NSU Max & Maxi

Techno-motorheads, listen up! NSU tiddlers were imported into the U. S. in very small numbers from the postwar era until the Japanese took over the market in the early '60's. On the surface, you may be saying, So? These machines were so stinking interesting from an historical, mechanical standpoint that I hope I can remember all the technological points I want to mention in this brief synopsis!

NSU first built the 100cc Fox in 1949, followed by the 250cc Max in '53. Over the next few years, these would be joined in the lineup by the 175cc Maxi, a 300cc, a moped, and the Prima scooter. The ones you are most likely to have encountered are the Max and Maxi, and maybe the Fox and Prima. We're going to concentrate on the Max and Maxi in our techie discussion here, but many of the same details also apply to the other models.

NSU sent these machines to the U. S. up through 1963, at least. I don't know if there were any '64's imported or not, but the 1963 brochure I have is definitely from the last year of the Max. According to Sheldon's EMU, Maxis were built through 1964, and they far outnumbered the quantity of Max 250's throughout most production years. Were more Maxis brought to the U. S. than Maxes? I don't know. I highly recommend the EMU site for far more detailed information about all NSU models. Wikipedia covers the car line in more detail. The brand is merely on the fringe of the subject of Tiddlerosis. One of the most fascinating things about NSU is that the company produced the first rotary-engined car with the Wankel Spider in 1964. Mass production of that technology would later make Mazda a household name. NSU continued to innovate and produce cars, becoming a part of Audi in 1969.

The photo is of a 1963 Maxi 175. I have numerous high-quality of photos of the Maxi, Max, and Fox, but I chose the Maxi to show off its strangely shaped pressed-steel handlebars. You can find photos of the other models at European Motorcycle Universe. According to EMU, NSU built 31,471 Maxis from 1957 to 1964 and 15,473 SuperMaxes from 1956 to 1963. The production figures quite obviously appear as if the Japanese were pushing NSU into the dustbin of tiddler history in the early Sixties: only 851 250's were built in 1962 and '63 combined. Although there were more than 13,000 Maxis built in '63-'64, I strongly suspect that these stayed home in Europe. Until I carefully examined Sheldon's numbers, I would have guessed that the Super Max was the biggest seller in the USA, and it may very well have been. Note that the model actually imported was the 18-hp Super Max. The last year of the regular, 17-hp Max was 1956.

What's all the brouhaha about technology? I have already mentioned the pressed-steel handlebars of the Maxi, similar to the ones on the early Honda Dreams sent to the U. S. in very small numbers. The engine is an OHC single with a patented system of rods called ULTRAMAX operating the cam. Ducati Desmo, anyone? The engine is a wet-sump type. The front suspension is leading-link type. Look at how the headlamp is attached! The standard seat was a solo model attached at the front. A passenger seat, perched high above the driver's saddle, or luggage rack was optional on some models, and some had conventional dual seats, similar to the Allstate Twingles. The frame is pressed steel and the chain is fully enclosed. All models had the distinctive little metal tool boxes stradding the rear wheel like tiny saddlebags. Notice the swoopy fenders and delicate pinstriping. The four-speed footshift was on the left, and so was the kickstarter. The exhaust pipe is on the left on the Super Max and on the right on the Maxi. You can see many styling and design parallels with the Puch two-stroke 250 and 175. The more expensive and exotic NSU's will always be rare collectibles. How different would things have been if Sears Roebuck had chosen to market the OHC version instead?