c.1951 Imme R100

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

The Imme R100 must have looked very much like 'the bike from the future' when it was launched in 1948; indeed, such is its modern-day status as a motorcycling design icon that one was included in 'The Art of the Motorcycle' exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in 1998. Intended to meet Germany's demand for affordable transport in the post-war years, the Imme was the work of motorcycle engineer Norbert Riedel, whose factory was located at at Immenstadt in Bavaria. Despite being a relatively cheap ultra-lightweight, the Imme bristled with innovative features, many of which presaged future developments in motorcycle design.

The R100 was powered by a 99cc two-stroke engine with integral cylinder head, which, with 4.4bhp on tap, was one of the more powerful similar-sized engines of the period. Early versions were unusual in having a crankshaft supported on one side only. Equally odd was the three-speed gearbox's change pattern, which had first gear positioned in the middle between second and third, and no dedicated neutral position (a mechanism disengaged the clutch when the engine was idling in first gear).

A tubular spine frame supported the engine/gearbox unit, while the suspension consisted of a single-sided coil-sprung pivoting 'fork' at the front and a single-sided coil-sprung swinging arm at the rear, which also functioned as the exhaust pipe! In 1950 a more lavishly equipped 'export' version was introduced boasting the conveniences of battery electrics, an electric horn, a speedometer, and a centre stand among others.

The R100 turned out to be a considerable sales success and some 10,000 had been sold by the autumn of 1950. However, certain aspects of the design proved troublesome; Riedel switched to a conventional two-bearing crankshaft but warranty claims began to exceed the R100's slim profit margin and the company was declared bankrupt at the end of 1950.

There are no documents with this export model. Its mechanical condition is not known but the engine does turn over.
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