This 1939 DKW NZ500 is a rare bird, in fact the seller says it’s likely the only one in the USA. It’s a two cylinder, two stroke in remarkable condition. It’s the kind of bike you would be proud to display, but one you could take on leisurely rides through back country roads as well.
The two stroke requires mixing the gasoline and oil and like any two stroke, gives surprising performance for a motorcycle of this vintage. It has a girder front suspension, left side foot shift along with a right side hand shift. Sidecar lugs are present.
The rear swingarm suspension can be adjusted on the fly by turning handles to stiffen or soften the ride. The current owner replaced a long list of items like tires, tubes, clutch, plugs, hand grips, foot pegs and more. It really looks to be very presentable.
These pre WWII era German motorcycles had excellent design and engineering and many manufacturers from around the world freely “borrowed” many of those technical features after the war. This bike would be an interesting addition to any collection. It’s for sale on eBay.
E. R. Ellquist says
Elegant looking motorcycle, is the 500 designation indicative of the displacement? I’m curious about the original specs for this motor, in order to pull a sidecar and the passenger in it along with the weight of the bike itself, it must have had decent power. E
Paul Crowe says
Yes, the 500 is displacement (actually 497cc). A 500 two stroke, even in these early engines, should be plenty powerful enough for a sidecar.
The seller says:
Two strokes are pretty capable little engines.