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When Radmeister came to Holland |
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The
Radmeister Family. By: Jan Preuthun In
addition to cars, DKW Auto Union also made motorcycles. Perhaps inspired by
Hitler’s idea of "cars for everyone", Auto Union designed an
everyman’s motorcycle called Radmeister before WWII. It never reached production, however, as Germany’s
heavy industry came under the strict control of the Wehrmacht soon after.
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After
the War, German engineers were exported to the allied countries’ flagging
industries, as part of the war reparations. - One
of these engineers was Bernhard Neumann from Auto Union, who came to Holland
to do service there. He had managed to "save" the blueprints for
the Radmeister from DKW – Auto Union. - The
illustration to the left doesn’t show the original, but the version which was
completed in Holland and later manufactured in both the UK and Germany. |
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Above:
the finished M14 version of the German motor wheel in the English embodiment that
went under the name of “CycleMaster” (I’ve “borrowed” the pictures somewhere
on the Internet, but I’m afraid I can’t remember where). |
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- However,
a crisis prevented the development of the M14 model from being completed, so
the engineers simply mounted a friction wheel on the motor unit and, hey
presto, a VeloSolex copy had been created. - The
model was named “Berini”, after three of the project members, viz. Bernhard,
Rinus and Nico, and was given the model designation M13. |
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The
motor could also be used for other purposes. Thus, an outboard boat motor,
the BoatMaster M15, was created, and also a stationary motor called the
LandMaster M16. Unfortunately, I am (as yet) unable to provide pictures of
these. |
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An
adaptation of the same motor allowed it to be used as a crank-mounted motor
with roller transmission. This is the Dutch Berini CycleStar M19. |
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Another
possibility was to merely alter the mounting of the motor wheel a little,
allowing the M14 motor to be mounted on the crank of a bicycle. This
picture shows the English version, which had chain drive and went under the
name of CycleMate. |
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In
Germany, the Rabeneick M53 with belt drive. - It
was imported to Denmark by Nellemann & Drewsen, who christened it “Hunter
Master”. - The
picture to the left shows a specimen currently on display at the Museum in
Sæby. |
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For
the front suspension, one of the German engineers, Oskar Siebler from
Schweningen - Holland, developed this simple swinging-fork suspension. - The
patent archives reveal that he worked for Auto Union in Chemnitz before and
during the war. Following his stay in Holland, he worked for Auto Union,
which had relocated to Ingolstadt/Donau after the war. - DE840361 Federung insbesondere für
Fahrräder mit Hilfsmotoren und lichte Motorräder. Application
filed December 7th in Germany. |
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Bernhard
Neumann worked for Auto Union A-G in Chemnitz until and perhaps also during
WW2. Patent applications from Auto Union from that time show that he was
mainly involved in car design. - The
patent DK84676C was granted in 1958; suspension device for auxiliary motor
with friction-wheel drive for bicycles. An
initial application had already been filed in Germany on December 2nd
(DE909416) - No
Berini models came out of this idea. |
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Nico
Groenendijk arrived at the egg-shape of the Berini M13’s tank by soldering
two headlights together. In
Holland the motor has earned the appropriate nickname of ‘Eitje’ (=egg). The
reserve function is achieved by simply having a wall inside the tank, so that
not all the fuel has direct access to the tap. - Should
the need arise, the bike can simply be tipped on its nose, giving enough fuel
for a further 10 km. |
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Willy
Patzelt, who I have unfortunately been unable to find more information about,
is listed as the inventor of GB669268 A
bicycle driving set mounted in the spokedrum of a hub of a driven roadwheel.
Patent filed on September 5th 1950. The
idea of the patent for the mounting of the large sprocket so that it takes up
as little space as possible across the width of the bike. In
the preferred embodiment shown far left, the sprocket is also a stressed
element in the construction. |
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The
motor had a rotary valve. - It
could inadvertently be incorrectly assembled by being turned 180 degrees
after a repair. As
the concept "politically correct" had not yet been invented,
this was an acceptable method for checking the valve’s function. Picture
translation: 5)
Blow air (prefferably mixed with smoke) into the admission tube. 6)
Turn the flywheel in the same direction, as the engine rotates, until the
smoke passes through the orifice in the crossmember. |
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Here
is the Danish version of the Berini M13. As
can be seen on the picture, it was imported by Axel Ketner of Copenhagen. |
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I’d
been wanting to do a little picture series on the Berini M13 and its happy
owner for a long time ...... .....
and I was finally able to on December 10th 2006. Luckily the sun
was shining from an azure blue sky that day. - I
had been asked over by musician Niels Jensen, who wanted to demonstrate his
Berini, which he uses regularly for ever-day transport: "Well
that’s what it was made for, isn’t it?", he says. |
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I
just want to get a side view before it’s taken out for a spin... |
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...and
from the other side. - The
bike has a good and sturdy frame. - Many
veteran enthusiasts would probably find the non-period carrier box and wire
lock innapropriate, but says Niels: "it
is practical to be able to lock the moped securely and carry things on
it". - The
setting is “De Gamles By” in Copenhagen. |
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Now
it’s time to see it go, so the petrol tap is opened... - Note
the handsome aluminium front wheel with drum brake. |
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10
meters, and it springs to life. |
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It’s
difficult to keep up your pessimism when riding this wonderful machine on a
sunny day. |
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It
makes no more than a faint purr, when it goes past at full throttle. |
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After
an enjoyable morning, one detail still remains to be demonstrated. The petrol
cap has an in-built measuring cup, making it easier to get the oil/petrol mix
right. |
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When
Radmeister Came to Holland. By: Jan Preuthun - In
addition to cars, DKW Auto Union manufactured motorcycles. Perhaps inspired
by Hitler’s idea of "cars for everyone", Auto Union designed an
everyman’s motorcycle before WWII called Radmeister. It never made
production, however, as Germany’s heavy industry came under the strict
control of the Wehrmacht” soon after. - Development
of the motor wheel wasn’t continued until after the war, but ended up giving
rise to a whole little family of machinery. The common trait of the family
lies in the driving unit, i.e. the cylinder and head, piston, crank and
rotary valve. The “children” of the family are the various primary and
secondary drive mechanisms and positionings of the drive unit on the bike.
This will be further explained below. - After
WWII, Germany was to pay war reparations to the allies. Both Ivan and Uncle
Sam were eager to use the skilled German engineers for the rebuilding of
their industries. Those Germans who were able to fled to the west, and at
least two of them ended up as prisoners of war in Holland, where the allies
had set up the organization "INTERPRO”, International Ingenieursbureau
voor de Ontwikkeling van Industriele Projecten N.V., Den Haag", whose
job it was to support Holland’s ailing industries and help get the most out
of the work of the Germans. Bernhard
Neumann and Oskar Siebling, who had both worked for DKW Auto Union, ended up
working for car and motorcycle importers HNG (Hart, Nibbrig & Greeve NV),
Parkstraat in Den Haag. They were to help complete development of a small
2-stroke car from Auto Union, but the project stranded due to lack of
finances. Meanwhile, Bernhard Neumann had brought with him from Germany the
blueprints for the Radmeister, which was a rear wheel for a bicycle with a
built-in motor, tank and exhaust. - HNG
liked the idea of building a motorwheel for bicycles, so they had their own
designers Rinus Bruynzel, Nico Groenendijk and Willy Patzelt (I’m not sure
whether the latter was Dutch or German) continue development with Neumann and
Siebling to realize the idea. However, development problems led to a change
of direction for the project, so a motor that was almost identical to the one
in the motorwheel ended up being mounted on a bicycle front fork with roller
drive to the front tyre a la VeloSolex. This construction was named Berini
M13 after three of the men working on the project, namely Bernhard, Rinus
and Nico. - For
production, HNG established the company "Motorenfabriek Pluvier" on
May 31st 1949 (The
word Pluvier means plover (the bird))- In
addition to using the little M1 motor themselves, they also exported it to a
German bicycle and moped manufacturer, who mounted it in a bicycle and called
the product “Panther Baby”. - In
November 1949, when production and sales of the small (it weighed a mere 7
kg) motor had got going, development of the motorwheel was continued. It was
introduced to the public at the Utrecht industrial show in April of 1950 and
given the designation M14. INTERPRO
soon sold licences for production of the motorwheel to August Rabeneick of
Germany, where it was marketed under the name "Taxi", and to EMI
Ltd. in England, who were faithful to its origins in simply calling it
CycleMaster. - In
1952, the HNG marques launched CycleStar M19, where the motor had been
adapted to crank mounting with roller transmission to the rear wheel. The
front forks were sprung using rubber bands according to a patent created by
Oskar Siebling. - The
motor could also be used for other purposes however. Thus, an outboard boat
motor, the BoatMaster M15, was created, and also a stationary motor called
the LandMaster M16. - With
a few modifications to the mounting, the motor gear unit used in the
motorwheel M14 could also be crank mounted, as it was in the English
CycleMate with chain drive to the rear wheel and the German Rabeneick M53
with belt drive to the rear wheel. - The
motor was a great success in the first half of the ‘50s, as it was small,
light and inexpensive. Despite its smallness, it had plenty of torque due to
the rotary valve. - The
company Axel Ketner imported the M13 in the form of a complete Berini moped,
i.e. a sturdy ladies’ bicycle with a small engine mounted on the front forks.
This came to compete directly with the VeloSolex 330. I still fail to
understand why it didn’t win that race, as the Berini was much easier to ride
than the 330. And the Axel Ketner version also had other advantages, such as
aluminium rims, which don’t rust, and a drumbrake on the front wheel, which,
unlike the Solex's poor rim brakes, also works in rainy weather. - Another
Danish company, Nellemann & Drewsen, imported the German M53, which they
called “Hunter Master”. |
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Thanks to |
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Picture
of the CycleMate. |
Smith's
Autocycles http://www.autocycles.co.uk |
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Picture
of Berini M13 pamphlet. |
Tom
Nielsen, Tejn |
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For
demonstration ride and morning coffee. |
Spillemand Niels Jensen http://www.selskabsmusik.dk/ |
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For
research, translation and proof reading. |
Erik Nurup |
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For
historic proof reading and pictures. |
Joen Jensen |
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For
translation of this article into english. |
Niels
Coley |
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Dear reader. Should you have
any information that can shed further light on this subject, please write to:
preuthunATveteranknallert.dk |
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