just as little comfort as the suspension, everything over 60 kilograms seems out of place on the Yamaha, a moped for racing jockeys. Corresponding to its appearance, the RD drives as nimbly as the proverbial bicycle, but becomes a bit stubborn when turning in at a higher speed, as if it were suddenly rolling on a 19-inch instead of a 17-inch front wheel.

Off you go, switch gear, keep an eye on the speed, mistakes are not forgiven, you immediately lose touch. The speedometer seems to be stuck deep, the “competition” is not pulling away completely. The important meters are done on the brakes anyway, as we know. And that’s where the RD can definitely shine, with a crisp effect and easily controllable bite of the small 203-millimeter solo disc at the front. And so we did 16 vacation trips with luggage at the time? Hmm, we were really capable of suffering. Hardy still is today, after all, he immediately got back the exact RD that he had once sold in 1981 and found again in 2001.

Kreidler Florett RS-GS – almost like new

It is easier to imagine extended tours with the other air-cooled 50 series in the field, the Kreidler RS-GS from Alfred Lohner. The 48-year-old indulged the 1979 model with the six-spoke composite wheels three years ago and completely restored it. A dream of yesteryear that has come true decades later. The almost new Kreidler stands for the steadfastly pursued independent concept of the company from the Swabian Kornwestheim. An air-cooled, horizontal two-stroke engine with a Nikasil-coated raceway, built into a pressed steel frame. You can always recognize a Kreidler immediately, and success in racing made the brand world-famous at an early stage. The usual 6.25 HP are given for the series Kreidler, and the good starting behavior, which was once praised in the test, is also shown today when you have the bow (with gas / without gas). I feel very high up on the moped, sitting on the rather hard, angular bench leaning over the chrome-plated 13.2 liter tank, very close to the pleasantly cranked M handlebar and quickly realize that the expected wide usable speed range is probably Wishful thinking was.

Alfred had already announced it with a grin: “It has to turn, you don’t even need to start below 8000. Then it’s fine. “Well then. There is no red area in the tachometer of the straightforward VDO cockpit, so I give the material as recommended and use the range between 8,000 and 10,000 rpm, in which things are really going. Strolling around at 6000 rpm would also be possible without serious ambitions for acceleration, but the time for that is long gone. The overland passages between the photo stops are used to gas. And the Kreidler is at the forefront with a howling engine (primary drive or cooling fins, or both?). Well-graded, neatly shiftable five-speed gearbox, stable chassis, clean handling without bitching or wobbling, even decent brakes with a bite that is easy to control – everything is there, there is little that one could blame the Kreidler for. It even has a luggage rack on board as standard. Ah, wait, Kreidler was once considered a drunkard, unlike the petrol-starving Zundapp. Back then, in view of the constantly tight budget, that was a shortcoming, as was the high prices for spare parts. But at least you can still get almost everything at Kreidler today, and driving enjoyment is all that counts today.

"If it doesn’t ignite, then dap"

At that time, Zundapp drivers had to listen to the stupidest slogans: If it doesn’t ignite, then dapp. Or had to watch when classmates lifted their left leg with a dumb grin with every step – because of the notorious draw-wedge gear with the miserably long switching paths. Zundapp owner Robert Bauer is sure to leave that cold – he first drove a moped and then a Honda CB 50 and is now simply over it. After all, he not only fulfilled his dream back then, but nine times over. He has a proud five copies of the KS 50 WC TT, plus four KS 80s – each in all available colors. In addition, it has been restored to the finest and original except for the last screw. So it’s no wonder that the Zundapp looks like it’s out of the store, even though the speedometer is already a good 18,000 kilometers. But the freshly revised engine has hardly been run in with a few hundred kilometers. Which doesn’t prevent Robert from shooing the KS 50 away.

“Like back then: Either it lasts or it doesn’t.” That the Zundapp is not one of the absolute barrel organs has not only been known since then, it is noticeable when driving after the first few kilometers. The KS 50 is a pleasantly unspectacular approach – yes, 4000 tours can actually be enough. Not only do you not have to turn the Zundapp, you can’t do it at all, because at the latest in the range of 8500 rpm the performance drops into the basement. Until then, however, the water-cooled engine, which, by the way, in contrast to the Sachs engine, works without a water pump but according to the thermosiphon principle, has the edge. An old performance diagram shows that the Zundapp shovels significantly more horsepower to the rear wheel between 4500 and 8000 rpm than Hercules, KTM or Puch. Only the KTM puts a little extra on top at 8500 rpm.

As sovereign as the KS 50 engine appears, the equipment and workmanship of the Munich-based designer are also sublime. The noble brand emblems on the tank, the design of the seat and the cockpit specially created by VDO for the Zundapp make the KS 50 the most adult motorcycle of the 50s. No crouching over the tank, on the Zundapp you sit loftily behind the broad handlebars, almost in a man’s driver’s position.

Speedometer up to 140 – the blast

The Zundapp two-stroke engine, equipped with a Mikuni carburettor, goes to work with its very own, bright metallic sound and, with its elastic characteristics, saves the driver one or the other gearshift process, which actually requires lifting the whole leg with its long gearshift travel. So where Hardy moves wildly in the transmission on the Yamaha, I can stay in gear undisturbed on the KS 50 – when rolling through towns. If it is important to leave the pack behind at the end of the town, with the Zundapp I am good at music even without excessive speed. Even if the top speed remains far from the maximum value of 140 on the speedometer scale, this looks important for the interested passer-by when the vehicle is stationary. What would we have given for it in the past in front of the ice cream parlor or the disco … Things like the extremely solid luggage rack and the three-way adjustable struts are helpful, but at least back then they wouldn’t have been a real selling point. Too much common sense. It had to look good, be fast, and affordable.

The latter did not actually apply to any of the German 50s models. With prices around or over 3500 marks, none was a bargain. The Puch Cobra 6 GTL lined up seamlessly here, but the Austrian clearly marked the exotic. Advantage and disadvantage at the same time. At least the Puch can claim to have been designed by Porsche and show off with a six-speed gearbox. The Puch also proves its independence in terms of drive – of course, no Sachs motor is used here, but a self-developed water-cooled 50, which, like the Zundapp 50, does not have a water pump. A display is available in the functionally designed cockpit for control purposes, which nowadays always shows civil values ​​between 90 and 100 degrees. Owner Herbert Engelhart does not generally have any heat problems with his Puch. The 48-year-old Austrian made his childhood dream come true with the Cobra, which he completely rebuilt from an accident machine – at the time he had to “use up” his older brother’s Zundapp, his dream moped, a new Cobra, was unaffordable at the time . Slim silhouette, powerful engine, six gears – the Puch was already surrounded by the myth of the fast exotic woman back then.

Herbert Engelhart, owner of the Puch Cobra 6 GTL: "I had a difficult youth – I had to drive my older brother’s Zundapp, but dreamed of a Cobra 6 GTL. In 2010 I finally bought an accident Cobra that had been gathering dust for over 20 years and meticulously restored it. My childhood dream came true a little late."

It actually turns out to be petite when I change from the Zundapp. The narrow, quite tight bench, the sitting posture behind the M handlebars promise sportiness, the impeccable starting behavior and the civil performance characteristics suitability for everyday use. Similar to the KS 50, the Puch allows you to start off without speed orgies, and offers performance from 4000 rpm, which is enough to swim with. From 6000 rpm, the Graz-based woman gets serious and adds, but does not deliver the very tough bite, because it increases more evenly in the middle. With which the Cobra is by no means presented as toothless. As long as I keep the speed between 6000 and around 8500 rpm and stir quickly in the cleanly shiftable, perfectly stepped six-speed transmission, I’m always good at it in the crowd.

A couple of tighter bends in a forest passage allow me to slow down late thanks to the effective front brake with a perforated disc and thus catch up with the somewhat lost top group, and at the latest on the long straight federal road that soon follows, I also have the knife between my teeth. I’ve long since cursed my fluttering trouser legs worn over my boots – that easily costs me two to three km / h. They can be decisive. Thanks to the Cobra’s last gear, which has a favorable ratio, I can suck up to the Yamaha and the KTM, use the momentum to pass by and be up and away soon. Discipline was this morning, now I’m hooked and want to know. The simple rocker switches for lights and indicators don’t bother me now, much more important is the stable chassis, which, according to the speedometer, can’t be disturbed at almost 100 km / h, and the good gear ratios when I get back to fifth in between got to. The Cobra does what it looks like.

Hercules Ultra II LC makes you look sporty and firm

Another myth needs to be consolidated or demystified – was the Ultra really rightly the swarm of all 16-year-olds back then? And how is she doing today? The last change to the green Ultra II LC from Georg Wenzl should show it. The 51-year-old aircraft mechanic fulfilled his dream back in 1979 and bought a brand new silver Ultra. He still owns it, but has brought the green one with him today, which he also bought in 2010. “The exhaust is not entirely original, so it works a bit better in the middle, but doesn’t turn out at the top so willingly,” admits Wenzl-Schorsch, as the others usually call him. Okay, sit up then. The structure of the cockpit and lamp cladding looks unusually high. Sporty, crouching behind the pleasantly cranked Magura-M handlebars, with the feet placed far forward on the pegs, the Hercules soon shows that it wants to be counted among the top sellers: Seat cushions and spring elements make you firm, sporty rigor is the order of the day.

The two wide mirrors even allow a good, practical view to the rear – that’s good, after all, I want to see who is attacking from behind. But first I’ll be at the back of the line, want to try out a bit, braking, handling, I’ll catch up with the field again. The Sachs engine is the one already known from the KTM, but its intake and exhaust system are tuned differently. So the Hercules can be started at civilian speeds and gets down to business earlier, but not as energetically. Even at the 6000 threshold, from which there is more noticeable progress, the KTM looks more snappy and turns more willingly over the 8000 mark, where the Ultra is already a bit tougher again. Only nuances, but every detail counts here.

The market is booming, and items that have been in good condition or restored have long been paid for up to 3500 euros or more.

The five-speed gearbox with draw-wedge gear also needs to be operated with vigor and care, but it makes up for it with relatively short gearshifts. But now gas, I have to catch up. The speedometer shows clearly over 90, why can I hardly get any closer? It’s not my turn until I’m in town, I’m happy about the ultimate handling when I circle manhole covers. The Ultra steers in really jaggedly, almost nervously at the front, when rolling along with the permitted 50. The double disc brake was a sensation at the time, even the fiery red, air-cooled Ur-Ultra left us drooling in the dealer’s yard. But she only keeps the promise she has apparently made to a limited extent, she speaks somewhat bluntly and needs a strong pull on the lever to decelerate properly. But it does an excellent, reliable job on brisk pass descents, as the Wenzl-Schorsch credibly assures. I do not doubt that.

Anyway, after a day like that, I’d like to put a copy of every 50s in my garage. Because all of them, each in their own way, bring the 50s back to life and turn back time as soon as you are in the saddle. Cheers to the 50s!

Back to the 50s

We were all 16 times. And anyone who drives a motorcycle, collects and / or restores two-wheelers today has most likely started his two-wheeler career on a 50 cubic machine.

We were all 16 times. And anyone who drives a motorcycle, collects and / or restores two-wheelers today has most likely started his two-wheeler career on a 50 cubic machine. In the best case, not on a moped or moped, but on an unthrottled, usually almost 100 km / h fast moped. And who doesn’t like to think back to his youth and the time and adventures with the nimble 50s?.

The market is booming

The trend continues to bring back a piece of youth at an advanced age and with the money that may have been missing then, or to realize former dreams today. The market is booming, and items that have been in good condition or restored have long been paid for up to 3500 euros or more. Films and series that deal with youth life around the fast fifties contribute their part to the interest and the growing cult status of mopeds. The film “Der Schluchtenflitzer”, for example, has long been a cult (see DVD tip) and so has the 50s meeting of the same name in Schrobenhausen, Bavaria (information: www.schluchtenflitzer-sob.de) with steadily increasing visitor numbers. A good entry page on the topic with many links is e.g. www.die-kleinkraftrad-ig.de

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