Hercules (motorcycle)

Hercules is an entity belonging to Accell Group German bicycle brand based in Schweinfurt, which is accepted at present ( early 2014 ) of the CPB is approved by the antitrust authorities. It goes back to an originally established in Nuremberg bicycle and motor vehicle manufacturers. The members of the former Nuremberg motorcycle industry production were taken in 1995 by the Sachs Vehicle and Engine Technology GmbH, but abandoned in 2004.

Bikes of the brand " Hercules" to be built since 2003 in the Hungarian Tószeg (small area Szolnok ).

History

The company was founded by Carl Marschütz (* 1863 in Burghaslach, † April 19, 1957 in Los Angeles ), founded on 5 April 1886 as Velozipedfabrik Carl Marschütz & Co. in Nuremberg Bleichstraße. After the brother of the founder, Heinrich Marschütz, had joined as commercial director in the business, it changed its name from 1887 as the Nuremberg Velozipedfabrik Hercules. The company grew quickly. In 1888 it had to move to the Fürth Road 61, the production of space. Employed in 1890 to 75 staff, who produced 1000 bicycles; four years later, there were twice as many, which produced 4700 bikes. 1895 you could purchase a newly built premises in the Fürth Street 191-193. Employed in 1896 to about 250 workers and produced 6,500 bicycles. 1897, the company was converted into a public limited company.

From 1905 to 1907 Hercules presented briefly also manufactures motorcycles. Only in 1928 it was worth it but again, to build motorcycles, as in the German Empire accounted for the license and tax liability for motorcycles under 200 cc. Hercules has always had built -SEW motors. As one 1930 with Fichtel & Sachs ( F & S) began in Schweinfurt, to manufacture engines, they were used immediately in Hercules. Collaboration with Fichtel & Sachs had been in the bike segment since the beginning of the century very closely, inter alia, because of the Torpedo freewheel hub. Hercules established itself in the market segment of light motorcycles up to 200 cc and the mopeds.

The Nazis ended the career of Carl Marschütz. He was a Jew and had to emigrate to California - the Hercules works were " arisiert ". The brothers Marschütz had to leave far under value of their shares.

During World War II, the Hercules plant was destroyed by the air raids on Nuremberg to 75 percent. The remaining tools and machinery were subordinated by the Americans disassembly and sold abroad. The bicycle production could be started on a modest scale until 1946. Since 1949, motorcycles were also restored. The new owner of the work was the Dresdner Bank. In 1956, the Hercules -Werke were taken over from Fürth Grundig Group, but acquired two years later on straw men of the Fichtel & Sachs AG. Since the R & S engines were also used by rival companies, the inclusion remained a secret to the Sachs Group until 1962 /63. 1965 acquired F & S, the two-wheeler union ( DKW, Express and Victoria). The moped production of Hercules was first laid in the former factory of the two-wheeler union in the Nuremberg Nopitschstraße 70; later this became the headquarters of the Nuremberg Hercules Werke GmbH. Since that time we used abroad if the brand name "Hercules" was not allowed to be used, the sales designations " Sachs " or " DKW ". From 1993 to 1996 Hercules sold by Peugeot manufactured scooters under its own name.

From 1987 to 1991 took over Mannesmann the Fichtel & Sachs Group. The bicycle division of Hercules was sold with the brand "Hercules" in 1995/96 to the Dutch ATAG Cycle Group. The production of bicycles in Nuremberg found that you end, the brand is now used by the Accell Germany GmbH. 1997/98 presented Fichtel & Sachs, the production of engines. The former motorcycle production of Hercules was renamed "Vehicle and Engine Technology Sachs " in and sold to the Dutch whinning Wheels Group ( Koch Kleeberg Group) in 1998. 2001 acquired a group of Hercules managers the remains of the company since then the brand name " Sachs Bikes" used. 2004, the production site was cleared in the Nopitschstraße, produced mainly in China has since been using Honda engines. In Nuremberg there are only development and sales. In October 2008 the company was changed to " SFM GmbH".

2014 CPB has bought the rights to the brand Hercules of the Accell Group.

Truck production

Hercules built from 1898 trucks with electric motors and from 1905 with internal combustion engines. Were offered models from 1.5 to 3 t payload with self-developed engines. From 1912, there were prepared and trucks with chains and shaft drive. After the First World War, the truck production had little success and had to be adjusted with the onset of the economic crisis in 1928.

Car production

Between 1932 and 1937, a three-wheeled two-seater was produced with a built-in motor of ILO 200 cc in small numbers. The vehicle could be driven without a driver's license and motor vehicle tax.

Era of mopeds, moped and mopeds

In the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s Hercules was very well known and successful in the German market for light motorcycles. The model program started at 50 cc mopeds and scooters, went about two-seater moped and mopeds up to light motorcycles with 100 cc and 125 cc.

In 1963, the Hercules -Werke were taken over by the Group Fichtel and Sachs. 1965 Hercules took over the two-wheeler Union and produced identical or modified only in tiny details parallel offers its own program under the two-wheeler union brands DKW, Express and Victoria.

The practiced at Hercules modular principle meant the production of only a few basic types using engines of the parent company Fichtel & Sachs Classically, it was initially fan -cooled moped engines with cranks or Kickstarter, served with two speed and three-speed draw key gears for driving mopeds and moped, and uprated three- and four-speed motors for driving the mopeds without speed limit.

With a new airstream cooled base engine of 2.9 hp peak output and three- speed manual and four- speed transmission with kickstarter Mokicks were equipped; the optically same engine was used with extended five- speed gearbox and 5.3 hp at first the mopeds as a drive. Only visible difference was the carburetor cross section. Finally, the motor with large fan -ribbed cooling surfaces and 6.25 hp was offered. At that time models have been divided at the peak mopeds between Hercules and DKW that the Hercules models, the comfortable, soft springy front fork got with long swingarm, DKW - types, however, the harder, but more modern in appearance telescopic fork. Apart from the insignia of the mopeds were otherwise identical. This Hercules model also ended the USP of Earle's long swinging fork; this expensive, but very comfortable construction was impossible to find later.

The Hercules Ultra 50 was the first moped on the market with dual disc brake on the front wheel. The last run was also made with water cooling and 6-speed manual transmission; it served as the starting point of the subsequent 80 - cc light motorcycle engines, which had to make do because of legal restrictions with 5 courses.

Performance limitations for the limited to 40 km / h mopeds and moped were achieved mainly in mass production with small carburetor cross-sections; an illegal carburetor conversion opened some speed enhancements by over 60% and a corresponding maximum speed close to that of mopeds. Such illegal modifications result in controls and after accidents in the loss of insurance coverage, damage claims and possibly to other problems, for example, for driving without a license or without a license.

Parallel new engines were introduced with horizontal cylinders and cranks in the lower segment, which replaced the old blower motors. These motors with input centrifugal automatic or handgeschaltetem two- speed gearbox were in mopeds (25 km / h) and mopeds fitted (40 km / h).

In the early 1970s they brought even a moped (E 1 Accu bike ) with electric drive (750 W at 3600 rpm. ) Out, but was granted the virtually no success.

In 2004, when the German production ended in Hercules, nor the moped Hercules Prima 4/5 / SACHS Hercules Prima and Optima 50 / SACHS Optima 50 were sold.

Motorcycles

Also available in larger displacements Hercules and DKW Motorcycles for holders of motorcycle driving license were offered: the first built engines with four- speed gearbox and 8.5 to 10 hp at 100 cc in the model 'K 100' followed by a five-speed motor with initially 12.5 and then 17 hp (6-speed variant) ³ from a displacement of 125 cm. Some "hobby tuner " built this big engine in moped frame ( design specific speed 40 km / h) one at top speeds up to 140 km / h The same because of strictly observing modular principle connecting dimensions of the engines and landing gear make this possible without mounting problems. Such vehicles have been issued, according to official police seizures in various museums, including in Dusseldorf.

The Bundeswehr bought from 1970 Kradmeldermaschinen Hercules: the model K 125 Bw " Military" with 125 cm3 and from 1991 to 1996, the K 180 Bw A special technical feature was the first standard in 1974 built Wankel motorcycle, the Hercules W 2000, originated using a modified snowmobile engine.

GS Models GS 125, GS 175, GS 250 and GS 350

Mopeds

Due to increasing number of accidents, the 50 cc mopeds (KKR ) in the insurance premiums were extremely expensive. Lawmakers banned from 1 April 1982, the new authorization of KKR and created the class of 80 cc light motorcycles. In the 1980s, however, this particular German market for light motor vehicles fell sharply, since here the insurance premiums increased extremely. Conversions in the 10 hp class could only be driven with driving license class 1 over 18 years. Hercules had on the economic failure of the light motorcycles no services for larger motorcycles, the production of economically unsuccessful Wankel motorcycle was already set in the late 1970s. Another problem was the competition from the Far East for Hercules.

Hercules moped 25 Automatic

Hercules 220 PL ( 1965)

Hercules Sportbike 3 (1976 )

Hercules Lastboy

Hercules MK 2

Hercules M2 (1977 )

Hercules Lastboy German Federal Post Office (1969 )

Hercules Prima GT (1992 )

Hercules MK 3 X ( 1970)

Hercules type 219 (1958)

Hercules KX 5 (1990)