Kreidler 50 Florett
Racing Bikes Kreidler 50 Florett | |
Class | Racing |
---|---|
Weight | |
Manuals | Service Manual |
Photos[edit | edit source]
Overview[edit | edit source]
Kreidler 50 Florett
Kreidler 50 Florett 1961
There was a commercial boom in mo-peds when that small
motor-powered vehicle that can also be pedal-propelled became more popular than
the traditional motorcycle (among European riders, that is, for the moped has
only recently caught on in the United States). In 1961, as the single-cylinder
moped increased in popularity, the FIM decided to set up a European speed
championship for the 50-cc. class, the first edition of which was to be held the
following year.
Kreidler and Tomos were the top contenders for the new championship.
The Kreidler engine was adapted from the Florett series and
generated 8 h.p. It had a two-stroke cycle, a horizontal air-cooled cylinder,
and twelve gearsa record of its kind.
Of course the gearbox did not have twenty-four gears on two shafts. There was
simply a four-ratio gear with two outside overgears acting upon the exit
sprocket of the little motorcycle's secondary shaft.
The body of the vehicle was not as complicated as the engine.
It looked like a sports model. The Kreidler people evidently thought that its
horsepower was enough to give this two-wheeler an edge over the competition, and
their optimism was well founded. The 1961 Kreidler, despite its clumsy
appearance, won the European championship. It was ridden by Hans Georg Anscheidt.
Motorcycle: Kreidler 50 Florett Manufacturer: Kreidler Werke
GmbH,
Kornwestheim Type: Racing Year: 1961
Engine: Kreidler single-cylinder, horizontal, two-stroke, with cross-port
distribution. Displacement 50 cc.
Cooling: Fan-forced air
Transmission: Four-speed block with two outside overgears, providing a total of
twelve gear ratios
Power: 8 h.p. at 12,000 r.p.m.
Maximum speed: Over 75 m.p.h.
Chassis: Single-bar stamped plate, with engine suspended. Front wheel, Earles
suspension; rear, telescopic shock absorbers
Brakes: Front and rear, central drum
Kreidler 50 Florett 1964
In 1962 the Kreidler company prepared a racer different from
the one Hans Anscheidt had ridden to the championship. The engine was again
two-stroke with horizontal cylinder, but fuel was fed into it by two rotating
disks and two carburetors. Its power was increased to 10 h.p. at 11,000 r.p.m.
The resulting increase in speed (almost 90 m.p.h.) made a new chassis necessary.
The 1962 model was given a double cradie chassis with tubular elements.
The performance of Kreidler's new Florett was not good enough to give Anscheidt
another world title. He did win the season's first Grand Prix race, however.
In 1963 Anscheidt's Florett challenged Hugh Anderson's Suzuki
until the final race of the season, the Japanese Grand Prix, when the Kreidler
broke down. The title went to Suzuki.
The Florett was back again in 1964. That season it had an open chassis and
large-diameter brakes. The twelve-ratio gear system was modified and again the
power was increased, this time to about 14 h.p. But it was in 1964 that the
Florett had its worst defeats. Honda and Suzuki had made a host of technical
innovations, and the 50-cc. class was monopolized by the Japanese. The only race
that Anscheidt won in 1964 was the Spanish Grand Prix.
Motorcycle: Kreidler 50 Florett Manufacturer: Kreidler Werke
GmbH,
Kornwestheim Type: Racing Year: 1964
Engine: Kreidler single-cylinder, horizontal, two-stroke, with distribution
through two rotating disks. Displacement 49.6 cc. (40 mm. x 39.5 mm.)
Cooling: Air
Transmission: Six-speed block with outer reduction (twelve gear ratios)
Power: About 14 h.p.
Maximum speed: Over 90 m.p.h.
Chassis: Open frame in tubes with engine suspended. Front and rear, telescopic
suspension
Brakes: Front wheel, central drum with four cam shoes; rear, central drum