Vintage German Motorcycles
Classic Motorcycles AT
BMW Museum, Munich
This page lists brand names beginning with the letter "H" for which we currently have only an historical precis.
For a more complete listing visit the German Index.
Haenel
The firm named Carl Gottleib Haenel of Suhl began producing bicycles and weapons in 1840. A superbly restored example at the Fahrzeugmuseum Suhl is plated:
Hagel
Hagel Kraftradbau AG, Nuremberg, 1923 to 1925
Built limited numbers of 247cc motorcycles with engines of their own design, and others, using an inexpensive frame.
Source: meisterdinger.de
Haja
1924-25
Haja Motorradbau GmbH, Sendenhorst in Westfalen
Hansa and F&S 1.8 and 1/4 hp engines, some with gears. One was described as having "rear frame suspension".
Sources: Tragatsch p154, motor-hist-foto.de.
Hako
1924-26
Hans Korn, Motorradbau, Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Very similar to the famed Howard R. Davies machines, using the same JAP 348cc and 490cc ohv engines. Only 10 machines were built before the name was changed to H.K.R. in 1925.
Sources: Tragatsch p154 & p163, motorradphoto.de
Halumo
1923-26
Hasselmayer & Luber GmbH, München, Mozartstraße 13
Built motorcyclew with 147cc two-strokes and 146cc and 198cc ohv engines of their own manufacture.
The Type C had a 2 1/2 ps engine available with a 2-speed gearbox.
Sources: Tragatsch p154, motor-hist-foto.de.
Hanke & Warneke
Bremer Fahrzeugbau, Rembertistraße 28 Bremen
Built the Helios de Luxe JLO-powered moped in the 1950s
Possibly related to H&W.
Source: Moped Archive
Hansa 1922-1926
Hanseat 1927-1928
Hapamee
Hans and Paul Meinke, from whose names the brand name was derived, built some 800 motorcycles in Salzwedel from 1922 to 1926. The machines had tubular frames and were powered by 196cc and 246cc engines with magneto ignition and a two-speed gearbox.
Source: GTU Oldtimerservice
Harborn
Also known as the Berliner this was an electric runabout built around 1909. It was marketed in the UK as the Swan Electric.
Harlé
Harnisch & Lehmann, Mozartstraße 29, Plauener
Built ca 1925-27, Harle motorcycles were mostly fitted with 350cc Bark two-stroke engines, with clutch and two-speed gearbox driving the rear wheel by belt.
Source: freiepresse.de
Harras 1922-1925
Hartmann
Manufactured by the Hartmann company in Eisenach around 1901. The firm built bicycles and motorcycles, and later produced small cars powered by Fafnir 4.5 hp engines. Production ceased in 1906.
Source: Wikipedia DE
Haruhschi
Manufactured in Neumünster by Wolfgang Uhlig, Harms and Schimkowski 1971-1978
Long-track speedway, ice-racing and motocross machines powered by JAP, ESO and Norton engines ridden by Bobby Schwartz, Kai Niemi and Hans-Otto Pingel, among others. They also built a gearbox which was well received. The firm is still in business as of 2018.
Sources: GTU Oldtimerservice, bahnsporttechnik.de
Hascho
Manufactured by Halbritter & Schollmeyer of Mühlhausen, Thuringia from 1923 to 1926 using DKW engines, and from 1925 Villiers. They presented a small car at the 1924 Berlin Motor Show.
Sources: Tragatsch p158, Wikipedia.de, motor-car.net.
Haschüt
Manufactured by Motorradhaus Hans Schütze, Dresden A-16, Hammerstraße 6.
Lightweight motorcycles with Bekamo and 173cc Villiers engines produced 1929 to 1932.
Sources: Tragatsch p158, motor-hist-foto.de.
Haussherr 1902-12
Haweka
1923-26
Hamburg firm built sports machines using JAP 348, 490 and 678cc sv and ohv engines, and MAG IOE V-twins of 497cc. Raced by Bremer and Shultz.
Source: Tragatsch p158
Heidemann 1950-53
H & W, Heitmann & Wittler
Manufactured by Heitmann & Wittler Fahrad & Maschinenfabrik of Steinhagen in 1938, and then post-war until 1953 using JLO, Sachs and Zundapp engines, and components from other suppliers to produce mopeds and motorcycles of up to 125cc.
Post-war address believed to be Rembertistraße 28 Bremen.
Sources: Moped Archive, GTU Oldtimerservice.
Heilo 1924-1925
Heli
Built by Herbert Lindner in Berlin, 1923-1925
The motorcycle had a iquid-cooled two-stroke engine with unit-construction two-speed gearbox. It was quite an advanced machine but being relatively expensive could not survive the chaotic years of the mid-twenties.
Source: GTU Oldtimerservice
Helios by BFW
Heller
Heller Motorradfabrik, Gibitzenhofstraße 47, Nürnberg, 1923 - 1926
The brothers Hans and Fritz Heller built motorcycles powered by BMW M2B15 sidevalve HO engines, and from 1924 also the MJ 750cc flat twins from Mehne. The machines has a three-speed gearbox and belt drive to the rear wheel and a block brake on the front wheel only.
Sources: meisterdinger.de, Tragatsch p159.
Helo
Manufactured by Hermann & Lommatzsch of Köpenicker Strasse Nr. 5, Berlin-Köpenick, 1923-1925, it was a Bekamo-powered two-stroke which competed in the market with the similarly named Heli.
The firm also built three-wheelers powered by a 147cc DKW engine mounted above the front wheel.
Sources: GTU Oldtimerservice, Wikipedia DE.
Henkel 1927-32
Heos
There were two companies of this name. The first built sidecars from 1924-1926 in Berlin. The second was that of Willi Heitmann who built motocrossers using Japanese engines in 1985 and 1986.
Source: GTU Oldtimerservice
Herko
Built between 1922 and 1925 by Herkstroeter & Co of Bielefeld, these were belt-drive motorcycles using their own two-stroke engines of 113cc to 249cc.
Source: GTU Oldtimerservice
Herkra
Built by Heinz Blume in Cologne 1922-1923, this was a light belt-driven motorcycle with a two-stroke 141cc engine mounted high in the frame and well forward of the pedal crank.
Source: GTU Oldtimerservice
Herma
Manufactured a 148cc Hilfsmotor which could be fitted to either the front or rear wheel of a bicycle.
Sources: Tragatsch p162, motor-hist-foto.de.
Hermes 1922-1925
Heros, H&R and Ares 1921-1929 (Saxony)
Heros (Berlin)
Heros Motorfahrzeug GmbH of Berlin built light motorcycles powered by 142cc DKW engines, 1923-1924.
Source: GTU Oldtimerservice, wikipedia.nl
Herstelle
Manufactured by Adam H. Herstelle of Bielefeld 1923-1924
In addition to two-stroke and four-stroke motorcycles, one of which was powered by a Hansa engine, the firm produced components for other marques in the Bielfeld area, particularly front suspension.
Source: GTU Oldtimerservice
Hertha
Manufactured by Hagemann & Vogler, Leichtmotorenfabrik, Berlin, 1924-1925
Fitted DKW 142cc two-strokes to lightweight machines similar to those from Eichler, also of Berlin.
Sources: Tragatsch p162, motor-hist-foto.de.
Hesco
Manufactured by HS-Metallbau GmbH of Salzgitter 1984-1988
Powered by a Rotax 504 and fitted with quality components - Marzocchi forks, Koni rear suspension, TZ Yamaha wheels and the like - the Hesco-Rotax 560 sports machine proved quite popular in the German market.
Source: GTU Oldtimerservice
Hess
Eberstadt, 1925
Valentin Hess built a remarkable 799cc inline four fitted longitudinally, FN fashion. Available in any colour as long as it was red, the cost was 1600 marks. Hess also supplied components to HAG in the way of crankshafts and other engine components. HAG in turn manufactured a new type of steel piston for Hess, of which he was the inventor, but the popularity of steel pistons was fast waning.
Sources: Tragatsch p162, darmstadt-stadtlexikon.de
Heuser HMT
Manufactured by Peter Heuser of Troisdorf 1980-1982
The firm produced a variety of off-road machines of 50cc, 80cc and 250cc using modified Sachs engines and mainly Italian chassis components. The firm was associated with the Italian AMR.
Source: GTU Oldtimerservice
Hexe (English: Witch)
Three different German firms built machines of this name.
Dorko of Bamberg firm produced belt-driven Hexe motorcycles of up to 500cc from 1924 to 1926. See Juhö
Achenbach of Hamburg built Hexe automobiles 1905-1907.
Hexe 1950s (Amelung)
Sources: GTU Oldtimerservice, motor-car.net.
Hiekel 1925-1932
Hille
Manufactured by Moritz Hille in Dresden. Company founded 1884
In 1898 the firm's first vehicle was produced, a motor tricycle. This was followed by four-wheeled commercial vehicles which they continued to build until the late 1920s.
Source: Axel Oskar Mathieu Archive
Hillmann
Heinrich Hillmann of Brandende began building bicycles in 1929. Moped production using 98cc JLO and Sachs engines commenced in the late 1940s, and of the 150 of these built only one remains.
Early in the 1950s motorcycles were constructed using JLO engines of 98, 125 and 200cc but sales were very slow. Some 50 machines left the factory, 10 of which had 200cc engines.
The firm remained in the bicycle trade until 1997.
The firm's logo featured a Zeppelin.
Sources: kradblatt.de, uni-hamburg.de, et al.
Hjaki
The engineer H. Kinvall was mentioned in an article in "Motor und Sport" magazine as having designed a three-wheeler.
Details were sparse, and it seems likely that few, if any, were built.
Source: Axel Oskar Mathieu Archive
HMA
The Hennicke Motorrad Anhänger was termed a motorcycle trailer, but was actually a motorized tricycle with one wheel at the front. It seated three, driver in front and two passengers behind, and was provided with a folding cover.
Source: motor-lit-berlin.de
HMW
Manufactured by Hasper Motorrad Werk of Westfalen.
1923-1928. Heavy single-cylinder machines with their own SV engines.
Not related to the Austrian marque, nor to the machines built in post-war East Germany.
Sources: Tragatsch, Wikipedia NL
Hochland
1926-27
Gebr. Emslander Motorenfabrik of Landshut
The brothers designed and built a 496cc flat twin motorcycle. Production was limited, with stiff competition from BMW.
Sources: Tragatsch p163, wikipedia.nl
Hoco 1924-1928
Hoffmann & Seidel
Built in Saarbrücken by bicycle manufacturer Hensler in the 1950s. Hoffmann & Seidel was also a clothing brand.
Machines of this marque were almost identical to the Saarperle, also built by Hensler.
Source: saar-nostalgie.de
Hoock
Manufactured by Hoock & Co. of Cologne, 1926-28
Hoock was a main agent for Villiers in Germany. Using their 342cc engines and a variety of other British components he built a number of motorcycles.
Sources: de.wikipedia.org
Horex Röth 1979~1986
HUC
Produced by Maschinenfabrik M. Hecker & Co. of Berlin, 1924-1926
145cc and 175cc DKW two-stroke engines powered these utilitarian motorcycles which did well on the local market until the financial crisis.
Source: GTU Oldtimerservice
Hucke-Rinne
Manufactured by Max Hucke Fahrgestellbau, Berlin-Neukölln. 1924-26
Used 124, 173 and 247 cc engines from Berlin engine builder Rinne
Sources: de.wikipedia.org, Tragatsch p169
Hüffer
Manufactured by Hüfferwerke, Abt. Kraftfahrzeugbau, Münster in Westphalia, 1923-25
Built lightweight motorcycles using 150 to 200cc engines from the likes of DKW, Lorenz (Rapid) and Baumi.
Sources: Tragatsch p169, de.wikipedia.org
Husar
Manufactured from 1923 to 25 by
Huy 1923-1926
Rarer German Marques
