Aristos Motorfahrzeug-Werke GmbH, Berlin
Menos Werke AG, Berlin
Designed by Johannes Pässler in 1922, the Aristos had a box-like, welded frame and a 614cc (70 x 80mm b/s) flat-twin water cooled engine which produced around 9 h.p. The Aristos was a good looking machine, but due to some weak points in design and the dreadful economic situation only a few were sold.
It has been suggested that the machine owes much to the White Mars designed by Claus Franzenburger. There are certainly numerous similarities, and it has been suggested that Mars supplied Sterna with frames.
Sterna Motorfahrzeugbau GmbH was founded in Berlin on January 8, 1923, with Julius Stolze and engineer Johannes Päßler as managing directors.
Advertisements for the Sterna appeared in Berlin newspapers in April 1923. It was an almost fully-faired motorcycle with a two-tone, striped paint scheme in ivory and black. Beneath the fairing, which had cutouts for attaching a sidecar, the motorcycle's pressed metal chassis housed a water-cooled, two-cylinder boxer engine with enclosed valves. The chassis also housed the petrol tank, gearbox, toolbox, and luggage compartment. The front wheel was suspended by coil springs on the fork legs. Power was transmitted to the rear wheel via a three-speed gearbox with a multi-plate clutch and chain drive. The engine employed a patented hand starter mounted on the right-hand side of the machine.
Two band brakes on the rear wheel were operated by hand and foot levers. The coolant tanks for the water-cooling system were mounted to the side of the faired rear wheel.
Weighing around 145 kg, it had a claimed top speed of some 100 km/h.
Several of the design features are believed to be based on those of the engineer Eduard Tatschke.
As the ravages of hyperinflation took hold, in September 1923 the company was restructured and renamed Aristos-Motorfahrzeug-Werke GmbH.
Advertisements at that time showed a modified front fork with a trailing-link swingarm and leaf springs, similar to the BMW design. Besides the striped paint scheme, the motorcycle was also available in less conspicuous liveries.
At the beginning of December, the company was once again renamed and became Menos-Werke Aktiengesellschaft für Motorfahrzeugbau.
Advertisements for the "Menos" motorcycle appeared in Berlin newspapers until the end of April 1924. The Menos was displayed at the International Motorcycle Sports Exhibition in Stuttgart in May 1924, and three Menos motorcycles participated in the Solitude race held around that time.
Subsequently the brand vanished from the press (along with a great many others) and it is assumed that operations ceased not long after May 1924.
Sources: Hartmut Schouwer; Tragatsch; Motopedia; et al
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