Vintage German Motorcycles
Classic Motorcycles AT
BMW Museum, Munich
This page lists brand names beginning with the letter "B" for which we currently have only an historical precis.
For a more complete listing visit the German Index.
Bafag
Manufactured in Achern, Baden-Württemberg, by Badisches Albertus Fahrzeugwerk AG.
Bafag was licensed to build Albertus crude oil engines.
An advertisement for the 1924 Leipzig Trade Fair offered motorcycles and a sports two-seater with a crude oil engines, the selling point being that crude oil was only 20% the price of petroleum. At the Stuttgart motorcycle exhibition in May 1924 the firm displayed motorcycles under the Bafag name, using the Albertus.
The company traded from August 1923 until September 1924, when it was liquidated.
Source: Motopedia
Bals
Manufactured by Heinz Bals of Bückeburg.
Produced limited numbers of sidecar combinations based on BMW twins in the 1980s. Models were HBC , HBF and HBT. A former military helicopter engineer and pilot, Hans began developing competition sidecars in 1978.
Sources: Gespann-Lexikon; winni-scheibe.com.
BB
1923-1925. Motorenbau B. Bortius, Stettin, Lange Strasse 4. Built lightweights using Alba 197cc four-stroke engines.
Source: Tragatsch p84, prawobrzeze.eu
N.B. Other manufacturers used variations of the name B.B. or BE-BE. Tragatsch refers to this one as an "iron-making" company.
Bamar
Manufactured 1923-25 by Fahrzeugwerke Barth & Co., Marburg an der Lahn
Built motorcycles using two-stroke engines from DKW, Alba , Gruhn and Baumi of 149 to 198cc
Sources: Tragatsch p82, motor-hist-foto.de.
Basse & Selve
Manufactured at Altona in Westphalia, Hamburg, the factory was founded in 1908 by Gustav Selve. Many sources state that they manufactured engines for automobiles, motorcycles, boats and aircraft. However, none of the company's advertising makes any mention of motorcycle engines.
It is known that they were an early adopter of alloy pistons (some say they invented them) and that they built a semi-desmodomic 4-valve V-six.
Sources: Autopasion18.com, et al
Beck 1919~1929
Beco
Josef Becher founded a workshop in Wesel in 1922, and in 1923 was selling bicycles, motorcycles and automotive spares. The company was renamed to Becher & Co. GmbH in mid-1923 and began marketing Beco motorcycles with engines of 1.5 hp, 2 hp, and 2.5 hp. Beuker engines were also in the product line.
In 1924 Beco riders took first, second and third in the up 150cc class at a local racing event.
It appears that motorcycle production ended sometime in late 1924 or early 1925. However, the firm survived the rigours of the mid-1920s and continued in the automotive trade. It exists in Wesel to this day: auto-becher.de
Source: Motopedia
BEF 1908-1914
Befag
1922-1924
Built otherwise conventional motorcycles powered by crude oil-powered engines of 113cc and 176cc designed by Julius Löwy.
Believed to have been built by Albertus
NB.There is a suggestion that production may have continued until 1926.
Sources: Tragatsch p84, wikipedia.nl
Behag
1924-1926
Built modest machines with open frames fitted with their own 218cc two-strokes, and JAP 348cc and 490cc side-valve engines.
Both the Behag and the Befag are believed to have been built by Albertus
Sources: Tragatsch p84, wikipedia.nl
Benz 1896
Bergmann Engines 1921
Beresa
Bergo
Built in 1924 using 145cc DKW engines. The company was probably H. Ahlers & Berg GmbH of Kiel.
Source: Tragatsch p86, et al.
Bero
Manufactured 1924-25 by Fahrradwerk Schaumburg, Bückeburg
An established bicycle factory, they built lightweight motorcycles using DKW 145cc two-stroke engines.
Sources: Tragatsch p86, motor-hist-foto.de.
Bergsieger 1960s
Binder Sidecars
Manufactured by Karl Binder in Reichertshofen, N. of Munich, from 1952 to 1956. Some 800 of these were built exclusively for DKW for their 250 and 350cc machines.
Source: Gespann-Lexikon
Bismarck
Manufactured 1921-23
Built lightweights with 148 cc engines. Unrelated to Bismarck of Radevormwald.
Sources: wikipedia.nl
Black Tea Motorbikes GmbH
Brunhamstr. 21, Gebäude 223
81249 München
Website: blackteamotorbikes.com
Facebook: fb.com/groups/blackteariders
The firm manufactures an electric motorcycle named Wildfire capable of 80 km/h.
BNF
Manufactured from 1903 to 1907 by Bielefelder Nähmaschinen and Fahrradfabriek AG (B.N.F.)
They built motorcycles in Bielefeld using Fafnir singles and V-twins.
Sources: Tragatsch p92, wikipedia.nl
Bode Gespann
Manufactured by Bode Gespannbau & Motorcycle Service
Erndtebrück Wittgenstein Germany
Source: bode-sidecars.de
Bodo 1924-25
Boes 1903-1904
Borgward 1925-26
Boxergarage
Sidecars manufactured by Horst Liedke in Eifel, Germany, with a focus on BMW R1100 and R1200 S and GS conversions. The Tripteq dealer was active from 2005 until Horst died in 2022.
Source: Gespann-Lexikon
Braak
Manufactured 1923~1925 by Motorräderzeugung Johann Braak, Gronau in Westfalen. The owners were the brothers Johann and Ludwig ter Braak.
According to Tragatsch the firm fitted engines of 129cc and 198cc from Heilo and Namapo into frames supplied by Hugo Gruhn. Motopedia, however, asserts that the 131cc engines were of their own manufacture and were available separately. They were eligible for the tax-free category.
The Braak appeared in regional and national racing events from 1925 to 1927. Johann Braak is recorded as a dealer for Tempo three-wheelers in 1930.
Sources: Tragatsch p93, motor-hist-foto.de; Motopedia.
Brabus
The Brabus 1300 R is based on the KTM 1290 R Evo.
Power 132 kW/ 180 HP; Torque 140 NM; 0-60 mph 3.2 seconds; Dry weight 194 kg;
Source: brabus.com
Bradley
Bradley-Gespann built the first tilting sidecar in 1929. Press reports were apparently very favourable.
Source: Gespann-Lexikon
Bravis
1924-26
Bravis motorradbau, Munich
The firm built motorycles using 148cc two-strokes probably of their own construction along with Bosch-Douglas 297cc HO Twins from SMW.
Franz Seelos of Munich rode these in many Bavarian competition events with considerable success. The name Franz Seelos is associated with that of Martin Stolle and the D-Rad racing team of the late 1920s.
Sources: Tragatsch p93, wikipedia.nl, das-leichtmotorrad.de
Beissbarth
Beissbarth Motorrad GmbH operated in Munich from 1902 to c.1932. In the years 1902 to 1905 they offered FN motorcycles under their own brand, including the "Beissbarth 4 Cylinder Motor-Rad".
In 1922 and 1923 they offered motorcycle powered by a 270cc two-stroke engine which had a two-speed gearbox and kickstarter. Final drive was by belt, and it had block brakes on the rear wheel.
The firm offered D-Rad motorcyles from then until about 1932.
Source: Motopedia
Bruno v. Festenberg-Pakisch 1920s-1939
Brüsselbach
Allright-Cito-Fahrradwerke Efferen-Köln.
Conrad Brüsselbach of Köln-Lindenthal revived several pre-war marques, producing mopeds under the names Cito, Allright and others.
Models included:
Sources: mo-ped-se; Farben-Schiessl; et al.
Bubenzer
Sidecars manufactured by Hartmut Bubenzer, the most famous of which is the Nalpalm model, developed from napalm bomb casings.
Sources: roadrocket.de, et al.
Bubi
1921-1924
Clever Fahrzeug-Industrie, Peters & Co.,
Haagsche Straße 40, Cleve (now Kleve).
This was a bicycle factory which attached 1.5hp side-valve four-stroke engines of their own manufacture to strengthened bicycle frames. These engines were supplied to Argul and probably others, and were quite similar to those produced by Gruhn and Alba.
The Bubi name appears in 175cc and 200cc racing records several times in 1922 and 1923.
Sources: Tragatsch p98, motor-hist-foto.de; Motopedia.
Buker
A commercial motor-dreirad was built in 1927. 500cc and 600cc engines were available.
Source: Axel Oskar Mathieu Archive
Bulldog Motors
Manufactured 2019 - c.2022
Branch for Germany, Benelux, Austria
Schlossstrasse 19 - 55296 Lörzweiler
bulldogmotor.de ✝
In 2021 they offered scooters and motorrad of 50cc to 400cc. It is unclear who manufactured these.
Bulldog Motors is quite possibly an American firm.
Bullo
1924-26
Bullo-Fahrzeugwerk, Bremen, Bullo Elektrad
The 0.7hp electric motor was mounted above the front wheel, and the large 120 amp battery box was mounted low in the frame. It had a belt-rim style rear brake. The battery could be charged using DC or with alternating three-phase current via rectifier from domestic supply.
Sources: Tragatsch p98, wikipedia.nl, das-leichtmotorrad.de, invenio.bundesarchiv.de
Bülow
1923-25
Manufactured by Ernst Bülow Kraftfahrzeugwerk, Magdeburg-Neustadt, Inslebener Straße 1
Models P24 and F24. These had a plywood frame with an engine of 2 or 2.5 hp and two speeds.
Sources: Tragatsch p98, wikipedia.nl, das-leichtmotorrad.de
Burgfalke 1958
Butz 1934
BWS 1927-1933
Rarer German Marques
