Stig's RIXE 250
"It can easily cruise at 100 km/h, and is fully usable for both short and long trips," says Stig Knudsen from Lørenskog. He has owned a number of old motorcycles, and the "journey" started in 1981 on an old Honda CB500Four. He then acquired a Yamaha SR500 and of course he had to have a Tempo in his collection too. If you were born in the 1960s, Tempo is part of your upbringing. Whether the blue smoke from your childhood left its mark is uncertain, but Stig can say that his interest in an old 2-stroke brought him to finn.no where he found the RIX, more specifically the twin R250-2. Stig says that this was exactly the kind of bike he had dreamed of, with a lot of patina and quite lively.
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German motorcycle production has been extensive in terms of brands and models, and BMW , Wanderer, DKW and NSU should be well known to many. RIXE, on the other hand, is a relatively rare German motorcycle brand. The model I present here was marketed under the slogan "Die Beiwagenmaschine fur den Fachmann und Sportler" which in Norwegian means "The sidecar machine for professionals and athletes". The RIXE that we present here, however, is a resilient solo machine, without a sidecar.
RIXE
Among the rarer German motorcycle brands we find RIXE. The factory was founded in the city of Bielefeld in 1922. RIXE started producing pedal bicycles, and from 1934 they also produced motorcycles. The motorcycle production eventually included models with displacements of 100, 125, 150, 175, 200 and 250 cc. They sourced the engines from several different manufacturers, including Sachs and ILO. ILO was also one of Germany's largest manufacturers of 2-stroke engines after World War II.
RIXE R250-2
The largest, strongest and fastest of the RIXE motorcycles is the 2-cylinder 2-stroke R250-2. From a distance, it looks like a mix between Tempo 150 Standard and Tempo 150 Swing. The built-in chain, long seat and petrol tank are a common denominator. However, if we take a step closer, a significant difference becomes apparent. The RIXE R250-2 has a 2-cylinder engine, not from Sachs , but from ILO. The 2-stroke is fast and with its just over 15 hp, the top speed is 110 km/h. The R250-2 was produced from 1954-1958, and was equipped with plunger rear suspension. This was the precursor to the swingarm that was used on the later RIXE RS250-2 model.
Sold to China
In the 1960s, RIXE faced increased competition from, among others, the Japanese motorcycle manufacturers who offered more advanced motorcycles, and RIXE phased out the production of motorcycles in favor of mopeds and 100-cubic meters. The last model that RIXE produced was the RS80, which with its displacement of 79 cc placed itself midway between a light motorcycle and a moped, but was registered as a light motorcycle with space for 2. This was equipped with a handlebar cover, front disc brakes, alloy rims, 5-speed gearbox and water-cooled engine. From the very beginning in 1934 until its closure in 1985, RIXE remained a small player among the German moped and motorcycle manufacturers. In 1985, the management at RIXE chose to close down production and the brand was sold to China.
Technical data RIXE R250-2, 1955 model:
Engine: 2-cylinder 2-stroke
Displacement: 244 cc
Power: 15.1 hp at 6000 rpm.
No. of gears: 4
Front tires: 3.25 x 19
Rear tire: 3.25 x 19
Electrical system: 6 volts
Weight: 162 kg
Top speed: 110 km/h
