Landracing Forum
Misc Forums => LSR General Chat => Topic started by: TrickyDicky on July 04, 2019, 08:44:40 AM
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I've just been told about this temporary exhibition at the NSU museum in Neckarsulm, Germany.
https://www.zweirad-museum.de/sonderausstellung/2019-rekordjagd-auf-zwei-raedern.html
For those (like me!) who struggle with the German language, The Vintagent had a good article back in March. Some excellent pictures too.
https://thevintagent.com/2019/03/03/rekordjagd-auf-zwei-radern/
Includes several historic bikes that are in private hands, so not normally available to view. A must-see if you are passing through Germany this summer ...
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Something about this exhibition.
As I live only 5 kilometers away from the museum, I was there on the first weekend after the exhibition start and done a longer photo shooting (app. 600 picture) for an article for the Speed Record Club magazine Fast Facts. This exhibition was shown on a other location before....for the time in Neckarsulm a booklet was promised, written by Mr. Ratzinger, about the speed record history on two and three wheels....but this booklet is still not published...I liked to have this booklet as part of my article...so, I fear I have to finish my article without....
However, this exhibition was both....exciting but also a disappointment.
The NSU streamliner Baum III and IV wasn't a part of the exhibition....they stand on a other floor in the museum....the III had set several long distance records.....the IV was originally for the absolute two wheel record...but during the practice with Wilhelm Herz on the steering, the streamliner crashed, Wilhelm walked away and set days later the first motorcycle record over 200 mph with the NSU Delphin III......Wilhelm was faster with the Baum IV as the later record with the Delphin III, when he went down...
One of the disappointing's...that this two real record vehicles wasn't on the display....
but therefore other which never come close to an attempt - in other words - they never went out of the pits for a serious attempt.....or they never set a record or could set a record....because they was not qualified to go for a record....simple not in a right class/category...and used in a totally other competition...
part of the exhibition were some information boards with lots of information about the history of speed records on two wheels....
fine.....if they done right.....unfortunately a lot of mistakes could be found....mistakes which could be avoid just to make the right research or in several points....just the right reading of well known facts.....
you can say now....who cares, except some historian the visitors of this exhibition didn't know so or so not the correct facts....it's effect no one....
only that the visitors were leaving the exhibition with the wrong information....information which could be easily done right....just asking a proper historian before printing the boards....
yes, there were also some positive aspect in this exhibition...the racers was very well prepared and in a way displayed that the visitors of the exhibition could view them very well, also when there were a big crowd on the hall. The boards was very nice done, could be easily read and some video screens showed some interested video from the different decades of record breaking....also the newest attempts from Vesco, Campos, Carr and Robinson could be viewed....
Also they had a flyer for the visitors (when they request), about the exhibition....would be nice if they had the booklet in the museum....just bad timing....
Great was also, that someone took the time to get some very rare bikes together on one place.....real exotic vehicles from a time where record breaking was part of the advertisement of a brand......and took the money to show them not only but also creates a nice display stand so that the racer can be viewed properly.....
if someone come in this area....Neckarsulm....by the way....Sinsheim where the famous Blue Flame stands is only 25 kilometers away....and Stuttgart with the big Mercedes Museum about 60 kilometers.....use your time and visit this place....it's worth, not only for the record exhibition. The NSU streamliner you will find in the basement.
In fact....the NSU (Deutsches Motorrad) Museum is the largest collection in the world for two and three wheels.....bad luck....lacking on space....they only show app. 400 vehicles from the more than 4000 they got in the collection.....the Dennis Manning Gulf sponsored streamliner was for years in a storage due to the lack of space...before it was sold and now in the Coventry British Motorcycle Museum on display.....
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There will be a longer article I wrote in the near future in the Speed Record Club "Fast Facts" magazine with lots of picture I done.
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Thank you for the thoughtful article on this museum. I was fascinated by the NSU speed record attempts and beautiful streamlined vehicles they produced in the 1950s(?). I believe they were the first to use the Wankel rotary engine technology (supercharger?) as well. Your suggestion for a museum tour circuit is very interesting. Next year is the 50th anniversary of The Blue Flame (first over 1,000 km/h) land speed record and I was thinking about visiting Sinsheim again. Now I can expand my vacation tour. Since the United States' Smithsonian Museum is ignoring The Blue Flame in their so-called "A Nation of Speed" opening in November next year, I'll go to see the last American absolute world land speed record holder - and the other historic vehicles that inspired me in person. Gee, would the OPEL RAK2 be there?
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Yep, there are some very nice museum in a very short distance to my hometown.
About the RAK 2.....
to my understanding, the original exist not anymore...and when...only parts of...
over the years some replica's were built....the one from Opel was/is mostly in Berlin....from time to time in the museum in Ruesslesheim
Some years ago, a replica was in the second Technik Museum in Speyer.
The Technik Museum, the original is in Sinsheim...later they opened a second museum in Speyer, which is app. 40 km west of Sinsheim.
Speyer is a little bit smaller than the Sinsheim but also had some very rare and interesting stuff to see.
Have to figure out what's up with the replica's.
By the way, I sent you a PM, please check.
All the best from good ole Germany
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... Next year is the 50th anniversary of The Blue Flame (first over 1,000 km/h) land speed record and I was thinking about visiting Sinsheim again. Now I can expand my vacation tour.
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Dick: I have been told (by someone who should know) that the Sinsheim are planning something to commemorate 23 October 1970. Your invitation will surely be in the mail! :lol:
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Pork Pie;
"Speyer is a little bit smaller than the Sinsheim but also had some very rare and interesting stuff to see."
That is for sure. It has a magnificent cathedral.
Regards, Neil Tucson, AZ
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Neil,
you are right....unfortunately it's tough to drive with this cathedral around....
...it's a short walk from the museum to the cathedral....the cathedral is impressive
Pork Pie;
"Speyer is a little bit smaller than the Sinsheim but also had some very rare and interesting stuff to see."
That is for sure. It has a magnificent cathedral.
Regards, Neil Tucson, AZ
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One reason why I asked about the Opel rocket car, RAK2, is that I was fascinated by the photo I saw in the Britannica Encyclopedia in the 1940s. I thought it was very special since I was RAK3 (Richard Alfred Keller, III). Afterward, I built several small balsa wood models propelled by CO2 cartridges I purchased for pennies at Army Surplus stores. Fate?
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Are those tires speed rated :-o
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Mayo;
I guess we grew up in the same time frame, I built model cars powered by those little CO2 cartridges, too. They were plentiful and cheap because at that time they were war surplus items that originally inflated life vests. War surplus radio & electronics stuff was dirt cheap, too. That may have contributed to my eventual career choice. :-)
Regards, Neil Tucson, AZ
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Neil, now that you mention it -- I do remember having a couple of those cars with the little cannister. Thanks for dredging up that tidbit. :-D :-D
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Neil, now that you mention it -- I do remember having a couple of those cars with the little cannister. Thanks for dredging up that tidbit. :-D :-D
Although I'm not near as old as Neil and SSS, I also built those little CO2 cars.
My dad would puncture the cartridge with his pocket knife.
Good memories, Don
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I was a Jet-X man. :cheers:
Built a centrifuge that made ants dizzy and melted a few model rockets!
Model cars generate lift with enough thrust [in the right direction]! :-o
https://jetxus.wordpress.com/
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I also used Jet-X as a kid but for a different purpose. Rather than igniting a propellant, I used it to ignite a pipe cannon. Please do not ask how much trouble this caused me.
John
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Believe it or not I still have a small box with all my Jetex stuff. The fuses were handy for setting off homemade black powder charges too, nothing very big. :-D :-D :-D
Pete
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We used M80's for detonating 'larger' ordnance. :cheers:
Still amazed I have two hands with all ten fingers! :-o
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It is a little-known fact that you can launch an M80 about 100 yards with a Whammo slingshot. :-P
and... when I was a kid in WV it was illegal to buy firecrackers- but it was legal for me (a kid) to walk into a hardware store and buy a stick of dynamite for 15 cents. Shot up lots of .22 ammo, too.
A stick of dynamite will detonate if struck by a .22 long rifle- no doubt about whether we hit the target or not. Mothers today would cringe at the stuff we did back then.
I still have all ten fingers, too.
Regards, Neil Tucson, AZ
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Richard,
after this thread was hijacked enough by toy nato rockets....
I have to hijack himself this thread.
I have sent you a couple days ago a PM via Landracing.com....and also a normal email to your email address I used for years.
Please go in contact with me via the email address I wrote in the PM.
If you haven't got my PM or my normal email....please let me know here at Landracing.
Thanks in advance.....reason is the 50th anniversary Blue Flame record.....
By an unknown reason the global internet didn't work anymore as it had....some provider are in a fight and blocking each other....so as my email is blocked by Doug's provider....so it wouldn't surprise me if this now also with your email address/provider.
Thanks for taking care
Pork Pie
Thank you for the thoughtful article on this museum. I was fascinated by the NSU speed record attempts and beautiful streamlined vehicles they produced in the 1950s(?). I believe they were the first to use the Wankel rotary engine technology (supercharger?) as well. Your suggestion for a museum tour circuit is very interesting. Next year is the 50th anniversary of The Blue Flame (first over 1,000 km/h) land speed record and I was thinking about visiting Sinsheim again. Now I can expand my vacation tour. Since the United States' Smithsonian Museum is ignoring The Blue Flame in their so-called "A Nation of Speed" opening in November next year, I'll go to see the last American absolute world land speed record holder - and the other historic vehicles that inspired me in person. Gee, would the OPEL RAK2 be there?
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Tom, I received your PM on 08/19/2019. I responded using your private email address (@t-online,de) on 08/21/2019. I will copy on the landracing.com/forum now.
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when the global net don't like to work...but Landracing works....
Richard, I wrote you a PM as reply....got your two PM's
...and as I wrote....please try again my normal email address....both I have sent you a minute ago...thanks
Tom
Tom, I received your PM on 08/19/2019. I responded using your private email address (@t-online,de) on 08/21/2019. I will copy on the landracing.com/forum now.