German Motorrad

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Motorcycles Built in Germany (D)

Motorräder Hergestellt in Deutschland: Notes on some of the rarer German marques

This page lists brand names beginning with the letter "D" for which we currently have only an historical precis.
For a more complete listing visit the German Index.

D

Danubius
1923-1924
Ganz & Co of Ratibor constructed conventional machines using a 198cc sidevalve engine.
Source: Tragatsch p112


Danziger

Manufactured by Felix Danziger, Berlin-Charlottenburg, 1925.

Presented at the Berlin Motor Show in Berlin of 1925 the Transport-Motordreirad (motor tricycle) was powered by a Rinne engine of 7.94 h.p. with a Hurth three-speed gearbox.

Source: Axel Oskar Mathieu Archive


Deloma
1924
Built in Magdeburg using two-stroke Rohöl (crude-oil) engines designed by Julius Löwy and supplied by Albertus Schweröl Einbaumotor. These engines proved problematical and may have contributed to the short life of the marque.
Source: Tragatsch p112


Delta
1924
An unusual design, the fully-enclosed motorcycle had a dual seat, rear suspension using leaf springs, and was powered by a 499cc two-stroke engine.
Built by Delta-Werk, a company run by Hugo Linder in Solingen established in the 1870s and famed for its blades. In the period when the motorcycle was produced the company had 500 employees.
Source: Tragatsch p113, rheinische-industriekultur.com


Deutschland
Early 1920s
At least two models were built, each with a 198cc four-stroke engine mounted quite high, and pedals. Models Nr. 100 and Nr. 101.
Source: motor-hist-foto.de.


DFB
1922-1925
Built 159cc two-stroke bicycle attachment engines and complete machines using the same engine.
Source: Tragatsch p113


DGW
1927-1928
Displayed at the 1927 Olympia in London, this was actually a DKW which had been rebranded due to the use of the DKW marque by another German firm which had trademarked the name.
Source: Tragatsch p115


Dick 1926-1933


Diel

A water-cooled OHV machine of this brand from 1927 is in the collection of Motorrad Museum Ibbenbüren - see museums-germany

Source: nl.wikipedia.org


Dieterle-Dessau
1921-1925
Also known as Drei-Punkt, the firm built bicycles and lightweight motorcycles.
Engines: Type BM 200cc 4T inclined, Type CM 200cc 4T vertical, Type HM 250cc 4T vertical. All were sidevalves of quite advanced design, of their own manufacture. There may have been engines which were turbocharged in some fashion, described as "exhaust-injected".
Source: Tragatsch p115, motor-hist-foto.de.


Difra
Manufactured by Difra Fahrzeugwerke, Frankfurt/Oder, 1923-1925
Fitted 1.8ps Namapo engines to their own frames. The machines had pedals and direct belt-drive.
Source: Tragatsch p115, et al.


Dobro-Motorist 1923-1925


Dohle 1950s


Dolf 1922-25


Döring Spatz 1951


DSW
Manufactured by Deutsche-Motorenbau AG, Berlin, 1922-1923
The D.S.W. Light motorcycles were powered by a 150 cc engines of their own construction which had an external flywheel and belt drive. After a year of production, the company was taken over by Bismarck-Motoren GmbH of Berlin, and the brand vanished.
Source: GTU Oldtimerservice


DWB

Manufactured by Dorko-Werke, Abt. Motorenbau, Jäckstrasse 4, Bamberg, 1924-1926
Dorko-Werke purchased Juhö after it closed and built the same 195cc machine, later adding a 269cc 2½ h.p. four-stroke with three-speed gearbox, kick starter and clutch.

The owners were S. Dorn and J. Kahn, later Dorn, Krüger & Co. The company had 50 employees and an extensive range of products. They converted military vehicles for civil use, and built electric drills. Half of the workforce was laid off during the inflation period before their bankruptcy and closure in 1927.
Sources: Tragatsch p124, motor-hist-foto.de, briefmarkenverein-bamberg.de.


German Resources

Rarer German Marques