1956 DKW RT 200 S

Please kindly note that this motorbike will be available for viewing by prior appointment in Dortmund: please contact [email protected] for booking.

DKW was founded in Zschopau in 1919 by Danish engineer Jorgen Rasmussen and built its first motorcycle power unit, a single-cylinder, clip-on engine for bicycle attachment, in 1921. Designed by Hugo Ruppe, this 122cc motor was a two-stroke, and DKW would remain faithful to this engine type from then on, becoming world leaders in two-stroke design in the 1930s thanks to the prescient adoption of the Schnuerle loop-scavenge system. The latter used flat-topped pistons rather than the then-conventional deflector-crown type, relying on carefully angled transfer ports to direct the incoming charge around the cylinder. DKW was Continental Europe's largest motorcycle maker at this time, manufacturing a huge and diverse range of road bikes throughout the 1930s. One of its last introductions immediately prior to WW2 was the immensely influential RT 125, which was manufactured after the war by Harley-Davidson as the Model 'S' and BSA as the Bantam. DKW themselves recommenced production of the RT 125 in 1949 and in February 1951 introduced an enlarged, derivative: the RT 200. An air-cooled single, the RT 200 engine had bore/stroke dimensions of 62x64mm for a capacity of 191cc and produced 8.5PS (8.38bhp), which was transmitted via an integral three-speed gearbox. A maximum speed of 95km/h (59mph) was claimed. The original RT 200 was produced from February 1951 to April 1952, by which time 19,240 had been made, and the design would undergo progressive development for the next several years: RT 200 H, plunger rear suspension and full-width hubs; RT 200 2, different forks; RT 200 S, swinging-arm rear suspension; RT 200 VS, leading-link front fork. Production ceased in July 1958.

This RT 200 S comes with a dating certificate issued in 1989 at 383 kilometres stating that it was in very good condition both mechanically and cosmetically at that time (the current odometer reading is 5,727 kilometres). Additional documentation includes a German Fahrzeugbrief (registration document and the original service booklet. The engine turns over.
Offered with key