A Brief History of the Italian Marque
Costruzioni Meccaniche Kohler was founded by Otto Kohler around 1960 with headquarters in Rivoltella del Garda in the province of Brescia.
The German engineer, who had worked at Kreidler and Zündapp, had also designed a five-speed engine for Maico.
The first CMK 50cc road-going motorcycles appeared in 1960. The CMK Domino was a sporting 50 with clip-on handlebars, leading link forks, and dual shock-absorbers at the rear.
The construction of CMK off-road motorcycles began in 1967 with the valuable collaboration of the rider-journalist Walter Arosio who was testing the new motorcycles participating in off-road races.
Walter Arosio wrote (c.1971):
Earlier CMKs used standard Zündapp engines modified in the head, cylinder, and gearbox; later machines use Italian engines of 50 and 100cc, with 125 and 175cc versions under development.
The engines are two-strokes featuring a radially finned head, a chrome-plated light-alloy cylinder, six-point elastic mounting, electronic ignition, and a six-speed gearbox. Approximate rear-wheel power outputs are rated at 8 hp at 8,000 rpm for the 50cc model, 13 hp at 7,500 rpm for the 100cc, 17 hp at 7,000 rpm for the 125cc, and 22 hp—also at 7,000 rpm—for the 175cc.
It is difficult to determine how many CMK machines were made because the motorcycles were built subject to continuous changes and updates.
In 1976 the CMK concern was purchased by industrialist Guido Vicenza Borghin who produced off-road motorcycles using the brand Gabor until 1980.
One Italian source indicates that production did not go beyond the prototype stage, but others including WOI demonstrate that several machines were offered between 1972 and 1976, and suggest the firm may have remained in business until 1985.
N.B.
Moto di Lombardia states that CMK was founded in 1966. However, Moto Revue features a short description of the CMK 4-speed two-stroke engine in Sept. 1960.
Sources: WOI, Moto di Lombardia, mondo50cc.forumfree.it, Walter Arosio.
CMK Models include:
CMK Domino 50 1960 Cafe style
CMK Domino 50 1971 Enduro
CMK 50cc Regolarita 1972
GS 100cc 1968-1975 *
GS 125cc 1968-1975 *
GS 175cc 1968-1975 *
GS 250cc 1968-1975 *
* Unverified models listed by a defunct valuations site.
