THE SUMMIT COLLECTION This beautiful 1954 Adler two-stroke twin was the German factory’s most popular model, combining great performance with simplicity and stylish good looks. The MB200 used a 200cc twin-cylinder air- cooled two-stroke engine, producing 12 HP and giving a 60 MPH top speed in a plunger-frame chassis with strong leading-link from forks and a toolbox lid that folds out to become a work tray. Adler (eagle in German) was founded in 1886 by Heinrich Kleyer as a bicycle factory to take advantage of the global boom in two-wheeling that exploded with the one-two punch of the safety bicycle design and the inflatable Dunlop tire. By 1898, Adler had built its 100,000th bicycle and branched out into typewriter manufacturing, which became its most famous and enduring product; regardless, the company built automobiles from 1899 and motorcycles from 1902. One famous employee from the 1880s was Ignaz Schwinn, who worked for Kleyer designing bicycles before emigrating to the U.S. in 1891 and founding the mighty Schwinn/Excelsior/Henderson empire. Adler took a hiatus from motorcycle production between 1907 and 1949, when the decision was made to re-enter the two-wheeled market. Adler’s first postwar machine was the M100, a single-cylinder two-stroke of 98cc, but by 1951, a twin-cylinder two-stroke was introduced, the M200. The M200 and later MB250 twins used a chassis with plunger rear suspension and short-leading-link forks, with full Bosch electrics and stylish bodywork, all designed by Hermann Friedrich, Adler’s managing director and chief engineer. These twins were immediately successful in racing and endurance events, the M200 winning the 350cc class in many events and three gold medals at the 1952 ISDT. At the 1953 ISDT in Czechoslovakia, five Adlers were entered, and all gained gold medals. Their record of racing success continued, as privateer racers found the Adler could be tuned to reach 100 MPH with ease, with wicked acceleration and excellent handling. Road testers of the day found the little Adler to be a simply marvelous motorcycle with excellent performance and build quality, and remarkable fuel economy, with up to 100 MPG recorded—not typical for a high performance two- stroke twin. Sadly, with Adler’s typewriter business proving more valuable than its car or motorcycle branches, when the company was sold to Grundig in 1958, production of vehicles ceased in favor of typewriters. This 1954 Adler MB200 twin is a rare and beautiful example of the best-performing two-stroke of the 1950s. The Adler, while a smoker, has Mercedes-Benz build quality, and lots of thoughtful touches for the rider, like a knurled adjuster knob for rear suspension preload and a toolbox lid, which folds out to become a work tray. It’s a true quality motorcycle. NO RESERVE F169 1954 ADLER MB TWIN 200
