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Today in Motorcycle History

Saturn Motorcycles by Steudel-Werke

A Brief History of the Marque

Steudel-Werke of Auenstraße in Kamenz built machines with bicycle atttachment engines 1924-1925 which were marketed under the Saturn brand, the make of the bicycles they built. They built a voiturette in 1905 using a De-dion Bouton engine.

Founded in 1895 by Horst Steudel, it became quite a large firm, their main focus being engines of up to 32 cylinders which were supplied to many other manufacturers. They produced a V-4 two-stroke engine designed for heavy motorcycles which was adopted by DKW for their P25 in 1929, and this engine subsequently powered many thousands of DKW light cars until 1940.

Another product was an autocycle produced from 1920, a bicycle with a clip-on engine which enjoyed considerable success and was exported as far afield as Japan.

Saturn

Built by Steudel-Werke.

Two Saturn motorcycles were offered in their 1908 catalogue, built at Pulsnitzer Str. 18. In 1919 they moved to a much larger factory at Auenstraße in Kamenz.

1920 saw the introduction of a 149cc four-stroke Hilfs-Motor (bicycle attachment engine) and as a complete motorcycle in several variations. It had an automatic intake valve and dimensions of 52 mm x 70 mm b/s.

In 1921-1927, Saturn motorcycles were fitted with 248cc two-strokes, 348cc ohv singles and 497cc sidevalve V-twins. A shaft-drive version of the V-twin was built but did not enter production. These were all produced at their Leipzig factory.

Notes:
1. Most references to Steudel refer only to the bicycle attachment engine and a V-4 two-stroke.
2. This page is a combination of two earlier entries and requires revision.
3. Other marques with the name "Saturn": Disambiguation

Sources: wikipedia.de, motor-car.net, Tragatsch p269; Mitgliederjournal Historische Fahrräder. et al.


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