Vintage German Motorcycles
Classic Motorcycles AT
BMW Museum, Munich
This page lists brand names beginning with the letter "I" for which we currently have only an historical precis.
For a more complete listing visit the German Index.
Ideal
There are two German motorcycles and two sidecar firms which use the name Ideal:
1.
The Ideal-Express was built by Pachtmann & Schitz, Dresden, Am See 32/34, in the years
1922 to 1928. Models included lightweights with 173cc two-stroke engines of their own manufacture.
Sources: Tragatsch p171; motor-lit-berlin.de
2.
Ideal fahrradmotor Winterbach bei Stuttgart built by Feinbau Maschinen-Gesellschaft M.B.H. in the 1950s.
Ideal Mopeds by Feinbau, 1950s
Source: Period literature.
3.
Ideal Sidecars 1920s-1930s
4. Ideal of Berlin-Kreuzberg, 2012~2025. See below.
Ideal (Berlin-Kreuzberg)
Sidecars manufactured by Ideal Motorräder & Seitenwagen GmbH
Köpenicker Straße 8
10997 Berlin-Kreuzberg
ideal-seitenwagen.eu
Their website was established in 2012, and was updated in 2023. The introduction reads in part:
We manufacture original facsimilies from Steib Sidecars just like those produced in Nürnberg in the mid-50's.
Our extensive selection or parts and accessories are compatible and interchangeable with the originals, making restauration easier.
We deliver connecting parts, frames, reinforced springs and spoke wheels for a wide variety of motorcycles.
Indus
The Berlin firm built motorcycles in 1924 and 1925(1) using 350cc engines designed by Gnädig and built by Kühne in Dresden. These had chain drive via a Sturmey-Archer gearbox, and did well in competition. Some had front and rear leaf-spring suspension.
They also used JAP 346cc and 496cc OHV engines, and OHC Kuchen 497cc engines.
As with so many others, the company succumbed to the devastating inflation of the mid-1920s.
NB. 1. Possibly 1924-1927.
Sources: GTU Oldtimerservice, Tragatsch p174.
Inkarette
INKA-G.m.b.H. of Rude/Oldenburg manufactured (or marketed) 43cc hilfmotors.
Had a relationship with Flink. Some machines were designated Flink-Inkarette.
A Belgian importer advertised the Inkarette in 1950.
Sources: cyclememory.org, et al.
Iwan Bikes
Sidecars dealers and manufacturers.
IWAN BIKES GmbH
Raiffeisenstrasse 24
85276 Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm
iwan-bikes.de
The firm began manufacturing sidecars in 1993. Models include HotRod and BellaVista, and in the 2000s they built conversions for the Indian Chief Bobber and Indian Scout. They have also marketed Sidecar One, Watsonian, Tripteq and Velorex sidecars.
Sources: Gespann-Lexikon, velorexsidecars.com, iwan-bikes.de, et al.
Rarer German Marques
