Opel Raketen Motorrad

WuuZZZ When we were little, maybe some of us had imagined going very fast in a car or motorcycle equipped with rockets. Well, it must be so great! But who would have thought it was real, turned out that in 1928 there was a motorcycle that was able to go up to 212 kph with six rockets, it was the Opel Motoclub 500SS.

1928 Opel Raketen Motorrad. (Picture from: Silodrome)

Meanwhile, Opel's name may be closer and identical as a car manufacturer that has produced Blazer and Optima models back in the 1990s. However, did you know that from the early 20th century to the 1930s, they also produced motorcycles, from 1901 to 1930 to be exact.

One of their products is a sports motorbike called the Opel Motoclub 500SS. This German-made motorcycle is powered by a single-cylinder 500cc engine capable of achieving a top speed of around 120 kph under standard conditions, then how to increase the speed almost doubled with the same engine?

Opel Neander conventional motorcycle upon which the Raketen Motorrad was based. (Picture from: StrangeVehicles)

This is what seems to tickle the mind of one of the fast vehicle enthusiasts named Fritz von Opel, a grandson of the automaker founder Adam Opel whose intended to set a new world's motorcycle speed record in Freiberg, meanwhile the speed record at the time in 1928 was held by O.M. Baldwin with the French-made Zenith-JAP motorcycle powered by an engine with a capacity of 996 cc.

It turned out that to realize his wish, Fritz von Opel did it in a succinct way, namely by directly installing 6 rockets on the back of the motorcycle which was then activated via the pedal after the motorcycle reached its highest speed. The Raketen Motorrad (rocket motorcycle) is built based on the Opel Motoclub 500SS.

Fritz von Opel posed along with 1928 Opel Raketen Motorrad. (Picture from: Silodrome)

By using a power of 22 hp spewed out of the OHV (OverHead Valve) one cylinder engine is estimated capable to accelerate the motorbike up to approximately 120 kph (75 mph). Then, the six powder rocket tubes attached to the rear fender (3 mounted on each side) with a combined total of 30 kg (66 lb) of thrust would gradually ignite with the help of a foot lever mechanism, then sending the motorbike sped up to a top speed of 212 kph (132 mph).

Otto Luhrs of the Opel Moto Club with another Opel German rocket cycle. (Picture from: Silodrome)

Unforntunetely, the event to break the land speed record and reached a top speed of 132 mph scheduled in on May 19, 1928 at the Hamborner Radrennbahn, Germany in front of 7000 audiences, was vetoed by the German authorities due to safety reasons. Even though Fritz von Opel is so optimistic that his motorbike will be faster. Nevertheless the rocket powered motorcycle went on to complete a number of demonstration runs and also used as a marketing tool by Opel for a number of years.

The successes of Opel’s four-wheeled rocket racing cars as well as a his light RAK-1 rocket plane, then ends the entire Raketen Motorrad project in 1929. However, the Opel's Neander motorcycle still sold in Germany for a few years, while rocket motorcycle racing continued with the Opel Moto Club under Otto Luhrs. And which can be concluded here at least this innovation has become such an inspiration to the modification realm to keep try.

Kept spur your adrenaline on the power of the two-wheeled monster and stay alive with true safety riding. May God will forgive Your sins and so does the cops...... *** [EKA [24022016] | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | SILODROME]

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