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Hungarian Motorcycles

Today in Motorcycle History

BMG Motorcycles

BMG 100cc and 125cc motorcycles were designed by Szabolcs Bartha (b.1901) who was involved with motorcycles whilst a captain in the Hungarian army in the 1930s. The first of his machines appeared in 1942 and from 1943 the company continued to operate under the name Bartha Motor and Machine Factory. It is likely that in 1942-1943 Magyar Post purchased a number of 100cc BMG machines, and in 1943 the Hungarian Royal Army bought 100 motorcycles for training purposes.

The BMG workshops did not have facilities for producing relatively large numbers of engines, so these were built at the factories of Gamma and Diosgyor.

The BMG 100 had two different engines; the first had two-speed gearbox with gear change on the handlebars, and was equipped with pedals. It is distinctive in that the exhaust and inlet were both at the rear of the cylinder. It had a Graetzin carburettor and Bosch magneto flywheel magneto, with almost all other parts produced in-house.

The second version appeared in 1943, equipped with a more powerful engine, a kick-starter, and a redesigned and rather more graceful fuel tank. This one came in two versions, Touring and Sport-Luxus with the latter capable of 70 km/h. Both models had excellent fuel economy.

After World War II the range was expanded with a 125cc model.

In 1948 Szabolcs Bartha moved to Argentina "without permission." The following year the factory was closed by the government, and motorcycle production ceased.

Source: Article at magyarjarmu.hu

An Hungarian article features a Szabolcs 125 three-wheeled scooter from 1961. It is not clear as to the origin of the machine.


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