Motorcycle Mystery: Police Motorcycle from Chemnitz

• 

This photograph shows an early motorcycle with a clear connection to the District Administration of Chemnitz and the Chemnitz Police Headquarters. Based on stylistic characteristics, the machine is dated between 1906 and 1920, right in the pioneering years of the German motorcycle industry.

There are several important clues: The registration number reads IV-1044G. The designation “IV” belongs to the historical German license plate system prior to 1930 and refers to Chemnitz (Kingdom of Saxony). This confirms the regional origin of the motorcycle.

A crucial detail: the brand name is cast into the crankcase, and it begins with an R. Unfortunately, the full name is not clearly legible in the photograph.

Based on this letter, our first thought was Rex Motoren-Werke from Munich. Before the First World War, Rex built motorcycles and provided their crankcases with clearly cast brand markings. However, Munich is located a considerable distance from Chemnitz. In that period, private buyers — and certainly government authorities — often purchased motorcycles from manufacturers within their own region, due to ease of maintenance, parts availability, and regional affiliation.

This makes the Chemnitz connection all the more interesting. Around 1900, the city was an important industrial center with numerous engineering works. If it is indeed an “R” brand, could it perhaps be a lesser-known Saxon manufacturer rather than a Bavarian one?

In the photograph, we see typical early features: a flat tank mounted along the top tube, a rigid frame, narrow tires, and presumably belt drive. This points more toward the 1906–1915 period rather than the later years, although a date shortly after the First World War cannot be ruled out.

Perhaps one of our readers can help us further unravel this Saxon motorcycle mystery.

Photo: Hubert Kranz, text: Laurens Klein

Make a comment, ask a question, give your opinion, share additional information or start a discussion by filling in the fields below.