Victoria (motorcycle)
| Fate | Merged |
|---|---|
| Successor | Zweirad Union, Hercules |
| Founded | 1901 |
| Defunct | 1966 |
| Headquarters | Nuremberg, Germany |
| Products | motorcycles |
Victoria was a bicycle manufacturer in Nürnberg, Germany that made motorcycles from about 1901 until 1966. It should not be confused with a lesser-known, unrelated Victoria Motorcycle Company in Glasgow, Scotland that made motorcycles between 1902 and 1928.
In its early decades Victoria in Nürnberg fitted proprietary engines purchased from various manufacturers including Fafnir, FN, Minerva and Zédel.
In 1920 Victoria launched the model KR 1, which has a 494 cc BMW twin-cylinder side-valve flat twin (boxer engine) mounted longitudinally in the motorcycle frame. The engine produced 6.5 bhp (4.8 kW) and transmission was via a two-speed gearbox.
When BMW started making its own motorcycles, Victoria turned to making its own engines. In 1923 Victoria launched its KR 2, an overhead valve (OHV) flat twin producing 9 horsepower (6.7 kW). In 1924 Victoria followed this with the KR 3, which produces 12 horsepower (8.9 kW) and has a 3-speed gearbox. In 1925 Victoria built Germany's first forced induction engine, and in 1926 a 496 cc Victoria achieved a motorcycle Land speed record of 165 km/h (102.5 MPH). In 1927 Victoria launched the 596 cc KR VI or KR 6. Based on this model the factory offered a high-speed sports model with twin carburettors that produced 24 bhp (18 kW), later named the KR 7.
...
Wikipedia