Okay. There are more brilliant puns made. But still… Sachs. For the over-XNUMXs and early seventies, Sachs was a world-leading manufacturer of single-cylinder two-strokes. We / they may also remember that playboy Günther Sachs who had a relationship with Brigitte Bardot. He committed suicide. But that wasn't out of heartbreak. He was suffering from Alzheimer's and wanted to forget it.
Small two-strokes were world trade
The two-stroke engine block was doing very well for a long time. Sachs supplied blocks from 47 to 123 cc for mopeds, light motorcycles and crossers. But that story passed. There was little demand for small two-stroke engines. Sachs is now a leader in suspension and damping in the car and motorcycle world.
But there has been a short period of resurrection
A very weird time when a lot of money was pumped into Sachs to make it a leading motorcycle manufacturer. Where all that money came from is unclear. Only the new Sachs had become a company that sourced the parts from the highest quality sources. That the engine blocks no longer made itself, but bought from Suzuki and Yamaha.
The name is not a guarantee
And just like the miraculous rebirths of all those other legendary brands ... the story flopped. Mainly because the Sachs motorcycles were too expensive. Of the series, at best a few hundred of each type have been built. They did end up with very conscious buyers. Buyers who were careful with their purchase. The Sachs motorcycles are therefore rare. And of top quality. And if one is offered… it will stop.
We've seen that before: classic buyers are often very conventional creatures of habit without much imagination. Only when they are triggered do they start moving. 25 years ago, Urals and Dneprs were unsaleable. Now they are wanted. From that perspective, a Sachs is a risk. And who still dares to take risks nowadays? Two participants dropped out for a ride on one of the beautiful days in early spring. Because the rain radar may have foreseen wetness. The three who did go out spent most of the day sitting on a semi-official terrace in the sun.
The whole story comes naturally to AMK
This is a run-up to a Sachs story, a very interesting Sachs story that you will get into in some time Auto Motor Klassiek will see. But now you first have the chance to get a subscription. Then you get AMK a week before it is in the kiosks. This does not apply to AMK reader W te E. He has just canceled his corona subscription. But that's because he says he is silently in love with the lady of the Read Shop.
Hugo is in love with his 125 cc Sachs V-twin
Another AMK reader, Hugo, also appreciates ladies. But he fell in love with the 'new' Sachs engines. He thinks they are fantastic and is jubilant because he has few supporters. The Sachs engines of the second generation are often well maintained. And for what they offer they are dirt cheap. Hugo already has the 125 cc, the 650 cc and the 800 cc Sachsen. And his quest is not over until he also has a Sachs B 805. And one or the copy of the Sachs 1000 cc Beast.
Sachs was also successful in motocross, think of Gerard Rond with Rond-Sachs from Bennekom.
In the enduro, Sachs was also successful.
I used to have a bicycle repair shop/moped dealer who carried Union. He himself drove a Union moped with a Sachs engine with 3 gears. The man was 65 years old at one point. You didn't see anything special about the Union. The Union was also old.
I myself already have a Puch Skybolt from 1964. 3 gears.
A friend drove Berini M 21 automatic.
We sometimes went for a drive and all the mopeds were tuned up. Pa Damste of the Union always drove calmly behind us. At one point when we were driving 80 KM per hour, Pa Damste suddenly came forward and passed us fast with his Union-Sachs moped. He never said anything about how he had managed that. Fantastic time. Never coming back.
There was also a revival in the moped area, as witnessed by the Sachs Madass, a very funny thing from the beginning of this century.
Earlier, Sachs mopeds were delivered (I also have a few) that are actually rebadged Hercules.
The oldebroek Jan Zoombelt was also successful with the sachs on the circuit.
Perhaps interesting to put his story in your beautiful magazine?
We look up!