Lean And Mean 50cc Fighting Machine: 1981 Factory Van Veen Kreidler
These dastardly little creations are fast becoming my favorite GP relics. Bikes nowadays are very sanitized and there is nothing sanitized about this little thing. We have had a couple of Kreidlers here on RSBFS and it looks like this bike has been for sale since 2009. The listing of the bike since 09 is probably the sign of overpricing but why deprive ourselves of some 50cc eye candy?
Oh my, is that tiny bolt the swing arm pivot? I’ll let you visit the auction for the history on the bike but here are some interesting technical tidbits:
The bike shares very few parts with the production racer. The frame was made by Nico Bakker, as was the alloy swingarm. The short stroke engine holds many secrets as to how Herbert Rittberger managed to obtain almost 22bhp from such a small engine.
It would be fun to pop the engine open with a knowledgeable two stroke tuner and see what surprises, if any, are in there. 22 ponies from that that little sucker is mighty impressive.
It has an interesting radiator set up. Seems like a lot of radiator for 50cc’s. The head even has cooling fins.
The asking price? 18,000 GBP, approximately $29,000. I understand it is a factory bike and quite rare but I would imagine the buyers willing to lay down close to $30,000 for 50cc’s are few and far between.
Ian
I consider this little jewel nothing less than mechanical sculpture. Look at the shape and proportions of that fuel tank alone! And the frame is a stunning geometric metalwork structure- triangulated like a building or bridge’s skeleton. The minimalist wheels, the horizontal motor, the overall long and slim lines of the machine all appeal to my sense of elegant design. Price is irrelevant to me- this is pure art in my eyes.
I agree ! Not being a 2-stroke fan officially I still appreciate the sculptured look of it and all the engineering that squeezes every last horsepower out of the tiny 50cc motor . Amazing technology even to this day of computer generated/tested everything !
I agree also, this bike is as interesting as any I have ever seen, would love to own it, if it was $3K I would be a buyer!
Beautiful. I really want one of these to bomb Palomar, going down of course. Maybe it wouldn’t be as fantastic as I imagine it, but I want to try. Think I could get one tagged as a moped?ha
Hi all
The above gp Kreidler is my own bike and i have been involved in 50gp bike racing for some time, the kreilder is as nice if not better in the flesh and i have some of its gp history. I have hd some offers over the years for the bike but a replica of an aerly 70s kreidler will cost around £15,000 so it would need a considerable offer well over £18,000 for me to sell this bike as you will never find another. I am sponsoring a rider in the UK to race my Kreidlers in 2013.
Chris Alty
Chris,
Thanks for giving us an update on the bike. I still say it is the scariest looking bike ever made. Are the engine’s fragile do to their state of tune?
The engines are reliable but parts like the big end etc are short lived, the bike is no longer for sale and i now sponsor a racer in the UK to race my Kreidlers in classic events.
RegardsChris