Trussty Jasmine: Classic

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Monday, June 22, 2020

Here's another unique Spaniard scooters

When we're making an article about a Spanish scooter called Rieju Isard, and caught a glimpse of the shape of the scooter displayed right next to Isard's scooter in the Baselle Motorcycle Museum in Spain. At first, we thought it was the 1950s French scooter named Bernardet C50. But after seeing the brand in front of the scooter, we realized that our guess was wrong.

1953 Husor 201 125cc on display at the Museu de la Moto de Barcelona in Spain. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/30WPHUE)

Inevitably the curiosity approached us, because of that then we made a search effort in cyberspace followed by asking fellow scooter enthusiasts on several well-known social media sites. From one of our colleagues named Jean-do EtJacotte who is a member of the Scooters of Germany Group on Facebook, then we learned it was the Husor 201 125cc. In fact, this scooter was built not based on the new scooter design, it is a modified version of the Soriano Puma 2 motorcycle, which was later produced at Imenasa's factory in Pamplona in 1953.

1953 Husor 201 125cc on display at the Museu de la Moto de Barcelona in Spain. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/30WPHUE)

The scooter mentioned above was built involved two well-known entrepreneurs in Spain in the time namely Navarra D. Félix Huarte, owner of Industrias Mecánicas de Navarra, Sa (Imenasa) and Ricardo Soriano, a Barcelona-domiciled businessman of Malaga, as well as a big fan of the motor world, who was also known to have developed cars and motorcycles in Europe especially France before the 2nd World War.

In late 1952, Navarra D. Félix Huarte, owner of Industrias Mecánicas de Navarra bought the right to make a Puma 2 motorcycle from Ricardo Soriano, a Barcelona-domiciled businessman of Malaga, who had not yet passed the prototype phase. No wonder, if the scooter brand is taken by concatenating the first letters of HUarte and SORiano. It is equipped with a 125cc 2-stroke Villiers engine and coupled with the three-speeds transmission system.

1954 Iruña 202 125cc on display at the Museu de la Moto de Barcelona in Spain. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/30UKNY2)

As quoted from the murzainqui.blogspot.com, it turns out that this scooter model is short-lived by only a few dozen scooters produced. It presented for the first time in March 1953 and stopped producing in September 1954 and the scooter had the honor of being the first Spanish scooter. In 1954, Soriano left the motorcycle business and moved to Marbella to undertake new business challenges in the tourism sector.

Meanwhile, Huarte then continued production of the scooter by launching the Iruña 202. As quoted from Historia del Automovil en Malaga, this new scooter was built based on a design made by Luís Alonso by taking advantage of the technical design part of the Husor 201 previous scooter.

The Iruña 202 scooter was produced from 1954 to 1957 in two colors offered, red and garnet in combination and semi-metallic brown. A total of nearly 1,000 units, although perhaps only 400 were sold. And this unique-shaped scooter uses a 125cc 2-stroke Villers engine combined with a 3-speed manual transmission system so that it is able to carry a scooter with an empty weight of around 90kg able to run up to a top speed of 70 kph.

1954 Iruña 202 125cc on display at the Museu de la Moto de Barcelona in Spain. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/30UKNY2)

But in the midst of heavy business competition in the motor vehicle market at that time, where the Italian scooter brands such as Vespa and Lambretta dominated the market plus part of their production process was also carried out in Spain. So that makes it as one of many Spaniard local brands is unable to compete and eventually cease the producing.

Currently, the 1953 Husor 201 scooter is included in a row of rare scooters, and you can see it on display as one of the collections of the Museu de la Moto de Barcelona in Spain. Likewise with the Iruña 202 scooters.

And if the article above is still considered inadequate or inaccurate, or if you have additional information related to this marque, please don't hesitate to let us know via the comments column below this article.

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Saturday, June 20, 2020

A unique Czechoslovak's police motorcyle called Nanuk

For some reason since we seeing its shape in the virtual sphere some time ago, We were very interested to know more about this classic and unique motorcycle from the Czech Republic. The motorcycle in question named Jawa 350 Type 354 'Nanuk'.

Jawa 350 Type 354 'Nanuk' as the SNB's transportation authority in the 1960s. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2Nc8u6o)

The motorcycle made by Jawa (or Jawa Týnec nad Sázavou), a well-known motorcycle manufacturer from the Czech Republic since an engineer named František Janeček bought the Wanderer motorcycle division and got the license to produce Wanderer 500 OHV under the brand of Jawa in 1929.

Meanwhile, Wanderer itself is a motorcycle division from a German manufacturer named Winklhofer & Jaenicke which was bought by Janiček. So the name of the Prague-based manufacturer is taken by concatenating the first letters of JAneček and WAnderer.

Jawa 350 Type 354 'Nanuk' built by Jawa (or Jawa Týnec nad Sázavou), a well-known motorcycle manufacturer from the Czech Republic in the early 1960s (1961-1964). (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2YcwCMw)

Back to Jawa Nanuk, and why this unique two-wheeled vehicle is called 'Nanuk' (means 'popsicle') due to indeed its looks from front fascia resembles the popsicle. The unique-shaped motorcycle began to be produced by Jawa in the early 1960s (1961-1964) and was built based on the well-known Jawa 350 type 354.

Jawa 350 Type 354 'Nanuk' built based on the well-known Jawa 350 motorcycle model. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2YMttC4)

It was a motorcycle designed for the SNB's transportation authority at the time, by considering the complexity of services on motorbikes. For the reason, this motorcycle is given a combination of white and blue, as the SNB vehicle color differentiation (SNB: the Sbor Národní Bezpečnosti, or National Security Corps or the Czechoslovakia national police from 1945 to 1991 when the Czech Republic still merged into one country with neighboring Slovakia under the Czechoslovak's socialist government).

The instrument panel on the handlebar of the Jawa 350 Type 354 'Nanuk'. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2YcwCMw)

Besides coming up with a distinctive NSB color as mentioned earlier, it turns out some units of this motorcycle are also given a combination of white and red. As quoted from Idnes.cz, the motorcycles (estimated 8-10 units) with this color combination was used for the NSB unit that was guarding the palace where the leader of the Soviet Union Nikita Khrushchev stayed while visited the country in August 1964.

The radio communication equipment attached inside the Jawa 350 Type 354 'Nanuk' side casing. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2Naodma)

Furthermore, the physical uniqueness of the Nanuk Jawa motorbike is largely formed by its large-size plexiglass fairings that cover both sides to half the body. These fairings fully protect the rider's feet from the wind.

Jawa 350 Type 354 'Nanuk' uses a 344 cc 2-stroke, 2-cylinder engine capable of producing power of 18 hp at 5,000 rpm. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2YcwCMw)

While on the front there is a round headlight that looks like a torpedo protruding out from behind the windshield. At a glance reminds us of the headlight of the Čezeta 501 or 502 scooters made by other Czech manufacturers. While on the back, there is also a large side casing that makes it possible to install a radio.

Jawa 350 Type 354 'Nanuk' in another color-scheme white-red and used for the NSB unit that was guarding the palace where the leader of the Soviet Union Nikita Khrushchev stayed while visited the country in August 1964. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2YcwCMw)

To support the Java 350 type 354 "Nanuk" performance, so the manufacturer installed a 344 cc 2-stroke, 2-cylinder engine capable of producing power of 18 hp at 5,000 rpm. The power is capable of making the 352 kg weighted motorcycle running up to a top speed of 130 kph with fuel consumption of 4.21 liters/100 km. Then the tank capacity is capable of storing gasoline as much as 13 liters.

Jawa 350 Type 354 'Nanuk' able to run up to a top speed of 130 kph with fuel consumption of 4.21 liters/100 km. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2US17oU)

It is unknown how many Nanuk has been produced by the Czech manufacturer? Now for sure, the remaining motorcycles have become a rare item that is the most sought after by the world's motorcycle collectors.

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Friday, June 19, 2020

Alfa Romeo 2uettottanta Concept

Alfa Romeo often collaborates with various designers to make their concept cars, like they did in 2010. To celebrate Alfa Romeo's 100th birthday and Pininfarina's 80th. The two then collaborated to realize a beautiful car named Alfa Romeo Pininfarina 2uettottanta, which was read by duettottanta.

Alfa Romeo 2uettottanta concept by Pininfarina is debuted at the 2010 Geneva International Motor Show. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2Y6dfo5)

The 2uettottanta concept car is Pininfarina's vision of how the next generation Alfa spider car should be. Besides that, the 2uettottanta represented the culmination of a long-standing partnership between the two Italian companies and paid tribute to the iconic '60s Duetto roadster.

Alfa Romeo 2uettottanta is Pininfarina's vision of how the next generation Alfa spider car should be. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2Y6dfo5)

How to spell the name of this concept car often causes confusion. The first character is not 2 as it is often considered but the capital letter D as written in the Renaissance. However the name has a meaning: 2 refers to a two-seat configuration, 2uetto for the influence of the classic Alfa Romeo Duetto model and ottanta is '80' in Italian (for how many years Pininfarina has been coming up with such stunners).

Alfa Romeo 2uettottanta concept inside is spacious and comfortable. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2Y6mgxA)

This concept car looks beautiful and elegant with the appearance of red bodywork inspired by the typical Alfa Romeo paint. Meanwhile, 2uettottanta has a width of 1,797 mm (70.7 in), length of 4,212.6 mm (165.9 in), the height of 1,280 mm (50.4 in), and has a wheelbase of 2500 mm. And the faces of the 2uettottanta concept, in particular, is not such a dramatic departure from current Alfa Romeo thinking. And from the side, and the rear, the surfaces are smooth, soft, flowing.

Alfa Romeo 2uettottanta concept, in particular, is not such a dramatic departure from current Alfa Romeo thinking. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2Y6mgxA)

This car is equipped with an elongated turbocharged 1,750 cc four-cylinder engine, a power plant that evokes memories of the 1750 Veloce from 1968, one of many versions originating from the famous "Osso di Seppia" (Cuttlefish). Power is sent to the rear wheels via the TCT box. Another little jewel is the new design for the lever of Alfa's DNA adaptive chassis system.

The Alfa Romeo 2uettottanta concept won the Car Design Award of the Year for the best car design in 2010 in the concept car category at the Geneva Motor Show. And this concept later inspired the birth of the latest generation of Alfa Romeo Spider for the American and European markets in the future. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | WIKIPEDIA | CARSTYLING.RU]

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Thursday, June 18, 2020

A Swedish-made scooter

This time we will discuss a scooter made in Sweden, one of the Scandinavian countries. The scooter in question was produced by Monark, a bicycle, moped, and motorcycle manufacturer that has a production base in Varberg, Sweden.

1957 Monark Monarscoot moped uses a German ILO 50cc 2-stroke engine and pedals like a bicycle. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2UNN5o8)

This Swedish manufacturer was founded in 1908 by an industrialist named Birger Svensson. This manufacturer is also known as Cykelfabriken Monark AB and Monark AB. It is estimated that the first motorcycle of this manufacturer rolled out in 1913. But, there is also a mention of its first motorcycle made in 1908 because this manufacturer is also known to produce a lot of motorcycles under various brands before using their own brand.

1961 Monark Monarscoot scooter uses a Husqvarna 50cc 2-stroke engine that had a footrest, kickstart, and with no pedals. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3ej4ixD)

For scooters, the company originally made a moped called Monark Monarscoot. This two-wheeled vehicle was designed by Sixten Sason, also known as the famous SAAB automotive designer. This is one of the moped models that in terms of design has its own characteristics.

At the beginning of its born in 1957, this two-wheeled vehicle used a German's ILO engine with pedals such as bicycles as well as using the high-wheels like a motorcycle in general.

1964 Monark Monarscoot scooter uses a Husqvarna "Flinta" engine and 10" wheels sized, which also makes it more like the Italian scooter models. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2Bc7GeO)

But along with the time of its development, when in 1961 when a new Sweden rules stating that the mopeds were no longer required to have pedals. So the Monark Monarscoot got its footrest and kickstart since then the model deserves to be called as a scooter.

As mentioned above, an early model of Monark Monarscoot production in 1957 that used the ILO engine with pedals (as a moped). Then for the next model (which can be called a scooter) was roled out in 1965-1968 using the Husqvarna "Flinta" engine. For this model, it uses 10'' wheels sized, which also makes it looks like the Italian scooters.

From then on the competitor, Husqvarna, licensed the Monarscoot and marketed it under their own name. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2Bc7GeO)

From then on the competitor, Husqvarna, licensed the Monarscoot and marketed it under their own name. Then the use of the engine changed again for the model produced in 1969 which is the final year of production, where it uses the Sach engine.

Although the production of Monarscoot scooters had to end in 1969, due to intense competition in the global motorcycle market at that time, the Swedish manufacturer continued to produce motorcycles, especially sport motorcycles, until the manufacturer actually stopped producing in 1975.😭

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Wednesday, June 17, 2020

An extraordinary aerodynamic performance of the Schlörwagen

In the automotive world, there are a lot of coefficient numbers that are needed when the manufacturer or whoever is engineering a vehicle. One of them is the drag coefficient, which is a measure of how efficiently a vehicle moves through the air. When viewed from this drag coefficient number, it turns out that the cars that exist today can not beat the drag coefficient numbers of a 1938 experimental vehicle named Schlörwagen, or known as the nickname "Göttinger Egg" or "Pillbug".

The Schlörwagen was nearly 7 feet wide, mostly due to its body panels that covered the front wheels. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/30LTW56)

This is a hybrid vehicle designed by Karl Schlör. This car was made as an experimental vehicle, which was designed very aerodynamically with a unique shape that rounded in front and then tapers to the back. Seem like, it is intentionally done so that the car gets a minimum coefficient of drag.

This car's story started, when Karl Schlör, a German engineer who worked for Munich-based Krauss Maffei, proposed a very low drag coefficient body in early 1936. Under his supervision at the Aerodynamic Research Institute (Aerodynamischen Versuchsanstalt, or AVA) in German-occupied Riga, a model was later built. The model has then carried out a test in a wind tunnel and produced a very low drag coefficient of 0.113.

The car was designed by German engineer Karl Schlör, who worked at the Aerodynamic Research Institute (Aerodynamischen Versuchsanstalt, or AVA) in German-occupied Riga. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/30LTW56)

The next car model was made in full scale built on the Mercedes-Benz 170H chassis using a rear-mounted 38-horsepower engine. The car's body is made of aluminum which was built by Ludewig Brothers of Essen. Subsequent tests of this full-scale car model showed a slightly higher drag coefficient but still in an impressive number of 0.186.

1942, engineers took a 130-horsepower Russian aircraft motor and bolted it to the back of the car for some test runs. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/30LTW56)

The teardrop-shaped car had flush-fitting windows with curved windows and a closed-floor. Furthermore, the car has a length of about 4.33 meters, 1.48 meters high, 2.10 meters wide, and a wheelbase of 2.60 meters. Although the body was built using aluminum, it was about 250 kg heavier than that of the Mercedes 170H. It was also mentioned due to the aerodynamic shape and its rear-mounted engine far back center of gravity affected the driving safety of the Schlörwagens and made them very vulnerable to crosswinds.

The Schlörwagen, like other aerodynamically-designed cars of the era, took the shape of an airplane wing or teardrop. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/30LTW56)

In a test drive with a production vehicle Mercedes 170H as a comparison, the Schlörwagen was able to run up to a top speed of 135 kph or 20 kph faster than the Mercedes; while the fuel consumption is 8 liters per 100 kilometers or 20 and 40 percent less than the reference vehicles. According to Karl Schlör, the vehicle could reach speeds of 146 kph.

The DLR made a 1:5 scaled model using the original plans and ran it through a wind tunnel to celebrate its 75th anniversary. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/30LTW56)

The experimental car was first introduced to the public at the 1939 Berlin Auto Show and was never mass-produced. Although this experimental car is capable of carrying 7 people in the cabin that is less comfortable, maybe this is one of the reasons why the car was never mass-produced despite being hampered the onset of World War 2.

The Schlörwagen could fit up to seven passengers in its less-comfortable cabin. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/30LTW56)

During the war, the experimental activities of the car were unpublished and almost forgotten. And in 1942, engineers conducted an experiment by attaching a Soviet-captured aircraft engine to the car body. If initially, they expect a result that can provide a breakthrough performance from this awkward and strange creation. However, after several rounds of test tracks in Göttingen. But a 130 horsepower additional power from aircraft engines did not work.

The Schlörwagen was first introduced to the public at the 1939 Berlin Auto Show. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/30LTW56)

After that, the only example of Schlörwagen was kept in a run-down building near Göttingen, in the condition that the chair and wheels were removed. Once, the British Military Administration eventually towed it away somewhere, and it hasn't been seen since. One theory says the car was sent to England, but there is also a mention of the possibility because the body was badly damaged and then scrapped.

And in 2014, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) conducted a retest in a wind tunnel of a model on a scale of 1: 5 based on original images of the Schlörwagen, to see how it performed. The results were amazing, they found that air clung tightly to the vehicle, without causing stalls or turbulence that would slow it down. One of the original drawings kept in the DLR archives in the scale 1:5 is on display in the PS Speicher transport museum in Einbeck. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | WIKIPEDIA | WIRED]

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Tuesday, June 16, 2020

The misunderstood Isard scooter

If we talk about the scooter from the beginning to this day certainly it never ended. Due to this two-wheeled vehicle that started from a very simple form (two wheels and a plank) which then developed in such a way that it was incarnated in various forms as it is today (but still maintained its distinctive shape) and has become one of the modes of transportation that have many users throughout the world to this day.

The Rieju Isard scooters are assumed unsuccessful in the market so that its production was stopped in 1960. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2UGTLEE)

In the heyday of scooters back in the 1950s to 1960s, it was countless how many manufacturers tried their luck to be a success and reaping fortune by producing scooters. Apparently, it seems like they were all inspired by the success stories of the Italian manufacturer duo, Piaggio, and Innocenti who succeeded in bringing the scooters to the whole world. So it can't be denied if the Italian scooter success stories also spread quickly to Spain.

The Rieju Isard scooter looks so tempting with an appearance almost 'full cover body,' and high-wheels posture. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3d1fiy5)

Noted a number of Spanish manufacturing companies also had produced scooters. One of them is Rieju, the mopeds and motorcycles manufacturers that has a production base in Figueres, Spain. This Spaniard motorcycle manufacturer was founded by two young businessmen, Luis Riera Carré and Jaime Juanola Farres in 1934. They began their entrepreneurial adventure by manufacturing bicycle accessories. They fused their names together to create the RIEJU brand name (RIEra+JUanola).

The Rieju Isard scooter uses 50 and 125cc AMC air-cooled engines. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2B7pGHm)

They began to purchase property to construct a factory, but the Spanish Civil War interrupted their plans. After the hard times were over, the Figueres-based returned to its original habitat by making many motorcycle models. Until one day they heard of the success story of the Italian scooter maker duo. So then they decided to try their luck at gaining a big-profit by making a scooter.

The Rieju Isard scooter shape looks like a motorcycle-scooter fusion. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2B7pGHm)

However, this Figueres-based manufacturer did not adopt the reference for its scooter products from Italy but prefer to France. At that time the average French-made scooters had a slightly different shape from the Italian scooters. Where the French scooters use the high wheel posture as it is commonly used by motorbikes in general so that its shape looks like a motorcycle-scooter fusion.

In 1956, Rieju worked on the development of a scooter, by using 50 and 125cc AMC engines. The design was based on the French Sulky high-wheel scooter. In 1958, Rieju introduced its commercial version of the scooter project under the name Rieju Isard, a motorcycle-scooter fusion with a very unique look.

1957 Rieju Isard 125cc (right) posed along with 1955 Derbi Masculino 125cc (left). (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2Y47w2i)

The introduction of a bold and daring look, combined with the ambition to introduce a perfect finished project to the market. In fact, this model nearly drove the company to fail, since it was never successful in the commercial market, and the company made the decision to cease the scooter production in 1960 with very few units sold. Apparently, the low mechanical accessibility and its high price were the main reasons for its low market demands.

1957 Rieju Isard 125cc attached with a sidecar. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3d3WVbR)

It is believed that this scooter population is very small, making it one of the rare scooters that are sought after by collectors. Although there is no longer Rieju Isard scooter on its production list, this Spanish brand continues to produce motorbikes to this day, especially the sportbikes, and also develops electric-powered motorcycles.

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