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 gears—a 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