1926 VICTORIA 500 KR3 Sport
1926 VICTORIA 500 KR3 Sport
Pioneer of supercharging
The story of Victoria is a history of the German two-wheeler industry. Most of the country’s leading engineers worked for this pioneering firm at some time. From 1920, Victoria used BMW engines mounted longitudinally in the frame. In 1923, when BMW launched its first transverse-engined motorcycle with shaft drive, Martin Stolle, creator of the BMW flat-twin, joined Victoria where he created the 1923 KR2.
The “Anti-BMW” Is Born
This “anti-BMW” retained the fore-and-aft engine layout, along with a two-speed gearbox and belt drive. On the other hand, it had pushrod overhead valves with exposed rocker gear, while BMW did not produce its first ohv flat twins until 1925.
Golden Age for the Industry
It was a golden age for the German motorcycle industry, which produced 15,000 machines a year. Victoria was one of the country’s biggest manufacturers along with NSU and Wanderer – and engaged in an aggressive racing program. In 1925, the racing version of the KR3 was fitted with a supercharger, the first time forced induction had been used on a two-wheeler: it was a field in which Germany would specialize. At Freiburg, in 1926, Adolf Brudes set a German record of 103 mph. The supercharger was subsequently discarded because of rear cylinder overheating, but development of the flat twins continued into the 1930s. The KR2 of 1923 developed 12 hp at 2600 rpm, while the KR6 of the late 1920s, enlarged to 598cc, produced 18.4 hp in touring tune and 25 hp as a racer.
SPECIFICATIONS
Engine: 500cc (70.5×64mm) air-cooled flat-twin four-stroke
Power Rating: 14 hp @ 3800 rpm
Valves: overhead-camshafts
Fuel System: carburetor
Transmission: 3-speed hand-shift, chain final drive
Suspension: girder forks (front); rigid (rear)
Brakes: drum (front & rear)
Wheels: 26×3 inch wire (front & rear)
Weight: 243 lb
Maximum Speed: 68 mph
The original KR2 of 1923 (inset) was belt-driven; the KR3 Sport had chain final drive and a three-speed gearbox.
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