1961 DKW Hummel Bumble Bee ‘Tin Banana’

DKW Hummel
Bumble Bee 115

With Phil Aynsley

It’s not often that you find a bike with some manufacturer’s name on it – but that was the case with this 1961 DKW Hummel 115.

1958 saw volatility in the German motorcycle market when Daimler-Benz sold off the motorcycle companies forming a division of the Auto Union group of manufacturers. Victoria’s Nuremberg-based companies, Express Werke AG and DKW were merged to form the Zweirad (Two-Wheel) Alliance (which eventually became just DKW, eventually part of Audi).

DKW has had a rather vulgar line of motorcycles/motorcycles dating back to 1956 and it is from these that the 115/155 model is completely out of the ordinary.

Produced between 1961 and 1965, they were colloquially known as “tin bananas” – alluding to the shape of their pressed metal bodies.

The avant-garde look was an attempt to appeal to the youth market with echoes of American automotive styling. The 48 cc fan-cooled two-stroke engine is even encased in a chrome ‘grill’.

One side of the engine has the Victoria badge while the other side carries the Zweirad Union branding. The Nuremberg coat of arms adorns the headlight housings. All on one DKW.

As expected by the moniker bestowed on it, this model was not a bestseller.

Today, however, it has become a highly collectible bike with a price tag of over US$10,000 paid. This particular example is in its original, unchecked condition.

The 115 makes two hp at 4950 rpm, while the 155 rises to four hp at 6500 rpm.