Founded in 1886, Victoria built bicycles and began motorcycle
manufacture in Nürnberg (Germany) in 1901.
During the very early part of the 20th. century they even produced automobiles,
though without success. During WWI they produced mostly small bikes and
bicycles, but the business blossomed in the 1920s.
The first Victoria model that became popular was presented in 1921 and
had a BMW 494cc 2-cyl. sv-flat engine with 6.5 HP,
later 8.5 HP. They used a variety of engines, including those of FN
(Belgium) and Columbus.
In 1923 Victoria switched to self-designed 2-cyl. ohv flat engines with
497cc, later597cc.
1925 was the year when Victoria added a Rootes blower to the engine
(see picture) and won a couple of races. With an engine like this the driver
Adolf Brudes drove an average speed of 166 kilometers per hour (103 mph)
in 1926. These bikes were successful only in short distance races due to
overheating problems with the rear cylinder.
Drivers like Sepp Möritz, Eugen Grohmann, Hans Hoefle, Josef Theobald,
Wilhelm Hofmann and H.P. Müller were very successful in the 600cc
sidecar category.
Some models with Sturmey-Archer engines (built by Horex-Columbus) were
added in 1928. The Victoria 2-cyl. engine was improved, and the 1930
KR VI model already had alloy pistons, closed valvetrain and foot-operated
three-speed transmission. The thirties brought a lot
of new models with Sachs, ILO and own twostroke engines from 98cc to 248cc.
The 346cc 1-cyl. model with the Horex-Columbus became the bestseller.
The KR 8 and KR 9 models had a new 498cc 2-cyl. engine with inline cylinders.
In the early 1930s they presented a unique machine which was quite advanced
for the day, featuring a totally enclosed body which afforded protection
to the rider in inclement weather and protected the mechanicals of the
bike from damage from road debris, a common problem in those days. It was
powered by a 500-cc 4-stroke twin.
This motorcycle was entered in a competition for a military contract.
The main reason it lost to the competition (BMW and Zündapp were co-winners)
was its small gas tank which caused it to have a very limited range.
There is evidence to suggest that the bike was inspired by a much earlier
Mars motorcycle
the futuristic "White Mars" of 1921, a behemoth with a 1000-cc Maybach
engine of boxer configuration and a frame of pressed steel.
In April 1945 the Victoria works were almost totally destroyed. In 1947
work was started by rebuilding the bombed out factory and soon the production
lines were again humming. The initial production consisted of upgraded
pre-war models.
After Worldwar II the first model was a 38cc bicycle engine which was
a great success. Its fuel tank was situated underneath the luggage carrier.
Then came the KR 25 model in 1950, which had a 247cc 1-cyl. twostroke engine.
In 1951 Victoria had these models: a 99cc twostroker, the 248cc KR 25
AERO and the 38cc bicycle engine.
1952 another model was added to the production line: the 123cc Bi-Fix.
The KR 25 came with a HM (high-output) engine option with 12,6 HP.
In 1954 the 346cc "Bergmeister" with a V-2 ohv fourstroke engine (designed
by Richard Küchen) was released after three years of designing and
testing. This machine gained considerable success in hill-climb trials
and was regarded as a suitable side-car machine.
The Bergmeister in many ways represents the pinnacle of post-war Victoria
success, even though they had a lot more up their sleeve. They produced
the futuristic Riedel designed 200-cc Swing as well as the lovely scooter
'Peggy', with electric start and an electric push button transmission,
both firsts in those days.
Norbert Riedel, who had designed and built the avant-garde
IMME
joined the Victoria team and designed the 197cc "Swing", which was presented
in 1954/55, but the production costs of this beauty were too high and only
a few units were sold. The scooter version of the Swing was the "Peggy",
which also wasn't very successful on the market.
In 1956 Victoria introduced a fourstroke model with a 174cc ohc Parilla
engine (10 and 15 HP).
The end of the fifties also brought the end of Victoria: it joined the
ZWEIRAD-UNION group and was swallowed by Fichtel and Sachs.
Motorcycle racer Georg Dotterweich achieved a world speed record of
almost 50 miles per hour on a streamlined version of this little beauty.
Victoria saw the motorcycle market shrink and acquired the rights to designer
Egon Brütsch’s ‘’Spatz’’ micro car, an attractive and tiny 3-seat
roadster. This design, initially flawed, had been successfully re-designed
by former Tatra chief engineer Ledwinka.
Financial problems which apparently had no solution stopped production
of this promising lovely little roadster before it really got started.
Victoria developed a proto-type with a removable hard top and gull-wing
doors!
Some mopeds and 50cc motorcycles were the last Victoria models in the
sixties. The brand vanished in 1968.
Information courtesy Hartmut
Schouwer
Victoria Motorcycles
Victoria Scooters
German
Motorcycle Forum
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