Here you can read something about the life of Albert Roder, chief designer of NSU in
the 50s. Sorry, at the moment only in German language available. I'm working on the
translation...
| Misc.: | ||
| Producer: | NSU Motorenwerke AG, Neckarsulm | |
| Type: | 251 OSB | |
| Trades name: | MAX | |
| Engine: |
||
| Bore: | 69 mm | |
| Stroke: | 66 mm | |
| Capacity: | 247 ccm | |
| Compression ratio: | 1:7,4 | |
| Performance: | 17 PS (13 kW) | Supermax: 18 PS |
| at revs: | 6500 1/min | Supermax: 7000 1/min |
| Frame: |
||
| Wheelbase: | 1311 mm | |
| Length: | 2051 mm | |
| Unladden weight: | 155 kg | Standardmax |
| 165 kg | Spezialmax and Supermax | |
| Permissible total weight: |
310 kg | Standardmax |
| 314 kg | Spezialmax and Supermax | |
| Top speed: | 116 km/h | With driver and passenger |
| 126 km/h | Driver only | |
The top speeds are told by the NSU factory and they are a little over enthusiastic. But
remember the people in the 50s were smaller and lighter than today's average Max-driver...
For export to Austria there was a special version of the MAX with 297 ccm capacity. The reason why were the austrian customs laws. To protect their own motorcycle industry (PUCH), Austria took high import duty on every motorbike with less than 275 ccm capacity. To avoid these import duties, NSU (and other factories, too) sold their 250 cc bikes in Austria with a 300 cc engine. The official type of the "Austria MAX" was 301 OSB. This bike had the following technical data (In brackets the data of the normal 250 cc version):
 |
Type | NSU 301 OSB | (NSU 251 OSB) |
|
Capacity | 297 ccm | (247 ccm) |
|
Bore | 72 mm | (69 mm) |
|
Stroke | 73 mm | (66 mm) |
|
Performance | 21 PS / 6600 1/min | (17 PS/6500 1/min or 18 PS/7000 1/min) |
|
Compression | 7,6 | (7,4) |
|
Ignition Timing | 8,4 mm before t.d.c. | (7,6 mm before t.d.c.) |
|
Carburettor | BING 2/27,5/5 bzw. /7 | (BING 2/26/25 bzw. /55) |
Most Max-drivers are looking for such an "Austria engine". It has a long stroke and offers a lot of torque at low revs. You can recognize the 300 cc engine by a stamped "3" above the engine number and (not always) by a cast-in "300" on the bottom of the cylinder at the front.
Why NSU didn't sell this splendid engine in Germany? The reason is, that nobody wanted it here! For a 300 cc motorbike you need the full "Class 1" motorbike driving license and most drivers only had the small "Class 4" driving license, which permitted to drive vehicles up to 250 cc capacity. A 300 cc bike was also more expensive in taxes and insurance, so it would have been no commercial success, if NSU had offered it in Germany...
Model |
Time |
Produced | Frame numbers |
Standardmax |
1952 - 1954 | around 40900 |
1 234 063 - 1 274 973 |
Spezialmax |
1954 - 1956 | around 40000 |
1 274 974 - 1 830 800 |
Supermax |
1956 - ca. 1963 | 15473 |
1 830 801... |
Obwohl die Supermax die längste Zeit gebaut wurde, wurden nur ca. 15473 Stück
produziert, während von der Standard- und der Spezialmax zusammen immerhin über 81000
Stück gebaut wurden.
Dies hängt damit zusammen, daß der Markt für Motorräder in Deutschland ab etwa 1954
völlig zusammenbrach.
Genau genommen sind es natürlich die Sporterfolge der schnellen Schwestern der MAX: Der Zweizylinder-Rennmax, der Sportmax und der Geländemax. Aber besonders die Sportmax und die Geländemax sind doch hinreichend seriennah, so daß ein wenig von ihrem Ruhm auch auf die Serienmäxe abfällt.
- Motorbike means MAX -