DKW SB 500

DKW
DKW SB 500 A
SB 500
Manufacturer	Auto Union
Production period	1934 to 1939
class	motorcycle
Motor data
Two-cylinder two- stroke engine with reverse scavenging
Displacement  (cm³)	494
Power  (kW / PS )	11/15 at 4000 rpm
Top speed (  km / h)	115
transmission	3 courses
drive	Chain
Brakes	drums
Wheelbase  (mm)	1385
Dimensions (L × W × H, mm):	2125 × 820 × 950
Seat height (cm)	67.5
Empty weight  (kg)	approx. 165-180
successor	DKW NZ 500

Engine of the SB 500; Manual switching on the tank

Double headlights of the SB 500 A

The DKW SB 500 is a motorcycle that Auto Union built from 1934 to 1939 at the DKW plant in Zschopau . It is the most powerful model in the SB series, which was introduced in 1934 and encompassed four displacement classes and ended with the SB 500. There are two versions; around 6,300 of the first with a short frame and around 13,300 of the second with a long frame were built. The successor to the SB series is the NZ series introduced in 1938. An SB 500 built on February 6, 1939 was the 500,000. DKW motorcycle. The jubilee machine was put into operation by the world record driver Walfried Winkler .

engine and gears

The DKW SB 500 has a two-cylinder two-stroke engine with the licensed for DKW Schnürle - reverse circulation , a technique for reducing the high fuel consumption of two-stroke engines. Consumption fell by around 40% compared to conventional designs and moved into the range of the four-stroke engines of the time. The engine has a displacement of 494 cm³ (bore and stroke 68 mm) and develops 15 hp at 4000 rpm. The ignition advance is automatic. The advertisement said: “The superior performance of the DKW two-cylinder types, their incredibly quick suit, their constant readiness to start and, last but not least, the astonishing cost-effectiveness that has been confirmed a thousand times over, have more than 10,000 DKW front cars sold in 1933 sufficiently proven. It made sense to use this DKW special two-cylinder engine with 500 cc as a drive unit for a motorcycle. ”The luxury version of the SB 500 has an electric starter ( Dynastartanlage ) instead of a kick starter . A special feature was the drive shock absorber for smooth starting and shifting.

The power is transmitted via gears from the engine to a manual three-speed gearbox ( primary drive ). The gearbox is interlocked with the engine. The shift lever is guided in a setting on the right of the tank. An additional foot switch was available from February 1939 for an additional charge of RM 25.00 , also on the right-hand side.

Frame and chassis

The chassis is a pressed steel profile frame with a beam and connection for a sidecar. The frame connections are screwed. The front wheel is guided on a parallelogram fork named by DKW special suspension fork with coil spring, shock absorber and steering damper. The rear wheel is not sprung. Both wheels have drum brakes, operated with a hand lever and cable at the front, and with a foot lever and rod at the rear. The brakes can each be adjusted with a wing nut . Additional features include the saddle tank introduced by DKW in 1929 , a "swinging saddle that can be adjusted while driving with a sports rim", an illuminated dashboard with a speedometer, adjustable footrests, hinged rear fenders and, in the luxury version, double headlights.

Custom order

In September 1938, a special version of SB 500 was with colored paint and white wings on the Iraqi King Ghazi I delivered. The partially gold-plated tank was adorned with a crown.

Technical specifications

DKW SB 500	Data
engine	2-cylinder two-stroke gasoline engine, removable light metal cylinder head
Rinsing method	Reverse rinsing with flat flask
cooling	Air cooling (airflow)
Displacement	494 cc
Bore × stroke	68 × 68 mm
Power in hp (kW)	15 (11) at 4000 rpm
compression	1: 5.7
Carburetor	Amal
Engine lubrication	Two-stroke mix 1:25
coupling	Double disc clutch
transmission	3-speed gearbox with manual shift ( dog clutch )
Rear wheel drive	Single roller chain with guard plate
frame	Pressed steel frame
Front suspension	Parallelogram fork with coil spring
Rear suspension	none (rigid frame)
wheelbase	1385 mm
overall length	2125 mm
Saddle height above the ground	675 mm
wheel size	3.50-19
Brakes	Drum brakes
Weight on the front wheel	77 kg (85 kg)
Weight on rear wheel	88 kg (95 kg)
tank	13 liters
Top speed	115 km / h
Price (1939)	1,020 RM (equivalent to around 4,400 EUR today  )

The information in brackets indicates the weight of the luxury model or the SB 500 A.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Information from the DKW motorcycle club with facsimiles of sales brochures . Retrieved August 1, 2020.
2. ↑ ^{a b c d} Frank Rönicke: Type compass DKW motorcycles 1920–1979 . Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 978-3-613-02633-9 .
3. ↑ The 500,000. DKW machine rolled off the production line. In:  Innsbrucker Nachrichten , February 9, 1939, p. 13 (online at ANNO ).
4. ↑ The 500,000. DKW. Motorcycle. In:  Kleine Volks-Zeitung , February 12, 1939, p. 14 (online at ANNO ).
5. ^ Siegfried Rauch: DKW - The history of a world brand . 3rd edition Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1988, ISBN 3-87943-759-9 , p. 62.
6. ↑ ^{a b} DKW-Geyer. Data sheet . Retrieved August 1, 2020.
7. ↑ Peter Kirchberg, Thomas Erdmann, Ralph Plagmann: The wheel of time . Edited by Audi AG, Audi Tradition, Verlag Delius Klasing, ISBN 3-7688-1011-9 .
8. ↑ How much can you design for a motor vehicle? In:  Österreichische Auto-Rundschau. Wiener Kraftfahrer-Zeitung / Austrian car. Motorad-Zeitung / Oesterreichisches Auto und Motorad-Zeitung / Der Motorfahrer / Automobil- und Motorrad-Zeitung. Der Motorfahrer , March 10, 1939, p. 8 (online at ANNO ).
9. ↑ This figure was based on the template: Inflation determined, rounded to a full 100 EUR and compares 1939 (year of publication of the price list) with January 2020.