1928 D-Rad R0/6 496cc One Cylinder [Video]

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This majestic bike with unit engine gearbox construction has been restored recently and is in spectacular condition. Formerly a state-owned armaments manufacturer, Deutsche Werke AG diversified into the production of bedsteads, agricultural machinery and railway rolling stock after The Great War and around 1921 set up Deutsche Kraftfahrzeugwerke AG in Spandau to manufacture motorcycles under the ‘Star’ brand name.

source.image: classic-motorcycle.com

Like BMW, the firm was influenced by Douglas, whose inline ‘flat twin’ was considered one of the best of contemporary designs, and the first Stars were similar to the British machine. In 1921 H Christiansen was recruited as designer and in 1923 he produced the revised M23 model, the first to be sold as a ‘D-Rad’. The following year’s M24 was the final revision of the Douglas-style model, which was soon replaced by an entirely new design: the R 0/4. A 496cc single-cylinder sidevalve, the R 0/4 boasted unitary construction of …