Scootering ups and downs

It's been a challenging couple of weeks on the scooter front. After the Troll's poor showing on the Piaggio run I went over the carby, flushed the fuel system and installed a new petrol tap. The result was almost immediate and the Troll ran like a dream again. I took it on a couple of rides around Fremantle and around the river and actually began to think that everything was looking good. It wasn't too be though.

On the last Sunday of 2009 I joined an early morning ride organised by a couple of guys I used to work with. They were riding a Vespa PX and a Lambretta. It was a long route that took us from Fremantle, along Canning Highway into the city (the long by slow road), through to Kings Park overlooking the city and then down to the coast, turning south back to Fremantle and then along the river to Como. As it was starting early, I was running late. I missed the first rendevous at the Lucky Shag bar, then missed the second rendevous at Kings Park but was only about five minutes behind the pack. I headed straight for the coast aiming to cut them off at the pass but missed them again (little did I know I had actually overtaken them). But I didn't really mind. The Troll was running really well; the engine never skipped a beat, and I was enjoying myself immensely. After about an hour and half on the road I eventually reached Fremantle again and then, just as I pulled into the carpark outside Little Creatures brewery, the engine died. The others all then arrived, just in time to see me stalled at the side of the road. A couple of guys tried to give me a push start but she just wouldn't go. I walked her into the carpark. It was a stinking hot day and the consensus was vapor lock so we settled in, had a beer and waited.

Sean's Lambretta

The waiting didn't do me any good though. The Troll resolutely refused to start. When the kickstarter broke it was kind of game over. I bid adieu to the guys and began pushing the Troll home. It was a hot day - 40c - and it took me 75 minutes to get her home. My enthusiasm for scooters was sorely tested that day. So the Troll is now out of action until I get the kickstart looked it.

So it was back to the Vespa again! Actually the Vespa has been very good to me. I hadn't used in so long that I'd forgotten what a pleasure it is to ride. Even after months without use it still turned over on the second or third kick. Over the past couple of weeks the Vespa has taken a bit of hammering. Then, I was riding it back from the hardware store last week when the back end went all soft on me and I started sliding all over the road. The rear tyre had blown. I was lucky to bring her safely to a stop, not least because it had been a very hot day and 'I'm only going up the shops' I was wearing only a T-shirt and shorts. Coming off would not have been pretty. So, again I ended up pushing a scooter. Fortunately I was only about 500metres from home.

This was the first tyre I've had to change on any of the bikes and I must say it was much easier than I had expected. Five bolts hold the tyre and rim to the wheel, which slips off easily. The spare simply bolts into place. It took only fifteen minutes. Here's a couple of shots of the patient.

Lie still, this won't hurt a bit!

One comes off, the other goes on.

I've so enjoyed riding the Vespa lately that I've decided to make a few minor mods to improve her performance. I'll shortly be installing a Sito exhaust which should give her an extra couple of kilometres per hour. We'll see. I don't believe my speedo is anything like reliable. It barely registers 40kph when I'm hurtling along Canning Highway (speed limit 60kph) and cars aren't overtaking ... all the time. We will see.....

Scooters and Bikes - New beginnings

Today was a day for new beginnings. Firstly, my brother dropped off the Ariel. He had very kindly picked up the bike while we were overseas and had been holding it for me. Today he finally had access to a ute and so bought her over. Although the bike's condition was worse than I had expected she did look rather fabulous. The upper surfaces of all the grey panels are badly surface rusted. They won't buff out. I will eventually get them sand-blasted and repainted. I'm kind of keen to do that myself this time, but we'll have to see. The red areas I intend to keep 'as is.'

The bike was covered in a decades of grime that took several hours to clean it all away. Then, with the shell gleaming about as much as it ever will, I popped in a six volt battery, connected the terminals and switched on the ignition. The ammeter on the dash immediately sprung into life. I turned on the headlight and it worked perfectly. Great! Deep down I wanted to immediately pour in some petrol and give her a crank, but I restrained myself. I'll go over the engine this weekend before I even think about turning her over.

After I had cleaned the bike down I checked under the seat to confirm the engine and chassis number. When I bought the bike I was informed that the chassis number was T286A and the bike had been built in 1961. When I checked with the Ariel Club in the UK they were a little surprised as that number corresponded to the very first batch of Leaders built in 1958. The first 100 numbers were prototypes, test beds and demo bikes with the proper production starting in July 1958 with bike number 101. This means that my bike is the 185th production Leader ever made, making it one of the oldest surviving Leader's known. Unfortunately, the Ariel dispatch records for the period 1958 to 1960 have been lost so I can't confirm who the original owner was and when it was purchased.

So, the plan is - go over the engine, clean and re-oil, clutch and gearbox, check the brakes, flush through the fuel tank and carb, clean the airfilter and then - start her up. Electrically - fix the horn and stop light, install the new indicators I've bought (they aren't original but I'm not really doing a restoration). Finally, replace the tyres, which are badly perished, with the new whitewalls and then send her for inspection. Somewhere in that timeline, if I have the chance and money (hmm, always a problem) I'll see about sanding and repainting the grey panels.

After picking up the Ariel, we loaded the Heinkel and about five large boxes of parts onto the ute and took her around to the Vespa Shop. Ivo and Roberto are now ready to begin the restoration, which was far too big a job for me with my rather basic mechanical skills. I'm happy to put the job in their capable hands. The Heinkel restoration is going to be a big job and I don't expect it will be finished inside six months.


Then I picked up the Troll, which had been in having its horn replaced and some electrical problems looked at. As we were wheeling the beast out of the shop Ivo commented that whenever the Troll is in the shop people always come in and comment. Ivo should be proud of the job they did on the Troll - she looks fantastic. This time, she fired right up on the second kick and the new horn was loud and strong. Then I had a very pleasant ride home in busy peak hour traffic.

This Sunday 29 November, Piaggio Australia is organizing a Vespa riders Christmas BBW at Subiaco Oval followed by a ride through the city. It's the first event of its kind in Perth and I had intended on riding the VBB, but her lack of power always makes me wary when considering rides of any distance. I'll make a decision on the day (maybe I'll do a test run on Saturday?). More likely I'll end up riding the Troll as that way Shelly can come along too. Although it's organized by Piaggio all other scooter makes are welcome. I'll probably be relegated to the rear of the pack with Lambretta riders but that isn't such bad company!

News from the stable

I was a little concerned when I got back from my Europe trip that the Troll would still be off the road. Much to my relief that wasn't the case. Somehow or other the cylinder had worked itself loose and the engine had lost compression. Never having seen anything like this before Ivo and Roberto were stumped as to the cause. I suspect it might just have been a symptom of many years neglect, overheating and a bit of vibration.

My first ride in four or five months was a bit stressful. The engine was running dreadfully and a howling wind made her very difficult to control. Shelly, who was following me home in the car, commented that I was wobbling all over the road. It wasn't a good start.

The next weekend I took her out for another run after cleaning the tank and adding fresh fuel. Thankfully this time she ran really well and I had a very pleasant ride. I've taken her out several times since and have been generally pleased with the performance. As I've said before, the Troll is a beautiful scooter to ride. It may not look pretty but its layout is 'just right' - the handlebars are perfectly position so you don't have to bend or stretch, the seat is perfectly comfortable, even over long distances, and the foot gears can be switched up and down with the minimum of effort. It's an excellent touring scooter. That said however there are still some problems to resolve. The battery went flat while we were away but although Roberto recharged it it has gone flat again so it isn't charging. Lack of consistent charge makes the engine stall at idle. The horn has also failed and needs to be replaced (if it isn't one thing, it's another!).

The Ariel

A couple of days before I left the Ariel Leader arrived in Perth. My brother was kind enough to pick it up and store it for me. It's still at his place and I need to arrange for it to be shipped over. In the meantime all the of the missing / replacement parts have come in so I'm all ready to go. I am quite excited about getting the bike running, registered and on the road. I don't intend a full restoration. The paintwork, especially the red sections, have many original flourishes that would be lost if it was stripped back, so I want to keep its original patina, polished up and preserved. It will also keep the cost down which will be important!

Troll - Fizz, Pop, Ping!!

Despite it being winter the weather the past couple of weekends has been marvellous - too good in fact not to take the scooters out of a ride. Monday 1 June was a public holiday, the sky was blue, the breeze light, so I invited Shelly out for a ride along the coast to Cottesloe. The Troll was running marvellously, although it continues to slip out of fourth gear a little too easily. Nevertheless, we scooted up through Cottelsoe without any problem and, as no particular cafe's looked inviting enough to stop, I pushed on up the coast intending to stop in Floreat or Scarborough.

On West Coast Highway by the SAS barracks there's a long run without any intersecting roads that offers the opportunity to open up and push the bike to the limit. The speed limit is 70 kph but everyone seems to do 80 kph. I opened the throttle and although the cars were still overtaking us, I was quite confident we were exceeding the speed limit (naughty! Double demerit points for a long weekend). Then, with the throttle full out, the engine started to sag. All the power seemed to drop away and the Troll began to slow. I dropped a gear and increased the revs but it continue to slow. We reached the turn onto the scenic drive and I pulled into the City Beach carpark. The performance picked up a bit and I nursed the Troll into the Floreat beach carpark, as I expected the cafe there to be open. The engine didn't seem too hot but we stopped and walked around a bit allowing it to cool down.

The engine was a little slow to restart but this was nothing unusual. We took a slow ride back towards Freo. Back on West Coast I opened her up again and we sailed along with the traffic. I was beginning to feel better - maybe it was just the throttle cable playing up? But as soon we hit a slight gradient - no more than 5% - the engine began to struggle again. Now this wasn't feeling right. I got off the highway and headed back towards the coast. There were a couple of low hills in our path and the engine struggled to cope. Soon the Troll was wheezing along in first gear up the lowest of hills. As we rolled down into Cottesloe the engine began making some unhappy noises. I pulled over in front of the Observation Beach Hotel just as the engine stalled. Smoke poured from the intake fan - not a good sign! I popped the side doors to allow the engine to cool. The engine was very hot so I assume the fan belt had finally failed. But even after the engine had cooled it resolutely refused to start. So we sat at the side of the road for a couple of hours waiting for my brother in law to bring down his truck to rescue us. It wasn't much fun, but even broken down we had people come over and ask us about the Troll and take a couple of pics.

Having never experienced this before I don't exactly know what's wrong but I suspect the rings might have gone as it doesn't feel like the engine has any compression. I've arranged with Ivo to have a look at it but I won't drop it off until I get the last shipment of spares in from Germany (why do some parts take SOOOOOOO long to get here? I mean three months!). I'm expected the latest package to arrive in the next week or so, hopefully not longer as we're off to Europe for three months in six weeks time. So it looks like I'll have to renew my relationship with my long neglected mistress, the Vespa VBB.
 

Troll - Running In

The weather in Perth this autumn has been glorious for scooting and every weekend I've taken the Troll out for a spin. My wife, Shelly, has always been somewhat lukewarm with my scooter 'thing.' She agreed the Vespa looked nice, but would never get on it - and I don't blame her, given the problems I've had with it! But shortly after the Troll restoration was finished she started dropping hints like, "Maybe I should get a helmet?" So last Sunday morning I borrowed a mate's helmet and took her for a spin.

I must admit I was a little anxious. I had never ridden with a passenger before and knowing how susceptible the Troll was to crosswinds I was concerned that she would not handle very well. However, I was pleasantly surprised with the Troll's performance. Power was not a problem - it hardly felt as if I was carrying a passenger - and, to my surprise, stability was much improved. Obviously the weight of the passenger kept the rear end stable and improved traction on the rear brakes. Perhaps more importantly, Shelly enjoyed her first ride on a scooter so we can look forward to more jaunts together.

Shelly, the Troll and friend in Freo. Shelly now has her own Nolan helmet.

Unfortunately, on the return journey the speedo/tacho went PING! Another problem to fix. Over the past couple of weeks a number of small problems have been flushed out as I run the Troll in. I've had to order a few more additional parts, such as a new horn, a new fan belt, and a new clutch cable. The clutch has been a bit of a problem as it occasionally seizes and I lose all the gears. It's caused me just a little bit of grief when it happens at the traffic lights - car drivers don't appreciate being held up by a scooter! I'm hoping this is a symptom of having to re-use the old clutch bowden during restoration and replacement with a new one will do the trick. We'll see.

Another minor problem I encountered was with the repro exhaust. The Troll has an unusual exhaust that loops around itself like a paperclip. The original was a single piece with a rounded front end. The new one is built in sections and has a flat front end. The seams between the segments don't seem to be sealed so the exhaust was basically spurting straight out of the front of the exhaust. It didn't really do anything to the performance but it was messy and soon the whole front of the underside was coated in oily exhaust residue. I hadn't realized it was so bad until I peeked under the footplate. Nevertheless, it wasn't a problem to fix - basic exhaust sealing putty was sufficient to fill all the gaps and get the exhaust flowing the right way.

Exhaust looking a lot better after sealing the leaks. Prior to sealing the exhaust was pumping forward through the segment joins.

More Fixes

After four solid days of pouring rain and squally wind, Sunday 24th of May turned out to be a beautiful day so I decided to take the Troll on what might be the last run of the season. Before setting out though I gave the scooter a careful once over. A couple of things came to light. Firstly, I discovered the cause of the tacho failure - the tacho bowden had been rubbing against the top of the front wheel and been completely worn through. More concerning the front brake cable was also rubbing against the wheel and had worn through the plastic coating down to the metal. Both cables really needed to be tied up and lifted away from the wheel. I've tied up the brake cable temporarily but it will have to go. I've tried to organize all new cables but have again run into the problem that almost all the German suppliers with parts in stock operate a cash and carry business only. It's frustrating!

I think I've also found the cause of the slipping clutch. It's not the cable at all. The clutch arm that attaches to the engine was so loosely connected that I could slip the arm completely off its pinion. Another concern! I've tightened it up now and for the first hour of riding it was making an agreeable firm 'click' every time I changed gears, but into the second hour it began to slip again so I'll have to check it again before the next ride. I've also found that after about an hour of riding when the engine is hot (I'm assuming) I start experiencing problems with the petrol flow. It might be just a matter of dirt in the carb but I'm not entirely convinced. Just another thing I'll have to monitor.

Troll - On the road

The Troll overlooking Perth

Having sorted out the starting problem with help from members of the IWL Stadroller forum I've been keen to take the Beast out at every opportunity. I've got a very busy schedule over the next couple of weeks which will seriously eat into my aimless scootering time and any week now the weather is likely to turn and the scootering season will be over for another year. I'm not a fan of riding in the wet. Apart from the discomfort factor, my only real motorcycle accident happened while riding in the rain and, well, once bitten, twice shy. Today I took the Beast on a 50km ride from Fremantle, up the coast to Cottesloe Beach, then along the northern side of the Swan River to Kings Park overlooking the city, then back to Fremantle via the southern side of the River.

The Troll's biggest handling problem remains its lack of stability in the wind and today was particularly windy. It can be a struggle keeping the Troll under control in a crosswind, which meant very cautious handling, especially along the coast. Nevertheless, apart from almost being run off the road twice by impatient car drivers it was a pleasant trip. For comfortable riding the Troll is light years ahead of the Vespa.

Here's a couple of videos of the Troll in action.

A non-starter and a show stopper - On Two Wheels

This weekend was the debut of the Troll and all in all I think she's performed well - except for the starting, which remains a frustrating problem. Today there was a general scooter ride for an episode of "On Two Wheels" a cable lifestyle program on Foxtel. It used be called "Riding WA" on the local community station, Channel 31, until that station went under last year. It was popular enough to be salvaged by Foxtel and episodes will be screening later this year (not being a Foxtel subscriber I wouldn't know when).

Firstly a confession - I am an idiot. Having run out of petrol once on the Vespa I should have been a little more careful with the Troll. But I wasn't. Assuming when the guys said "we've filled the tank" meant I had a full tank of gas, I never actually checked in the tank to make sure. So you can imagine my surprise when on the way back from a quick ride into Fremantle on Saturday - no more than a kilometre from the spot where the Vespa failed - the Troll spluttered to a halt. A quick check of the tank revealed it to be bone dry. There is a slow leak in the petrol tap if it is left on. I can't even claim ignorance to the problem as Roberto had made a passing comment that oil from the leaking petrol was staining my driveway. The punishment for my stupidity was having to push the enormously heavy Troll two kilometres ... uphill. No young ladies with bottles of champagne stepped up to save me this time. Lesson for today - THE TROLL IS VERY VERY HEAVY.





Today, Sunday, I joined the run from Fremantle. There were some 30+ scooters lined up outside the L2 cafe, mostly new models but there were a few Vespa PXs in the mix. The Troll certainly made a scene. There was a lot of interest from all comers and lots of photos were taken. I later did an interview for the show - I hope I don't look like a complete twit! Fortunately, the stop at L2 wasn't a long one and the engine was still hot so she fired right up. Embarrassingly though, just as we all began pulling out of the car park the clutch seized and I couldn't get out of third gear. After a couple of stalls I managed to get the Troll on the road, reving the be-jesus out of the engine, and the problem kind of solved itself. I wasn't too comfortable on the ride out Bibra Lake as the clutch was still a bit touchy and I ended up trailing the back of the pack. Ironically I was closely following the trailing pursuit car so they have plenty of footage of the Beast on the road.

At the lakeside I did my interview, we ate lunch and had chat, there was a cooking segment with some local 'celebrity' chef that I'd never heard of. They did a couple of interviews with several other riders and did a feature on a Vespa GTS250 and a Derbi GP1 (both lovely new bikes). After another embarrassingly long struggle to get the Troll to start, I cruised back towards Fremantle, taking the long leisurely route around the river back home. There's one particular stretch of road between Bibra Lake and Fremantle with no intersections for a couple of kilometres so I gently opened the throttle and let the Troll show me what she could do. Pleasingly she reached 80kms quite easily; the only thing holding her back was me. I need more experience with the Troll's performance before stretching it to the limit. The brakes are weak.


Highlights of the On Two Wheels, Scooter Episode have now been published on YouTube. This 10 minute clip features my interview in the last two and half minutes.

All up it was a great weekend. I've clearly got some more tinkering to do to sort out the issues with idling, the carb, the clutch and starting, but overall I'm very happy with the Beast.

The Troll under the bridge

Starting Update
Thank's to the advice from Dinart, Bill, James1 and James2 I've managed to solve the problem with starting. The Beast now fires right up (second or third kick). Still needs a few minutes to warm up, but it's nothing like the trouble I was originally having. Thanks guys.

The Work Begins

I haven't had much opportunity to work on the bikes over the past couple of weeks so I haven't really had much to report.

The Heinkel

While I'm concentrating on the Troll, I haven't really done very much with the Heinkel. It is currently wrapped and boxed up on my veranda. I have however been busily scouring the Internet for parts, which is both challenging and interesting.

Last week my membership to the Heinkel Club Deutschland came through. Membership costs E60 per annum and members are allowed to purchase spare parts directly through the club. Link: http://www.heinkel-shop.de/

The Troll

The Troll has been my priority since it arrived and I must admit I'm quite enamored with it. I'm amazed at the amount of spare parts available on the Internet. Here's a summary of all the parts I've sourced so far:

From Sausewind @ http://www.sausewind-shop.com/

Sausewind supply a wide range of parts for old East German vehicles. There website does not cater easily for non-European orders, however, I contacted them directly by email and they were prepared to ship parts overseas, although they did take quite a long time to respond, but more on that later. They are shipping:

1 set of ox-eye indicators (for handlebar ends)

A full set of brake, clutch and accelerator bowden cables, etc;

A set of hood rubber piping (new).

Total cost = E93

From TKM Racing @ http://www.tkm-racing.com/index.htm

TKM Racing supply a wide range of new and old scooter and motorcycle parts, including East German vehicles. They are shipping:

1 full set of electrical cabling for a Troll (they have kits for all IWL models)

Total cost = E45

From MT Superbikes (aka EMWService) @ http://www.ebay.de/

Selling a variety of East German new and used bike parts through German eBay. They are shipping:

1 x set of ox-eye indicators (a spare set)

1 x throttle kit

Total cost = E36

I've also managed to source several other parts, such as keys and lock mechanism for the glove box (currently broken).

None of the German vendors I've dealt with appear to get very much overseas business. Only one business accepted credit card for payment, which has meant it's a little difficult to send them the money. I'm currently sending it electronically direct to their bank accounts (seems a preferred method in Germany). So far the process has not been too difficult or expensive, but I've only transferred funds this way twice so far.

The general response to date to my queries has been incredulity. People just don't believe that there are IWL vehicles overseas - at least not in Australia. On one occasion the vendor refused to believe there were any Trolls in Australia, so I sent him a picture (not that he would be able to tell it was in Australia). This got me thinking - how many Trolls were in Australia? I spoke to Klaus and he knew of at least six. He owns two, he's sold two (one to me) and there were two imported in Adelaide. Although it's not conclusive, it certainly seems that the Troll is a rare machine in Australia. One of the sellers on eBay I had contacted asked me whether I'd bought the bike from him as he'd sold one to an Australian and he was very interested to find out how she was going.

Fun with Petrol

When I bought the Troll Klaus had warned that the petrol tank and carburetor needed to be thoroughly cleaned. On Saturday I added a little petrol tank and opened the petrol tap and sure enough nothing moved. So I removed and dismantled the fuel tap. It seemed every space within it was encrusted with lead and sludge.

After a damned good soaking I finally cleared the petrol tap. Underneath the tap (pictured above) is a rubber seal with three nipples through which the petrol flows. When I first viewed the seal I thought it was simply a flat seal as the nipples were completely filled with very solid black aggregate. I had to lever out the gunk with a very small screwdriver - carefully so as not to damage the rubber, which was in surprisingly good condition. The tap is now cleaned and fully functional. The Saturday I'll see if we can actually get the petrol to flow into the carburetor.

I installed the battery and tested the flow through the wiring. Despite the dodgy appearance of the wiring almost everything electrical seems to work, except of course the indicators, because they've been removed. The brake light too had been severed. All this wiring will be replaced when the wiring kit arrives.

The Arrival

I don't place much stock in omens, but it was absolutely pouring down with rain when I got the call the from Matthew the Truckie that he would be dropping the bikes off today. It was Monday, 9th of June at about 8am and I was on the bus to work, so I jumped off at the next stop into a veritable thunderstorm, got absolutely drenched and caught the next bus home. Matthew said he would be there at 10am and he damn well arrived spot on the dot. It was big rig and the bikes were packed in the middle so it took a lot of shuffling and reshuffling by his packing crew to unload the bikes. Well, not exactly bikes, more boxes of bits and things really. One of the guys asked me, "what the hell are you gonna do with all this junk?" (sounds a lot like something my wife would say). "I'm planning on restoring them.", I replied. He looked dubious. I guess I looked dubious too.

The Heinkel and boxes - rain-spatted and fresh from the truck assembled on the porch

The Heinkel came in 8 boxes (including the chassis and panels). Of course I knew what I was getting when I bought it, but it was still a bit of a shock to see it right there in pieces on my front lawn. The Troll was shipped whole of course, and Matthew hopped on it and coasted it down the ramp. I was really excited as I wheeled it down the driveway but it wasn't long before the full realization of what was ahead caught up with me. A quick once over of the Troll revealed numerous "challenges" to be resolved before it has any chance of getting on the road. While parts of the body are in very good nick, other parts are very badly worn. It needs a damn good panel beating. The body however is the least of the bike's problems. The throttle was broken, it's missing its indicators, the front brake is partly seized I think and new cables are required. I suddenly felt completely daunted by the prospect of all the work ahead.

Fortunately, the thunderstorm had passed just long enough to unload the bikes. The Heinkel boxes were packed under my porch and the Troll was parked in the driveway. I took a couple of photos and then I headed off to work. My wife messaged me on the way to hear how it all went. I sent her a couple of photos. I was expecting Shelly to be extremely dubious, but she said the Troll looked really cool - whether it was running or not. That was a relief.


After the rush was over I began to think clearly again began planning out all the activities that I needed to do. I had originally hoped to have the Heinkel ready by November - six months! Clearly that was unrealistic. I now don't expect to have the Heinkel ready before the middle of 2009. The Troll will be priority for now.

Unfortunately rain and work commitments during the week prevented me from carrying out a proper appraisal of the Troll, nevertheless, I spent the rest of the week searching the internet for IWL parts. There seems to be is a surprising amount of spares available from German scooter/motorcycle retailers. I ordered a complete set of new cables, new wiring, indicators and rubber seals (the seals on the engine covers are perished in several places. It will be two or three weeks before they arrive.



Saturday turned out to be a stunning autumn day - sunshine, blue skies and pleasant warm humidity so I began my first official survey of the bikes. Firstly the Troll:- apart from the problems with the front end, the vehicle seems to be in fairly good condition. The engine seems clean (not really a gauge of how well it runs I know). Some of the wiring looks a bit old and frayed, but I'm going to get all that replaced.

I unpacked all of the Heinkel boxes and - just to get a picture of what is and isn't there - did a bit of a dry reassemble on the lawn. When the Heinkel was delivered I was surprised not to see any wheels. There was only one single wheel packed among the boxes and that turned out to be the Troll's spare. I couldn't see how the Heinkel's wheels could have fitted into the boxes. But they did. Two 8inch wheels and four tyres. They look so diminutive and it immediately made me wonder. Was this really a 103A?? Turns out no. It's actually a 102A-1, confirmed by the ID plate - chassis no 134084 built in Stuttgart in 1955. 17,500 102A-1's were built between 1953 and 1955. Mine was obviously built towards the end of the run. The main difference between the 102 and 103 was the move to 10inch wheels to improve road handling.

As promised, there were two engines in the boxes, both dismantled. Some of the parts looked quite new, others were frighteningly bad condition - the clutch for example. There is a lot of work to do. Things I've identified as missing so far - exhaust, rear shock absorbers, suspension, axle and mudguard, gear change and throttle controls and probably a lot more. After the review I packed all the boxes up again and have stored the Heinkel for now. I've sent my membership off to the Heinkel Club Deutschland and am awaiting the parts and price list. Once I have that I'll begin sourcing the parts.

It's clear the old Heinkel has had quite a varied life. It was originally black but was hand-painted it's current gaudy red and blue. Its original seat has gone and been replaced by a sheet foam glued to marine ply. That'll need to go too.

1963 IWL Troll review

As briefly reported in Issue 1/1963, the first new "Troll l" scooter rolled off the assembly line of VEB Industriewerk Ludwigsfelde in January. The scooter "Berlin", which is an integral part of our street scene, has been replaced by a new development which offers considerably more in terms of driving comfort, driving performance, and driving safety. The starting point for this new development were demands for improved suspension, seating position and easier maintenance and repair options. In-depth studies of the city scooter "Berlin" showed that further development of the design was exhausted and a completely new development was necessary. To ensure trouble-free use, the greatest possible degree of standardization with the motorcycles of the VEB motorcycle factory in Zschopau was decisive for the technical design.

1. Frame
For the designers in Ludwigsfelde, guiding the choice of the chassis was the good experience that MZ has with the full-swing chassis of the large ES types (in addition, small types like the ES 125/150, were under development in Zschopau). This resulted in the design with front and rear long swing arms and the utilization of the shock absorbers of the ES 125/150 for the scooter "Troll l". In addition to the exceptional driving characteristics, this also has an economic benefit for our economy, which confirms the correctness of standardised development. With the spring travel of 100 mm for the rear wheel and 130 mm for the front wheel, the "Troll l" is at the top of all known vehicles of the same type.

The backbone of the new vehicle is a welded sheet metal frame that is manufactured in-house using our own welding systems. The basic profiles are welded in one operation by a modern multi-spot welding machine. This results in an absolute guarantee of flawless processing quality and economical production times. The front carrier, which comes from the MZ ES 125/150, and the rear body carrier are made of cast iron. The rear body support is also designed as a fender. The extremely torsion-resistant frame together with the hydraulically damped long swing arm suspension provide excellent driving characteristics of the "Troll l".

2. Motor
The MZ motors ES 125, ES 150 and RM 150/1 represent the modular series of the new standard motor. The RM 150/1 scooter motor is the only one equipped with a cooling fan. The performance of these motors could be further improved with further systematic development. Among other things, the connecting rod was improved with the use of a cage-guided needle bearing. The main bearings are externally lubricated by the gear oil from the clutch chamber, with the crankshaft seals now being located directly on the lifting discs. The alternator side is closed with a seal on the outside. The compensating holes required in the full lifting disks were sealed with plastic plugs to increase the pre-compression. To improve the thermal stability, light alloy composite cast cylinders with cast-in grey cast iron bushings are used, which are manufactured according to the Alfer method. The excellent heat dissipation for this type of cylinder enables operation with 0.03 mm piston clearance.

With the use of VK "Extra" (OZ 78) and the improved shape of the combustion chamber, the compression ratio could be increased to 9: 1, so that the RM 150/1 scooter engine now delivers 9.5 HP at a speed of 5500 rpm. Maximum torque is 1.25 kpm at 4000 rpm (Fig. 2). Intake and exhaust silencers have been carefully matched to the engine; the exhaust silencer especially has been completely redeveloped. The normal driving state diagram in Fig. 3 shows the gradation. The ratio of the primary chain drive has been changed to relieve the multi-disc clutch running in an oil bath. A new material is used for the primary chain, which guarantees a mileage of 25,000 km.

The housing cover shape was changed on the alternator side. Now you can get to the alternator by loosening just one screw and removing a small additional cover, which is particularly pleasant for making small adjustments on the way. The alternator is now vented through a plastic hose directly into the intake silencer.

3. Shape design and details
The rear hood has a modern three-part design, with quick-release, removable large side panels ensuring effortless access to the drive unit. Pictures 4 and 5 show the rear part with the side shells removed. The leg mudguards are high and wide and provide optimal dirt and weather protection. A comfortable, wide seat enables every driver to find the right seat position. It can be folded up to gives access to the control for the fuel tap. The fuel tank cap is also located under the seat. Other important details are the folding side stand and the exhaust completely hidden beneath the running board. Injuries from the hot exhaust, such as have previously occurred with the "Berlin" are therefore completely avoided.

There is a lockable box immediately behind the leg guards (Fig. 6). It offers plenty of space for storing tools, spares, etc. In addition, the anti-theft device, which is activated by a push button, is placed in this box.

The scooter "Troll 1" has become slightly higher than its predecessor "Berlin". This resulted from the large spring travel and the need to ensure sufficient ground clearance. However, the seating position is still within normal limits compared to other vehicles of the same type, although the slightly higher seating position is pleasant when driving. It gives the driver the impression of sitting on a motorcycle and gives extremely good contact with the road.

The accessories that are available commercially, such as luggage racks, unicycle trailers, etc., add to the vehicle’s versatility. The spare wheel is no longer supplied as standard but can be purchased as required. This fulfills numerous customer requests that reject the standard spare wheel as unnecessary ballast. In addition, it was found in tests of the frequency of breakdowns that a tyre puncture only occurred on average every 20,000 km, so that the constant carrying of a spare wheel did not appear to be necessary. An air pump is supplied as standard and is located in the upper part of the rear hood. Cautious drivers still have the option of taking their spare wheel with them.

The "Troll " is the first motor scooter with the asymmetrical dipped beam as standard! With a power consumption of 45/40 W and a light exit diameter of 136 mm, illuminating conditions of the road surface which were previously unknown in two-wheelers. Furthermore, this scooter has a flashing light and high-performance handlebar turn signals (15 W) as standard. A brake, tail and license plate light with a 95 mm light emission completes the electrical equipment.

4. Mileage
The powerful engine gives the vehicle a top speed that is still unknown in this class. With a max = 90 km/h, the character of the “Troll” touring scooter is a quick and easy way to cover long distances.

The equally high torque ensures fast driving and fast acceleration. Conditions that bring the well-known great advantages to a two-wheeled vehicle in road traffic. 60 km/h are achieved from a standing start after 11.6 seconds and 80 km/h after 23 seconds. The fuel consumption is shown in Figure 7. Fuel consumption for regular road use has a favorable value of 3 to 4.41 / 100 km. The extremely rigorous testing of the "Troll 1", which was carried out in a non-stop three-shift operation in 1961 and 1962, demonstrates the maturity of this design and the quality of the product of vehicles produced. Finally, we explain how the name "Troll" came about. This name is the summary of the first letters from the word combination "Touring-roller-Ludwigsfelde". It is to be hoped that the "Troll" confirms itself as the good spirit of its owners.

This is my English translation of the 1963 KFZ review of the IWL Troll. The original can be found here: https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2020/06/1963-kraftfahrzeugtechnik-volume-2.html


Come with me for a quick walk around my 1964 IWL Troll scooter.

For more information about these interesting East German scooters and the restoration story of my example, check out the blog posts here: https://heinkelscooter.blogspot.com/search?q=IWL+Troll

1964 IWL Troll TR1 brochure

Whenever I tell people my scooter is called a Troll they look at me like I'm a little crazy. But no, it is called a Troll. It's actually a very Germanic contraction of two words - Touring Roller, or as we would say in English, touring scooter. T-Roll 1. All very simple. https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2019/09/east-german-iwl-scooters.html

Hey Hey, they're on their way

There was movement at the station for the word had passed around that the Heinkel and the Troll were on their way.

At last, the transport is arranged. Or is it? It's been back and forth this week. Klaus dropped of bikes with Pack and Send in Preston, just around the corner from his office. But then there was a problem with the fuel. The Troll was still fueled up and couldn't be transported until it got drained. Now both bikes are boxed up, but there's a problem with the quote. There's a debate whether to price the transport according to weigh, size or volume and each method results in a wildly varying price. I'm a little surprised as Klaus has used Pack and Send fairly regularly so it isn't like this is new to anyone. I've left the debate in their hands for the moment. If things get ridiculous it'll be back to the drawing board. I certainly hope it doesn't come to that. Trusting that all goes well (crossed fingers!) the bikes will arrive in approx two weeks.
Today I also received the original owners manual for the Heinkel. In the end that info was no more than you can download from the US & UK Heinkel owners website, except for several high level diagrams of the engine, which is slightly different between the A-0 and A-1 models. I'll scan a copy and publish it here along with the other owner and technical guides.
It also included an interesting flyer from the German Heinkel club, which shows the evolution of the models. The prototype Heinkel looks exactly like an old Vespa (there you go - plagiarism again) from the front, but the back is distinctively Heinkel. It's only a poor quality photocopy but I'll scan a picture to this site as I think it's worth sharing.
I've been spending every spare moment of my time on the internet searching for parts. Even though I haven't seen either bike in the flesh (or metal), I do have a preliminary lists of missing parts I need to source.
For the Troll:
Battery - done
Indicators - I have some on order
Mirrors -there is a single mirror, but it's set on the wrong side for Australian roads. I'll need to find something more useful. The Vespa's mirrors, while original, are virtually useless when driving. They shake too much and have a tiny field of vision.
For the Heinkel:
2 x batteries - on order
An exhaust
Indicators (front and back) - I have sourced some
Bumper
Badges
I know these are all rather trivial items in the scheme of things, but if I can source them now, I will.
PS. I finally told my wife about the scooters. I'd been dreading this moment for while and the longer it went on the more and more difficult it seemed. But with the bikes almost on their way there was no putting it off. I was expecting a much more negative response but Shelly took the news well. I think she's probably reserving judgment until they arrive.

IWL History

VEB Industriewerke of Ludwigsfeld (IWL) was established on the southern outskirts of Berlin in 1936 by the Daimler-Benz company to build aircraft engines. Being a military industry, the factory was severely bombed during the Second World War and, as part of reparations the Soviets dismantled and removed everything that could be salvaged from the damaged factory. IWL's 11 empty assembly halls lay in ruins until 1950 when the nationalized automobile conglomerate, VEB, approved their reconstruction. As in the west, the government desperately needed to re-industrialize and provide jobs for a destitute workforce. After six months reconstruction the IWL factory began to function again, first producing machine tools, pots and pans, wheelbarrows and farm machinery and eventually Soviet aircraft engines under license. https://brandenburgikon.net/index.php/de/betriebe-1945-1989/bezirk-potsdam/industriewerke

East Germany's desperate need for transport led VEB to approve the manufacture of scooters as cheap mass transport in 1954 and IWL was awarded the contract for their manufacture. IWL had no previous experience with scooters or any other type of motor vehicle so some components were sourced from other manufacturers.

The Pitty

The Pitty ('little Pete') was IWL's first scooter and began rolling off the production line at the beginning of 1955. The design was broadly based on western scooters that had been examined by the engineering team, but a lot of compromises were required as the domestic parts supply for specialist components, such as carburetors, suspension and electrics was extremely poor. Consequently, early machines were hampered by poor build quality failure of critical components.
https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2020/06/soviet-zone-scooter-debacle-der-speigel.html

The engine was a 123cc two-stroke motor supplied by East German motorcycle concern, MZ (Motorrad Zchopau); formerly DKW's pre-war motorcycle plant. The engine had formerly been employed in the trusty IFA RT125 motorcycle and delivered 5 horsepower with a reputed top speed of 70 kph. That claim however was never likely to be achieved by the Pitty, weighed down as it was with so much excessive bodywork. Nevertheless, the use of twelve inch wheels gave a certain degree of stability, despite its solid rubber suspension. Production ceased in April 1956 after 11,293 Pitty's had rolled off the production line. https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2020/04/1954-iwl-pitty-brochure.html

The East German motoring authority had been disappointed by the Pitty. There were numerous complaints from customers about the scooters slow speed and poor handling. The placement of the exhausts came in for specific criticism as it was easy for the pillion passenger to burn their leg. A series of improvements were presented to IWL for action.

The Wiesel SR56

In 1956 IWL released the Wiesel as an improvement over the Pitty. Gone was the fixed nose faring that had made the Pitty look so slow and sluggish, replaced by the more traditional moving fender. But apart from a small change to the rear suspension, the Wiesel was otherwise mechanically identical to its predecessor. The motoring authority was outraged that their suggested improvements had been effectively ignored. Nevertheless, 56,000 were built before production ceased in 1959. The Wiesel came in three colours - red, grey and black.

The Berlin SR59

With the Berlin Stadtroller (city scooter) IWL finally hit its stride. In appearance and styling, the Berlin was similar to the Wiesel, but the MZ engine 123cc had been bored out a 145cc by the engineers at IWL, giving the scooter a top speed of 82kph. The Berlin also had a 4 speed gearbox and rider comfort was improved by the addition of a rear shock absorber, longer front arm suspension and sprung seats. It also had a number of advanced features, such as seven starting settings, with cold and hot starting in summer and winter. It also featured an anti-theft lock, something that customers had vocally complained about since the Pitty. The placement of the exhaust was still problematic for passengers however.

Styling was also enhanced by a new two-toned paint scheme, with the combinations of green/white, orange/white, light blue/white and black/white. The Berlin was IWL's best selling and best loved scooter. 113,943 Berlins were built between 1959 and 1962. Many thousands are still on the roads today in Germany and elsewhere around the world.

Introduced at the same time as the Berlin was the Campi single-wheeled trailer. Fixing to a connection on the rear spare wheel, the Campi significantly improved the scooter's utility and carrying capacity. With adaptor fittings the Campi could also be attached to the Wiesel and the Berlin's successor, the Troll.

The Troll TR1

With the Troll, or 'Touring Scooter', IWL took the lessons from the Berlin to the next level. The engine was the same capacity - 143cc - but was sourced from MZ. The body was restyled, becoming squarer, longer and larger. The higher seating made for a more comfortable ride, as did the new shock absorbers on the the front wheel and the improved seats. With a top speed of 90kph, IWL delivered a cruising scooter that was solid, mechanically reliable and capable of comfortable driving over long distances. The troublesome exhaust was now placed under the footplate where there was no risk of passenger or rider burning themselves. However, by increasing the size of the scooter, a new problem was created. The large, slab sides made the scooter highly susceptible to cross winds.
https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2020/08/iwl-troll-review-1963.html

The Troll never matched the success of the Berlin and only 56,531 Trolls were built between January 1963 and December 1964. At the end of the production run IWL stopped manufacturing scooters and concentrated on trucks. The Troll came with a two tone paint scheme like the Berlin - red/white, light blue/white and black/white.

VEB transferred IWL's scooter production to the motorcycle manufacturer, MZ. MZ were already building a similar spec motorcycle, the ET150, which shared many components, styling and even its engine, with the Troll. After reviewing the Troll's design, MZ decided to discontinue production.

Today there is a dedicated following for IWL scooters in Germany and many thousands are still on the roads today. The Berlin remains the most popular. The unfortunate Pitty is the rarest, most having been junked years ago. The use of MZ engines and running gear has made restoring and maintaining IWL scooters very easy as there is abundant supplies of all spare parts. There are also many remanufacturers of fittings supplying the Ostalgia market. Of all IWL products, probably the most desirable is the Campi trailer, which fetch prices around 2000 euro.

Ludwigsfeld Museum
Here's a link to the museum in Ludwigsfeld. It has displays covering the period from the war through to 1990. https://www.ludwigsfelde.de/rathaus-und-buergerservice/staedtische-einrichtungen/museum/

Footnote: This is a slightly updated short history of the IWL scooters in English that I originally wrote in 2008. At the time of writing, information about IWL in English was virtually non-existant. Since then I have obtained a lot more information, mostly in German, which I have translated, including research materials from East German scholars, such as Manfred Blumenthal. Some of that material is not easy to find, even to German speakers. I have subsequently updated this history to incorporate this material into a detailed history, which is published on my DKW-Auto Union blog here
https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2019/09/east-german-iwl-scooters.html
This version will be left as the 'simple' history.